American Standard Version
1 Timothy 3:2
2The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1 Timothy 3:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
- New International Version (NIV)Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
- New King James Version (NKJV)A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
Context of 1 Timothy 3:2
1Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money; 4one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
Read all of 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3:2 word by word
δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίλημπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικόν,Read the interlinear
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:2
- 1 Timothy 3:10And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless.
- Luke 1:6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
- Philippians 2:15that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world,
- 1 Timothy 4:3forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.
- 1 Timothy 5:9Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
- Hebrews 3:14for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:
- Isaiah 56:10His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
- 1 Peter 4:7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer:
- 1 Peter 5:8Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
- Romans 12:13communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality.
- Hebrews 13:2Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
- 1 Peter 4:9using hospitality one to another without murmuring:
- 2 Timothy 2:24And the Lord’s servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2A bishop then must be blameless - Our term bishop comes from the Anglo-Saxon, which is a mere corruption of the Greek , and the Latin episcopus; the former being compounded of , over, and , to look or inspect, signifies one who has the inspection or oversight of a place, persons, or business; what we commonly term a superintendent. The New Testament writers have borrowed the term from the Septuagint, it being the word by which they translate the פקיד…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A bishop - A minister of religion, according to the foregoing remarks, who has the charge or oversight of any Christian church. The reference here is doubtless to one who had the government of the church entrusted to him 1 Timothy 3:4-5, and who was also a preacher of the gospel. Must be blameless - This is a different word ( ̓́ anepilēmpton) from that rendered “blameless” in Luke 1:6; Philemon 2:15; Philemon 3:6 ( ̓́ amemptos); compare however, Luke 1:6…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2must be above reproach: This is a key requirement for a church leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6–7; 2:8). the husband of but one wife (or be married only once; literally be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Timothy 3:12): This suggests, but does not require, a married man. It focuses on pure character and loyalty in marriage. This was not always assumed in the surrounding culture. It probably does not forbid marrying…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. The existence of Church organization and presbyters at Ephesus is presupposed (1Ti 5:17, 19). The institution of Church widows (1Ti 5:3-25) accords with this. The directions here to Timothy, the president or apostolic delegate, are as to filling up vacancies among the bishops and deacons, or adding to their number. New churches in the neighborhood also would require presbyters and deacons. Episcopacy was adopted in apostolic times as the most expedient…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries