first lady of the church

³¹Give to her from the fruit of her own hands. And let her works praise her at the gates.

¹⁰Who shall find a strong woman? Far away, and from the furthest parts, is her price.

³So I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ. But the head of woman is man. Yet truly, the head of Christ is God.

²⁵Strength and elegance are her clothing, and she will laugh in the final days.

¹It is a faithful saying: if a man desires the episcopate, he desires a good work. ²Therefore, it is necessary for a bishop to be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, gracious, chaste, hospitable, a teacher, ³not a drunkard, not combative but restrained, not quarrelsome, not covetous; ⁴but a man who leads his own house well, having children who are subordinate with all chastity. ⁵For if a man does not know how to lead his own house, how will he take care of the Church of God? ⁶He must not be a new convert, lest, being elated by pride, he may fall under the sentence of the devil.

³And you shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

²Old men should be sober, chaste, prudent, sound in faith, in love, in patience. ³Old women, similarly, should be in holy attire, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teaching well, ⁴so that they may teach prudence to the young women, so that they may love their husbands, love their children,

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, forbearance, ²³meekness, faith, modesty, abstinence, chastity. There is no law against such things. ²⁴For those who are Christ’s have crucified their flesh, along with its vices and desires.

¹He who was from the beginning, whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, upon whom we have gazed, and whom our hands have certainly touched: He is the Word of Life.

⁴I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day: the night is coming, when no one is able to work.

¹²And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife.’ And they will put me to death, and retain you.

¹The words of king Lamuel. The vision by which his mother instructed him: ²“What, O my beloved? What, O beloved of my womb? What, O beloved of my vows? ³Do not give your substance to women, or your riches to overthrow kings. ⁴Not to kings, O Lamuel, not to kings give wine. For there are no secrets where drunkenness reigns. ⁵And perhaps they may drink and forget judgments, and alter the case of the sons of the poor. ⁶Give strong drink to the grieving, and wine to those who are bitter in soul.