1This letter comes from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus appointed by the authority of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who is our hope.

2I'm sending it to you Timothy. You are my true son ⁰because of your trust in God. May you have grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3When I was on my way to Macedonia I asked you to stay behind in Ephesus, so that you could speak with those who teach false ideas and insist that they stop.

4They shouldn't concern themselves with legends and never-ending obsessions about ancestry. ¹Such ideas only lead to pointless debates, instead of understanding God as we trust in him.

5The reason why I insist on this is so we may have love that comes from a pure heart, from a clear conscience and sincere trust in God.

6Some have deviated from these things, and have ended up talking nonsense.

7They have ambitions to be teachers of the law, but they have no idea what they're talking about or what they're so boldly announcing!

8Now we recognize that the law is good if people use it properly.

9We also know that law isn't laid down for those who do what is good and right, but for those who are rebellious and ignore the law. It applies to people who have no use for God, who are sinful, who treat nothing as holy and are completely irreligious. It's for those who kill fathers and mothers, for murderers,

10for those who are sexually immoral, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, false witnesses—and anything else that's opposed to good teachings

11as determined by the wonderful good news of our blessed God which he entrusted to me.

12I'm just so grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord for the strength he's given me, and that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to work for him.

13Even though I used to insult God, and persecuted and abused God's people, God showed me mercy because of my ignorance and unbelief.

14Our Lord in his grace filled me to overflowing with trust and love that comes from Christ Jesus.

15You can trust this saying that everyone should accept: “Christ Jesus came to this world to save sinners,” and I'm the worst of them.

16For this reason I was shown mercy—since I'm the worst sinner, Jesus Christ could demonstrate his infinite patience as an example to those who choose to trust in him and gain eternal life.

17Honor and glory forever and ever to the eternal King, the immortal, invisible, and only God! Amen.

18These are the instructions I want to give to you, Timothy, my son, following the prophecies that brought you this far, ²so you can fight the good fight!

19Keep on trusting God and make sure you have a clear conscience. Some have refused to do this and have shipwrecked their trust in God.

20Hymenaeus and Alexander are such people, and I have “handed them over to Satan” ³to teach them not to misrepresent God.