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Here is a saying you can trust. If anyone wants to be a leader in the church, they want to do a good work for God and people. 2 A leader must be free from blame. He must be faithful to his wife. In anything he does, he must not go too far. He must control himself. He must be worthy of respect. He must welcome people into his home. He must be able to teach. 3 He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must be gentle. He must not be a person who likes to argue. He must not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well. He must make sure that his children obey him. And he must do this in a way that gains him respect. 5 Suppose someone doesn't know how to manage his own family. Then how can he take care of God's church? 6 The leader must not be a new believer. If he is, he might become proud. Then he would be judged just like the devil. 7 The leader must also be respected by those who are outside the church. Then he will not be put to shame. He will not fall into the devil's trap. 8 In the same way, deacons must be worthy of respect. They must be honest and true. They must not drink too much wine. They must not try to get money by cheating people. 9 They must hold on to the deep truths of the faith. Even their own minds tell them to do that. 10 First they must be tested. Then let them serve as deacons if there is nothing against them.
11 In the same way, the women must be worthy of respect. They must not say things that harm others. In anything they do, they must not go too far. They must be worthy of trust in everything.
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife. He must manage his children and family well. 13 Those who have served well earn the full respect of others. They also become more sure of their faith in Christ Jesus.
14 I hope I can come to you soon. But now I am writing these instructions to you. 15 Then if I have to put off my visit, you will know how people should act in God's family. The family of God is the church of the living God. It is the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 There is no doubt that true godliness comes from this great mystery.
Jesus came as a human being.
The Holy Spirit proved that he was the Son of God.
He was seen by angels.
He was preached among the nations.
People in the world believed in him.
He was taken up to heaven in glory.
3:1–16 Paul described different kinds of church leaders in Ephesus. Some did the work of deacons. All leaders were to set an example about how to think, speak and act. Paul listed ten things that they must do and five things that they mustn't do. This is like the list Paul wrote about church leaders in Titus 1:1–9. Their minds must be centred on the truth about who Jesus is. Their words must be honest and true and helpful to others. Their actions must be respected by believers and unbelievers. They must be faithful in marriage if they are married. They must be wise parents if they have children. They must be constantly growing stronger in their faith. They must be honest about money and not cheat people. They must control themselves. They mustn't drink too much alcohol. The must manage the things they own well. They must be gentle and humble as they serve and lead people. Paul explained to Timothy why he wrote these instructions about church leaders. He wanted believers to know how they should act. Leaders should teach this by the way they live. The church is God's family. It shows everyone how God wants human beings to live. The church shows everyone the mystery of Christ. This mystery is that Jesus is the Son of God.