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Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable, married only once, temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money.(A) He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with perfect dignity; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of the church of God? He should not be a recent convert, so that he may not become conceited and thus incur the devil’s punishment.[a] He must also have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, the devil’s trap.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 3:6 The devil’s punishment: this phrase could mean the punishment once incurred by the devil (objective genitive) or a punishment brought about by the devil (subjective genitive).

Now the overseer is to be above reproach,(A) faithful to his wife,(B) temperate,(C) self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,(D) able to teach,(E) not given to drunkenness,(F) not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,(G) not a lover of money.(H) He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect.(I) (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)(J) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited(K) and fall under the same judgment(L) as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders,(M) so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:4 Or him with proper

24 A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant,(A) 25 correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth,(B) 26 [a]and that they may return to their senses out of the devil’s snare,(C) where they are entrapped by him, for his will.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:26 Some interpreters would render this passage, “Thus they may come to their senses and, forced to do his (i.e., God’s) will, may escape the devil’s trap.” This interpretation of the Greek is possible, but the one accepted in the text seems more likely.

24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.(A) 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,(B) 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,(C) who has taken them captive to do his will.

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