3 ^[a]Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ² The ^[b]bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ^3 [c]no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money; ⁴ one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ⁵ (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ⁶ not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the ^[d]condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. ⁸ Deacons in like manner must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; ⁹ holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. ¹⁰ And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless. ¹¹ Women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ¹² Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³ For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; ¹⁵ but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know ^[e]how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ^[f]ground of the truth. ¹⁶ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness;