(A)Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, (B)not by compulsion but [a]willingly, (C)not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 5:2 NU adds according to God

Be shepherds of God’s flock(A) that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;(B) not pursuing dishonest gain,(C) but eager to serve;

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For a [a]bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, (A)not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,

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Footnotes

  1. Titus 1:7 Lit. overseer

Since an overseer(A) manages God’s household,(B) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.(C)

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Qualifications of Deacons

Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, (A)not given to much wine, not greedy for money,

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In the same way, deacons[a](A) are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine,(B) and not pursuing dishonest gain.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:8 The word deacons refers here to Christians designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in verse 12; and in Romans 16:1 and Phil. 1:1.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am (A)innocent[a] of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not [b]shunned to declare to you (B)the whole counsel of God. 28 (C)Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit (D)has made you overseers, to shepherd the church [c]of God (E)which He purchased (F)with His own blood.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 20:26 Lit. clean
  2. Acts 20:27 avoided declaring
  3. Acts 20:28 M of the Lord and God

26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.(A) 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.(B) 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock(C) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.(D) Be shepherds of the church of God,[a](E) which he bought(F) with his own blood.[b](G)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 20:28 Many manuscripts of the Lord
  2. Acts 20:28 Or with the blood of his own Son

Graces of the Heirs of Grace

Remind them (A)to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, (B)to be ready for every good work,

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Saved in Order to Do Good

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities,(A) to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,(B)

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not [a]given to wine, not violent, [b]not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not [c]covetous;

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:3 addicted
  2. 1 Timothy 3:3 NU omits not greedy for money
  3. 1 Timothy 3:3 loving money

not given to drunkenness,(A) not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,(B) not a lover of money.(C)

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Who ever (A)goes to war at his own expense? Who (B)plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who (C)tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

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Who serves as a soldier(A) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard(B) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk?

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By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction [a]does not slumber.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:3 M will not

In their greed(A) these teachers will exploit you(B) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

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15 looking carefully lest anyone (A)fall short of the grace of God; lest any (B)root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

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15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God(A) and that no bitter root(B) grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

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31 “You are My (A)flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.

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31 You are my sheep,(A) the sheep of my pasture,(B) and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

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“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: (A)“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? (B)You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you (C)slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.

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“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?(A) You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.(B)

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11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, (A)for the sake of dishonest gain.

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11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households(A) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

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Love for the Church

14 (A)Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for (B)I do not seek yours, but you. (C)For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent (D)for your souls; though (E)the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

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14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,(A) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,(B) but parents for their children.(C) 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.(D) If I love you more,(E) will you love me less?

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