Chapter 3

¹This is a trustworthy saying.

Whoever aspires to the office of superintendent sets his heart on a fine work. ²A superintendent must be a man above reproach, only once married, temperate, sensible, a man of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; ³not addicted to drink or pugnacious, but a man of moderation and peace, not avaricious, ⁴managing his own house well, and keeping his children under control and perfectly respectful— ⁵for if a man does not know how to conduct his own household, how can he look after a church of God? ⁶He must not be a new convert, or he may grow conceited and incur criticism from slanderous people. ⁷He must also be a man of good standing with outsiders, or he may get into disgrace and be entrapped by the slanderers. ⁸Assistants, in turn, must be serious, straightforward men, not addicted to wine or dishonest gain, ⁹but holding the divine truth of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰They should first be tested, and afterward, if there is no fault to be found with them, they can serve as assistants. ¹¹Their wives too must be serious, not gossips; they must be temperate, and perfectly trustworthy. ¹²The assistants must be only once married, and manage their children and their households well. ¹³For those who do good service as assistants gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing you all this ¹⁵so that if I am delayed, you may know how we are to conduct ourselves in the household of God, for it is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶No one can deny the profundity of the divine truth of our religion!

“He was revealed in flesh,

He was vindicated by the Spirit,

He was seen by the angels,

He was proclaimed among the heathen,

He was believed in throughout the world,

He was taken up into glory.”