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Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

A reading plan that walks through the entire New Testament in 24 weeks of daily readings.

Duration: 168 days

1 Timothy 1-2

I. Address

Chapter 1

Greeting.^[a] ¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,^(A) ²to Timothy, my true child in faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.^(B)

II. Sound Teaching

Warning Against False Doctrine. ³^[b]I repeat the request I made of you when I was on my way to Macedonia,^(C) that you stay in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines ⁴^[c]or to concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the plan of God that is to be received by faith.^(D) ⁵The aim of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.^(E) ⁶Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk,^(F) ⁷wanting to be teachers of the law, but without understanding either what they are saying or what they assert with such assurance.

⁸^[d]We know that the law is good, provided that one uses it as law,^(G) ⁹with the understanding that law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly, the godless and sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, ¹⁰the unchaste, sodomites,^[e] kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching,^(H) ¹¹according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.^(I)

Gratitude for God’s Mercy.^[f] ¹²I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry.^(J) ¹³I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.^(K) ¹⁴Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^(L) ¹⁵This saying is trustworthy^[g] and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost.^(M) ¹⁶But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. ¹⁷To the king of ages,^[h] incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.^(N)

Responsibility of Timothy.^[i] ¹⁸I entrust this charge to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophetic words once spoken about you.^[j] Through them may you fight a good fight^(O) ¹⁹by having faith and a good conscience. Some, by rejecting conscience, have made a shipwreck of their faith,^(P) ²⁰among them Hymenaeus^[k] and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.^(Q)

III. Problems of Discipline

Chapter 2

Prayer and Conduct. ¹^[l]First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,^(R) ²for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. ³This is good and pleasing to God our savior,^(S) ⁴who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.^(T)

⁵For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and the human race,
Christ Jesus, himself human,^(U)
⁶who gave himself as ransom for all.

This was the testimony^[m] at the proper time.^(V) ⁷For this I was appointed preacher and apostle (I am speaking the truth, I am not lying), teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.^(W)

⁸^[n]It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. ⁹Similarly, [too,] women should adorn themselves with proper conduct, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hairstyles and gold ornaments, or pearls, or expensive clothes,^(X) ¹⁰but rather, as befits women who profess reverence for God, with good deeds.^(Y) ¹¹A woman must receive instruction silently and under complete control.^(Z) ¹²I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.^[o] She must be quiet. ¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve.^(AA) ¹⁴Further, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.^(AB) ¹⁵But she will be saved through motherhood, provided women persevere in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.^(AC)

Footnotes

1:1–2 For the Pauline use of the conventional epistolary form, see note on Rom 1:1–7.
1:3–7 Here Timothy’s initial task in Ephesus (cf. Acts 20:17–35) is outlined: to suppress the idle religious speculations, probably about Old Testament figures (1 Tm 1:3–4, but see note on 1 Tm 6:20–21), which do not contribute to the development of love within the community (1 Tm 1:5) but rather encourage similar useless conjectures (1 Tm 1:6–7).
1:4 The plan of God that is to be received by faith: the Greek may also possibly mean “God’s trustworthy plan” or “the training in faith that God requires.”
1:8–11 Those responsible for the speculations that are to be suppressed by Timothy do not present the Old Testament from the Christian viewpoint. The Christian values the Old Testament not as a system of law but as the first stage in God’s revelation of his saving plan, which is brought to fulfillment in the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
1:10 Sodomites: see 1 Cor 6:9 and the note there.
1:12–17 Present gratitude for the Christian apostleship leads Paul to recall an earlier time when he had been a fierce persecutor of the Christian communities (cf. Acts 26:9–11) until his conversion by intervention of divine mercy through the appearance of Jesus. This and his subsequent apostolic experience testify to the saving purpose of Jesus’ incarnation. The fact of his former ignorance of the truth has not kept the apostle from regarding himself as having been the worst of sinners (1 Tm 1:15). Yet he was chosen to be an apostle, that God might manifest his firm will to save sinful humanity through Jesus Christ (1 Tm 1:16). The recounting of so great a mystery leads to a spontaneous outpouring of adoration (1 Tm 1:17).
1:15 This saying is trustworthy: this phrase regularly introduces in the Pastorals a basic truth of early Christian faith; cf. 1 Tm 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tm 2:11; Ti 3:8.
1:17 King of ages: through Semitic influence, the Greek expression could mean “everlasting king”; it could also mean “king of the universe.”
1:18–20 Timothy is to be mindful of his calling, which is here compared to the way Barnabas and Saul were designated by Christ as prophets for missionary service; cf. Acts 13:1–3. Such is probably the sense of the allusion to the prophetic words (1 Tm 1:18). His task is not to yield, whether in doctrine or in conduct, to erroneous opinions, taking warning from what has already happened at Ephesus in the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tm 1:19–20).
1:18 The prophetic words once spoken about you: the Greek may also be translated, “the prophecies that led (me) to you.” It probably refers to testimonies given by charismatic figures in the Christian communities. Fight a good fight: this translation preserves the play on words in Greek. The Greek terms imply a lengthy engagement in battle and might well be translated “wage a good campaign.”
1:20 Hymenaeus: mentioned in 2 Tm 2:17 as saying that the resurrection has already taken place (in baptism). Alexander: probably the Alexander mentioned in 2 Tm 4:14 as the coppersmith who “did me a great deal of harm.” Whom I have handed over to Satan: the same terms are used in the condemnation of the incestuous man in 1 Cor 5:5.
2:1–7 This marked insistence that the liturgical prayer of the community concern itself with the needs of all, whether Christian or not, and especially of those in authority, may imply that a disposition existed at Ephesus to refuse prayer for pagans. In actuality, such prayer aids the community to achieve peaceful relationships with non-Christians (1 Tm 2:2) and contributes to salvation, since it derives its value from the presence within the community of Christ, who is the one and only savior of all (1 Tm 2:3–6). The vital apostolic mission to the Gentiles (1 Tm 2:7) reflects Christ’s purpose of universal salvation. 1 Tm 2:5 contains what may well have been a very primitive creed. Some interpreters have called it a Christian version of the Jewish shema: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone…” (Dt 6:4–5). The assertion in 1 Tm 2:7, “I am speaking the truth, I am not lying,” reminds one of similar affirmations in Rom 9:1; 2 Cor 11:31; and Gal 1:20.
2:6 The testimony: to make sense of this overly concise phrase, many manuscripts supply “to which” (or “to whom”); two others add “was given.” The translation has supplied “this was.”
2:8–15 The prayer of the community should be unmarred by internal dissension (1 Tm 2:8); cf. Mt 5:21–26; 6:14; Mk 11:25. At the liturgical assembly the dress of women should be appropriate to the occasion (1 Tm 2:9); their chief adornment is to be reputation for good works (1 Tm 2:10). Women are not to take part in the charismatic activity of the assembly (1 Tm 2:11–12; cf. 1 Cor 14:34) or exercise authority; their conduct there should reflect the role of man’s helpmate (1 Tm 2:13; cf. Gn 2:18) and not the later relationship of Eve to Adam (1 Tm 2:14; cf. Gn 3:6–7). As long as women perform their role as wives and mothers in faith and love, their salvation is assured (1 Tm 2:15).
2:12 A man: this could also mean “her husband.”

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.