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Here is a saying that you can rely on: to want to be a presiding elder is to desire a noble task.
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That is why the presiding elder must have an impeccable character. Husband of one wife, he must be temperate, discreet and courteous, hospitable and a good teacher;
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not a heavy drinker, nor hot-tempered, but gentle and peaceable, not avaricious,
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a man who manages his own household well and brings his children up to obey him and be well-behaved:
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how can any man who does not understand how to manage his own household take care of the Church of God?
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He should not be a new convert, in case pride should turn his head and he incur the same condemnation as the devil.
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It is also necessary that he be held in good repute by outsiders, so that he never falls into disrepute and into the devil's trap.
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Similarly, deacons must be respectable, not double-tongued, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money.
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They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
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They are first to be examined, and admitted to serve as deacons only if there is nothing against them.
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Similarly, women must be respectable, not gossips, but sober and wholly reliable.
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Deacons must be husbands of one wife and must be people who manage their children and households well.
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Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high standing for themselves and an authoritative voice in matters concerning faith in Christ Jesus.
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I write this to you in the hope that I may be able to come to you soon;
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but in case I should be delayed, I want you to know how people ought to behave in God's household -- that is, in the Church of the living God, pillar and support of the truth.
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Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed: He was made visible in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
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