Wycliffe's Bible 1A faithful word [I shall say]. If any man desireth a bishopric, he desireth a good work.
2Therefore it behooveth a bishop to be without reproof, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, chaste, virtuous, holding hospitality, a teacher;
3not given much to wine, not a smiter, but temperate, (or patient), not full of chiding, (or full of strife), not covetous,
4well-ruling his house, and have sons subject with all chastity;
5for if any man know not how to govern his house, how shall he have (the) diligence, (or the keeping), of the church of God?
6not new(ly) converted to the faith, lest he be borne up into pride, and fall into [the] doom of the devil. (not newly converted to the faith, lest he be raised up into pride, and then fall into the judgement of the Devil/and then fall down under the same condemnation as the Devil.)
7For it behooveth him to have also good witnessing of them that be withoutforth (And it behooveth him to have good testimony from those who be outside the church), (so) that he fall not into reproof, and into the snare of the devil. 8Also it behooveth deacons to be chaste, not double-tongued, not given much to wine [not given to much wine], not following foul winning; 9that have the mystery of faith in clean conscience. (who hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.) 10But be they proved first, and minister they so, having no crime, (or great sin). 11Also it behooveth women to be chaste, not backbiting, sober, faithful in all things. 12Deacons be husbands of one wife; which govern well their sons and their houses. 13For they that minister well, shall get a good degree to themselves, and much trust in the faith, that is in Christ Jesus (that is in the Messiah Jesus). 14Son Timothy, I write to thee these things, hoping that I shall come soon to thee; 15but if I tarry, that thou knowest, how it behooveth thee to live in the house of God, that is the church of (the) living God, (as) a pillar and (a) firmness of (the) truth. 16And openly it is a great sacrament of piety, that thing that was showed in (the) flesh, it is justified in (the) Spirit, it appeared to angels, it is preached to heathen men, it is believed in the world, it is taken up into glory. WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE Comprising of Wycliffe’s Old Testament and Wycliffe’s New Testament (Revised Edition) Translated by JOHN WYCLIFFE and JOHN PURVEY A modern-spelling edition of their 14TH century Middle English translation, the first complete English vernacular version, with an Introduction by TERENCE P. NOBLE Used by Permission Bible Hub |