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1 Timothy 1

New International Reader’s Version

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus, just as God our Saviour 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. 



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. 



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 honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 



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. 

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1 Timothy 1

English Standard Version



1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, (Lu 1:47; Ro 16:26; 2Co 1:1; Col 1:27; Tit 1:3) 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (2Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4; 2Jo 1:3; Jud 1:2) 



3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, (Ga 1:6; 1Ti 6:3; Tit 1:5) 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship[1] from God that is by faith. (1Ti 4:7; 1Ti 6:4; 2Ti 4:4; Tit 1:14; Tit 3:9; 2Pe 1:16) 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (Ro 12:9; 2Ti 1:5; 2Ti 2:22; 1Pe 3:16; 1Pe 3:21) 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, (1Ti 6:21; Tit 1:10) 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. (Col 2:18; 1Ti 6:4) 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, (Ro 7:16) 9 understanding this, that the 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, (Ga 5:23) 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,[2] liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound[3] doctrine, (1Ti 6:3; 2Ti 1:13; 2Ti 4:3; Tit 1:13; Tit 2:2) 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. (Ro 2:16; 2Co 4:4; Ga 2:7; 1Ti 6:15; Tit 1:3) 



12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, (Ac 9:22; 2Co 3:6; Php 4:13) 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, (Ac 3:17; Ac 8:3; 1Co 7:25; 2Co 4:1) 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (Lu 7:47; Lu 7:50; Ro 5:20; 1Th 1:3) 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (Mt 9:13; Joh 3:17; Ro 4:25; 1Co 15:9; 1Ti 3:1; 1Ti 4:9; 2Ti 2:11; Tit 3:8; Re 22:6) 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.[4] Amen. (1Ch 29:11; Ps 10:16; Joh 1:18; Ro 1:23; Col 1:15; 1Ti 6:15; Heb 11:27; 1Jo 4:12; Jud 1:25; Re 4:9) 18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, (1Co 9:7; 2Co 10:4; 1Ti 4:14; 1Ti 6:12; 2Ti 2:2; 2Ti 2:3) 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, (1Ti 3:9; 1Ti 6:9) 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (Ac 13:45; 1Co 5:5; 2Ti 2:17; 2Ti 4:14) 

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