1 Timothy 3:5

Contemporary English Version

If they don't know how to control their own families, how can they look after God's people?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
(If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)

King James Version (1611)
(For if a man know not how to rule his owne house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?)

King James Version
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

English Standard Version
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

New American Standard Bible
(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

New Century Version
(If someone does not know how to lead the family, how can that person take care of God's church?)

New American Standard Bible (1995)
(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Legacy Standard Bible
(but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Berean Standard Bible
For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God?

Complete Jewish Bible
for if a man can't manage his own household, how will he be able to care for God's Messianic Community?

Darby Translation
(but if one does not know how to conduct his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of God?)

Easy-to-Read Version
If a man does not know how to lead his own family, he will not be able to take care of God's church.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if any cannot rule his owne house, how shall he care for the Church of God?

George Lamsa Translation
For if a man does not know how to rule well his own household, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Good News Translation
For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

Lexham English Bible
(but if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

Literal Translation
But if anyone does not know how to rule his own house, how will he care for an assembly of God?

Amplified Bible
(for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?).

American Standard Version
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Bible in Basic English
(For if a man has not the art of ruling his house, how will he take care of the church of God?)

Hebrew Names Version
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

International Standard Version
For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?

Etheridge Translation
For if his own house he know not to rule well, how is he able to rule the church of Aloha ?

Murdock Translation
For if he knoweth not how to guide his own house well, how can he guide the church of God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf a man knowe not to rule his owne house, howe shall he care for the Churche of God?

English Revised Version
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

World English Bible
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Weymouth's New Testament
(If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he have the Church of God given into his care?)

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,

Update Bible Version
(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Webster's Bible Translation
(For if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

New English Translation
But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God?

New King James Version
(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

New Living Translation
For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

New Life Bible
If a man cannot be a good leader in his own home, how can he lead the church?

New Revised Standard
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whereas, if anyone, over his own house, cannot, preside, how, of an assembly of God, shall he take care?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Revised Standard Version
for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For yf a man cannot rule his owne housse how shall he care for the congregacion of God.

Young's Literal Translation
(and if any one his own house [how] to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?)

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(But yf a man can not rule his owne house, how shal he care for the congregacion of God?)

Mace New Testament (1729)
for if a man is incapable of governing his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you can't run a small outfit of those who love you, you won't last long in a bigger outfit.

Contextual Overview

¹ It is true that anyone who desires to be a church official wants to be something worthwhile. ² That's why officials must have a good reputation and be faithful in marriage. They must be self-controlled, sensible, well-behaved, friendly to strangers, and able to teach. ³ They must not be heavy drinkers or troublemakers. Instead, they must be kind and gentle and not love money. ⁴ Church officials must be in control of their own families, and they must see that their children are obedient and always respectful. ⁵ If they don't know how to control their own families, how can they look after God's people? ⁶ They must not be new followers of the Lord. If they are, they might become proud and be doomed along with the devil. ⁷ Finally, they must be well-respected by people who are not followers. Then they won't be trapped and disgraced by the devil.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: 1 Samuel 2:29, 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 3:13

the church: 1 Timothy 3:15, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:24, Ephesians 5:32

Reciprocal: Genesis 18:19 - command Leviticus 21:9 - the daughter 1 Kings 13:11 - came Psalms 101:2 - walk Ezekiel 44:22 - a widow Malachi 2:15 - That he Matthew 16:18 - my Romans 12:8 - ruleth 1 Corinthians 7:34 - careth 1 Corinthians 10:32 - the church 1 Corinthians 11:22 - or 2 Corinthians 7:12 - that our 1 Timothy 3:12 - General 1 Timothy 5:17 - rule Titus 1:6 - having Hebrews 12:23 - the general Hebrews 13:7 - which

Cross-References

Genesis 2:17
except the one that has the power to let you know the difference between right and wrong. If you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die before the day is over!"

Genesis 3:2
The woman answered, "God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden,

Genesis 3:3
except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die."

Genesis 3:6
The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too.

Genesis 3:7
Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.

Genesis 3:10
The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"

Genesis 3:13
The Lord God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."

Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the snake: "Because of what you have done, you will be the only animal to suffer this curse— For as long as you live, you will crawl on your stomach and eat dirt.

Genesis 3:15
You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel."

Genesis 3:22
The Lord said, "These people now know the difference between right and wrong, just as we do. But they must not be allowed to eat fruit from the tree that lets them live forever."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if a man know not how to rule his own house,.... Which is an affair of less importance, and more easy to be done; not requiring so much resolution, prudence, care, and thought:

how shall he take care of the church of God? preside over it, rule in it, provide for it, and see that everything is in its proper place, and done according to the will of God. The argument is from the lesser to the greater.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For 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 purposes, and have a common object to aim at. They have common feelings and common needs. They have sympathy, like a family, with each other in their distresses and afflictions. The government of the church also is designed to be “paternal.” It should be felt that he who presides over it has the feelings of a father; that he loves all the members of the great family; that he has no prejudices, no partialities, no selfish aims to gratify.

Now, if a man cannot govern his own family well; if he is severe, partial, neglectful, or tyrannical at home, how can he be expected to take charge of the more numerous “household of faith” with proper views and feelings? If, with all the natural and strong ties of affection which bind a father to his own children; if, when they are few comparatively in number, and where his eye is constantly upon them, he is unable to govern them aright, how can he be expected to preside in a proper manner over the larger household where he will be bound with comparatively feebler ties, and where he will be exposed more to the influence of passion, and where he will have a much less constant opportunity of supervision? Confucius, as quoted by Doddridge, has a sentiment strikingly resembling that before us: “It is impossible that he who knows not how to govern and reform his own family, should rightly govern and reform a people.” We may remark, also, in this verse, a delicate and beautiful use of words by the apostle to prevent the possibility of misapprehension. While he institutes a comparison between the government of a family and that of the church, he guards against the possibility of its being supposed that he would countenance “arbitrary” authority in the church, even such authority as a father must of necessity employ in his own family. Hence, he uses different words. He speaks of the father as “ruling” over his own family, or “presiding over it” - προστῆναι prostēnai; he describes the minister of religion as “having a tender care for the church” - ἐπιμελὴσεται epimelēsetai.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Timothy 3:5. For 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 plan, of presiding. It was natural for the apostle to say, If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Look at a man's domestic arrangements; if they be not good, he should not be trusted with any branch of government, whether ecclesiastical or civil.