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11 Women[a] must likewise exhibit a sense of dignity and not be given to spreading slander. They must be temperate and faithful in all things.

12 Deacons must have only one wife and be able to manage their children and their own households. 13 Those deacons whose work is exemplary will achieve a high standing and gain great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 3:11 Women: this word could refer either to women deacons or to women who were the wives of deacons. Scholars usually opt for the first reference since there is no possessive (e.g., “their”) and since they are introduced by the same word as in v. 8 (“similarly . . . likewise”), indicating that women too could possess the ministry of deacon. See note on Rom 16:1, in which verse Paul sends greetings to “our sister Phoebe, who is a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae.”