The aim of your instruction must be love that springs from a pure heart and from a good conscience and from a sincere faith.

he must keep in mind that no law is ever made for honest people but for the lawless and the insubordinate, for the impious and the sinful, for the irreverent and the profane, for parricides and matricides, murderers,

To do this you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith.

who gave himself as a ransom on behalf of all men. This must be our testimony, as opportunities present themselves;

Now I want the men to offer prayer at any meeting of the church; and let the hands they lift to heaven be holy ??they must be free from anger and dissension.

Likewise the women are to dress in suitable apparel, with modesty and self-control. Their adornment must not be with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive clothing,

A woman must learn in quietness with all submission.

I do not permit a woman to teach, nor have authority over a man, but she must remain silent.

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but instead be gentle. He must not be argumentative or love money.

He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity [keeping them respectful and well-behaved]

and He must not be a new convert, so that he will not [behave stupidly and] become conceited [by appointment to this high office] and fall into the [same] condemnation incurred by the devil [for his arrogance and pride].

Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

but upholding and fully understanding the mystery [that is, the true doctrine] of the [Christian] faith with a clear conscience [resulting from behavior consistent with spiritual maturity].

and these also must be tested first; then let them serve [if they] are above reproach.

Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing [their] children and their own households well.

But if I am delayed, [I am writing] in order that you may know how one must conduct oneself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and mainstay of the truth.

These are the things you must insist on and teach.

Widows who really need it must be supported from the funds.

But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to show profound respect for their own household first, and to pay back recompense to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

[But] do not put a widow on the list [i.e., of people being helped by the church. See Acts 6:1] who is under sixty years old. [And she must] have been the wife of one man,

and has a reputation for good deeds; [she is eligible] if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the saints (God’s people), if she has assisted the distressed, and has devoted herself to doing good in every way.

But the younger widows you must not enrol; for as soon as they begin to chafe against the yoke of Christ, they want to marry,

As it is, some widows have already turned after Satan. ??16 Any believer, man or woman, who has widowed relatives, must give them relief; the church is not to be burdened with them; she has to relieve the widows who really need relief.

If any believing woman has widows, she must help them, and the church must not be burdened, in order that it may help those [who are] truly widows.

The elders who lead well must be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor by speaking and teaching.

For the scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox [while it] is threshing," and "The worker [is] worthy of his wages."

Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest.

I testify before God, and Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you must guard these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.

All those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, lest the name of God and the teaching be slandered.

And those who have believing masters must not look down on [them] because they are brothers, but rather they must serve, because those who benefit by their service are believers and dearly loved.

If we have food and clothes, we must be content with that.

But you, O man of God, must flee from these things; and strive for uprightness, godliness, good faith, love, fortitude, and a forgiving temper.

Impress on those who are rich in the present age that they must not be haughty nor set their hopes on riches--that unstable foundation--but on God who provides us richly with all things for our enjoyment.

They must be beneficent, rich in noble deeds, open-handed and liberal;