1 Timothy 1-3

New International Reader's Version

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus, just as God our Savior commanded. Christ Jesus also commanded it. We have put our hope in him.

² Timothy, I am sending you this letter. You are my true son in the faith.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace.

Paul Warns Timothy to Oppose False Teachers

³ Timothy, stay there in Ephesus. That is what I told you to do when I went into Macedonia. I want you to command certain people not to teach things that aren’t true. ⁴ And command them not to spend their time on stories that are made up. They must not waste time on family histories that never end. These things only lead to fights about ideas. They don’t help God’s work move forward. His work is done by faith. ⁵ Love is the purpose of my command. Love comes from a pure heart. It comes from a good sense of what is right and wrong. It comes from faith that is honest and true. ⁶ Some have turned from these teachings. They would rather talk about things that have no meaning. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the law. And they are very sure about that law. But they don’t know what they are talking about.

⁸ We know that the law is good if it is used properly. ⁹ We also know that the law isn’t made for godly people. It is made for those who break the law. It is for those who refuse to obey. It is for ungodly and sinful people. It is for those who aren’t holy and who don’t believe. It is for those who kill their fathers or mothers. It is for murderers. ¹⁰ It is for those who commit sexual sins. It is for those who commit homosexual acts. It is for people who buy and sell slaves. It is for liars. It is for people who tell lies in court. It is for those who are a witness to things that aren’t true. And it is for anything else that is the opposite of true teaching. ¹¹ True teaching agrees with the good news about the glory of the blessed God. He trusted me with that good news.

The Lord Pours Out His Grace on Paul

¹² I am thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord. He has given me strength. I thank him that he considered me faithful. I thank him for appointing me to serve him. ¹³ I used to speak evil things against Jesus. I tried to hurt his followers. I really pushed them around. But God showed me mercy anyway. I did those things without knowing any better. I wasn’t a believer. ¹⁴ Our Lord poured out more and more of his grace on me. Along with it came faith and love from Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst sinner of all. ¹⁶ But for that very reason, God showed me mercy. And I am the worst of sinners. He showed me mercy so that Christ Jesus could show that he is very patient. I was an example for those who would come to believe in him. Then they would receive eternal life. ¹⁷ The eternal King will never die. He can’t be seen. He is the only God. Give him honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Paul Commands Timothy

¹⁸ My son Timothy, I am giving you this command. It is in keeping with the prophecies once made about you. By remembering them, you can fight the battle well. ¹⁹ Then you will hold on to faith. You will hold on to a good sense of what is right and wrong. Some have not accepted this knowledge of right and wrong. So they have destroyed their faith. They are like a ship that has sunk. ²⁰ Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them. I have handed them over to Satan. That will teach them not to speak evil things against God.

Teachings About Worship

2 First, I want you to pray for all people. Ask God to help and bless them. Give thanks for them. ² Pray for kings. Pray for everyone who is in authority. Pray that we can live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. ³ This is good, and it pleases God our Savior. ⁴ He wants all people to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth. ⁵ There is only one God. And there is only one go-between for God and human beings. He is the man Christ Jesus. ⁶ He gave himself to pay for the sins of all people. We have been told this message at just the right time. ⁷ I was appointed to be a messenger and an apostle to preach the good news. I am telling the truth. I’m not lying. God appointed me to be a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

⁸ So I want the men in every place to pray. I want them to lift up holy hands. I don’t want them to be angry when they pray. I don’t want them to argue. ⁹ In the same way, I want the women to be careful how they dress. They should wear clothes that are right and proper. They shouldn’t wear their hair in very fancy styles. They shouldn’t wear gold or pearls. They shouldn’t wear clothes that cost a lot of money. ¹⁰ Instead, they should put on good works as if good works were their clothes. This is proper for women who claim to worship God.

¹¹ When a woman is learning, she should be quiet. She should follow her leaders in every way. ¹² I do not let women teach or take authority over a man. They must be quiet. ¹³ That’s because Adam was made first. Then Eve was made. ¹⁴ Adam was not the one who was tricked. The woman was tricked and became a sinner. ¹⁵ Will women be saved by having children? Only if they keep on believing, loving, and leading a holy life in a proper way.

Rules for Choosing Leaders and Deacons

3 Here is a saying you can trust. If anyone wants to be a leader in the church, they want to do a good work for God and people. ² A leader must be free from blame. He must be faithful to his wife. In anything he does, he must not go too far. He must control himself. He must be worthy of respect. He must welcome people into his home. He must be able to teach. ³ He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must be gentle. He must not be a person who likes to argue. He must not love money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well. He must make sure that his children obey him. And he must do this in a way that gains him respect. ⁵ Suppose someone doesn’t know how to manage his own family. Then how can he take care of God’s church? ⁶ The leader must not be a new believer. If he is, he might become proud. Then he would be judged just like the devil. ⁷ The leader must also be respected by those who are outside the church. Then he will not be put to shame. He will not fall into the devil’s trap.

⁸ In the same way, deacons must be worthy of respect. They must be honest and true. They must not drink too much wine. They must not try to get money by cheating people. ⁹ They must hold on to the deep truths of the faith. Even their own minds tell them to do that. ¹⁰ First they must be tested. Then let them serve as deacons if there is nothing against them.

¹¹ In the same way, the women must be worthy of respect. They must not say things that harm others. In anything they do, they must not go too far. They must be worthy of trust in everything.

¹² A deacon must be faithful to his wife. He must manage his children and family well. ¹³ Those who have served well earn the full respect of others. They also become more sure of their faith in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s Reasons for Giving Instructions to Timothy

¹⁴ I hope I can come to you soon. But now I am writing these instructions to you. ¹⁵ Then if I have to put off my visit, you will know how people should act in God’s family. The family of God is the church of the living God. It is the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ There is no doubt that true godliness comes from this great mystery.