INTRODUCTION
1 Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ by order of God our Savior and of the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.
2 To Timothy, my true son in faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
AT EPHESUS
3 As I requested you when I was going to Macedonia, stay on in Ephesus. Warn certain persons there not to teach dissident doctrines. 4 They must not waste their time in legends and endless speculations which lead to controversy rather than to divine edification through the faith.
5 The aim of your instruction must be love that springs from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons have missed this aim and have wandered into empty verbiage. 7 They claim to be doctors of the Law, but they do not understand what they say and what they assert.
THE LAW
8 I know that the Law is good, if it is applied correctly. 9 But we must understand that the Law is not intended for righteous Christians. It is meant for the lawless, the disobedient, the ungodly, the sinners, the unholy, the profane, the murderers of fathers, the murderers of mothers the manslayers, 10 the fornicators, the sodomites, the kidnappers, the liars, the perjurers, and all those guilty of vices contrary to the sacred doctrines 11 of the glorious Gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
THANKFULNESS
12 I am thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of all my strength. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to his service, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a reprobate. Nevertheless, he had mercy on me, because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 So the grace of our Lord has overflowed upon me with the faith and love of Jesus Christ.
15 This is a doctrine of our faith which must be professed by all believers: Jesus Christ came into the world to save all sinners. I know, I am the worst of them all. 16 But I found mercy for this very reason: Jesus Christ wanted to manifest all his long-suffering to me first. He singled me out as a typical example, in order to encourage those who in the future would believe in him and inherit everlasting life.
17 Honor and glory to the only God, the immortal, invisible, and omniscient King of all ages, forever and ever. Amen.
LOYALTY
18 These are the instructions that I entrust to you in accordance with the inspired prophecies by which you were singled out long ago. 19 Serve in the holy crusade with faith and a good conscience. Certain persons have rejected this duty and have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 like Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I turned over to Satan to punish for their blasphemies.
PRAYER
1 I urge you first of all to offer supplications, prayers, entreaties, and thanksgivings for all men, 2 especially for kings and dignitaries in positions of responsibility that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with perfect piety and dignity.
3 This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior. 4 He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the true religion which can be summarized as follows: 5 There is only one God. There is only one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ the man. 6 He gave himself as a ransom for all as he testified at the proper time. 7 I have been appointed a herald and Apostle of his testimony. I have been especially designated to preach the true faith to the Gentiles. I make no false claims. I am only telling the truth in Christ.
WOMEN
8 I want men everywhere to offer prayer and lift up their hands in holiness without anger and disputes. 9 Likewise, women must dress modestly and sensibly in proper attire. They must not adorn themselves with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or expensive garments. 10 Good works are the adornment of women who claim to be pious.
11 Women must listen quietly in church and be perfectly submissive. 12 No woman is allowed to teach or dictate to man. It is her duty to keep silent. 13 For Adam was created first, then Eve. 14 Moreover, it was not Adam, but Eve who was deceived and who fell into sin first. 15 However, women will find salvation in motherhood, if they remain steadfast in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.
THE BISHOP
1 This is a doctrine of our faith: When a man aspires to the office of bishop, he desires an excellent occupation.
2 A bishop must be irreproachable, married only once, temperate, prudent, well-behaved, hospitable, qualified to teach.
3 He must not be a drunkard, nor a brawler, nor a miser. On the contrary, he must be gentle, peace-loving, not money-grasping.
4 He must be a good head of his own family. He must keep his own children under control and perfect discipline. 5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he manage the Church of God?
6 He must not be a new convert. Otherwise, he may be inflated by pride and incur the same condemnation as Satan. 7 He must enjoy a good reputation with outsiders. Otherwise, he may get into disgrace and be entrapped by slanderers.
THE DEACON
8 Deacons must be well-behaved, straightforward men. They must not be drunkards, nor avaricious. 9 They must maintain the divine faith with a pure conscience. 10 They must be tested first. Then, if they prove blameless, they may serve as deacons. 11 Likewise, their wives must be well-behaved, not slanderers, but sober, and perfectly trustworthy.
12 Deacons must be married only once. They must manage well their children and their own families. 13 Those who have served well as deacons earn for themselves a good standing and a great opportunity to proclaim the faith of Jesus Christ.
14 I hope to visit you soon. 15 But I may be delayed. Therefore I am giving you these instructions. So you will know how to behave in the house of God. Remember, it is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the divine truth.
16 Indeed, the depth of our religion is tremendous: The Son of God was manifested in the flesh. He was confirmed by the Holy Spirit. He was proclaimed to the Gentiles. He was believed throughout the world. He ascended into heaven in glory.
HERESIES
1 The Holy Spirit expressly tells us that in later times some will turn away from the true faith. 2 They will adopt the doctrines of deceitful spirits and demons. They will follow hypocrites and impostors whose consciences are seared. 3 These false teachers preach abstention from matrimony and from certain kinds of food. But we know that God has created these foods. Therefore they can be thankfully enjoyed by the believers who profess the true religion. 4 Everything God has made is good, and nothing should be rejected. If received with thanksgiving, 5 every food is consecrated by Scriptural lessons and prayers. 6 If you give these instructions to our brethren, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, nourished by the doctrines of the faith and the excellent education you have received.
7 Leave profane nursery tales alone. Train yourself in piety. 8 Physical training is profitable to a certain extent. But piety is profitable in every way. It promises blessedness in the present life and also in the life to come.
