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Leaders in the Church

This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader,[a] he desires an honorable position.” So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife.[b] He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker[c] or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?

A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.[d] Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:1 Or an overseer, or a bishop; also in 3:2, 6.
  2. 3:2 Or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; Greek reads must be the husband of one wife; also in 3:12.
  3. 3:3 Greek must not drink too much wine; similarly in 3:8.
  4. 3:6 Or he might fall into the same judgment as the devil.

Overseers and Deacons

(A)It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the (B)office of [a]overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. [b](C)An overseer, then, must be above reproach, (D)the husband of one wife, [c](E)temperate, self-controlled, respectable, (F)hospitable, (G)skillful in teaching, (H)not overindulging in wine, not [d]a bully, but gentle, not contentious, (I)free from the love of money. He must be one who (J)manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of (K)the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become (L)conceited and fall into (M)condemnation [e]incurred by the devil. And he must (N)have a good reputation with (O)those outside the church, so that he will not fall into [f]disgrace and (P)the snare of the devil.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:1 Or bishop
  2. 1 Timothy 3:2 Lit The
  3. 1 Timothy 3:2 Or level-headed
  4. 1 Timothy 3:3 Or combative
  5. 1 Timothy 3:6 Lit of the devil
  6. 1 Timothy 3:7 Or reproach