1 Timothy 3:1–4:8
aThis is a true saying, If a man desire bthe office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 cA dbishop then must be eblameless, fthe husband of one wife, gvigilant, hsober, ||of good behaviour, igiven to hospitality, kapt to teach; 3 ||lNot given to wine, no striker, mnot greedy of filthy lucre; but npatient, onot a brawler, pnot covetous; 4 qOne that ruleth well his own house, qhaving his children in subjection with all rgravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of sthe church of God?) 6 Not ||a novice, lest being tlifted up with pride he fall into uthe condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must vhave a good report of wthem which are without; lest he fall into reproach and xthe snare of the devil. 8 Likewise must ythe deacons be zgrave, anot doubletongued, anot given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 bHolding the mystery of the faith in ca pure conscience. 10 And cclet these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found dblameless. 11 Even so must their wives be egrave, not fslanderers, gsober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be gthe husbands of one wife, hruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For ithey that have ||used the office of a deacon well kpurchase to themselves a good degree, and great lboldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in mthe house of God, which is nthe church of othe living God, the ppillar and ||ground of ppthe truth. 16 And without controversy great is bthe mystery of qgodliness: God was †manifest rin the flesh, sjustified in the Spirit, tseen of angels, upreached wunto the Gentiles, xbelieved on in the world, yreceived up zinto glory.
4 Now athe Spirit bspeaketh expressly, that cin the latter times some shall ddepart from the faith, giving heed to eseducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 fSpeaking lies gin hypocrisy; hhaving their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 iForbidding to marry, jand commanding kto abstain from meats, lwhich God hath created to be received mwith thanksgiving of them which believe and nknow the truth. 4 For oevery creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received mwith thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified oby the word of God and pprayer. 6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, qnourished up in the words of faith and of qqgood doctrine, whereunto thou hast rattained. 7 But srefuse profane and old wives’ tfables, and uexercise thyself rather unto vgodliness. 8 For wbodily exercise profiteth ||little: xbut vgodliness is profitable unto all things, yhaving promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.