and I was appointed to be its herald and apostle (I am not telling a lie, it is quite true), to teach the Gentiles faith and truth.

Women in turn are to dress modestly and quietly in seemly garb; they are not to adorn themselves with plaits of hair, with gold or pearls or expensive finery,

and Adam was not deceived, it was Eve who was deceived and who fell into sin.

not a drunkard or violent, but lenient and conciliatory, not a lover of money,

(if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how is he to look after the church of God?);

he must not be a new convert, in case he gets conceited and incurs the doom passed on the devil;

Deacons in turn are to be serious men; they are not to be tale-bearers or addicted to drink or pilfering;

Their wives must be serious too; they must not be slanderers but temperate and absolutely trustworthy.

And who does not admit how profound is the divine truth of our religion? ??it is He who was "manifest in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by the angels, preached among the nations, believed on throughout the world, taken up to glory."

You have a gift that came to you transmitted by the prophets, when the presbytery laid their hands upon you; do not neglect that gift.

Attend to these duties, let them absorb you, so that all men may note your progress.

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

The really forlorn widow has her hope fixed on God, night and day she is at her prayers and supplications;

Whoever does not provide for his own relatives and particularly for his own family, has repudiated the faith: he is worse than an infidel.

Besides, they become idle unconsciously by gadding about from one house to another ??and not merely idle but gossips and busybodies, repeating things they have no right to mention.

So I prefer young widows to marry again, to bear children, to look after their households, and not to afford our opponents any chance of reviling us.

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.

Scripture says, You must not muzzle an ox when he is treading the grain, and A workman deserves his wages.

Never be in a hurry to ordain a presbyter; do not make yourself responsible for the sins of another man ??keep your own life pure.

Good works are equally conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot escape notice for ever.

Those who have Christian believers as their masters must not take liberties with them because they are brothers; they must be all the better servants because those who get the good of their service are believers and beloved. This is what you are to teach and preach.

Charge the rich of this world not to be supercilious, and not to fix their hopes on so uncertain a thing as riches but on the living God who richly provides us with all the enjoyments of life;