Greeting

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the command of God our Savior and Sovereign Jesus Christ ⁰our hope, ¹

2to Timothy, true son by faith: Grace, mercy, peace from God our ²Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul refers to their last conversation

3You recall that I urged you to remain in Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, in order that you should command ³certain persons to stop teaching a different doctrine

4and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies, ⁴which cause disputes rather than the godly training which is by faith. ⁵

5Now the goal of that command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith; ⁶

6some having strayed from these have been turned aside ⁷to empty talk,

7desiring to be teachers of the law, not understanding either what they say or the things that they affirm. ⁸

8Now we know that the law is good if one uses it correctly,

9knowing that law is not made for a righteous person but for lawless and rebellious ones, for ungodly and sinners, for unholy and profane, for father-smiters and mother-smiters, for murderers, ⁹

10for fornicators, for sodomites, ¹⁰for kidnappers, ¹¹for liars, for perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine

11as defined by the Gospel ¹²of the glory ¹³of the blessed God, with which I was entrusted. ¹⁴

The grace of God

12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who enables me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into a ministry;

13I, who was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant; but I was shown mercy, because being ignorant ¹⁵I did it in unbelief;

14the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶

15Here is a trustworthy word, worthy of total acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am chief;

16precisely for this reason I was shown mercy, that in me, the ‘chief’, Jesus Christ might display all his forbearance, as an example for those who are going to rely on Him into eternal life. ¹⁷

17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, ¹⁸be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Wage the good warfare

18Son Timothy, I am giving you this charge in accordance with the prophecies about you that lead the way, ¹⁹that in them you may wage the good warfare,

19holding on to faith and a good conscience ²⁰(which ²¹some having rejected have suffered shipwreck concerning the Faith;

20of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander—whom I have handed over to Satan that they may be taught ²²not to blaspheme).