Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, ^(A)as a fellow elder and ^(B)a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ^2 (C)shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^{[a] (D)}not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;^{[b] (E)}not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called ^(A)the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them:

^(B)“You yourselves know ^(C)how I lived among you the whole time ^(D)from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

Qualifications for Overseers

3 The saying is ^(A)trustworthy: If anyone aspires to ^(B)the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ² Therefore ^(C)an overseer^[a] must be above reproach, ^(D)the husband of one wife,^{[b] (E)}sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, ^(F)hospitable, ^(G)able to teach, ³ not a drunkard, not violent but ^(H)gentle, not quarrelsome, ^(I)not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity ^(J)keeping his children submissive, ⁵ for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for ^(K)God's church? ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may ^(L)become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover, he must be well thought of by ^(M)outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ^(N)a snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Elders

^5 (A)This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and ^(B)appoint elders in every town as I directed you— ^6 (C)if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,^[a] and his children are believers^[b] and not open to the charge of ^(D)debauchery or insubordination. ⁷ For an overseer,^{[c] (E)}as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not ^(F)be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent ^(G)or greedy for gain, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, ^(H)and disciplined. ⁹ He must ^(I)hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in ^(J)sound^[d] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.