1 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ. 2 Δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίληπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικόν· 3 μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, μὴ αἰσχροκερδῆ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπιεικῆ, ἄμαχον, ἀφιλάργυρον· 4 τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμενον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος. 5 Εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδε, πῶς ἐκκλησίας Θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται; 6 Μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. 7 Δεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου. 8 Διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς, 9 ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει. 10 Καὶ οὗτοι δὲ δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶτον, εἶτα διακονείτωσαν, ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες. 11 Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσι. 12 Διάκονοι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων. 13 Οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες βαθμὸν ἑαυτοῖς καλὸν περιποιοῦνται, καὶ πολλὴν παρρησίαν ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 14 Ταῦτά σοι γράφω, ἐλπίζων ἐλθεῖν πρός σε τάχιον· 15 ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ζῶντος, στύλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας. 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.
1 Timothy · Textus Receptus (Boyd collation)
1 Timothy 3 Textus Receptus (Boyd collation)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Collates Stephanus 1550, Elzevir 1624 and Scrivener 1881 (not the 1894 Scrivener edition). The variant footnotes are not shown.
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)