1  Faithful is this word: If anyone aspires to the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

1  Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

1  It is a faithful saying: if a man desires the episcopate, he desires a good work.

2  It is necessary, therefore, for a bishop to be irreproachable, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well-behaved, hospitable, skillful at teaching;

2  The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

2  He who becomes an bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, have an alert mind, must be sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, and apt at teaching;

3  not given to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not loving money;

3  no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money;

3  not a drunkard, not combative but restrained, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

4  one ruling his own house well, having [his] children in submission with all reverence;

4  but a man who leads his own house well, having children who are subordinate with all chastity.

4  One who rules well his own household, and keeps his children under submission to bring them up with all purity.

5  (for if one does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

5  (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

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

6  not a new convert, lest being puffed up [with pride] he fall into the [same] condemnation as the devil.

6  He must not be a new convert, lest, being elated by pride, he may fall under the sentence of the devil.

7  Moreover he must have a good testimony among those outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

7  And it is necessary for him also to have good testimony from those who are outside, so that he may not fall into disrepute and the snare of the devil.

7  Moreover, he must have a good report from outsiders; lest he fall into reproach and the snares of the devil.

8  Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not being given to much wine, not greedy for money,

8  Similarly, deacons must be chaste, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not pursuing tainted profit,

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

9  But they must uphold the divine mystery of faith with a pure conscience.

10  But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being irreproachable.

10  And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless.

10  And these things should be proven first, and then they may minister, being without offense.

11  Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

11  Women in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

11  Similarly, the women must be chaste, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

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

12  Deacons should be the husband of one wife, men who lead their own children and their own houses well.

12  Let the deacons be appointed from those who have not been polygamous, ruling their children and their own households well.

13  For those who have served well as deacons obtain a standing for themselves and much boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

13  For those who minister well earn good recognition for themselves and grow more familiar with the faith of Jesus Christ.

13  For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

14  These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

14  I am writing these things to you, with the hope that I will come to you soon.

15  but if I am delayed, [I write] so that you may know how it is necessary to conduct oneself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.

16  And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among [the ]Gentiles, believed on in the world, [and ]was received up in glory.

16  And it is clearly great, this mystery of piety, which was manifested in the flesh, which was justified in the Spirit, which has appeared to Angels, which has been preached to the Gentiles, which is believed in the world, which has been taken up in glory.

16  Truly great is this divine mystery of righteousness: it is revealed in the flesh, justi- fied in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory.