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This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer[a] desires a good work. The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; (but how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule one’s own house take care of God’s assembly?) not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:1 or, superintendent, or bishop

[a]Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. The [b]bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach; [c]no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the [d]condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:1 Some connect the words Faithful is the saying with the preceding paragraph.
  2. 1 Timothy 3:2 Or, overseer
  3. 1 Timothy 3:3 Or, not quarrelsome over wine
  4. 1 Timothy 3:6 Greek judgment.