1 Timothy 1

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

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the appointment of God, our Savior, and Christ Jesus, our hope.

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

To Timothy, my true child in the faith: May God, the Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord, bless you, and be merciful to you, and give you peace.

3 As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

I beg you, as I did when I was on my way into Macedonia, to remain at Ephesus; so that you may instruct certain people there not to teach new and strange doctrines,

4 neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; [so do I now].

nor to devote their attention to legends and interminable genealogies, which tend to give rise to argument rather than to further that divine plan which is revealed in the faith.

5 But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:

The object of all instruction is to call forth that love which comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

6 from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking;

And it is because they have not aimed at these things that the attention of certain people has been diverted to unprofitable subjects.

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

They want to be teachers of the Law, and yet do not understand either the words they use, or the subjects on which they speak so confidently.

8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully,

We know, of course, that the Law is excellent, when used legitimately,

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

by one who recognizes that laws were not made for good people, but for the lawless and disorderly, for irreligious and wicked people, for those who are irreverent and profane, for those who ill-treat their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

10 for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

for the immoral, for perverts, for slave traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for whatever else is opposed to sound Christian teaching –

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

as is taught in the glorious good news of the ever-blessed God, with which I was entrusted.

12 I thank him that enabled me, [even] Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to [his] service;

I am thankful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has been my strength, for showing that he thought me worthy of trust by appointing me to his ministry,

13 though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;

though I once used to blaspheme, and to persecute, and to insult. Yet mercy was shown me, because I acted in ignorance, while still an unbeliever;

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

and the loving kindness of our Lord was boundless, and filled me with that faith and love which come from union with Christ Jesus.

15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:

How true the saying is, and worthy of the fullest acceptance, that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’! And there is no greater sinner than I!

16 howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all his longsuffering, for an ensample of them that should thereafter believe on him unto eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

Yet mercy was shown me for the express purpose that Christ Jesus might exhibit in my case, beyond all others, his exhaustless patience, as an example for those who were afterward to believe on him and attain eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, [be] honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)

To the eternal King, ever-living, invisible, the one God, be ascribed honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)

18 This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare;

This, then, is the charge that I lay on you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with what was predicted of you – Fight the good fight in the spirit of those predictions,

19 holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith:

with faith, and with a clear conscience; and it is because they have thrust this aside, that, as regards the faith, some have wrecked their lives.

20 of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

Hymenaeus and Alexander are instances – the men whom I delivered over to Satan so that they might be taught not to blaspheme.