A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Parallel translations
- WEB The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
- BSB An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
- NKJV A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
- NASB An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching,
- NLT So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
An overseer must be above reproach, faithful in marriage, self-controlled, and able to teach. It sets character, not charisma, as the core of leadership.
Overview
Paul lists qualities marking a blameless leader: temperate, sensible, hospitable, and skilled in teaching. 'Husband of one wife' stresses marital faithfulness, though its precise application is discussed among faithful Christians. The emphasis falls on proven, godly character fit to shepherd God's people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Titus 1:6–9If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
- 2 Tim 2:24And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
- Rom 12:13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
- 1 Tim 5:9Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
- 1 Pet 4:9Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
- 1 Tim 3:10–11And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
- 1 Pet 5:8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
- Heb 13:2Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
- Titus 2:2That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
- Phil 2:15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
- Luke 1:6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
- 1 Pet 4:7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
- 1 Tim 4:3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
- Heb 3:14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
- Isa 56:10His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
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Original language
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