Church Officials
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.
Church Officers
8 Church officers should be serious. They must not be liars, heavy drinkers, or greedy for money. 9 And they must have a clear conscience and hold firmly to what God has shown us about our faith. 10 They must first prove themselves. Then if no one has anything against them, they can serve as officers.
11 Women must also be serious. They must not gossip or be heavy drinkers, and they must be faithful in everything they do.
12 Church officers must be faithful in marriage. They must be in full control of their children and everyone else in their home. 13 Those who serve well as officers will earn a good reputation and will be highly respected for their faith in Christ Jesus.
The Mystery of Our Religion
14 I hope to visit you soon. But I am writing these instructions, 15 so if I am delayed, you will know how everyone who belongs to God's family ought to behave. After all, the church of the living God is the strong foundation of truth.
16 Here is the great mystery of our religion:
Christ came as a human.
The Spirit proved
that he pleased God,
and he was seen by angels.
Christ was preached
to the nations.
People in this world
put their faith in him,
and he was taken up to glory.
Ŋen ŋəled̶a ləɽia nələŋ nəkanisa
1 Ŋen iŋi ŋaɽo d̶eṯəm. Ndə ed̶a gəɽəd̶iaŋəno ṯa aŋəɽeṯe eləŋ ikanisa, gënəŋu gwonaṯa ŋen ŋəŋəra. 2 Ŋen d̶eṯəm ṯa eləŋ gəkanisa aŋerṯe gəberṯia mənna iŋu, na aŋerṯe wuji gonto, na aŋərəkëd̶i aŋəno, na aŋəṯuɽeini, na aŋəd̶əñini ŋen ŋanṯa ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu ŋəd̶urwaṯo, na aŋələŋeṯe d̶əño na aŋəɽwad̶aṯe gəbërrəŋaid̶ia ŋen. 3 Ŋen d̶eṯəm ṯa gënəŋu aŋerṯe gəṯia ŋuɽu, na aŋerṯe gəjeiciano, orn ṯa aŋəd̶ərnaṯaralo, na ṯa aŋerṯe gəgerd̶ia eŋen, na d̶eṯəm gënəŋu aŋerṯe gəbwa algərusya. 4 Ŋen ŋarəjad̶aṯo d̶eṯəm ṯa gënəŋu garəmoṯwa led̶a əllëɽəŋu na ŋen ŋeɽa gəlëɽəŋu ŋopia, na ṯa aŋaṯoɽaṯe ñere ñəlëɽəŋu ṯa aiñəmanaṯe na aiñəmad̶əñiṯi eŋen pred̶. 5 Ndə ed̶a gero gəɽwad̶aṯa gərəmoṯwa led̶a leɽa gəlëɽəŋu, fəṯau gënəŋu gəɽwad̶aṯa gərəmoṯwa led̶a ləkanisa d̶ə-Rəmwa? 6 Ŋen ŋarəjad̶aṯo d̶eṯəm ṯa gënəŋu aŋerṯe gəɽia ed̶a gëndu ŋen maijən, ŋen ŋanṯa ndə ŋen ŋəfəṯia aŋgaica gënəŋu gid̶i aŋinṯi egare na aŋiɽiṯi ed̶akəmia Seṯanya. 7 Ŋen ŋarəjad̶aṯo d̶eṯəm ṯa gënəŋu aŋerṯe ŋen ŋəŋəra led̶a nëiñua ləndëuwər, ṯa aŋerṯe gəbəɽiṯia ed̶aria na gəbëndənia ŋenŋa ŋə-Seṯan.
Ŋen ŋəled̶a ləɽo d̶aməd̶aṯa ikanisa
8 Nṯia com led̶a ildi lëɽənu ṯa aləd̶uɽəd̶ənṯi led̶a ləkanisa, ŋen d̶eṯəm ṯa lënəŋulu aɽrəjad̶aṯe eŋen ṯa led̶a aldəd̶əñiṯi. Ŋen ŋad̶eṯəm ṯa lënəŋulu alerṯe laləŋəjəd̶ia ŋenŋa, na ṯa alerṯe ləṯia ŋuɽu ŋwaiña, na ṯa alerṯe lwonaṯa ləberṯia laŋge lwaiña. 9 Ŋen ŋarəjad̶aṯo d̶eṯəm ṯa lënəŋulu alëndeici ŋen ŋəd̶wonaṯa narna ini nəɽwata d̶eṯəm i-Yesu id̶i d̶ërrəŋeinu eled̶a əllëɽəŋu. 10 Ŋgiṯərldo alirnḏeini ananoŋ na ndə ləfid̶ənu lero mənna ano ŋgiṯərldo aləd̶uɽəd̶əni. 11 Nṯia com ŋen d̶eṯəm ṯa wasenanda alerṯe d̶əd̶əñad̶aṯa eŋen. Ŋen d̶eṯəm ṯa lënəŋulu alerṯe ləbwaid̶ia ŋen na ṯa aɽrəkëd̶i aŋəno, orn ṯa alerṯe d̶əd̶urwaṯa eŋen pred̶. 12 Ŋen ŋarəjad̶aṯo d̶eṯəm ṯa ed̶a igi gëɽənu ṯa aŋəd̶uɽəd̶əni aŋerṯe wuji gonto, na ṯa garəmoṯwa ñere ñəlëɽəŋu na ŋen ŋeɽa gəlëɽəŋu ŋopia. 13 Led̶a ildi ləd̶uɽəd̶ənia ŋopia, lënəŋulu lid̶i aləd̶əñini, na lid̶i alerṯe d̶ëɽənia d̶əñano d̶oɽra ed̶wonaṯa ndəŋ ig-Almasiya Yesu.
Ŋen ŋəŋaməɽa ŋələbijənu ŋoɽra
14 Igaŋəwërd̶əṯia ŋen iŋi ṯa, egwonaṯa igid̶i eŋeṯa nano taltal, 15 orn ndə ŋen ŋənəŋ ŋendəñi, ŋaləŋeṯe agëbəd̶ia ṯau egeɽa gə-Rəmwa igi gəɽo kanisa d̶ə-Rəmwa irri rəməṯo, id̶i d̶əɽo lwad̶ia na ad̶una yed̶eṯəm. 16 Ŋen ŋero ŋəd̶əgerd̶ia ṯa ŋaməɽa ŋəd̶ërrəŋaid̶ia id̶ëndr ŋaɽo ŋoɽra iŋi ləgəbëndiar,
ṯa Rəmwa raməñaṯo egaŋəno,
raŋaid̶ənu ṯa rad̶urwaṯo eŋen ig-Usila Gətəɽe, na malaiyəka yaseicəma.
Na rënəŋu rerrəŋcid̶ənu eled̶a lalo,
na ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu ŋëndənu eled̶a lalo,
na gënəŋu gabeinu eŋaɽrwa ŋelo.