9 These are doctrines of our faith which must be professed by all believers. 10 It is for this very end that we endure toil and insult. For we have set our hope on the living God who is the Savior of all men, and above all, of those who believe in him.
ZEAL
11 These are the doctrines which you must urge and preach. 12 Do not give cause to the believers to look down on you as a frivolous young man. On the contrary, seeto it that they look up to you as a model of speech, behavior, charity, spirit, faith, and purity.
13 Until I come, devote yourself to reading, preaching, and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the grace which has been granted to you through prophecy at your ordination when the presbyters laid their hands on you. 15 Make these studies, practice these duties, and show to all men how you excel in them. 16 Attend to yourself and to your mission. Persevere in them. For by so doing you will achieve salvation for yourself and for your disciples.
PASTORAL DUTIES
1 Do not reprove an elderly man, but exhort him as a father. Treat young men like brothers, 2 elderly women like mothers, young women like sisters with perfect chastity.
WIDOWS
3 Take care of widows who are really dependent. 4 A widow must be supported by her children and grandchildren. These must learn first to provide for their own homes and to pay the debt they owe to their parents. This duty is commendable and pleasing in the sight of God.
5 Forlorn widows without children must put their trust in God and devote themselves day and night to prayers and supplications. 6 Widows who live in luxury are dead while yet alive. 7 Warn them, and do not let them disgrace themselves.
8 Whoever fails to provide for his own relatives, and particularly for the members of his own family, has repudiated his faith automatically, and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 No one under sixty years of age should be enrolled as a consecrated widow. She must have been married only once. 10 She must enjoy a good reputation for acts of mercy, for bringing up children, for offering hospitality, for serving the saints, for relieving the distressed, and for devoting herself to every kind of charitable work.
11 Refuse to enroll young women as consecrated widows. For they rebel against Christian discipline, and want to marry again. 12 Thus they incur the guilt of violating their vows of chastity.
13 Moreover, as they go around from house to house, they learn to grow lazy, and not only lazy, but also garrulous, meddlesome, and gossipy. 14 Therefore I wish young widows to remarry, bear children, manage their households, and give our enemies no pretext for reviling us. 15 As a matter of fact, some of those young widows have wandered away after Satan.
16 Every believer, man or woman, who has a widow in the family, must assist her. Thus the Church will be relieved of that burden and will be able to take care of the widows who are really dependent.
PRESBYTERS
17 The presbyters who rule well, and particularly those who work hard in preaching and teaching, must be respected and doubly compensated. 18 For the Scripture says: “You must not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn.” And: “The laborer deserves his salary.”
19 Take no notice of accusations against a presbyter unless they are supported by two or three witnesses. 20 Reprove the offenders publicly as a warning to the rest. 21 I order you before God, before our Lord Jesus Christ, and before the Holy Angels to observe these rules without favoritism or partiality. 22 Ordain no one in haste. Otherwise you may be making yourself responsible for the sins of another man. Keep yourself pure.
23 You do not need to drink water only. You can use a little wine to relieve your stomach and your frequent spells of illness.
24 Remember that the sins of some men are conspicuous, and are obviously bringing them to judgment. But the sins of others appear later on. 25 Similarly, some good works are evident, while evil deeds, however secret, cannot be entirely concealed.
SLAVES
1 Those who happen to be under the yoke of servitude must treat their masters with the greatest respect for the sake of our God and of Our religion. 2 Those who have Christian masters must not despise them. For they are brethren in the faith. On the contrary, they must serve them more faithfully, because the beneficiaries are beloved believers. Teach and preach these rules.
DISSIDENTS
3 Whoever teaches differently and disregards the sound doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ and of our religion, 4 is a conceited and ignorant person. He has a morbid craving for speculation and controversy. He causes rivalry, dissension, recriminations, and evil suspicions. 5 He stirs up continual wrangling among depraved men, who have repudiated their true faith, and who hope to make a living out of religion. Keep away from such men.
6 Indeed, our religion is a great source of income for those who live in contentment. 7 After all, we have brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing with us when we leave it. 8 If we have food and clothing, we should be perfectly satisfied.
GREED
9 Those who want to become rich expose themselves to temptations, to snares, to senseless and wicked desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 Love of money is the source of all evils. In their eagerness to get rich, some men have wandered away from the faith and tortured their hearts with untold agonies and pangs. 11 As a godly man, avoid these pitfalls and strive for righteousness, piety, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12 Fight the holy crusade of the faith, take hold of everlasting life, to which you have been called, and to which you have boldly professed your allegiance before many witnesses.
13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all creation, and of Jesus Christ, who fearlessly proclaimed the truth before Pontius Pilate, 14 I urge you to keep your doctrine immaculate and irreproachable until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 This revelation will be brought about at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. 16 He alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. No man has ever seen or can see him. Honor and power to him forever and ever. Amen.
17 Advise the rich of this world not to be haughty. They must not set their hopes on uncertain wealth, but on the living God who generously provides us with every enjoyment. 18 They must do good. They must be rich in good works. They must be liberal and sociable. 19 They must lay up treasures in heaven to inherit everlasting life.
EXHORTATION
20 O Timothy, guard those who have been entrusted to your care. Keep away from the godless and absurd heresy of the Gnostics who falsely claim to possess divine knowledge. 21 Their followers have lost the true faith.
Grace be with you. Amen.