< 1 Timothy 1 >
1 Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the authority of God our Savior 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 to Timothy, beloved son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and from 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 Now I asked you to remain at Ephesus, while I went into Macedonia, so that you would speak strongly against certain ones who have been teaching a different way,
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 against those who have been paying attention to fables and endless genealogies. These things present questions as if they were greater than the edification that is of God, which is in faith.
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 Now the goal of instruction is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith.
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 Certain persons, wandering away from these things, have been turned aside to empty babbling,
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, but understanding neither the things that they themselves are saying, nor what they are affirming about these things.
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 one makes use of it properly.
We know, of course, that the Law is excellent, when used legitimately,
9 Knowing this, that the law was not set in place for the just, but for the unjust and the insubordinate, for the impious and sinners, for the wicked and the defiled, for those who commit patricide, matricide, or homicide,
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 males who sleep with males, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to 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 which is in accord with the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God, the Gospel which has been entrusted to me.
as is taught in the glorious good news of the ever-blessed God, with which I was entrusted.
12 I give thanks to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he has considered me faithful, placing me in the ministry,
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 previously I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and contemptuous. But then I obtained the mercy of God. For I had been acting 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 so the grace of our Lord has abounded greatly, with the faith and love that 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 It is a faithful saying, and worthy of acceptance by everyone, that Christ Jesus came into this world to bring salvation to sinners, among whom I am first.
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 But it was for this reason that I obtained mercy, so that in me as first, Christ Jesus would display all patience, for the instruction of those who would believe in him unto eternal life. (aiōnios )
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 )
17 So then, to the King of ages, to the immortal, invisible, solitary God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (aiōn )
To the eternal King, ever-living, invisible, the one God, be ascribed honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (aiōn )
18 This precept I commend to you, my son Timothy, in accord with the prophets who preceded you: that you serve among them like a soldier in a good war,
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 to faith and good conscience, against those who, by rejecting these things, have made a shipwreck of 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 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they may learn 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.