Paul’s First Letter to Timothy

1 Paul, Christ Jesus’s apostle by order of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope, 2* to Timothy my own child in faith: grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 As I urged you to wait on at Ephesus when I took my trip to Macedonia in order that you might instruct some people not to teach erratic notions 4 nor devote attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give anybody more of fields for research than of attention to God’s affairs in faith,— 5 but the object of the injunction is love, out of a pure heart and good conscience and unfeigned faith, 6 things which some have failed to hit upon and have run off into futile talk, 7 wanting to be teachers of the law when they have no sense either of the things they say or of what it is they are being so positive about. 8 But we know that the law is a fine thing if one uses it in the lawful way, 9 knowing this, that the law is not enacted for an honest man but for such as are lawless and refractory, impious and sinful, unholy and profane, such as raise their hands against father and mother, murderers, 10 libertines, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is in opposition to sound teaching, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the grace of the blessed God which was entrusted to me. 12 I thank him who put power into me, our Lord Jesus Christ, that he regarded me as faithful, assigning me to service, 13 when I had previously been a blasphemer and a persecutor and a ruffian; but mercy was shown me because I did it ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and our Lord’s grace overtopped, with faith and hope in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is a trustworthy one, and deserves all assent, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of whom I am the foremost; 16 but this was why mercy was shown me, in order that in me the foremost one Jesus Christ might show utter patience, that I might serve as an outline sketch of those who were to believe on him for eternal life. 17 And to the King of the Ages, the imperishable, invisible only God, be honor and glory forever and ever; amen.—

18*** This injunction I address to you, my child Timothy, in accordance with the prophecies that led the way to you, that under them you should fight the good campaign, 19* having faith, and a good conscience, which some have thrown overboard and so come to shipwreck as to the faith; 20 among these Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I handed over to Satan in order that they might be given a lesson not to blaspheme.

2* I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be presented for all men; 2** for emperors and all our superiors, in order that we may lead a still and quiet life in all piety and propriety. 3* This is a good thing and a thing welcome to God our Savior, 4 who wills that all men should be saved and come into awareness of truth. 5 For there is one God, one mediator too between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6* he who gave himself as a ransom for everybody; the attestation when the right time came, 7 for which I was appointed a herald and apostle,—I am telling the truth, not lying,—a teacher of the nations in faith and truth.

8* So I wish to have the men pray in every place, raising godly hands without anger and argument; 9** in the same way, to have women adorn themselves by virtuous self-restraint with modesty and discretion, not by hairdressing and gold or pearls or expensive clothing, 10 but what befits women who profess religiousness, by means of good works. 11 Let a woman learn in quietness in all submissiveness; 12 but I do not permit a woman to teach nor to dictate to a man, but to be in quietness. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14* and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was befooled into violation of the command. 15* But she will be saved in her childbearing, if they remain in faith and love and consecration with discretion.

3* The saying is a trustworthy one, “If one has an inclination to a visitor’s place, he is desiring a good work.” 2 So the church visitor must be unimpeachable, husband of one wife, sober, discreet, well-behaved, hospitable, good at teaching, 3 not disorderly over his wine, not apt to come to blows, but reasonable, one who keeps out of fights, who has no love for money, 4 who manages his own household well, having children behaving submissively with all correctness 5 (but if one does not know how to manage his own household, how is he to take care of God’s church?); 6** not a new convert, so that he may not get his head turned and fall under the judgment of gossip. 7* And he must also have good attestation from the outsiders, so that he may not fall under the gibes of gossip and into its trap. 8 Deacons, in the same way, dignified, not double-tongued, not interested in much wine, not mercenary, 9 holding the secret of the faith in a clean conscience; 10 and let these too be investigated first, then let them serve as deacons when of unblemished reputation. 11 Women, in the same way, dignified, not scandalmongers, sober, reliable in everything. 12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife who manage their children and their own households well. 13 For those who have done good service as deacons are securing for themselves a good standing and great boldness in faith in Christ Jesus.

14 I am writing you this in hopes of coming to you pretty soon; 15 but if I am long about it, in order that you may know how one has to behave in God’s household, which the church of the living God, pillar and foothold of the truth, is. 16* And, recognizedly, piety’s secret is a great one: “he who was manifested in flesh, was vindicated in spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among nations, was believed in the world, was taken up in glory.”

4 But the Spirit says explicitly that in later times some will drop out of the faith, giving their attention to misleading spirits and the teachings of demons 2 in the insincerity of falsifiers who carry a brand on their consciences, 3* who forbid people to marry, and tell them to abstain from foods which God created to be partaken of with thanks by those who have faith and awareness of the truth; 4* because every creature of God’s is good, and nothing is to be rejected when it can be received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is hallowed by God’s word and invocation.

6 By giving the brothers this advice you will be a good agent of Christ Jesus’s, training yourself in the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have listened to; 7** but ignore unsanctified puerile fictions. And exercise yourself in piety; 8 for physical exercise is beneficial in a small way, but piety is beneficial for everything, having a promise of life, life now and the future life; 9 the saying is a trustworthy one, and deserves all assent. 10* For it is to this end we are toiling and struggling, because we have set our hopes on the living God, who is the savior of all men, especially of believers.

11 Enjoin and teach these things. 12 Let nobody despise your youthfulness, but set an example to the brothers in words, in life, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give your attention to the reading, to the exhortation, to the teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have in you, which was given to you through a prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 15* Practice on these things, take up your time with these, in order that your progress may be evident to everybody. 16 Attend to yourself and to the teaching; keep on with them; for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

5 Do not rebuke an elderly man but appeal to him as a father; younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger ones as sisters in all purity.

3 Honor widows who really are widows. 4* But if any widow has children or grandchildren let them learn first to show piety toward their own family and to make returns to their progenitors; for this is a thing welcome to God. 5* But the real widow, left alone in the world, has her hope set on God and keeps up her petitions and prayers night and day; 6 but the self-indulgent one is dead while she is alive. 7 Give these injunctions too, in order that they may be unimpeachable. 8 But if one does not look out for his own, and especially those of his immediate family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9 Let a widow be listed as such when she is not less than sixty years old, widow of one husband, 10* well attested for good works, if she has brought up children, if she has practiced hospitality, if she has washed the feet of people of God’s, if she has assisted persons in distress, if she has been assiduous in every good work. 11 But decline younger widows; for when they get too high-strung for the Christ, they want to marry, 12* incurring a judgment because they slighted their first faith. 13 And at the same time they also learn to be idlers going the rounds of the houses, and not only idlers but also chatterers and busybodies, talking of what they ought not. 14 So I would have younger ones marry, bear children, keep house, not give the opponent any opening toward abusive talk; 15 for some have already turned off to follow Satan. 16* If any believing woman has widows, let her assist them and the church not be burdened, in order that it may assist the real widows.

17 Let elders who have done well in management be deemed to deserve double honor, especially those who exert themselves in speaking and teaching. 18* For the text says “You shall not muzzle a threshing beast”; and a worker deserves his pay. 19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless on the word of two or three witnesses. 20* Reprove publicly those who sin, in order that the rest may on their part have something to be afraid of. 21 I notify you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels to take care of these things without prejudging, not doing anything in the way of favor. 22 Do not be quick to lay hands on anybody, nor share other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

23 Do not keep on with water-drinking, but use a little wine on account of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

24* Some men’s sins are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment, and some their sins follow up. 25 In the same way good works too are obvious, and such as are otherwise cannot be hidden.

6 Let as many as are under a yoke in servitude regard their masters as entitled to all honor, in order that God’s name and the teaching may not be vilified. 2 And let those who have believing masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but be the more their servants because those who enjoy the benefit are believers and loved ones.

These things teach, and exhort to these. 3 If one teaches erratic notions and does not apply himself to sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the teaching that is along the line of piety, 4 he is conceit-ridden, not knowing anything, but infatuated about arguments and disputed technicalities, out of which come grudges, quarreling, vilification, base suspicions, 5 frictions between men unsound in mind and bereft of the truth who suppose piety to be an economic resource. 6 But a great resource is piety with contentment; 7* for we brought nothing into the world, because neither can we carry anything out; 8 but when we have food to sustain us and coverings to protect us we shall be well enough off. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many stupid and harmful desires which sink men into destruction and perdition. 10* For the love of money is the root of all things bad; hankering for it, some have strayed away from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.

11 But for your part, man of God, keep clear of these things; and aim at honesty, piety, faith, love, constancy, meekness under provocation. 12** Play the great game of faith, grasp the eternal life to which you were called and made the good confession before many witnesses. 13* I enjoin you before God who gives everything its life, and Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate bore his witness to the good confession, 14* to keep the commandment spotlessly, irreproachably, till the oncoming of our Lord Jesus Christ; 15** which, when the right time comes, the blessed only Potentate will display, the King of all who reign and Lord of all who rule, 16 he who alone has immortality, who inhabits unapproachable light, whom none of men have seen nor can see; to whom belong honor and might eternal; amen.

17 Enjoin those who are rich in the present world not to have lofty ideas and not to have their hopes set on uncertainty of wealth, but on God, him who lets us have everything in rich measure to use and enjoy; 18 to practice beneficence, be rich in good works, ready in sharing what they have, loyal in solidarity, 19 laying away for themselves a good foundation toward the future that they may have a hold on the life that is life.

MARGINAL NOTES TO FIRST TIMOTHY