1 Timothy 4-5

Common English Bible

4 The Spirit clearly says that in latter times some people will turn away from the faith. They will pay attention to spirits that deceive and to the teaching of demons. ² They will be controlled by the pretense of lying, and their own consciences will be seared. ³ They will prohibit marriage and eating foods that God created—and he intended them to be accepted with thanksgiving by those who are faithful and have come to know the truth. ⁴ Everything that has been created by God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected. ⁵ These things are made holy by God’s word and prayer. ⁶ If you point these things out to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus who has been trained by the words of faith and the good teaching that you’ve carefully followed. ⁷ But stay away from the godless myths that are passed down from the older women.

Practices of spiritual leadership

Train yourself for a holy life! ⁸ While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come. ⁹ This saying is reliable and deserves complete acceptance. ¹⁰ We work and struggle for this: “Our hope is set on the living God, who is the savior of all people, especially those who believe.” ¹¹ Command these things. Teach them. ¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. Instead, set an example for the believers through your speech, behavior, love, faith, and by being sexually pure. ¹³ Until I arrive, pay attention to public reading, preaching, and teaching. ¹⁴ Don’t neglect the spiritual gift in you that was given through prophecy when the elders laid hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, and live by them so that your progress will be visible to all. ¹⁶ Focus on working on your own development and on what you teach. If you do this, you will save yourself and those who hear you.

Caring for God’s family

5 Don’t correct an older man, but encourage him like he’s your father; treat younger men like your brothers, ² treat older women like your mother, and treat younger women like your sisters with appropriate respect.

³ Take care of widows who are truly needy. ⁴ But if a particular widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to respect their own family and repay their parents, because this pleases God. ⁵ A widow who is truly needy and all alone puts her hope in God and keeps on going with requests and prayers, night and day. ⁶ But a widow who tries to live a life of luxury is dead even while she is alive. ⁷ Teach these things so that the families^[a] will be without fault. ⁸ But if someone doesn’t provide for their own family, and especially for a member of their household, they have denied the faith. They are worse than those who have no faith.

⁹ Put a widow on the list who is older than 60 years old and who was faithful to her husband. ¹⁰ She should have a reputation for doing good: raising children, providing hospitality to strangers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in distress, and dedicating herself to every kind of good thing. ¹¹ But don’t accept younger widows for the list. When their physical desires distract them from Christ, they will want to get married. ¹² Then they will be judged for setting aside their earlier commitment. ¹³ Also, they learn to be lazy by going from house to house. They are not only lazy, but they also become gossips and busybodies, talking about things they shouldn’t. ¹⁴ So I want younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their homes so that they won’t give the enemy any reason to slander us. (¹⁵ Some have already turned away to follow Satan.) ¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should take care of them and not burden the church, so that it can help other widows who are truly needy.

Instructions for elders

¹⁷ Elders who lead well should be paid double, especially those who work with public speaking and teaching. ¹⁸ The scripture says, Don’t put a muzzle on an ox while it treads grain,^[b] and Workers deserve their pay.^{[c] 19} Don’t accept an accusation made against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Discipline those who are sinning in front of everyone so that all the others will be afraid. ²¹ I charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to follow these practices without bias, and without playing favorites. ²² Don’t rush to commission anyone to leadership, and don’t participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself morally pure.

²³ Don’t drink water anymore, but use a little wine because of your stomach problems and your frequent illnesses. ²⁴ The sins of some people are obvious, and the sins are judged before the people must face judgment, but the sins of other people show up later. ²⁵ In the same way, the good that people do is also obvious and can’t be hidden.