- Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the
command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
- To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace,
mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,
stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false
doctrines any longer
- nor to devote themselves to myths and endless
genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is
by faith.
- The goal of this command is love, which
comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
- Some have wandered away from these and
turned to meaningless talk.
- They want to be teachers of the law, but
they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently
affirm.
- We know that the law is good if one uses
it properly.
- We also know that law is made not for the
righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy
and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
- for adulterers and perverts, for slave
traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the
sound doctrine
- that conforms to the glorious gospel of
the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
- I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has
given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his
service.
- Even though I was once a blasphemer and
a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance
and unbelief.
- The grace of our Lord was poured out on
me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
- Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves
full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom
I am the worst.
- But for that very reason I was shown mercy
so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited
patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal
life.
- Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction
in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following
them you may fight the good fight,
- holding on to faith and a good conscience.
Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.
- Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander,
whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
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