THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY
Salutation
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2To Timothy, my true child in the faith:*
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Warning against False Teachers
3As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4nor to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies* which promote speculations rather than the divine traininga that is in faith; 5whereas the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith. 6Certain persons by swerving from these have wandered away into vain discussion, 7desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.
8Now we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully, 9understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10immoral persons, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
Gratitude for Mercy
12I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service, 13though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; 16but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.b Amen.
18This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophetic utterances which pointed to you, that inspired by them you may wage the good warfare, 19holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith, 20among them Hymenae'us and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan* that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Instructions concerning Prayer
2First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. 3This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all,* the testimony to which was given at the proper time. 7For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9also that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire 10but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion. 11Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. 12I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet woman will be saved through bearing children,c if she continuesd in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.
Qualifications of Bishops
3The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop,* he desires a noble task. 2Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, 3no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; 5for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God’s Church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil;f 7moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.f
Qualifications of Deacons
8Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for gain; 9they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10And let them also be tested first; then if they prove themselves blameless let them serve as deacons. 11The women* likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12Let deacons be the husband of one wife, and let them manage their children and their households well; 13for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
The Mystery of Our Religion
14I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, 15if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. 16Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion:
Heh was manifested in the flesh,
vindicatedi in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
False Asceticism
4Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, 3who forbid marriage* and enjoin abstinence from foods* which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; 5for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
A Good Minister of Jesus Christ
6If you put these instructions before the brethren, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless and silly myths. Train yourself in godliness; 8for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. 10For to this end we toil and strive,j because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
11Command and teach these things. 12Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Till I come, attend to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching, to teaching. 14Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you. 15Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. 16Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Duties toward Believers
5Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men like brothers, 2older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.
3Honor widows who are real widows.* 4If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5She who is a real widow, and is left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day; 6whereas she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7Command this, so that they may be without reproach. 8If any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband; 10and she must be well attested for her good deeds, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, relieved the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way. 11But refuse to enrol younger widows; for when they grow wanton against Christ they desire to marry, 12and so they incur condemnation for having violated their first pledge.* 13Besides that, they learn to be idlers, gadding about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, rule their households, and give the enemy no occasion to revile us. 15For some have already strayed after Satan. 16If any believing womanl has relatives who are widows, let her assist them; let the Church not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are real widows.
17Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; 18for the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19Never admit any charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without favor, doing nothing from partiality. 22Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man’s sins; keep yourself pure.
23No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
Men’s Deeds, False Teaching,and True Riches
24The sins of some men are conspicuous, pointing to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25So also good deeds are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden.
6Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be defamed. 2Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brethren; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.
Teach and urge these duties. 3If any one teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, 4he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, 5and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6There is great gain in godliness with contentment; 7for we brought nothing into the world, andm we cannot take anything out of the world; 8but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.
The Good Fight of Faith
11But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; 15and this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
17As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. 18They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, 19thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed.
Personal Instructions and Benediction
20O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, 21for by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.
Grace be with you.