Thursday, November 26

1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, soberminded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

4one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence

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

6not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

7Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,

9holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.

10But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.

11Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

12Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

13For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

31Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.

32For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.

33They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.'

34But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.