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1 Timothy · King James Version (with Apocrypha)

1 Timothy 3 King James Version (with Apocrypha)

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About KJV
  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Textus Receptus
  • Protestant, with the Apocrypha
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 1611
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

KJV King James Version (with Apocrypha)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 This [is] a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
2 δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίληπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικόν,
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
3 μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, μὴ αἰσχροκερδῆ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιεικῆ, ἄμαχον, ἀφιλάργυρον,
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
4 τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμενον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος· —
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
5 εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδε, πῶς ἐκκλησίας Θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται; —
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
6 μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
7 δεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου.
8 Likewise [must] the deacons [be] grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
8 Διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς,
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
9 ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being [found] blameless.
10 καὶ οὗτοι δὲ δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶτον, εἶτα διακονείτωσαν ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες.
11 Even so [must their] wives [be] grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
11 γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσι.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
12 διάκονοι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
13 οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες βαθμὸν ἑαυτοῖς καλὸν περιποιοῦνται καὶ πολλὴν παρρησίαν ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
14 Ταῦτά σοι γράφω ἐλπίζων ἐλθεῖν πρός σε τάχιον·
15 But if I tarry long, 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.
15 ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ζῶντος, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας.
16◆ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
16 καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον· Θεὸς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν Πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ.
Cross references (16)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Titus 1:7; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2; 1 Peter 2:25; James 5:19–20
  2. 2 Titus 1:6–9; 2 Timothy 2:24; Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 5:9; 1 Peter 4:9
  3. 3 Titus 1:7; Titus 3:2; Isaiah 28:7; 1 Timothy 3:8; Ephesians 5:18
  4. 4 Titus 1:6; Genesis 18:19; 1 Timothy 3:12; Titus 2:2; Joshua 24:15
  5. 5 1 Samuel 3:13; Ephesians 5:24; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:32; Ephesians 1:22
  6. 6 1 Timothy 6:4; Hebrews 5:12–13; 1 Peter 5:5; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Corinthians 3:1
  7. 7 2 Corinthians 8:21; 2 Timothy 2:26; Colossians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 6:3; Acts 6:3
  8. 8 Philippians 1:1; Acts 6:3–6; Titus 2:3; 1 Timothy 5:23; 1 Timothy 3:3
  9. 9 1 Timothy 1:19; 2 John 9–10; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Timothy 3:16
  10. 10 1 Timothy 5:22; 1 Timothy 3:13; Titus 1:6–7; 1 Timothy 3:6; 1 Timothy 3:2
  11. 11 Titus 2:3; Titus 3:2; 1 Timothy 3:2; Proverbs 10:18; 2 Timothy 3:3
  12. 12 1 Timothy 3:2; 1 Timothy 3:4–5; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8
  13. 13 Matthew 25:21; Hebrews 6:10; Acts 6:15–7:53; 1 Peter 4:10–11; Romans 12:7–8
  14. 14 Philemon 22; 1 Corinthians 11:34; 2 John 12; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 1 Timothy 4:13
  15. 15 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:21–22; 1 Chronicles 22:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Kings 2:4
  16. 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?

Articles and answers on this site that cite 1 Timothy 3.

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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).

  1. Commentary 3:1 John Chrysostom, Homilies on First Timothy (Homily X)

    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)

  2. Quotes verse 3:15 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter XI)

    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 …

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  3. Quotes verse 3:1 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XIX, Chapters 18–21)

    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)

  4. Quotes verse 3:6 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily XV)

    … 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)

  5. Quotes verse 3:15 Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (Lecture XVIII)

    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)