1 Timothy 3

1This saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

2So an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

4He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity.

5For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?

6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with pride and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

7He must also be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

8Deacons likewise must be dignified, not two-faced, not given to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.

9They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

10And they too must first be tested; then, if they prove blameless, let them serve as deacons.

11The women likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded and faithful in all things.

12Deacons must each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

13For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

14I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon,

15but if I am delayed, I am writing so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

16And beyond question, great is the mystery of godliness: he was revealed in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.