Beginning

Instructions in Doctrine and Living

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^(C)according to the commandment of ^(D)God our Savior, and of ^(E)Christ Jesus, our ^(F)hope,

² To ^(G)Timothy, ^(H)my genuine child in the faith: ^(I)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and ^(J)Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ As I exhorted you when going to ^(K)Macedonia, ^[a]remain on at ^(L)Ephesus so that you may command certain ones not to ^(M)teach a different doctrine, ⁴ nor to ^[b]pay attention to ^(N)myths and endless ^(O)genealogies, which give rise to mere ^(P)speculation rather than furthering ^(Q)the stewardship from God which is by faith. ⁵ But the goal of our ^(R)command is love ^(S)from a pure heart and a ^(T)good conscience and an unhypocritical ^(U)faith. ⁶ For some, straying from these things, have turned aside to ^(V)fruitless discussion, ^7 (W)wanting to be ^(X)teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

⁸ But we know that ^(Y)the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ knowing this, that ^(Z)law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and ^(AA)rebellious, for the ^(AB)ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and ^(AC)godless, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for ^(AD)sexually immoral persons, for ^(AE)homosexuals, for ^(AF)kidnappers, for ^(AG)liars, for ^(AH)perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to ^(AI)sound teaching, ¹¹ according to ^(AJ)the gospel of the glory of ^(AK)the blessed God, with which I have been ^(AL)entrusted.

¹² I am grateful to ^(AM)Christ Jesus our Lord, who has ^(AN)strengthened me, because He regarded me faithful, ^(AO)putting me into service, ¹³ even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a ^(AP)persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was ^(AQ)shown mercy because ^(AR)I acted ignorantly in unbelief; ¹⁴ and the ^(AS)grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the ^(AT)faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ^15 (AU)It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that ^(AV)Christ Jesus came into the world to ^(AW)save sinners, among whom ^(AX)I am foremost. ¹⁶ Yet for this reason I ^(AY)was shown mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Christ Jesus might ^(AZ)demonstrate all His patience as an example for those ^[c]who are going to believe upon Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the ^(BA)King of the ^[d]ages, ^(BB)immortal, ^(BC)invisible, the ^(BD)only God, ^(BE)be honor and glory ^[e]forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This ^(BF)command I entrust to you, Timothy, ^(BG)my child, in accordance with the ^(BH)prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may ^(BI)fight the good fight, ¹⁹ keeping ^(BJ)faith and a good conscience, which some, having rejected, suffered shipwreck in regard to ^[f](BK)their faith. ^20 [g]Among these are ^(BL)Hymenaeus and ^(BM)Alexander, whom I have ^(BN)handed over to Satan, so that they will be ^(BO)taught not to blaspheme.

Exhortation to Prayer

2 First of all, then, I exhort that ^(BP)petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men, ^2 (BQ)for kings and all who are in ^[h]authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and ^[i]dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of ^(BR)God our Savior, ^4 (BS)who desires all men to be ^(BT)saved and to ^(BU)come to the ^[j]full knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is ^(BV)one God, and ^(BW)one mediator also between God and men, the ^(BX)man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who ^(BY)gave Himself as a ransom for all, the ^(BZ)witness for ^[k](CA)this proper time. ^7 (CB)For this I was appointed a ^[l]preacher and ^(CC)an apostle (^(CD)I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of ^(CE)the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ Therefore ^(CF)I want the men ^(CG)in every place to pray, ^(CH)lifting up ^(CI)holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

Instructions for Women

⁹ Likewise, I want ^(CJ)women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, with modesty and self-restraint, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly clothing, ¹⁰ but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women professing godliness. ^11 (CK)A woman must learn in quietness, in all submission. ^12 (CL)But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ^13 (CM)For it was Adam who was first formed, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but ^(CN)the woman being deceived, ^[m]fell into trespass. ¹⁵ But she will be ^[n]saved through the bearing of children, if they continue in ^(CO)faith and love and sanctification with self-restraint.

