Qualifications for Overseers

¹This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task.

²An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife,temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

³not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.

⁴An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity.

⁵For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God?

⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil.

⁷Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

⁸Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money.

⁹They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

¹⁰Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.

¹¹In the same way, the womenmust be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.

¹²A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household.

¹³For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

¹⁴Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these things

¹⁵in 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.

¹⁶By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great:He appearedin 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.

The Living Stone and Chosen People

¹Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,

⁵you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

⁶For it stands in Scripture:“See, I lay in Zion a stone,a chosen and precious cornerstone;and the one who believes in Himwill never be put to shame.”

⁷To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,“The stone the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone,”

⁸and,“A stone of stumblingand a rock of offense.”They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

¹²Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

Submission to Authorities

¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,

¹⁴or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

¹⁵For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.

¹⁶Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

¹⁷Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers,fear God, honor the king.

¹⁸Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect,not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.

¹⁹For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.

²⁰How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

Christ’s Example of Suffering

²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:

²²“He committed no sin,and no deceit was found in His mouth.”

²³When they heaped abuse on Him,He did not retaliate;when He suffered, He made no threats,but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

²⁴He Himself bore our sinsin His body on the tree,so that we might die to sinand live to righteousness.“By His stripes you are healed.”

²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,”but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Paul’s Ministry

¹You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not in vain.

²As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.

³For our appeal does not arise from deceit or ulterior motives or trickery.

⁴Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.

⁵As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!

⁶Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.

⁷On the contrary, we were gentle among you,like a nursing mother caring for her children.

⁸We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.

⁹Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

¹⁰You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.

¹¹For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children—

¹²encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

¹³And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.

¹⁴For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,

¹⁵who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,

¹⁶hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

Paul’s Longing to Visit

¹⁷Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.

¹⁸For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.

¹⁹After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

²⁰You are indeed our glory and our joy.

Taste and See That the LORD Is Good

¹I will bless the LORD at all times;His praise will always be on my lips.

²My soul boasts in the LORD;let the oppressed hear and rejoice.

³Magnify the LORD with me;let us exalt His name together.

⁴I sought the LORD, and He answered me;He delivered me from all my fears.

⁵Those who look to Him are radiant with joy;their faces shall never be ashamed.

⁶This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him;He saved him from all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,and he delivers them.

⁸Taste and see that the LORD is good;blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

⁹Fear the LORD, you His saints,for those who fear Him lack nothing.

¹⁰Young lions go lacking and hungry,but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹Come, children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹²Who is the man who delights in life,who desires to see good days?

¹³Keep your tongue from eviland your lips from deceitful speech.

¹⁴Turn away from evil and do good;seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,and His ears are inclined to their cry.

¹⁶But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears;He delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸The LORD is near to the brokenhearted;He saves the contrite in spirit.

¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous,but the LORD delivers him from them all.

²⁰He protects all his bones;not one of them will be broken.

²¹Evil will slay the wicked,and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.

²²The LORD redeems His servants,and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.