1 The saying isvSee ch. 1:15 trustworthy: If anyone aspires towSee Acts 20:28 the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 ThereforexTitus 1:6-9 an overseer1Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1 must be above reproach,y[ch. 5:9] the husband of one wife,2Or a man of one woman; also verse 12zver. 11; Titus 2:2 sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable,a1 Pet. 4:9 hospitable,b2 Tim. 2:24 able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent butcTitus 3:2 gentle, not quarrelsome,dHeb. 13:5; [ch. 6:10] not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignitye[ver. 12] keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care forw[See ver. 1 above] God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he mayfch. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:4 become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of bygSee Mark 4:11 outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, intoh2 Tim. 2:26; [ch. 6:9] a snare of the devil.
8 iPhil. 1:1 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,1Or devious in speechj[ch. 5:23; Titus 2:3] not addicted to much wine,kTitus 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:2 not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They mustl[ch. 1:19] hold the mystery of the faith withmSee Acts 23:1 a clear conscience. 10 Andn[ch. 5:22] let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 oTitus 2:3 Their wives1Or Wives, or Women likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded,p[Titus 2:10] faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each beqver. 2, 4 the husband of one wife,qver. 2, 4 managing their children and their own households well. 13 ForrSee Matt. 25:21 those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
sJohn 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:20 He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated2Or justified by the Spirit,3Or vindicated in spirit
tLuke 2:13; 24:4 seen by angels,
uGal. 2:2 proclaimed among the nations,
v2 Thess. 1:10 believed on in the world,
wSee Acts 1:2 taken up in glory.