Overseers and Deacons

3 ^(CP)It is a trustworthy saying: if any man aspires to the ^(CQ)office of ^[o]overseer, he desires a good work. ^2 [p](CR)An overseer, then, must be above reproach, ^(CS)the husband of one wife, ^(CT)temperate, sensible, respectable, ^(CU)hospitable, ^(CV)able to teach, ^3 (CW)not addicted to wine ^[q]or pugnacious, but considerate, peaceable, ^(CX)free from the love of money; ^4 (CY)leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity ⁵ (but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of ^(CZ)the church of God?), ⁶ and not a new convert, so that he will not become ^(DA)conceited and fall into the ^(DB)condemnation of the devil. ⁷ And he must ^(DC)have a good reputation with ^(DD)those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and ^(DE)the snare of the devil.

^8 (DF)Deacons likewise must be dignified, not ^[r]double-tongued, ^(DG)not indulging in much wine, ^(DH)not fond of dishonest gain, ^9 (DI)but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ^10 (DJ)And these men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. ^11 [s]Women must likewise be dignified, ^(DK)not malicious gossips, but ^(DL)temperate, faithful in all things. ^12 (DM)Deacons must be ^(DN)husbands of only one wife, ^(DO)leading their children and their own households well. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons ^(DP)obtain for themselves a ^[t]high standing and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon, ¹⁵ but ^[u]in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how ^[v]one ought to conduct himself in ^(DQ)the household of God, which is the ^(DR)church of ^(DS)the living God, the ^(DT)pillar and support of the truth. ¹⁶ And by common confession, great is ^(DU)the mystery of godliness:

Some Will Fall Away

4 But ^(EB)the Spirit explicitly says that ^(EC)in later times some will ^[y]fall away from the faith, paying attention to ^(ED)deceitful spirits and ^(EE)doctrines of demons, ² by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been ^(EF)seared in their own conscience, ³ who ^(EG)forbid marriage and advocate ^(EH)abstaining from foods which ^(EI)God created to be shared in ^(EJ)with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For ^(EK)everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is ^(EL)received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is sanctified by ^(EM)the word of God and prayer.

A Good Minister’s Discipline

⁶ In pointing out these things to ^(EN)the brothers, you will be a good ^(EO)servant of Christ Jesus, being nourished on the words of the faith and of the ^[z](EP)sound doctrine which you ^(EQ)have been following. ⁷ But refuse ^(ER)godless ^(ES)myths fit only for old women. On the other hand, train yourself for the purpose of ^(ET)godliness, ⁸ for ^(EU)bodily training is only of little profit, but ^(EV)godliness is profitable for all things, since it ^(EW)holds promise for the ^(EX)present life and also for the life to come. ^9 (EY)It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance. ¹⁰ For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed ^(EZ)our hope on ^(FA)the living God, who is ^(FB)the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

^11 (FC)Command and teach these things. ^12 (FD)Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself as ^(FE)a model to those who believe in word, conduct, ^(FF)love, faith, and purity. ^13 (FG)Until I come, give attention to the public ^(FH)reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift within you, which was given to you through ^(FI)prophetic utterance with ^(FJ)the laying on of hands by the ^(FK)council of elders. ¹⁵ Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. ^16 (FL)Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ^(FM)save both yourself and those who hear you.

