Skip to the text

1 Timothy · Majority Standard Bible

1 Timothy 3 Majority Standard Bible

Leer en español
About MSB
  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Majority (Byzantine) text
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 2022
  • Public domain

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

MSB Majority Standard Bible
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task.
1 This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work.
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
2 The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 not dependent on wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.
3 not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity.
4 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
5 For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God?
5 (for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?)
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil.
6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money.
8 Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money,
9 They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.
10 Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.
11 In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.
11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household.
12 Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
13 For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these things
14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly,
15 in case I am delayed, so that you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
15 but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16◆ By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: God appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.
16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
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.

14 more on this site cite this chapter — Search the library

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)