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Leaders and Deacons

3 Here is a saying you can trust. If anyone wants to be a leader in the church, he wants to do a good work for God and people.

2A leader must be free from blame. He must be faithful to his wife. In anything he does, he must not go too far. He must control himself. He must be worthy of respect. He must welcome people into his home. He must be able to teach. 3He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must be gentle. He must not be a person who likes to argue. He must not love money.

4He must manage his own family well. He must make sure that his children obey him and show him proper respect. 5Suppose someone doesn’t know how to manage his own family. Then how can he take care of God’s church?

6The leader must not be a new believer. If he is, he might become proud. Then he would be judged just like the devil.

7The leader must also be respected by those who are outside the church. Then he will not be put to shame. He will not fall into the devil’s trap.

8Deacons also must be worthy of respect. They must be honest and true. They must not drink too much wine. They must not try to get money by cheating people. 9They must hold on to the deep truths of the faith. Even their own minds tell them to do that. 10First they must be tested. Then let them serve as deacons if there is nothing against them.

11In the same way, their wives must be worthy of respect. They must not say things that harm others. In anything they do, they must not go too far. They must be worthy of trust in everything.

12A deacon must be faithful to his wife. He must manage his children and family well. 13Those who have served well earn the full respect of others. They also become more sure of their faith in Christ Jesus.

14I hope I can come to you soon. But now I am writing these directions to you. 15Then if I have to put off my visit, you will know how you should act in God’s family. The family of God is the church of the living God. It is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

16There is no doubt that godliness is a great mystery.

Jesus appeared in a body.

The Holy Spirit proved that he was the Son of God.

He was seen by angels.

He was preached among the nations.

People in the world believed in him.

He was taken up to heaven in glory.

NIrV

About New International Reader’s Version (1998)

The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) was developed to help early readers understand the Bible. Begun in 1992, the NIrV is a simplification of the New International Version (NIV). The NIrV uses shorter words and sentences so that those with a typical fourth grade reading level can comprehend what they are reading. The chapters have been separated into shorter sections and most have titles that clearly indicate what the section is all about. The NIrV will be a valuable translation to those for whom English is a second language. The NIrV still relies on the best and oldest copies of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts for its translation, guaranteeing that those who read it are getting the actual Word of God.

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