1 Timothy 1–3

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.

Pray for All People

2First 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.

Qualifications for Overseers

3The 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 z}sober-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 j}not 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.