Qualifications for Overseers

1Trustworthy is the saying: If anyone aspires to overseership, he is desirous of a good work. 2Therefore it behooves the overseer to be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to wine, not a striker, but gentle, peaceable, not loving money, 4managing the own house well, having children in submission, with all dignity— 5but if one does not know how to manage the own household, how will he care for the church of God?— 6not a novice, lest having been puffed up, he might fall into the judgment of the devil. 7And it behooves him also to have a good testimony from those outside, so that he might not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons
(Acts 6:1-7)

8Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not being given to much wine, not greedy of dishonest gain, 9holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10And these also, let them be tested first; then let them serve, being blameless.

11Womena likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, clear-minded, faithful in all things.

12Let deacons be husbands of one wife, managing the children and the own households well. 13For those having served well acquire a good standing for themselves and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

14I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you in a short time, 15but if I should delay, so that you may know how it behooves one to conduct oneself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.

16And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness:

Who was revealed in the flesh,

was justified in the Spirit,b

was seen by angels,

was proclaimed among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.