1 Paul and Timothy,^(A) servants of Christ Jesus,

To all God’s holy people^(B) in Christ Jesus at Philippi,^(C) together with the overseers^(D) and deacons^[a]:^(E)

²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^(A) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^(B) Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a](C) which he bought^(D) with his own blood.^[b](E)

² Now the overseer is to be above reproach,^(A) faithful to his wife,^(B) temperate,^(C) self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,^(D) able to teach,^{(E) 3} not given to drunkenness,^(F) not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,^(G) not a lover of money.^{(H) 4} He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full^[a] respect.^{(I) 5} (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)^{(J) 6} He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited^(K) and fall under the same judgment^(L) as the devil. ⁷ He must also have a good reputation with outsiders,^(M) so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.^(N)

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good^(A)

⁵ The reason I left you in Crete^(B) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint^[a] elders^(C) in every town, as I directed you. ⁶ An elder must be blameless,^(D) faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe^[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷ Since an overseer^(E) manages God’s household,^(F) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.^{(G) 8} Rather, he must be hospitable,^(H) one who loves what is good,^(I) who is self-controlled,^(J) upright, holy and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firmly^(K) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine^(L) and refute those who oppose it.

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

¹⁰ For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk^(M) and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.^{(N) 11} They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households^(O) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.