1 This is a true saying, If any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a worthie worke. 2 A Bishop therefore must be vnreproueable, the husband of one wife, watching, temperate, modest, harberous, apt to teache, 3 Not giuen to wine, no striker, not giuen to filthy lucre, but gentle, no fighter, not couetous, 4 One that can rule his owne house honestly, hauing children vnder obedience with all honestie. 5 For if any cannot rule his owne house, how shall he care for the Church of God? 6 He may not be a yong scholer, lest he being puffed vp fall into the condemnation of the deuill. 7 He must also be well reported of, euen of them which are without, lest he fall into rebuke, and the snare of the deuill. 8 Likewise must Deacons be graue, not double tongued, not giuen vnto much wine, neither to filthy lucre, 9 Hauing the mysterie of the faith in pure conscience. 10 And let them first be proued: then let them minister, if they be found blameles. 11 Likewise their wiues must be honest, not euill speakers, but sober, and faithfull in all things. 12 Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as can rule their children well, and their owne housholdes. 13 For they that haue ministred well, get them selues a good degree, and great libertie in the faith, which is in Christ Iesus. 14 These things write I vnto thee, trusting to come very shortly vnto thee. 15 But if I tary long, that thou maist yet know, how thou oughtest to behaue thy self in ye house of God, which is the Church of the liuing God, the pillar and ground of trueth. 16◆ And without controuersie, great is the mysterie of godlinesse, which is, God is manifested in the flesh, iustified in the Spirit, seene of Angels, preached vnto the Gentiles, beleeued on in the world, and receiued vp in glorie.
1 Timothy · Geneva Bible (1599)
1 Timothy 3 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Titus 1:7; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2; 1 Peter 2:25; James 5:19–20
- 2 Titus 1:6–9; 2 Timothy 2:24; Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 5:9; 1 Peter 4:9
- 3 Titus 1:7; Titus 3:2; Isaiah 28:7; 1 Timothy 3:8; Ephesians 5:18
- 4 Titus 1:6; Genesis 18:19; 1 Timothy 3:12; Titus 2:2; Joshua 24:15
- 5 1 Samuel 3:13; Ephesians 5:24; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:32; Ephesians 1:22
- 6 1 Timothy 6:4; Hebrews 5:12–13; 1 Peter 5:5; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Corinthians 3:1
- 7 2 Corinthians 8:21; 2 Timothy 2:26; Colossians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 6:3; Acts 6:3
- 8 Philippians 1:1; Acts 6:3–6; Titus 2:3; 1 Timothy 5:23; 1 Timothy 3:3
- 9 1 Timothy 1:19; 2 John 9–10; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Timothy 3:16
- 10 1 Timothy 5:22; 1 Timothy 3:13; Titus 1:6–7; 1 Timothy 3:6; 1 Timothy 3:2
- 11 Titus 2:3; Titus 3:2; 1 Timothy 3:2; Proverbs 10:18; 2 Timothy 3:3
- 12 1 Timothy 3:2; 1 Timothy 3:4–5; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8
- 13 Matthew 25:21; Hebrews 6:10; Acts 6:15–7:53; 1 Peter 4:10–11; Romans 12:7–8
- 14 Philemon 22; 1 Corinthians 11:34; 2 John 12; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 1 Timothy 4:13
- 15 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:21–22; 1 Chronicles 22:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Kings 2:4
- 16 John 1:14; Hebrews 1:3; Mark 16:19; Romans 16:25; 1 John 5:6–8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
Why does my Bible say something different?
- 1 Timothy 3:16: “God was manifest” or “He who was manifested”?
The Byzantine text, followed by the Patriarchal Text and the KJV, reads “God was manifest in the flesh.” The oldest manuscripts read “who was manifested,” and the Latin reads “which was manifested.” In ancient Greek manuscripts the abbreviated word for “God” and the word “who” looked almost the same. Either way, the hymn speaks of Christ incarnate.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
As now proceeding to discourse of the Episcopal office, he sets out with showing what sort of a person a Bishop ought to be. And here he does not do it as in the course of his exhortation to Timothy, but addresses all, and instructs others through him. And what says he?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
For, since there are four zones of the world in which we live, and four principal winds, while the Church is scattered throughout all the world, and the "pillar and ground" of the Church is the Gospel and the spirit of life; it is fitting that she should have four pillars, breathing out immortality on every side, and vivifying men …
It is to this the apostle refers when he says, "He that desireth the episcopate desireth a good work." He wished to show that the episcopate is the title of a work, not of an honor.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… which make havoc of the whole world, had their entering in from pride:--for both the devil, not being such before, did thus become a devil; as indeed Paul plainly declared, saying, "Lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil:" --and the first man, too, puffed up by the devil with these hopes, was made …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Concerning this Holy Catholic Church Paul writes to Timothy, That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)