1 T his is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work.

The saying is true and irrefutable: If any man seeks the office of bishop (superintendent, overseer), he desires an excellent task (work).

2 T he overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;

Now a bishop (superintendent, overseer) must give no grounds for accusation but must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, circumspect and temperate and self-controlled; sensible and well behaved and dignified and lead an orderly (disciplined) life; hospitable a capable and qualified teacher,

3 n ot a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

Not given to wine, not combative but gentle and considerate, not quarrelsome but forbearing and peaceable, and not a lover of money.

4 o ne who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;

He must rule his own household well, keeping his children under control, with true dignity, commanding their respect in every way and keeping them respectful.

5 ( but if a man doesn’t know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?

6 n ot a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

He must not be a new convert, or he may as the result of pride fall into the condemnation that the devil did.

7 M oreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Furthermore, he must have a good reputation and be well thought of by those outside, lest he become involved in slander and incur reproach and fall into the devil’s trap.

8 S ervants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money;

In like manner the deacons worthy of respect, not shifty and double-talkers but sincere in what they say, not given to much wine, not greedy for base gain.

9 h olding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

They must possess the mystic secret of the faith with a clear conscience.

10 L et them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.

And let them also be tried and investigated and proved first; then, if they turn out to be above reproach, let them serve.

11 T heir wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

women likewise must be worthy of respect and serious, not gossipers, but temperate and self-controlled, trustworthy in all things.

12 L et servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Let deacons be the husbands of but one wife, and let them manage children and their own households well.

13 F or those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

For those who perform well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and also gain much confidence and freedom and boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

14 T hese things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

Although I hope to come to you before long, I am writing these instructions to you so that,

15 b ut if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

If I am detained, you may know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and stay (the prop and support) of the Truth.

16 W ithout controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

And great and important and weighty, we confess, is the hidden truth (the mystic secret) of godliness. He '> God] was made visible in human flesh, justified and vindicated in the Spirit, was seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.