1 T his letter is from Paul, a missionary of Jesus Christ. I am sent by God, the One Who saves, and by our Lord Jesus Christ Who is our hope.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope;

2 I write to you, Timothy. You are my son in the Christian faith. May God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord give you His loving-favor and loving-kindness and peace. Watch for False Teachers

to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 W hen I left for the country of Macedonia, I asked you to stay in the city of Ephesus. I wanted you to stay there so you could tell those who are teaching what is not true to stop.

As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

4 T hey should not listen to stories that are not true. It is foolish for them to try to learn more about their early fathers. These only bring more questions to their minds and do not make their faith in God stronger.

and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith—

5 W e want to see our teaching help you have a true love that comes from a pure heart. Such love comes from a heart that says we are not guilty and from a faith that does not pretend.

but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;

6 B ut some have turned away from these things. They have turned to foolish talking.

from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking;

7 S ome of them want to be teachers of the Law. But they do not know what they are talking about even if they act as if they do. The Law Is Good

desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

8 W e know the Law is good when it is used the way God meant it to be used.

But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully,

9 W e must remember the Law is not for the person who is right with God. It is for those who do not obey anybody or anything. It is for the sinners who hate God and speak against Him. It is for those who kill their fathers and mothers and for those who kill other people.

as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for man slayers,

10 I t is for those who do sex sins and for people who do sex sins with their own sex. It is for people who steal other people and for those who lie and for those who promise not to lie, but do. It is for everything that is against right teaching.

for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

11 T he great Good News of our honored God is right teaching. God has trusted me to preach this Good News. Paul Gives Thanks to God

according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord for the power and strength He has given me. He trusted me and gave me His work to do.

And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;

13 B efore He chose me, I talked bad about Christ. I made His followers suffer. I hurt them every way I could. But God had loving-kindness for me. I did not understand what I was doing for I was not a Christian then.

although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14 T hen our Lord gave me much of His loving-favor and faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 W hat I say is true and all the world should receive it. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners from their sin and I am the worst sinner.

The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

16 A nd yet God had loving-kindness for me. Jesus Christ used me to show how long He will wait for even the worst sinners. In that way, others will know they can have life that lasts forever also.

However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

17 W e give honor and thanks to the King Who lives forever. He is the One Who never dies and Who is never seen. He is the One Who knows all things. He is the only God. Let it be so. The Good Fight of Faith

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

18 T imothy, my son, here is my word to you. Fight well for the Lord! God’s preachers told us you would.

This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may wage the good warfare;

19 K eep a strong hold on your faith in Christ. May your heart always say you are right. Some people have not listened to what their hearts say. They have done what they knew was wrong. Because of this, their faith in Christ was wrecked.

holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith;

20 T his happened to Hymenaeus and Alexander. I gave them over to Satan to teach them not to speak against God.

of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.