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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>1 Timothy 3 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_timothy/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_timothy/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</a> > 1 Timothy 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_timothy/2.htm" title="1 Timothy 2">◄</a> 1 Timothy 3 <a href="../1_timothy/4.htm" title="1 Timothy 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/1_timothy/3.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Qualifications for Overseers</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Therefore an overseer<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1">a</a></sup></span> must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or a man of one woman; also verse 12">b</a></sup></span> sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.</p> <p class="heading">Qualifications for Deacons</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or devious in speech">c</a></sup></span> not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Their wives likewise<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or Wives likewise, or Women likewise">d</a></sup></span> must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.</p> <p class="heading">The Mystery of Godliness</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>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 the truth. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/3-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:</p><span class="block-indent"><p class="line-group"><span class="ln-group">He<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Greek Who; some manuscripts God; others Which">e</a></sup></span> was manifested in the flesh,</span><br /><span class="indent">vindicated<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or justified">f</a></sup></span> by the Spirit,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or vindicated in spirit">g</a></sup></span></span><br /><begin-line class="indent-2"/>seen by angels,</span><br /><span class="ln-group">proclaimed among the nations,</span><br /><span class="indent">believed on in the world,</span><br /><begin-line class="indent-2"/>taken up in glory.</span></p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">2</span> Or <i>bishop</i>; Greek <i language="Greek">episkopos</i>; a similar term occurs in verse 1<br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">2</span> Or <i>a man of one woman</i>; also verse 12<br /><span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">8</span> Or <i>devious in speech</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> Or <i>Wives likewise</i>, or <i>Women likewise</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">16</span> Greek <i>Who</i>; some manuscripts <i>God</i>; others <i>Which</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">f</span> <span class="fnverse">16</span> Or <i>justified</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">g</span> <span class="fnverse">16</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">vindicated</span> in spirit</i><br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 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