1 Timothy

Riverside^{(i) 1} PAUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the appointment of God, our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope, ² to Timothy my true child in faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ³ As I begged you to stay in Ephesus when I was leaving for Macedonia, that you might charge some not to teach new and strange doctrines ⁴ nor give attention to myths and endless genealogies, which promote disputes rather than God's plan in the faith, so I beg you now. ⁵ The aim of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶ Some missing these have turned aside to empty talk, ⁷ wishing to be teachers of the Law, but not understanding either what they are saying or what the things are that they are so positive about. ⁸ We know that the Law is excellent, if any one uses it lawfully. ⁹ But we know this: that law is not laid down for a righteous man, but for the lawless and the insubordinate, the ungodly and sinners, the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰ for the unchaste, for those who practice unnatural vices, for slave-dealers, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to wholesome teaching ¹¹ such as accords with the glorious good news of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. ¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me strength, because he thought me faithful and put me into his service, ¹³ though before that I spoke profanely and was a persecutor and insolent in outrages. But I received mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord overflowed in me with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ The saying is trust-worthy and deserving of full acceptance that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might show all of his long-suffering for an example for those who are to believe in him and gain life eternal. ¹⁷ To the King of the ages, the immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory for the ages of the ages! Amen. ¹⁸ This command I lay down for you, my child Timothy, in accordance with the prophecies that came in advance regarding you, in order that armed with them you may wage the noble war, ¹⁹ holding to faith and a good conscience, which some have cast aside and thus made shipwreck of their faith. ²⁰ Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, that they may learn not to speak profanely.