This (1) [is] a true saying, (2) If a man (a) desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. (1) Having completed the treatise of doctrine and of the manner of handling of it, as well also of public prayer, he now in the third place comes to the persons themselves, speaking first of pastor... [ Continue Reading ]
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of (b) one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (b) Therefore he that shuts out married men from the office of bishops, only because they are married, is antichrist.... [ Continue Reading ]
Not (c) given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; (c) A common drinker and one that will often partake of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the (d) condemnation of the devil. (d) Lest by reason that he is advanced to that position, he takes occasion to be proud, which will undo him, and so he fall into the same condemnation that the devil himself has fallen into.... [ Continue Reading ]
(3) Likewise [must] the (e) deacons [be] grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; (3) Likewise the deacons must first be proved, that there may be a good trial of their honesty, truth, sobriety, mind void of covetousness, that they are well instructed in the doc... [ Continue Reading ]
Holding the (f) mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. (f) The doctrine of the Gospel, which is indeed a mystery: for flesh and blood do not reveal it.... [ Continue Reading ]
(4) Even so [must their] wives [be] grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. (4) Regard must also be had for the pastor's and deacon's wives.... [ Continue Reading ]
(5) Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. (5) They that have than one wife, at one time, must neither by called to be ministers, nor to be deacons.... [ Continue Reading ]
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good (g) degree, and (h) great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. (g) Honour and estimation. (h) Bold and assured confidence without fear.... [ Continue Reading ]
(6) These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: (6) Paul purposing to add many particular things pertaining to the daily office of a pastor, speaks first a word or two concerning his coming to Timothy, that he should be so much the more careful, lest at his coming he might be... [ Continue Reading ]
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the (7) house of God, which is the church of the living God, the (i) pillar and ground of the truth. (7) The pastor always has to consider how he carries out his duties in the house of the living God, in which the tre... [ Continue Reading ]
(8) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, (k) justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (8) There is nothing more excellent than this truth, of which the Church is the ke... [ Continue Reading ]