Qualifications
3
Of overseers
1 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ. 2 Δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίληπτον* εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον,† σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικόν, 3 μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, μὴ αἰσχροκερδῆ,‡ ἀλλ᾿§ ἐπιεικῆ, ἄμαχον, ἀφιλάργυρον· 4 τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμενον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος 5 (εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς ἐκκλησίας Θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται;)· 6 μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. 7 Δεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν* καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου.
Of deacons
8 Διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς· 9 ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει. 10 Καὶ οὗτοι δὲ δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶτον· εἶτα, διακονείτωσαν, ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες.
Of ‘deaconesses’
11 Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους,† πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.
Of deacons, again
12 Διάκονοι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων. 13 Οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες βαθμὸν ἑαυτοῖς καλὸν περιποιοῦνται καὶ πολλὴν παρρησίαν ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
God in flesh
14 Ταῦτά σοι γράφω, ἐλπίζων ἐλθεῖν πρός σε τάχιον,‡ 15 ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ζῶντος, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα§ τῆς ἀληθείας. 16 Καί, ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον· Θεὸς* ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήφθη† ἐν δόξῃ.
* 3:2 ανεπιληπτον f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ανεπιλημπτον ℵA [3%] NU † 3:2 νηφαλιον f35 ℵA [40%] OC,CP,NU ¦ νηφαλεον [50%] RP,HF,TR ¦ νηφαλαιον [8%] ¦ νηφαλειον [2%] ‡ 3:3 μη αισχροκερδη f35 (69.9%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA (30.1%) NU (Who wants to offend those with the means to make substantial contributions to the church coffers? So why talk about shady dealings? The omission is surely inferior.) § 3:3 αλλ f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ αλλα ℵA [3%] NU * 3:7 αυτον f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ — ℵA,I [3%] NU † 3:11 νηφαλιους f35 ℵA,C [40%] OC,CP,NU ¦ νηφαλεους [50%] RP,HF,TR ¦ νηφαλαιους [8%] ¦ νηφαλεας [2%] ‡ 3:14 ταχιον f35 ℵ (92.5%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ταχειον (5.4%) ¦ εν ταχει A,C (2%) NU § 3:15 ἑδραιωμα rell ¦ εδραιωμα [15%] * 3:16 θεος f35 A,Cv [98.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ος ℵ [1%] NU ¦ ο D ¦ ω 061 ¦ ος θεος 256 (For an explanation of this statement of evidence, and a discussion of the implications, please see my book, ‘The Identity of the New Testament Text IV, footnote 3, on pages 115-117’) [The variant chosen by NU is a grammatical impossibility (no antecedent for the pronoun), besides being a stupidity. What is a ‘mystery’ about any human male being manifested in flesh? All human beings have bodies. In the absence of concrete evidence, the claim that this is a quote lifted from a known hymn or poem becomes no more than a desperate attempt to ‘save’ a choice that besides being stupid is also perverse (because of the theological consequences).] † 3:16 ανεληφθη f35 [97%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ανελημφθη ℵA,C [3%] NU