³When I was going to the province of Macedonia, I encouraged you to stay in the city of Ephesus. That way you could order certain people to stop teaching false doctrine ⁴and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies. These myths and genealogies raise a lot of questions rather than promoting God’s plan, which centers in faith.

⁵My goal in giving you this order is for love to flow from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith. ⁶Some people have left these qualities behind and have turned to useless discussions. ⁷They want to be experts in Moses’ Teachings. However, they don’t understand what they’re talking about or the things about which they speak so confidently.

⁸We know that the laws in Moses’ Teachings are good if they are used as they were intended to be used. ⁹For example, a person must realize that those laws are not intended for people who have God’s approval. Laws are intended for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who think nothing is holy or sacred, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people. ¹⁰Laws are intended for people involved in sexual sins, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for those who lie when they take an oath, and for whatever else is against accurate teachings. ¹¹Moses’ Teachings were intended to be used in agreement with the Good News that contains the glory of the blessed God. I was entrusted with that Good News.

God’s Mercy to Paul

¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord that he has trusted me and has appointed me to do his work with the strength he has given me. ¹³In the past I cursed him, persecuted him, and acted arrogantly toward him. However, I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in my unbelief. ¹⁴Our Lord was very kind^bto me. Through his kindness he brought me to faith and gave me the love that Christ Jesus shows people.

¹⁵This is a statement that can be trusted and deserves complete acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the foremost sinner. ¹⁶However, I was treated with mercy so that Christ Jesus could use me, the foremost sinner, to demonstrate his patience. This patience serves as an example for those who would believe in him and live forever. ¹⁷Worship and glory belong forever to the eternal king, the immortal, invisible, and only God. Amen.

Guidelines for the Church

¹⁸Timothy, my child, I’m giving you this order about the prophecies that are still coming to you: Use these prophecies in faith and with a clear conscience to fight this noble war. ¹⁹Some have refused to let their faith guide their conscience and their faith has been destroyed like a wrecked ship.^c²⁰Among these people are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan in order to teach them not to dishonor God.

2ND CHAPTER

¹First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, ²for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way. ³This is good and pleases God our Savior. ⁴He wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth. ⁵There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and humans—a human, Christ Jesus. ⁶He sacrificed himself for all people to free them from their sins. This message is valid for every era. ⁷I was appointed to spread this Good News and to be an apostle to teach people who are not Jewish about faith and truth. I’m telling you the truth. I’m not lying.

⁸I want men to offer prayers everywhere. They should raise their hands in prayer after putting aside their anger and any quarrels they have with anyone.

⁹I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do,^anot by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear. ¹⁰This is what is proper for women who claim to have reverence for God.

¹¹A woman must learn in silence, in keeping with her position. ¹²I don’t allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. Instead, she should be quiet. ¹³After all, Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴Besides that, Adam was not deceived. It was the woman who was deceived and sinned. ¹⁵However, she ⸤and all women⸥ will be saved through the birth of the child,^bif they lead respectable lives in faith, love, and holiness.

3RD CHAPTER

Guidelines for Leaders in the Church

¹This is a statement that can be trusted: If anyone sets his heart on being a bishop,he desires something excellent. ²A bishop must have a good reputation. He must have only one wife, be sober, use good judgment, be respectable, be hospitable, and be able to teach. ³He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but he must be gentle. He must not be quarrelsome or love money. ⁴He must manage his own family well. His children should respectfully obey him. ⁵(If a man doesn’t know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) ⁶He must not be a new Christian, or he might become arrogant like the devil and be condemned. ⁷People who are not Christians must speak well of him, or he might become the victim of disgraceful insults that the devil sets as traps for him.

⁸Deaconsmust also be of good character. They must not be two-faced or addicted to alcohol. They must not use shameful ways to make money. ⁹They must have clear consciences about possessing the mystery of the Christian faith. ¹⁰First, a person must be evaluated. Then, if he has a good reputation, he may become a deacon.

¹¹Their wives must also be of good character. They must not be gossips, but they must control their tempers and be trustworthy in every way.

¹²A deacon must have only one wife. Deacons must manage their children and their families well. ¹³Those deacons who serve well gain an excellent reputation and will have confidence as a result of their faith in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴I hope to visit you soon. However, I’m writing this to you ¹⁵in case I’m delayed. I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

¹⁶The mystery that gives us our reverence for God is acknowledged to be great:

He^cappeared in his human nature,

was approved by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was announced throughout the nations,

was believed in the world,

and was taken to heaven in glory.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

a 1:2 Or “Grace.”
b 1:14 Or “gracious.”
c 1:19 Verses 18 and 19 have been rearranged to express the complex Greek sentence structure more clearly in English.
a 2:9 The first part of verse 10 (in Greek) has been moved to verse 9 to express the complex Greek sentence structure more clearly in English.
b 2:15 Taken to refer to Jesus. Or “will be saved by having children,” or “will be kept safe as they have children.”
c 3:16 Some manuscripts read “God.”