Faithful [is] the word: if anyone is eager for oversight, he is desirous of a good work.
The overseer therefore must be irreproachable, husband of one wife, temperate, sober, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach,
not given to wine, no striker, but gentle, not contentious, not fond of money,
one that ruleth well his own house, having children in subjection with all gravity,
(but if one knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he care for God’s assembly?),
not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the devil’s charge .
But he must also have good testimony from those without, lest he fall into reproach and a snare of the devil.
Deacons likewise [must be] grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of base gain,
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
And let these also be first proved, then let them serve as deacons, being blameless.
Women likewise [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling [their] children and their own houses well;
for those that have served well as deacons gain for themselves a good degree, and great boldness in faith that is in Christ Jesus.
These things write I to thee, hoping to come unto thee rather quickly;
but if I should tarry, that thou mayest know how one ought to behave in God’s house, seeing it is a living God’s assembly, pillar and groundwork of the truth.
And confessedly great is the mystery of piety: he who was manifested in flesh, was justified in Spirit, appeared unto angels, was preached among Gentiles, was believed on in [the] world, was received up in glory.