[What Qualifications They Ought to Have Who are to Be Ordained.]
XXXI. Do you first ordain bishops worthy of the Lord, 126 John iii. 5. John iii. 5. and presbyters and deacons, pious men, righteous, meek, free from the love of money, lovers of truth, approved, holy, not accepters of persons, who are able to teach the word of piety, and rightly dividing the doctrines of the Lord. 127 Mark xvi. 16. Mark xvi. 16. And do ye honour such as your fathers, as your lords, as your benefactors, as the causes of your well-being. Reprove ye one another, not in anger, but in mildness, with kindness and peace. Observe all things that are commanded you by the Lord. Be watchful for your life. 128 Ecclus. v. 7; Prov. xxvii. 1, iii. 28. Ecclus. v. 7; Prov. xxvii. 1, iii. 28. “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye like unto men who wait for their Lord, when He will come, at even, or in the morning, or at cock-crowing, or at midnight. For at what hour they think not, the Lord will come; and if they open to Him, blessed are those servants, because they were found watching. For He will gird Himself, and will make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.” 129 Matt. xix. 14. Matt. xix. 14. Watch therefore, and pray, that ye do not sleep unto death. For your former good deeds will not profit you, if at the last part of your life you go astray from the true faith.
[31] Προχειρίσασθε δὲ ἐπισκόπους ἀξίους τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ πρεσβυτέρους καὶ διακόνους, ἄνδρας εὐλαβεῖς, δικαίους, πραεῖς, ἀφιλαργύρους, φιλαλήθεις, δεδοκιμασμένους, ὁσίους, ἀπροσωπολήπτους, δυναμένους διδάσκειν τὸν λόγον τῆς εὐσεβείας, ὀρθοτομοῦντας ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Κυρίου δόγμασιν. Ὑμεῖς δὲ τιμᾶτε τούτους ὡς πατέρας, ὡς κυρίους, ὡς εὐεργέτας, ὡς τοῦ εὖ εἶναι αἰτίους. Ἐλέγχετε δὲ ἀλλήλους, μὴ ἐν ὀργῇ, ἀλλ' ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ μετὰ χρηστότητος καὶ εἰρήνης. Πάντα τὰ προστεταγμένα ὑμῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου φυλάξατε. Γρηγορεῖτε ὑπὲρ τῆς ζωῆς ὑμῶν. Ἔστωσαν αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν περιεζωσμέναι καὶ οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι, καὶ ὑμεῖς ὅμοιοι ἀνθρώποις προσδεχομένοις τὸν κύριον ἑαυτῶν, πότε ἥξει, ἑσπέρας ἢ πρωὶ ἢ ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἢ μεσονυκτίου: ᾗ γὰρ ὥρᾳ οὐ προσδοκῶσιν, ἐλεύσεται ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἐὰν αὐτῷ ἀνοίξωσιν, μακάριοι οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι, ὅτι εὑρέθησαν γρηγοροῦντες: ὅτι περιζώσεται καὶ ἀνακλινεῖ αὐτοὺς καὶ παρελθὼν διακονήσει αὐτοῖς. Νήφετε οὖν καὶ προσεύχεσθε μὴ ὑπνῶσαι εἰς θάνατον: οὐ γὰρ ὀνήσει ὑμᾶς τὰ πρότερα κατορθώματα, ἐὰν εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα ὑμῶν ἀποπλανηθῆτε τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἀληθοῦς.