1 Timothy
1 Paul,a an apostle of Christ Jesus by the commandb of God our Saviorc and of Christ Jesus our hope:d
2 To Timothy,e my true son in the faith.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God theA Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
FALSE DOCTRINE AND MISUSE OF THE LAW
3 As I urged you when I went to Macedonia,f remain in Ephesusg so that you may instruct certain peopleh not to teach false doctrine 4 or to pay attention to mythsi and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan,j which operates by faith. 5 Now the goal of our instruction is lovek that comes from a pure heart,l a good conscience,m and a sincere faith.n 6 Some have departed from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. 8 But we know that the law is good,o provided one uses it legitimately. 9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious,p for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoralq and males who have sex with males,r for slave traders, liars,s perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teachingt 11 that conforms to the gospelu concerning the glory of the blessed God,v which was entrusted to me.w
12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthenedx me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry—13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer,y a persecutor,z and an arrogant man.aa But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is trustworthyab and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the worldac to save sinners”ad—and I am the worst of them.ae 16 But I received mercyaf for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patienceag as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.ah 17 Now to the Kingai eternal,aj immortal,ak invisible, the onlyC God,al be honoram and gloryan forever and ever. Amen.ao
18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the propheciesap previously made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the good fight, 19 having faithaq and a good conscience,ar which someas have rejected and have shipwrecked their faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeusat and Alexander,au whom I have delivered to Satan,av so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.
2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority,aw so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godlinessax and dignity.ay 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,az 4 who wants everyoneba to be savedbb and to come to the knowledge of the truth.bc
5 For there is one Godbd and one mediatorbe between God and mankind, the manbf Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all,bg a testimony at the proper time.
7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostlebh (I am telling the truth;D I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentilesbi in faith and truth.
8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.bj 9 Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing,a with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold,b pearls, or expensive apparel, 10 but with good works,c as is proper for women who profess to worship God. 11 A woman is to learn quietly with full submission.d 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.e 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.f 15 But she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness,g with good sense.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR OVERSEERS AND DEACONS
3 This saying is trustworthy:h “If anyone aspires to be an overseer,A,i he desires a noble work.” 2 An overseer,j therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible,k respectable, hospitable,l able to teach, 3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.m 4 He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.n 7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’so trap.
8 Deacons,p likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faithq with a clear conscience.r 10 They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. 11 Wives,B,s likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled,t faithful in everything. 12 Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. 13 For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
14 I write these things to you, hoping to comeu to you soon. 15 But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household,v which is the church of the living God,w the pillar and foundation of the truth.x 16 And most certainly, the mystery of godlinessy is great:
HeC was manifested in the flesh,z
vindicated in the Spirit,aa
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believedab on in the world,
taken up in glory.ac
4 Now the Spiritad explicitly says that in later timesae some will depart from the faith,af paying attention to deceitful spiritsag and the teachings of demons,ah 2 through the hypocrisyai of liars whose consciencesaj are seared. 3 They forbid marriageak and demand abstinenceal from foods that God createdam to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good,an and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,ao 5 since it is sanctified by the word of Godap and by prayer.
A GOOD SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST
6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faithaq and the good teaching that you have followed.ar 7 But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths.as Rather, train yourself in godliness.at 8 For the training of the body has limited benefit,au but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.av 9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance.aw 10 For this reason we labor and strive,D because we have put our hope in the living God,ax who is the Savioray of all people,az especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech,ba in conduct,bb in love,E,bc in faith, and in purity.bd 13 Until I come,be give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. 14 Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy,a with the laying on of handsb by the council of elders. 15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will savec both yourself and your hearers.d
5 Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters with all purity.
3 SupportA widowse who are genuinely in need. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God. 5 The widow who is truly in need and left all alone has put her hope in Godf and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; 6 however, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.g 7 Command this also, so that they will be above reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provideh for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faithi and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 No widow is to be enrolled on the list for support unless she is at least sixty years old, has been the wife of one husband, 10 and is well known for good worksj—that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality,k washed the saints’ feet,l helped the afflicted,m and devoted herself to every good work.n 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marryo 12 and will therefore receive condemnationp because they have renounced their original pledge. 13 At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossipsq and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say. 14 Therefore, I want younger women to marry,r have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us.s 15 For some have already turned awayt to follow Satan. 16 If anyB believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it can help widows in genuine need.
17 The elders who are good leaders are to be considered worthy of double honor,C especially those who work hardu