Greeting

¹Paul, aan apostle of Christ Jesus bby command of cGod our Savior and of Christ Jesus dour hope,

²To Timothy, emy true child in the faith:

fGrace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Warning Against False Teachers

³gAs I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not hto teach any different doctrine, ⁴nor ito devote themselves to myths and endless jgenealogies, which promote kspeculations rather than the stewardship1 from God that is by faith. ⁵The aim of our charge is love lthat issues from a pure heart and ma good conscience and na sincere faith. ⁶Certain persons, by oswerving from these, have wandered away into pvain discussion, ⁷desiring to be teachers of the law, qwithout understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

⁸Now we know that rthe law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹understanding this, that the slaw is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,2 liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to tsound3 doctrine, ¹¹in accordance with uthe gospel of the glory of vthe blessed God wwith which I have been entrusted.

Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners

¹²I thank him xwho has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, yappointing me to his service, ¹³though formerly I was a blasphemer, zpersecutor, and insolent opponent. But aI received mercy bbecause I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴and cthe grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the dfaith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵The saying is etrustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus fcame into the world to save sinners, gof whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷To hthe King of the ages, iimmortal, jinvisible, kthe only God, lbe honor and glory forever and ever.4 Amen.

¹⁸This charge mI entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with nthe prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may owage the good warfare, ¹⁹pholding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have qmade shipwreck of their faith, ²⁰among whom are rHymenaeus and sAlexander, whom I thave handed over to Satan that they may learn not to ublaspheme.

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Pray for All People

¹First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ²vfor kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and wdignified in every way. ³This is good, and xit is pleasing in the sight of yGod our Savior, ⁴who desires zall people to be saved and ato come to bthe knowledge of the truth. ⁵For cthere is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man1 Christ Jesus, ⁶dwho gave himself as a ransom for all, which is ethe testimony given fat the proper time. ⁷gFor this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (hI am telling the truth, I am not lying), ia teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸I desire then that jin every place the men should pray, klifting lholy hands without anger or quarreling; ⁹likewise also mthat women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, ¹⁰nbut with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. ¹¹Let a woman learn quietly owith all submissiveness. ¹²pI do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ¹³qFor Adam was formed first, rthen Eve; ¹⁴and Adam was not deceived, but sthe woman was deceived and became a transgressor. ¹⁵Yet she will be saved through tchildbearing—if they continue in ufaith and love and holiness, with self-control.

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Qualifications for Overseers

¹The saying is vtrustworthy: If anyone aspires to wthe office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ²Therefore xan overseer1 must be above reproach, ythe husband of one wife,2 zsober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, ahospitable, bable to teach, ³not a drunkard, not violent but cgentle, not quarrelsome, dnot a lover of money. ⁴He must manage his own household well, with all dignity ekeeping his children submissive, ⁵for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for wGod's church? ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may fbecome puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷Moreover, he must be well thought of by goutsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ha snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

⁸iDeacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,3 jnot addicted to much wine, knot greedy for dishonest gain. ⁹They must lhold the mystery of the faith with ma clear conscience. ¹⁰And nlet them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. ¹¹oTheir wives likewise4 must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, pfaithful in all things. ¹²Let deacons each be qthe husband of one wife, qmanaging their children and their own households well. ¹³For rthose who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

¹⁴I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, ¹⁵if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. ¹⁶Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

sHe5 was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated6 by the Spirit,7

tseen by angels,

uproclaimed among the nations,

vbelieved on in the world,

wtaken up in glory.

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Some Will Depart from the Faith

¹Now xthe Spirit expressly says that yin later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to zdeceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ²through the insincerity of aliars whose consciences are seared, ³bwho forbid marriage and crequire abstinence from foods dthat God created eto be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴For feverything created by God is good, and gnothing is to be rejected if it is ereceived with thanksgiving, ⁵for it is made holy hby the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus

⁶iIf you put these things before the brothers,1 you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have jfollowed. ⁷Have nothing to do with irreverent, ksilly myths. Rather ltrain yourself for godliness; ⁸for while mbodily training is of some value, godliness nis of value in every way, as oit holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹The saying is ptrustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. ¹⁰For to this end we toil and strive,2 because we have our hope set on the living God, qwho is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

¹¹Command and teach rthese things. ¹²sLet no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers tan example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴uDo not neglect the gift you have, which was given you vby prophecy when the council of elders wlaid their hands on you. ¹⁵Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,3 so that xall may see your progress. ¹⁶yKeep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save zboth yourself and ayour hearers.

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