Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, December 25th, 2025
Christmas Day
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Century Version

Titus 1:6

An elder must not be guilty of doing wrong, must have only one wife, and must have believing children. They must not be known as children who are wild and do not cooperate.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bishop;   Children;   Commandments;   Elder;   Minister, Christian;   Parents;   Polygamy;   Scofield Reference Index - Elders;   Thompson Chain Reference - Blameless;   Blamelessness;   Conduct, Christian;   Foes of the Home;   Home;   Nation;   Peaceableness;   Polygamy;   Social Duties;   War-Peace;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Faithfulness;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Blameless;   Elder;   Leadership;   Ministry, Minister;   Overseer;   Teach, Teacher;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Marriage;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Faithful;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Synagogue;   Widow;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bishop;   Dissipation;   Elder;   Offices in the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bishop;   Marriage;   Timothy, Epistles to;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Clement of Rome, Epistle of;   Home;   Marriage;   Paul;   Timothy and Titus Epistles to;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bishop;   Marriage;   46 Blameless Unblameable Unreproveable without Spot;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Renew;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Riot;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Bishop;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
An elder must be blameless: the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion.
King James Version (1611)
If any be blamelesse, the husband of one wife, hauing faithfull children, not accused of riot, or vnruly.
King James Version
If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
English Standard Version
if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
New American Standard Bible
namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.
Legacy Standard Bible
namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious.
Berean Standard Bible
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.
Contemporary English Version
they must have a good reputation and be faithful in marriage. Their children must be followers of the Lord and not have a reputation for being wild and disobedient.
Complete Jewish Bible
A leader must be blameless, husband to one wife, with believing children who do not have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
Darby Translation
if any one be free from all charge [against him], husband of one wife, having believing children not accused of excess or unruly.
Easy-to-Read Version
To be an elder, a man must not be guilty of living in a wrong way. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be faithful to God. They must not be known as children who are wild or don't obey.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If any be vnreproueable, the husbande of one wife, hauing faithfull children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient.
George Lamsa Translation
Appoint only an elder who is blameless, and the husband of one wife, and one who has faithful children who do not swear and who are not intemperate.
Good News Translation
an elder must be without fault; he must have only one wife, and his children must be believers and not have the reputation of being wild or disobedient.
Lexham English Bible
If anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or rebellious.
Literal Translation
If anyone is blameless, husband of one wife, having faithful children, not in accusation of loose behavior, or disobedient,
Amplified Bible
namely, a man of unquestionable integrity, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of being immoral or rebellious.
American Standard Version
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
Bible in Basic English
Men having a good record, husbands of one wife, whose children are of the faith, children of whom it may not be said that they are given to loose living or are uncontrolled.
Hebrew Names Version
if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.
International Standard Version
An elder must beIf anyone is
">[fn] blameless. He must be the husband of one wifedevoted to his wife
; lit. a man of one woman">[fn] and have children who are believers and who are not accused of having wild lifestyles or of being rebellious.1 Timothy 3:2,4, 12;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Him who is without blame, and is [fn] the husband of one wife, and who hath believing children, who are not vicious nor addicted to intemperance.
Murdock Translation
him who is blameless, who is the husband of one wife, and hath believing children, who are no revellers, nor ungovernable in sensuality.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If any be blamelesse, the husbande of one wyfe, hauyng faythfull chyldren, not accusable of riote, or vntractable.
English Revised Version
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
World English Bible
if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
If a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of luxury or unruly.
Weymouth's New Testament
wherever there is a man of blameless life, true to his one wife, having children who are themselves believers and are free from every reproach of profligacy or of stubborn self-will.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If ony man is withoute cryme, an hosebonde of o wijf, and hath feithful sones, not in accusacioun of letcherie, or not suget.
Update Bible Version
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
Webster's Bible Translation
If any is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or disorderly.
New English Translation
An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion.
New King James Version
if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.
New Living Translation
An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don't have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
New Life Bible
Their lives must be so that no one can talk against them. They must have only one wife. Their children must be Christians and known to be good. They must obey their parents. They must not be wild.
New Revised Standard
someone who is blameless, married only once, whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If anyone is unaccusable, a husband of, one wife, having children that believe, who are not charged with riotous excess, nor insubordinate;
Douay-Rheims Bible
If any be without crime, the husband of one wife. having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly.
Revised Standard Version
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Yf eny be fautelesse the husbande of one wyfe havynge faythfull childre which are not selandred of royote nether are disobediet.
Young's Literal Translation
if any one is blameless, of one wife a husband, having children stedfast, not under accusation of riotous living or insubordinate --
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf eny be blamelesse, the hussbande of one wife, hauynge faithfull children, which are not slaundred or ryote, nether are dishobedient.
Mace New Testament (1729)
to chuse such as are without reproach, married to but one wife, whose children are obedient, not accused of debauchery, nor unruly.
Simplified Cowboy Version
These ramrods, if you will, should be upstanding cowboys and have good reputations. He must be a faithful husband to his wife and his kids should believe in God without being rebellious and wild.

