1 Faithful is the saying, If any man aspires to supervision, he desires a good work.

2 The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,

3 no drunkard, not a fighter, not greedy of base gain, but gentle, noncontentious, no lover of money,

4 a man who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all propriety

5 (but if any man knows not how to rule his own house, how will he take care of a congregation of God?),

6 not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the devil.

7 And he must also have good testimony from those outside, lest he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8 Helpers likewise, be honorable, not double-tongued, not attending to much wine, not greedy of base gain,

9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

10 And let these also first be proven, then being blameless, let them serve.

11 The wives likewise, be honorable, not slanderous, sober, faithful in all things.

12 Let helpers be husbands of one wife, ruling children and their own houses well.

13 For those who serve well will acquire to themselves a good standing, and much boldness in the faith in Christ Jesus.

14 These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee sooner,

15 but if I delay, that thou may know how it is necessary to live in a house of God, which is a congregation of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of piety. God was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by agents, proclaimed among nations, believed in the world, taken up in glory.