1 Timothy 3:1-7

Common English Bible

Supervisors in God’s household

3 This saying is reliable: if anyone has a goal to be a supervisor^[a] in the church, they want a good thing. ² So the church’s supervisor must be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, sober, modest, and honest. They should show hospitality and be skilled at teaching. ³ They shouldn’t be addicted to alcohol or be a bully. Instead, they should be gentle, peaceable, and not greedy. ⁴ They should manage their own household well—they should see that their children are obedient with complete respect, ⁵ because if they don’t know how to manage their own household, how can they take care of God’s church? ⁶ They shouldn’t be new believers so that they won’t become proud and fall under the devil’s spell. ⁷ They should also have a good reputation with those outside the church so that they won’t be embarrassed and fall into the devil’s trap.