Warning Against False Teachers

(A)As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not (B)to teach any different doctrine, nor (C)to devote themselves to myths and endless (D)genealogies, which promote (E)speculations rather than the stewardship[a] from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love (F)that issues from a pure heart and (G)a good conscience and (H)a sincere faith. Certain persons, by (I)swerving from these, have wandered away into (J)vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, (K)without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 1:4 Or good order

Timothy’s purpose in Ephesus

When I left for Macedonia, I asked you to stay behind in Ephesus so that you could instruct certain individuals not to spread wrong teaching. They shouldn’t pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. Their teaching only causes useless guessing games instead of faithfulness to God’s way of doing things. The goal of instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Because they missed this goal, some people have been distracted by talk that doesn’t mean anything. They want to be teachers of Law without understanding either what they are saying or what they are talking about with such confidence.

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