1 This saying is trustworthy: The one who would an elder be, A noble task desires he.
2 Therefore, an elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, stable, sensible, respectable, a lover of strangers, and teachable.
3 He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but instead be gentle. He must not be argumentative or a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own family well and have children who are submissive and respectful in every way.
5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he might become arrogant and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 He must be well thought of by outsiders, lest he fall into disgrace and the trap set for him by the devil.