Contextual Overview

6 An elder must not be guilty of doing wrong, must have only one wife, and must have believing children. They must not be known as children who are wild and do not cooperate. 7 As God's managers, overseers must not be guilty of doing wrong, being selfish, or becoming angry quickly. They must not drink too much wine, like to fight, or try to get rich by cheating others. 8 Overseers must be ready to welcome guests, love what is good, be wise, live right, and be holy and self-controlled. 9 By holding on to the trustworthy word just as we teach it, overseers can help people by using true teaching, and they can show those who are against the true teaching that they are wrong. 10 There are many people who refuse to cooperate, who talk about worthless things and lead others into the wrong way—mainly those who insist on circumcision to be saved. 11 These people must be stopped, because they are upsetting whole families by teaching things they should not teach, which they do to get rich by cheating people. 12 Even one of their own prophets said, "Cretans are always liars, evil animals, and lazy people who do nothing but eat." 13 The words that prophet said are true. So firmly tell those people they are wrong so they may become strong in the faith, 14 not accepting Jewish false stories and the commands of people who reject the truth. 15 To those who are pure, all things are pure, but to those who are full of sin and do not believe, nothing is pure. Both their minds and their consciences have been ruined.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

any: 1 Timothy 3:2-7

the husband: Leviticus 21:7, Leviticus 21:14, Ezekiel 44:22, Malachi 2:15, Luke 1:5, 1 Timothy 3:12

having: Genesis 18:19, 1 Samuel 2:11, 1 Samuel 2:22, 1 Samuel 2:29, 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 3:12, 1 Samuel 3:13, 1 Timothy 3:4, 1 Timothy 3:5

not: Proverbs 28:7

or: Titus 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Reciprocal: Leviticus 21:9 - the daughter 1 Corinthians 9:5 - to lead Philippians 2:15 - blameless 1 Timothy 3:10 - being 1 Timothy 5:1 - an elder 1 Timothy 5:19 - receive Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage

Cross-References

Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day" and the darkness "night." Evening passed, and morning came. This was the first day.
Genesis 1:6
Then God said, "Let there be something to divide the water in two."
Genesis 1:7
So God made the air and placed some of the water above the air and some below it.
Genesis 1:8
God named the air "sky." Evening passed, and morning came. This was the second day.
Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth produce plants—some to make grain for seeds and others to make fruits with seeds in them. Every seed will produce more of its own kind of plant." And it happened.
Genesis 1:12
The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good.
Genesis 1:13
Evening passed, and morning came. This was the third day.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. These lights will be used for signs, seasons, days, and years.
Genesis 1:20
Then God said, "Let the water be filled with living things, and let birds fly in the air above the earth."
Genesis 1:22
God blessed them and said, "Have many young ones so that you may grow in number. Fill the water of the seas, and let the birds grow in number on the earth."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If any be blameless,.... In his outward life and conversation, not chargeable with any notorious crime;

:-,

the husband of one wife; :-:

having faithful children; legitimate ones, born in lawful wedlock, in the same sense as such are called godly and holy, in Malachi 2:15 1 Corinthians 7:14 for by faithful children cannot be meant converted ones, or true believers in Christ; for it is not in the power of men to make their children such; and their not being so can never be an objection to their being elders, if otherwise qualified; at most the phrase can only intend, that they should be brought up in the faith, in the principles, doctrines, and ways of Christianity, or in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Not accused of riot; or chargeable with sins of uncleanness and intemperance, with rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness; or with such crimes as Eli's sons were guilty of, from which they were not restrained by their father, and therefore the priesthood was removed from the family: "or unruly" not subject, but disobedient to their parents; 1 Corinthians 7:14- :.

1 Corinthians 7:14- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife - See the notes at 1 Timothy 3:2.

Having faithful children - See the notes at 1 Timothy 3:4-5. That is, having a family well-governed, and well-trained in religion. The word here - πιστὰ pista - applied to the children, and rendered faithful, does not necessarily mean that they should be truly pious, but it is descriptive of those who had been well-trained, and were in due subordination. If a man’s family were not of his character - if his children were insubordinate, and opposed to religion - if they were decided infidels or scoffers, it would show that there was such a deficiency in the head of the family that he could not be safely entrusted with the government of the church; compare the notes at 1 Timothy 3:5. It is probably true, also, that the preachers at that time would be selected, as far as practicable, from those whose families were all Christians. There might be great impropriety in placing a man over a church, a part of whose family were Jews or heathens.

Not accused of riot - That is, whose children were not accused of riot. This explains what is meant by faithful. The word rendered “riot” - ἀσωτία asōtia - is translated excess in Ephesians 5:18, and riot in Titus 1:6; 1 Peter 4:4. It does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament, though the word riotous is found in Luke 15:13; see it explained in the notes at Ephesians 5:18. The meaning here is, that they should not be justly accused of this; this should not be their character. It would, doubtless, be a good reason now why a man should not be ordained to the ministry that he had a dissipated and disorderly family.

Or unruly - Insubordinate; ungoverned; see the notes, 1 Timothy 1:9; Luke 3:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 6. If any be blameless1 Timothy 3:2, c.

Having faithful children — Whose family is converted to God. It would have been absurd to employ a man to govern the Church whose children were not in subjection to himself for it is an apostolic maxim, that he who cannot rule his own house, cannot rule the Church of God; 1 Timothy 3:5.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile