1 Timothy 3:1-10 ▼

1 This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.”

2 An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.

4 He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity.

5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)

6 He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.

7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.

8 Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money,

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

10 They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons.