Requirements for Positions for Bishops & Deacons |
1st Timothy 3:1-16 Paul's 1st Epistle to Timothy [in Smaller Chunks] |
This saying is true, If a man [desires] the office, [a.k.a. position,] of a bishop, he [desires] a good work, [a.k.a. occupation.] |
Then, a bishop must be: blameless, [a.k.a. beyond reproach;] the husband of 1 wife; vigilant, [a.k.a. attentive;] sober; [with] good behavior; [predisposed] to hospitality; [able] to teach; not [an alcoholic; not violent;] not greedy of [money gained dishonestly.] |
But [instead, a bishop is to be:] patient; [not agressive;] not [envious; someone, who rules] his own [household] well, having his children [under control,] with [reverance.] (For: if a man [doesn't] know how to rule his own [household,] how [can] he take care of [God's] church?) |
[He shouldn't be] a novice, [a.k.a. inexperienced;] lest [he] [is] lifted up with pride, & he [falls] into condemnation, [through] the devil. [Also,] he must have a good report, [a.k.a. reputation, with those, who] are without [faith in Jesus Christ,] lest he [falls] into [disgrace] & the [devil's trap.] |
Deacons must [also] be: [dignified;] not [two-faced;] not [an alcoholic;] not greedy of [money gained dishonestly;] & [holds] the mystery of faith in [Jesus Christ with] a pure conscience. |
And first, let these also be proved, [a.k.a. verified;] then let [those] found [beyond reproach, serve as] a deacon. Even so, their wives must be: [respectful;] not slanderers; sober; & faithful in all things. |
Let the deacons be the husbands of 1 wife; ruling their children & their own [households] well. For [those, who] have used the office of a deacon well, have [earned for] themselves a good [reputation,] & great boldness in [sharing his] faith, which is in Christ Jesus. |
I write these things to you, hoping to come to you shortly. But if I tarry, [a.k.a. wait,] long, [I want] that you [may] know how you [should conduct] yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the Living God, [in which is] the pillar & [foundation] of the Truth. [John 14:6 Jesus [said] to him, I Am the Way, the Truth, & the Life. No man [comes] to the Father, [except] by Me.] |
And [he should be] without [disputes,] [because of this] great mystery of godliness: God was manifest, [a.k.a. made visible,] in the flesh, & justified [by] the [Holy] Spirit, [was] seen [by] Angels; [& the faith about Jesus Christ has been] preached to the Gentiles, & the world has believed in [Jesus Christ, & He has been] received up into glory. |
[1 Corinthians 15:3-10 *For first, I delivered to you all of [what] I also received, & how Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. *And that He was buried, & He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. And that He was seen [by] Cephas, [a.k.a. Simon Peter,] & then by the 12. After that, [Christ] was seen [by over] 500 brethren at once. Of whom the greater part, [a.k.a. the majority,] remain [until] this [day,] but some are fallen asleep, [a.k.a. have died.] After that, He was seen [by] James, & then [by] all the apostles. And last of all, He was also seen [by] me, [like] one born out of due time, [a.k.a. like a baby that is past due.] For I am the least of the apostles, & [I'm] not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But [through] the Grace of God, I am what I am. And His grace was bestowed, [a.k.a. presented to,] me, & [wasn't] [done] in vain. But I [labored, a.k.a. worked,] more abundantly, [preaching about Jesus Christ,] than all [of] [them. [Still,] not I, but the grace of God, which was [within] me.] |