1 Timothy 1

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

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus our hope:

2 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.

To Timothy, my own true son in the faith. May grace, mercy and peace be granted to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 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,

When I was on my journey to Macedonia I begged you to remain on in Ephesus that you might remonstrate with certain persons because of their erroneous teaching

4 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.

and the attention they bestow on mere fables and endless pedigrees, such as lead to controversy rather than to a true stewardship for God, which only exists where there is faith. And I make the same request now.

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

But the end sought to be secured by exhortation is the love which springs from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith.

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

From these some have drifted away, and have wandered into empty words.

7 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.

They are ambitious to be teachers of the Law, although they do not understand either their own words or what the things are about which they make such confident assertions.

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

Now we know that the Law is good, if a man uses it in the way it should be used,

9 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,

and remembers that a law is not enacted to control a righteous man, but for the lawless and rebellious, the irreligious and sinful, the godless and profane--for those who strike their fathers or their mothers, for murderers,

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

fornicators, sodomites, slave-dealers, liars and false witnesses; and for whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching

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

and is not in accordance with the Good News of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

12 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,

I am thankful to Him who made me strong--even Christ Jesus our Lord--because He has judged me to be faithful and has put me into His service,

13 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;

though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and had been insolent in outrage. Yet mercy was shown me, because I had acted ignorantly, not having as yet believed;

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

and the grace of our Lord came to me in overflowing fulness, conferring faith on me and the love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 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!

Faithful is the saying, and deserving of universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; among whom I stand foremost.

16 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)

But mercy was shown me in order that in me as the foremost of sinners Christ Jesus might display the fulness of His long-suffering patience as an example to encourage those who would afterwards be resting their faith on Him with a view to the Life of the Ages. (aiōnios g166)

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

Now to the immortal and invisible King of the Ages, who alone is God, be honour and glory to the Ages of the Ages! Amen. (aiōn g165)

18 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,

This is the charge which I entrust to you, my son Timothy, in accordance with the inspired instructions concerning you which were given me long ago, that being equipped with them as your armour you may be continually fighting the good fight,

19 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.

holding fast to faith and a clear conscience, which some have cast aside and have made shipwreck of their faith.

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

Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.