1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus, just as God our Savior commanded. Christ Jesus also commanded it. We have put our hope in him.

²Timothy, I am sending you this letter. You are my true son in the faith.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace.

Paul Warns Against Certain Teachers of the Law

³Stay there in Ephesus. That is what I told you to do when I went into Macedonia. I want you to command certain people not to teach things that aren’t true. ⁴Command them not to spend their time on stories that aren’t completely true. They must not waste time on family histories that never end. Things like that cause people to argue instead of doing God’s work. His work is done by faith.

⁵Love is the purpose of my command. Love comes from a pure heart. It comes from a good sense of what is right and wrong. It comes from faith that is honest and true.

⁶Some have wandered away from those teachings. They would rather talk about things that have no meaning. ⁷They want to be teachers of the law. And they are very sure about that law. But they don’t know what they are talking about.

⁸We know that the law is good if it is used properly. ⁹We also know that the law isn’t made for godly people. It is made for those who break the law. It is for those who refuse to obey. It is for ungodly and sinful people. It is for those who aren’t holy and who don’t believe. It is for those who kill their fathers or mothers. It is for murderers.

¹⁰It is for those who commit adultery. It is for those who have a twisted view of sex. It is for people who buy and sell slaves. It is for liars. It is for those who give witness to things that aren’t true. And it is for anything else that is the opposite of true teaching.

¹¹True teaching agrees with the glorious good news of the blessed God. He trusted me with that good news.

The Lord Pours Out His Grace on Paul

¹²I am thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord. He has given me strength. I thank him that he considered me faithful. And I thank him for appointing me to serve him.

¹³I used to speak evil things against Jesus. I tried to hurt his followers. I really pushed them around. But God showed me mercy anyway. I did those things without knowing any better. I wasn’t a believer.

¹⁴Our Lord poured out more and more of his grace on me. Along with it came faith and love from Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

And I am the worst sinner of all. ¹⁶But for that very reason, God showed me mercy. And I am the worst of sinners. He showed me mercy so that Christ Jesus could show that he is very patient. I was an example for those who would come to believe in him. Then they would receive eternal life.

¹⁷The eternal King will never die. He can’t be seen. He is the only God. Give him honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸My son Timothy, I give you these teachings. They are in keeping with the prophecies that were once made about you. By following them, you can fight the good fight. ¹⁹Then you will hold on to faith. You will hold on to a good sense of what is right and wrong.

Some have not accepted these teachings. By doing that, they have destroyed their faith. They are like a ship that has sunk. ²⁰Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them. I have handed them over to Satan. That will teach them not to speak evil things against God.

Directions for Worship

2First, I want all of you to pray for everyone. Ask God to bless them. Give thanks for them.

²Pray for kings. Pray for all who are in authority. Pray that we will live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy.

³That is good. It pleases God our Savior. ⁴He wants everyone to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth.

⁵There is only one God. And there is only one go-between for God and human beings. He is the man Christ Jesus. ⁶He gave himself to pay for the sins of everyone. That was a witness given by God at just the right time.

⁷I was appointed to be a messenger and an apostle to preach the good news. I am telling the truth. I’m not lying. God appointed me to be a teacher of the true faith to those who aren’t Jews.

⁸I want men everywhere to pray. I want them to lift up holy hands. I don’t want them to be angry when they pray. I don’t want them to argue.

⁹I also want women to dress simply. They should wear clothes that are right and proper. They shouldn’t braid their hair. They shouldn’t wear gold or pearls. They shouldn’t spend too much on clothes. ¹⁰Instead, they should put on good works as if they were their clothes. That is proper for women who claim to worship God.

¹¹When a woman is learning, she should be quiet. She should follow the leaders in every way. ¹²I do not let women teach. I do not let them have authority over men. They must be quiet.

¹³Adam was made first. Then Eve was made. ¹⁴Adam was not the one who was tricked. The woman was tricked and became a sinner. ¹⁵Will women be saved by having children? Only if they keep on believing, loving, and leading a holy life in a proper way.

Leaders and Deacons

3Here is a saying you can trust. If anyone wants to be a leader in the church, he wants to do a good work for God and people.

²A leader must be free from blame. He must be faithful to his wife. In anything he does, he must not go too far. He must control himself. He must be worthy of respect. He must welcome people into his home. He must be able to teach. ³He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must be gentle. He must not be a person who likes to argue. He must not love money.

⁴He must manage his own family well. He must make sure that his children obey him and show him proper respect. ⁵Suppose someone doesn’t know how to manage his own family. Then how can he take care of God’s church?

⁶The leader must not be a new believer. If he is, he might become proud. Then he would be judged just like the devil.

⁷The leader must also be respected by those who are outside the church. Then he will not be put to shame. He will not fall into the devil’s trap.

⁸Deacons also must be worthy of respect. They must be honest and true. They must not drink too much wine. They must not try to get money by cheating people. ⁹They must hold on to the deep truths of the faith. Even their own minds tell them to do that. ¹⁰First they must be tested. Then let them serve as deacons if there is nothing against them.

¹¹In the same way, their wives must be worthy of respect. They must not say things that harm others. In anything they do, they must not go too far. They must be worthy of trust in everything.

¹²A deacon must be faithful to his wife. He must manage his children and family well. ¹³Those who have served well earn the full respect of others. They also become more sure of their faith in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴I hope I can come to you soon. But now I am writing these directions to you. ¹⁵Then if I have to put off my visit, you will know how you should act in God’s family. The family of God is the church of the living God. It is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

¹⁶There is no doubt that godliness is a great mystery.

Jesus appeared in a body.

The Holy Spirit proved that he was the Son of God.

He was seen by angels.

He was preached among the nations.

People in the world believed in him.

He was taken up to heaven in glory.

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