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A faithful word [I shall say]. If any man desireth a bishopric [If any man desire a bishopric], he desireth a good work.

Therefore it behooveth a bishop to be without reproof [Therefore it behooveth a bishop to be irreprehensible, or without reproof], the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, chaste, virtuous, holding hospitality, a teacher;

not given much to wine, not a smiter, but temperate, not full of chiding, not covetous, [not given much to wine, not smiter, but temperate, or patient, not litigious, or full of strife, or chiding, not covetous,]

well-ruling his house, and have sons subject with all chastity [having sons subject with all chastity];

for if any man know not how to govern his house, how shall he have diligence of the church of God [how shall he have diligence, or keeping, of the church of God]?

not new converted to the faith, lest he be borne up into pride, and fall into [the] doom of the devil.

For it behooveth him to have also good witnessing of them that be withoutforth, that he fall not into reproof, and into the snare of the devil.

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Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

Here is a trustworthy saying:(A) Whoever aspires to be an overseer(B) desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach,(C) faithful to his wife,(D) temperate,(E) self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,(F) able to teach,(G) not given to drunkenness,(H) not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,(I) not a lover of money.(J) He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect.(K) (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)(L) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited(M) and fall under the same judgment(N) as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders,(O) so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:4 Or him with proper