1 Timothy 1–3

Greeting

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,

²To Timothy, a ^atrue son in the faith:

^bGrace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

No Other Doctrine

³As I urged you ^cwhen I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may ¹charge some ^dthat they teach no other doctrine, ^4enor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. ⁵Now ^fthe purpose of the commandment is love ^gfrom a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from ²sincere faith, ⁶from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to ^hidle talk, ⁷desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

⁸But we know that the law is ⁱgood if one uses it lawfully, ⁹knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is ³contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹according to the glorious gospel of the ^jblessed God which was ^kcommitted to my trust.

Glory to God for His Grace

¹²And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has ^lenabled me, ^mbecause He counted me faithful, ⁿputting me into the ministry, ¹³although ^oI was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an ⁴insolent man; but I obtained mercy because ^pI did it ignorantly in unbelief. ^14qAnd the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, ^rwith faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ^15sThis is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that ^tChrist Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. ¹⁶However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. ¹⁷Now to ^uthe King eternal, ^vimmortal, ^winvisible, to ⁵God ^xwho alone is wise, ^ybe honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Fight the Good Fight

¹⁸This ⁶charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, ¹⁹having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, ²⁰of whom are ^zHymenaeus and ^aAlexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to ^bblaspheme.

Pray for All Men

2Therefore I ¹exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ^2afor kings and ^ball who are in ²authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and ³reverence. ³For this is ^cgood and acceptable in the sight ^dof God our Savior, ^4ewho desires all men to be saved ^fand to come to the knowledge of the truth. ^5gFor there is one God and ^hone Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ⁱwho gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, ^7jfor which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth ⁴in Christ and not lying—^ka teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Men and Women in the Church

⁸I desire therefore that the men pray ^leverywhere, ^mlifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; ⁹in like manner also, that the ⁿwomen adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and ⁵moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, ^10obut, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. ¹¹Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. ¹²And ^pI do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. ¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ¹⁵Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

Qualifications of Overseers

3This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a ¹bishop, he desires a good work. ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; ³not ²given to wine, not violent, ³not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not ⁴covetous; ⁴one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence ⁵(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); ⁶not a ⁵novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. ⁷Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the ^asnare of the devil.

Qualifications of Deacons

⁸Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, ^bnot given to much wine, not greedy for money, ⁹holding the ⁶mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. ¹⁰But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. ¹¹Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not ⁷slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ¹²Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³For those who have served well as deacons ^cobtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Great Mystery

¹⁴These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; ¹⁵but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ⁸ground of the truth. ¹⁶And without controversy great is the ⁹mystery of godliness:

^dGod ¹was manifested in the flesh,

^eJustified in the Spirit,

^fSeen by angels,

^gPreached among the Gentiles,

^hBelieved on in the world,

ⁱReceived up in glory.