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

3not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. 4He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity. But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God? 6He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact. 7And he must be well thought of by those outside the faith, so that he may not fall into disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap.

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 2:29Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’
• 1 Samuel 3:13You should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, and he did not rebuke them.
• 1 Timothy 3:15in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.
• Acts 20:28Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.
• Ephesians 1:22And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things.
• Ephesians 5:24But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to 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