1 Timothy 3:6

1 Timothy 3:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
• New International Version (NIV)He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
• New King James Version (NKJV)not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

Context of 1 Timothy 3:6

4He must manage his own family well. His children should respectfully obey him. 5(If a man doesn’t know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new Christian, or he might become arrogant like the devil and be condemned. 7People who are not Christians must speak well of him, or he might become the victim of disgraceful insults that the devil sets as traps for him. 8Deacons must also be of good character. They must not be two-faced or addicted to alcohol. They must not use shameful ways to make money.

1 Timothy 3:6 word by word

μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ·ἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• Notμήmē · notG3361
• a noviceνεόφυτοςneophutos · new convertG3504
• being lifted up with prideτυφόωtuphoō · be conceitedG5187
• he fallἐμπίπτωempiptō · to fall intoG1706
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the condemnationκρίμαkrima · judgmentG2917
• of the devilδιάβολοςdiabolos · devilish/the DevilG1228

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:6

• 1 Corinthians 3:1Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t talk to you as spiritual people but as people still influenced by your corrupt nature. You were infants in your faith in Christ.
• Hebrews 5:12By now you should be teachers. Instead, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food.
• 1 Peter 2:2Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation.
• Deuteronomy 8:14When this happens, be careful that you don’t become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.
• Deuteronomy 17:20Then he won’t think he’s better than the rest of his people, and he won’t disobey these commands in any way. So he and his sons will rule for a long time in Israel.
• 2 Kings 14:10You certainly defeated Edom, and now you have become arrogant. Enjoy your fame, but stay home. Why must you invite disaster and your own defeat and take Judah with you?”
• 2 Chronicles 26:16But when he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God. He went into the Lord’s temple to burn incense on the incense altar.
• 2 Chronicles 32:25But Hezekiah was conceited, so he didn’t repay the Lord for his kindness. The Lord became angry with him, with Judah, and with Jerusalem.
• Proverbs 16:18Pride precedes a disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall.
• Proverbs 18:12Before destruction a person’s heart is arrogant, but humility comes before honor.
• Proverbs 29:23A person’s pride will humiliate him, but a humble spirit gains honor.
• Isaiah 2:12The Lord of Armies will have his day against all who are arrogant and conceited and all who are proud of themselves (they will be humbled),
• 1 Corinthians 4:6Brothers and sisters, I have applied this to Apollos and myself for your sake. You should learn from us not to go beyond what is written in Scripture. Then you won’t arrogantly place one of us in opposition to the other.
• 1 Corinthians 8:1Now, concerning food offered to false gods: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds them up.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7especially because of the excessive number of revelations that I’ve had. Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I am forced to deal with a recurring problem. That problem, Satan’s messenger, torments me to keep me from being conceited.
• 1 Peter 5:5Young people, in a similar way, place yourselves under the authority of spiritual leaders. Furthermore, all of you must serve each other with humility, because God opposes the arrogant but favors the humble.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Fifteenth - It is required that he be not a novice - · Not a young plant, not recently ingrafted, that is, one not newly converted to the faith; (old MS. Bible); one who has been of considerable standing in the Christian Church, if he have the preceding qualifications, may be safely trusted with the government of that Church. It is impossible that one who is not long and deeply experienced in the ways of God can guide others in the way of life. Hence…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Not a novice - Margin, “one newly come to the faith.” The Greek word, which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, means, properly, that which is “newly planted.” Thus it would mean a plant that was not strong, or not fitted to bear the severity of storms; that had not as yet struck its roots deep, and could not resist the fierceness of a cold blast. Then the word comes to mean a new convert; one who has had little opportunity to test his own faith, or…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-13The topic shifts to church leadership by overseers and deacons (3:1–7; 8–13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less plain than that of Titus (see 5:17–22; Titus 1:5). This may be because the church in Ephesus was more mature and better able to manage the process (see Acts 6:2–6). The criteria listed here focus on character rather than function. It partly responds to the local false teachers and their followers. Reading this letter in the churches…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. not a novice--one just converted. This proves the Church of Ephesus was established now for some time. The absence of this rule in the Epistle to Titus, accords with the recent planting of the Church at Crete. Greek, "neophyte," literally, "a young plant"; luxuriantly verdant (Ro 6:5; 11:17; 1Co 3:6). The young convert has not yet been disciplined and matured by afflictions and temptations. Contrast Ac 21:16, "an old disciple." lifted up with…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:6

• Bishop
• Church
• Commandments
• Minister, Christian
• Pride
• Satan

In the dictionaries

• Bishop
• Blameless
• Controversy
• Covetous
• Degree
• Hospitality
• Mystery
• Novice
• Rule
• Wife

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