Letters to the Churches

and she shall be saved through the child-bearing, if they remain in faith, and love, and sanctification, with sobriety.

Stedfast is the word: If any one the oversight doth long for, a right work he desireth;

it behoveth, therefore, the overseer to be blameless, of one wife a husband, vigilant, sober, decent, a friend of strangers, apt to teach,

not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money,

his own house leading well, having children in subjection with all gravity,

(and if any one his own house how to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?)

not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall to a judgment of the devil;

and it behoveth him also to have a good testimony from those without, that he may not fall into reproach and a snare of the devil.

Ministrants--in like manner grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy lucre,

having the secret of the faith in a pure conscience,

and let these also first be proved, then let them minister, being unblameable.

Women--in like manner grave, not false accusers, vigilant, faithful in all things.

Ministrants--let them be of one wife husbands; the children leading well, and their own houses,

for those who did minister well a good step to themselves do acquire, and much boldness in faith that is in Christ Jesus.

These things I write to thee, hoping to come unto thee soon,

and if I delay, that thou mayest know how it behoveth thee to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is an assembly of the living God--a pillar and foundation of the truth,

and, confessedly, great is the secret of piety--God was manifested in flesh, declared righteous in spirit, seen by messengers, preached among nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory!

And the Spirit expressly speaketh, that in latter times shall certain fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons,

in hypocrisy speaking lies, being seared in their own conscience,

forbidding to marry--to abstain from meats that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those believing and acknowledging the truth,

because every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, with thanksgiving being received,

for it is sanctified through the word of God and intercession.

These things placing before the brethren, thou shalt be a good ministrant of Jesus Christ, being nourished by the words of the faith, and of the good teaching, which thou didst follow after,

and the profane and old women's fables reject thou, and exercise thyself unto piety,

for the bodily exercise is unto little profit, and the piety is to all things profitable, a promise having of the life that now is, and of that which is coming;