Qualifications for Overseers

The saying is (A)trustworthy: If anyone aspires to (B)the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 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, not a drunkard, not violent but (H)gentle, not quarrelsome, (I)not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity (J)keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for (K)God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may (L)become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:2 Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1
  2. 1 Timothy 3:2 Or a man of one woman; also verse 12

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

This saying is trustworthy:(A) “If anyone aspires to be an overseer,[a](B) he desires a noble work.” An overseer,(C) therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible,(D) respectable, hospitable,(E) able to teach, not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.(F) He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.(G) Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s(H) trap.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:1 Or bishop, or pastor