Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,
not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)
“Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court.
Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
“Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.