1 Timothy 3:5

1 Timothy 3:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
• New International Version (NIV)(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
• English Standard Version (ESV)for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
• New King James Version (NKJV)(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

Context of 1 Timothy 3:5

3He should not drink too much wine. He must not get angry quickly or quarrel with people. Instead he should be kind to people. He must not want lots of money. 4He must take care of his own family. His children must obey him and respect him. A man must know how to take care of his own family. If he cannot do that, he will not be able to take care of God's people in the church. 6A leader of the church must not be someone who has believed in Christ for only a short time. Someone like that might boast that he is great and important. Then he would receive punishment, as the Devil did. 7Also, people outside the church should agree that the leader is a good person. Then nobody can say anything bad against him. And so, he will not come under the Devil's power.

1 Timothy 3:5 word by word

Εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς ἐκκλησίας θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• a manτιςtis · oneG5100
• knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• notοὐou · noG3756
• to ruleπροΐστημιproistēmi · to set beforeG4291
• his ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• houseοἶκοςoikos · house: householdG3624
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• shall he take careἐπιμελέομαιepimeleomai · to careG1959
• of the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:5

• 1 Samuel 2:29But you and your sons do not respect the sacrifices that I have commanded people to offer in my house. Eli, you give more honour to your sons than you give to me. Your family eat all the best parts of the offerings that the Israelites bring to me. You have all become fat!”
• 1 Samuel 3:13I have warned Eli that I would punish his family for all time. He knew that his sons were doing very bad things. They were insulting me, God, and Eli did not stop them.
• 1 Timothy 3:15Then, even if I cannot come to you soon, you will know how people in God's family should live. That family is the church of God, who lives for ever. God's family, the church, teaches God's true message and keeps it safe.
• Acts 20:28You who are leaders should be careful about how you live. Also take care of the group of people that the Holy Spirit has chosen you to lead. Keep them safe like shepherds who take care of their sheep. All the believers belong to God because his Son, Jesus, died for them. He bought them with his blood which poured out on the cross.
• Ephesians 1:22God has put all things under Christ's authority. He has made Christ the ruler over all things. He has done this to help his people, the church.
• Ephesians 5:24As the church serves Christ as its master, so wives should serve their husbands in everything.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5For if a man know not - Method is a matter of great importance in all the affairs of life. It is a true saying, He that does little with his head must do much with his hands; and even then the business is not half done for want of method. Now, he who has a proper method of doing business will show it in every affair of life, even the least. He who has a disorderly family has no government of that family; he probably has none because he has no method, no…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5For if a man know not how to rule - This is a beautiful and striking argument. A church resembles a family. It is, indeed, larger, and there is a greater variety of dispositions in it than there is in a family. The authority of a minister of the gospel in a church is also less absolute than that of a father. But still there is a striking resemblance. The church is made up of an assemblage of brothers and sisters. They are banded together for the same…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5The church, seen as a household, shared similarities with a family household (3:15). An overseer's ability to manage one area showed his skill in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Romans 12:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:12). Greek and Roman households were united by family bonds with shared responsibilities, roles, and management. The household included relatives by blood living together and other dependents, such as household servants.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. For--Greek, "But." the church--rather, "a church" or congregation. How shall he who cannot perform the lesser function, perform the greater and more difficult?Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:5

• Bishop
• Church
• Commandments
• Family
• Minister, Christian
• Parents

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Bishop
• Blameless
• Controversy
• Covetous
• Degree
• Hospitality
• Mystery
• Novice

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