Warning Against False Teachers

(A)As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not (B)to teach any different doctrine, nor (C)to devote themselves to myths and endless (D)genealogies, which promote (E)speculations rather than the stewardship[a] from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love (F)that issues from a pure heart and (G)a good conscience and (H)a sincere faith. Certain persons, by (I)swerving from these, have wandered away into (J)vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, (K)without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Now we know that (L)the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the (M)law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,[b] liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to (N)sound[c] doctrine, 11 in accordance with (O)the gospel of the glory of (P)the blessed God (Q)with which I have been entrusted.

Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners

12 I thank him (R)who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, (S)appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, (T)persecutor, and insolent opponent. But (U)I received mercy (V)because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 1:4 Or good order
  2. 1 Timothy 1:10 That is, those who take someone captive in order to sell him into slavery
  3. 1 Timothy 1:10 Or healthy

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,(A) stay there in Ephesus(B) so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines(C) any longer or to devote themselves to myths(D) and endless genealogies.(E) Such things promote controversial speculations(F) rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart(G) and a good conscience(H) and a sincere faith.(I) Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers(J) of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.(K)

We know that the law is good(L) if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous(M) but for lawbreakers and rebels,(N) the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine(O) 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.(P)

The Lord’s Grace to Paul

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,(Q) that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.(R) 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor(S) and a violent man, I was shown mercy(T) because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.(U)

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