Proistemi describes leading or managing people or a household, and devoting oneself to good works.

The predominant use concerns standing in responsibility over people or a household: the verses speak of those among the community, household management, elders, and leading with zeal. In Titus, the present middle infinitive is used in instructions that believers devote themselves to good works.

1. Leading or managing persons and households · dominant

   Present middle participles occur of people recognized among the brothers in 1 Thessalonians 5:12, of household management in 1 Timothy 3:4 and 1 Timothy 3:12, and of a person leading with zeal in Romans 12:8. The aorist active infinitive in 1 Timothy 3:5 is set in the question of managing one's own household and caring for God's assembly, while the perfect active participle in 1 Timothy 5:17 identifies elders whom the APB renders as those who “rule well.”

   1 Thessalonians 5:121 Timothy 3:121 Timothy 3:41 Timothy 3:51 Timothy 5:17Romans 12:8
2. Devoting oneself to good works · occasional

   In Titus 3:8 and Titus 3:14, the present middle infinitive occurs in exhortations concerning good works. In Titus 3:8 the APB renders the clause “devote themselves to good works,” and in Titus 3:14 it says that the people must learn “to devote themselves to good works for meeting pressing needs.”

   Titus 3:8Titus 3:14

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB varies its presentation across the clauses: “set themselves before,” “managing,” “manage,” “rule well,” “leading,” and “devote themselves.” These expressions show the surrounding verse contexts rather than fixed English equivalents.