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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).

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.