1 Paul,  * 1:1 Ac 13:9 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command  * 1:1 Rm 16:26; Ti 1:3 of God our Savior  * 1:1 1Tm 2:3; Ti 1:3; 2:10; 3:4; Jd 25 and of Christ Jesus our hope:  * 1:1 1Co 15:19; Col 1:27; 1Th 1:3; 1Pt 1:3,13

2 To Timothy,  * 1:2 Ac 16:1; 20:4; 1Co 4:17; 16:10 my true son in the faith.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the  * 1:2 Other mss read our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 As I urged you when I went to Macedonia,  * 1:3 Ac 16:9 remain in Ephesus  * 1:3 Eph 1:1 so that you may instruct certain people  * 1:3 Jd 4 not to teach false doctrine 4 or to pay attention to myths  * 1:4 1Tm 4:7; 2Tm 4:4; Ti 1:14; 2Pt 1:16 and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan,  * 1:4 Eph 1:10; 3:2,9; Col 1:25 which operates by faith. 5 Now the goal of our instruction is love  * 1:5 Rm 13:10 that comes from a pure heart,  * 1:5 Ps 24:4; 2Tm 2:22; 1Pt 1:22 a good conscience,  * 1:5 Ac 23:1; 24:16; Rm 9:1; 2Co 1:12; 1Tm 1:19; 3:9; Heb 10:22; 1Pt 3:21 and a sincere faith.  * 1:5 2Tm 1:56 Some have departed from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. 8 But we know that the law is good,  * 1:8 Rm 7:12,16 provided one uses it legitimately. 9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious,  * 1:9 Ti 1:6,10; Heb 2:8 for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral  * 1:10 1Co 5:9 and males who have sex with males,  * 1:10 Gn 19:5; Rm 1:27; 1Co 6:9 for slave traders, liars,  * 1:10 Jn 8:44 perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching  * 1:10 1Tm 6:3; 2Tm 1:13; Ti 1:9; 2:111 that conforms to the gospel  * 1:11 2Co 4:4 concerning the glory of the blessed God,  * 1:11 1Tm 6:15 which was entrusted to me.  * 1:11 Lv 6:4; Lk 12:48; 1Co 9:17; Gl 2:7; 1Th 2:4; 1Tm 1:11; 6:20; 2Tm 1:12,14; Ti 1:3

12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened  * 1:12 Ac 9:22; Php 4:13 me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry —  13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer,  * 1:13 Ac 6:11; 2Tm 3:2; 2Pt 2:11 a persecutor,  * 1:13 Php 3:6 and an arrogant man.  * 1:13 1Co 15:8 But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is trustworthy  * 1:15 1Tm 3:1; 4:9; 2Tm 2:11; Ti 3:8 and deserving of full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world  * 1:15 Jn 3:17; 12:46; 18:37; 1Jn 4:9 to save sinners"  * 1:15 Mk 2:17; Lk 19:10; Rm 11:4  — and I am the worst of them.  * 1:15 1Co 15:916 But I received mercy  * 1:16 Lk 1:50 for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience  * 1:16 Ex 34:6; Rm 2:4 as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.  * 1:16 Jn 12:25; Ac 13:4817 Now to the King  * 1:17 Ps 47:7 eternal,  * 1:17 Ps 90:2 immortal,  * 1:17 1Co 9:25 invisible, the only  * 1:17 Other mss add wise God,  * 1:17 Jn 5:44; 1Co 8:6; Eph 4:6; 1Tm 2:5; 6:15; Jd 25 be honor  * 1:17 2Pt 1:17; Rv 5:12 and glory  * 1:17 Mk 10:37 forever and ever. Amen.  * 1:17 Php 4:20; 1Tm 6:16; Rv 22:21

18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies  * 1:18 1Co 13:2; 1Tm 4:14; 2Tm 1:6 previously made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the good fight, 19 having faith  * 1:19 Eph 3:12; 6:16; Col 1:23; 2:5; 1Th 5:8; 1Tm 3:13; 6:12; 2Tm 4:7; 1Jn 5:4 and a good conscience,  * 1:19 Heb 10:22 which some  * 1:19 2Tm 2:18; Jd 4 have rejected and have shipwrecked the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus  * 1:20 2Tm 2:17 and Alexander,  * 1:20 2Tm 4:14 whom I have delivered to Satan,  * 1:20 1Co 5:5 so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.