who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with the blood of his Own.

shepherd the flock of God that is under your care, serving as overseersnot under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

For the overseer must be blameless as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not fond of sordid gain,

Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

through the pretensions of liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron,

not as lording it over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

It is a trustworthy saying: if any one aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.