1 Timothy 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope,

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the appointment of God, our Saviour, and Christ Jesus, our hope.

2 to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

To Timothy, my true child in the faith: May God, the Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord, bless you, and be merciful to you, and give you peace.

3 As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

I beg you, as I did when I was on my way into Macedonia, to remain at Ephesus; so that you may instruct certain people there not to teach new and strange doctrines,

4 and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith.

nor to devote their attention to legends and interminable genealogies, which tend to give rise to argument rather than to further that divine plan which is revealed in the faith.

5 But the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith,

The object of all instruction is to call forth that love which comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

6 from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking,

And it is because they have not aimed at these things that the attention of certain people has been diverted to unprofitable subjects.

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say nor about what they strongly affirm.

They want to be teachers of the Law, and yet do not understand either the words they use, or the subjects on which they speak so confidently.

8 But we know that the law is good if a person uses it lawfully,

We know, of course, that the Law is excellent, when used legitimately,

9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

by one who recognises that laws were not made for good people, but for the lawless and disorderly, for irreligious and wicked people, for those who are irreverent and profane, for those who ill-treat their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine,

for the immoral, for perverts, for slave traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for whatever else is opposed to sound Christian teaching –

11 according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

as is taught in the glorious good news of the ever-blessed God, with which I was entrusted.

12 I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service,

I am thankful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has been my strength, for showing that he thought me worthy of trust by appointing me to his ministry,

13 although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

though I once used to blaspheme, and to persecute, and to insult. Yet mercy was shown me, because I acted in ignorance, while still an unbeliever;

14 The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

and the loving kindness of our Lord was boundless, and filled me with that faith and love which come from union with Christ Jesus.

15 The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

How true the saying is, and worthy of the fullest acceptance, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”! And there is no greater sinner than I!

16 However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

Yet mercy was shown me for the express purpose that Christ Jesus might exhibit in my case, beyond all others, his exhaustless patience, as an example for those who were afterwards to believe on him and attain eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)

To the eternal King, ever-living, invisible, the one God, be ascribed honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)

18 I commit this instruction to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

This, then, is the charge that I lay on you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with what was predicted of you – Fight the good fight in the spirit of those predictions,

19 holding faith and a good conscience, which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith,

with faith, and with a clear conscience; and it is because they have thrust this aside, that, as regards the faith, some have wrecked their lives.

20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

Hymenaeus and Alexander are instances – the men whom I delivered over to Satan so that they might be taught not to blaspheme.