< 1 Timothy 1 >
1 [I], Paul, [am writing this letter. You know that] I am an apostle. I [represent] Christ Jesus because God and Christ Jesus commanded me to do it. God is the one who saved us, and Jesus is the one for whom we are confidently waiting [to return].
Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ κατ’ ἐπιταγὴν Θεοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν
2 [You], Timothy, [are like] [MET] a true son [to me] because [you] trusted [in Christ after I told you about him]. [I pray/desire that] God, who is our Father, and Christ Jesus, who is our Lord, will [continue to act] kindly and mercifully to you, and [that they will give you inner] peace.
Τιμοθέῳ γνησίῳ τέκνῳ ἐν πίστει· χάρις, ἔλεος, εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.
3 [I urge you now], just like I urged you when I was going to Macedonia [province], that you remain there in Ephesus [city]. Stay there so that you may command certain persons [who teach other believers] that they not teach false [doctrines].
Καθὼς παρεκάλεσά σε προσμεῖναι ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, πορευόμενος εἰς Μακεδονίαν, ἵνα παραγγείλῃς τισὶν μὴ ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν
4 And tell people to not continually give their attention to stories [that tell about our ancestors], stories in which there are (genealogies/lists of our ancestors’ names) that [seem to be] endless. [You must command your congregation not to think that these stories are valuable], because [whenever people think] that, they [just] start arguing about things uselessly, instead of [teaching] God’s plan, which [is concerned with] what we believe (OR, which [we know because] we trust [in Christ]).
μηδὲ προσέχειν μύθοις καὶ γενεαλογίαις ἀπεράντοις, αἵτινες ἐκζητήσεις παρέχουσιν μᾶλλον ἢ οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ τὴν ἐν πίστει·
5 [Teach them] to have pure desires [MTY] and [so to know that God] approves of what they do, and to sincerely believe [the true teaching]. By doing that, [they will] love [God well].
τὸ δὲ τέλος τῆς παραγγελίας ἐστὶν ἀγάπη ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας καὶ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς καὶ πίστεως ἀνυποκρίτου,
6 There are some people who have turned away from these true teachings. As a result, they [just] discuss what is useless.
ὧν τινες ἀστοχήσαντες ἐξετράπησαν εἰς ματαιολογίαν,
7 They desire to teach the laws [that God gave to Moses], but they do not understand what they are really saying, or the things about which they (confidently speak/say that they understand well).
θέλοντες εἶναι νομοδιδάσκαλοι, μὴ νοοῦντες μήτε ἃ λέγουσιν μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.
8 We know that the laws [that God gave to Moses are] good if people consider correctly [what God intended them for].
Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι καλὸς ὁ νόμος, ἐάν τις αὐτῷ νομίμως χρῆται,
9 We must remember that God did not give Moses those laws in order [to condemn] righteous people. By those laws he [condemns people who act as though there were no] laws and who refuse to obey [anyone. He condemns] those who do not revere God and those who sin habitually. [By them he condemns] those who refuse to perform rituals that are pleasing to God and who show no respect for religion. [He condemns] those who murder their fathers and who murder their mothers and who murder [other] people.
εἰδὼς τοῦτο, ὅτι δικαίῳ νόμος οὐ κεῖται, ἀνόμοις δὲ καὶ ἀνυποτάκτοις, ἀσεβέσι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοῖς, ἀνοσίοις καὶ βεβήλοις, πατρολῴαις καὶ μητρολῴαις, ἀνδροφόνοις,
10 [He condemns] those who are sexually immoral and those who are homosexuals. [He condemns] those who kidnap/steal people [in order to make them slaves]. [He condemns] those who lie and those who promise something strongly but do not do what they promised. He condemns every other action that is contrary to our true teaching.
πόρνοις, ἀρσενοκοίταις, ἀνδραποδισταῖς, ψεύσταις, ἐπιόρκοις, καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ ἀντίκειται,
11 This is what we teach people when we tell them the glorious/wonderful message about Christ that our awesome God [has revealed] and that he gave to me to teach.
κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς δόξης τοῦ μακαρίου Θεοῦ, ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγώ.
12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord who enabled me to do this work, because he considered that I could be trusted. So he appointed me in order that I [would serve him].
Χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ὅτι πιστόν με ἡγήσατο θέμενος εἰς διακονίαν,
13 Formerly I said evil things [about him], I caused [his people] to suffer, and I acted very cruelly toward them. But [Christ acted] in a kind way toward me since I (acted ignorantly/did not know that I was doing wrong) because I did not believe [in him].
τὸ πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν· ἀλλὰ ἠλεήθην, ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ,
14 Our Lord kindly did for me what I did not deserve, so that I now believe [in Christ Jesus] and I love others (OR, him) [because I belong to him].
ὑπερεπλεόνασεν δὲ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν μετὰ πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
15 [Something that all we believers] say is certainly true and is worthy for us to fully accept is that Christ Jesus came into the world in order to save sinful people [so that God would not punish them for their sins]. As for me, I [consider that I have sinned] more than all others.
πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι· ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ·
16 Yet Christ Jesus acted mercifully to me in order that he might demonstrate [to people that he is perfectly patient with them]. He did that by his being patient with me, one who has sinned worse than everyone else. He wanted what he did for me (to be an example/to demonstrate his patience) to people who would [later] believe in him, and as a result would live forever. (aiōnios )
ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεήθην, ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ πρώτῳ ἐνδείξηται Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν ἅπασαν μακροθυμίαν, πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ' αὐτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. (aiōnios )
17 I desire that people will honor and praise the only [true] God forever! Even though no one can see him, he is the King who rules for all time, who will never die! (Amen!/That is true!) (aiōn )
Τῷ δὲ Βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων, ἀφθάρτῳ ἀοράτῳ μόνῳ Θεῷ, τιμὴ καὶ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν. (aiōn )
18 Timothy, you [are like] [MET] a son [to me]. So, (based on/in accordance with) what [someone] previously (prophesied/told what God revealed to them) about you, I am instructing you [to strongly oppose those who teach false doctrines. You should oppose them like] [MET] a soldier (fights strongly against/opposes) [those who attack his countrymen].
Ταύτην τὴν παραγγελίαν παρατίθεμαί σοι, τέκνον Τιμόθεε, κατὰ τὰς προαγούσας ἐπὶ σὲ προφητείας, ἵνα στρατεύῃ ἐν αὐταῖς τὴν καλὴν στρατείαν,
19 Continue to believe [the true teaching] and do only what you know to be right! Remember that some people have (pushed aside/rejected) the true teaching. As a result, they no longer believe [MET] what is true.
ἔχων πίστιν καὶ ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν, ἥν τινες ἀπωσάμενοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν·
20 Among the ones who have done that are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I put in the hands of Satan, in order that [when Satan punishes them] they may learn not to teach wrong teaching.
ὧν ἐστιν Ὑμέναιος καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος, οὓς παρέδωκα τῷ Σατανᾷ, ἵνα παιδευθῶσιν μὴ βλασφημεῖν.