1 Timothy 1–4

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

2to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

4and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith.

5But the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith,

6from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking,

7desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say nor about what they strongly affirm.

8But we know that the law is good if a person uses it lawfully,

9as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine,

11according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service,

13although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

16However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

18I commit this instruction to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

19holding faith and a good conscience, which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith,

20of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

1I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men,

2for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

4who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

6who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time,

7to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.

9In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety, not with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing,

10but with good works, which is appropriate for women professing godliness.

11Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission.

12But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.

13For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

14Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience;

15but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with sobriety.

1This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work.

2The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;

3not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

4one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;

5(for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?)

6not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

7Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money,

9holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

10Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.

11Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.

12Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

13For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

14These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly,

15but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

1But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,

2through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron,

3forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

4For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

5For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.

6If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed.

7But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness.

8For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now and of that which is to come.

9This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance.

10For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

11Command and teach these things.

12Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.

13Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching.

14Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elders.

15Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all.

16Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.