Honor Widows

5 ^(FN)Do not sharply rebuke an ^(FO)older man, but rather plead with him as a father, to ^(FP)the younger men as brothers, ² the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³ Honor widows who are ^(FQ)widows indeed, ⁴ but if any widow has children or grandchildren, ^(FR)they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to ^[aa]make some return to their parents; for this is ^(FS)acceptable in the sight of God. ⁵ Now she who is a ^(FT)widow indeed and who has been left alone, ^(FU)has fixed her hope on God and continues in ^(FV)petitions and prayers night and day. ⁶ But she who ^(FW)lives in self-indulgence is ^(FX)dead even while she lives. ^7 (FY)And command these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has ^(FZ)denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ A widow is to be ^(GA)put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been ^(GB)the wife of one man, ¹⁰ having a reputation for ^(GC)good works; if she has brought up children, if she has ^(GD)shown hospitality to strangers, if she ^(GE)has washed the ^[ab]saints’ feet, if she has ^(GF)assisted those in affliction, if she has devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹ But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel ^(GG)sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, ¹² thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous ^[ac]pledge. ¹³ And at the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house. And not merely idle, but also ^(GH)gossips and ^(GI)busybodies, talking about ^(GJ)things not proper to mention. ¹⁴ Therefore, I want younger widows to get ^(GK)married, bear children, ^(GL)keep house, and ^(GM)give the enemy no opportunity for reviling, ¹⁵ for some ^(GN)have already turned aside after ^(GO)Satan. ¹⁶ If any believing woman ^(GP)has widows, she must ^(GQ)assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are ^(GR)widows indeed.

Honoring the Elders

^17 (GS)The elders who ^(GT)lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who ^(GU)labor ^[ad]at preaching the word and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “^(GV)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “^(GW)The laborer is worthy of his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not receive an accusation against an ^(GX)elder except on the basis of ^(GY)two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Those who continue in sin, ^(GZ)reprove in the presence of all, ^(HA)so that the rest also will be fearful. ^21 (HB)I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His elect angels, to observe these instructions without bias, doing nothing in partiality. ^22 (HC)Do not lay hands upon anyone hastily and ^[ae]thereby share ^(HD)responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

²³ No longer drink water only, but ^(HE)use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

²⁴ The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins ^(HF)follow after. ²⁵ So also good works are quite evident, and ^(HG)those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

Instructions to Those Who Serve

6 ^(HH)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so ^(HI)that the name of God and our doctrine will not be ^[af]slandered. ² But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are ^(HJ)brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who ^[ag]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. ^(HK)Teach and exhort these things.

³ If anyone ^(HL)teaches a different doctrine and does not ^[ah]agree with ^(HM)sound words—those of our Lord Jesus Christ—and with the doctrine ^(HN)conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is ^(HO)conceited, understanding nothing but ^[ai]having a morbid interest in ^(HP)controversial questions and ^(HQ)disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between ^(HR)men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who ^(HS)suppose that ^[aj]godliness is a means of gain. ^6 (HT)But godliness actually is a means of ^(HU)great gain, when accompanied by ^(HV)contentment. ⁷ For ^(HW)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. ⁸ And if we ^(HX)have food and covering, with these we shall be content. ^9 (HY)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and ^(HZ)a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For ^(IA)the love of money is a root of all ^[ak]sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have ^(IB)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹¹ But you, O ^(IC)man of God, ^(ID)flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, ^(IE)faith, ^(IF)love, ^[al]perseverance, gentleness. ^12 (IG)Fight the good fight of ^(IH)faith. ^(II)Take hold of the eternal life ^(IJ)to which you were called, and you made the good ^(IK)confession in the presence of ^(IL)many witnesses. ^13 (IM)I charge you in the presence of God, who ^[am]gives life to all things, and of ^(IN)Christ Jesus, who testified the ^(IO)good confession ^(IP)before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the ^(IQ)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will ^[an]bring about at ^(IR)the proper time—He who is ^(IS)the blessed and ^(IT)only Sovereign, ^(IU)the King of ^[ao]kings and ^(IV)Lord of ^[ap]lords, ^16 (IW)who alone has immortality and ^(IX)dwells in unapproachable light, ^(IY)whom no man has seen or can see. ^(IZ)To Him be honor and eternal might! Amen.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in ^(JA)this present age ^(JB)not to be haughty or to ^(JC)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(JD)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in ^(JE)good ^[aq]works, ^(JF)to be generous and ready to share, ^19 (JG)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(JH)take hold of that which is life indeed.

²⁰ O ^(JI)Timothy, guard ^(JJ)what has been entrusted to you, turning aside from ^(JK)godless and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge— ²¹ which some, while professing, have ^(JL)gone astray ^[ar]from ^(JM)the faith.

^(JN)Grace be with ^[as]you.