Role models
1 Here is what you need to say to ensure beneficial teaching: 2 Male elders must be sober, dignified, and sensible, with a completely healthy faith, love, and endurance. 3 The same goes for the female elders. They must conduct themselves in a manner worthy of their priestly honor— not slanderers or drunks but teachers of what is right. 4 Then they can put some sense into the new women, teaching them to love their husbands and children, 5 to be wise and holy, to be responsible running their homes, to be good, and to align themselves with their own husbands. This way no one will be able to give the Word of God a bad name. 6 The same goes for the new men; encourage them to be wise. 7 In everything you do, be the ideal model. Be above reproach in your teaching, and dignified 8 and pure in your words. That way whoever is opposing you will be ashamed, because they will have nothing bad to say about us.
Slaves
9 Slaves must align themselves with their owners in everything: pleasing, agreeing, 10 not embezzling. Instead, they must exhibit good faith in everything, so that the teaching of God our Savior may be made attractive in every way. 11 For the saving favor of God suddenly made its appearance to all people, 12 training us to renounce irreverence and worldly cravings, so that we should live sensibly, justly, and devoutly in the current age. 13 We eagerly anticipate the sudden, majestic appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for our sakes to redeem us from all lawlessness, and to cleanse for himself people who are eager to do good deeds.
General instructions
15 Tell them about these things; encourage and refute with divine sanction. Let no one slight you.