the First Week of Advent
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Read the Bible
King James Version (1611 Edition)
1 Timothy 3
1 This is a true saying: If a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good worke. 2 A Bishop then must be blamelesse, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behauiour, giuen to hospitalitie, apt to teach; 3 Not giuen to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not couetous; 4 One that ruleth well his owne house, hauing his children in subiection with all grauitie. 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his owne house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?) 6 Not a nouice, lest being lifted vp with pride, hee fall into the condemnation of the deuill. 7 Moreouer, hee must haue a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproch, and the snare of the deuill.
8 Likewise must the Deacons bee graue, not double tongued, not giuen to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, 9 Holding the mysterie of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proued; then let them vse the office of a Deacon, being found blamelesse. 11 Euen so must their wiues be graue; not slanderers, sober, faithfull in all things. 12 Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children, and their owne houses well. 13 For they that haue vsed the office of a Deacon well, purchase to themselues a good degree, and great boldnesse in the faith, which is in Christ Iesus.
14 These things write I vnto thee, hoping to come vnto thee shortly. 15 But if I tary long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the House of God, which is the Church of the liuing God, the pillar and ground of the trueth. 16 And without controuersie, great is the mysterie of godlinesse: God was manifest in the flesh, iustified in the Spirit, seene of Angels, preached vnto the Gentiles, beleeued on in the world, receiued vp into glory.