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Introduction

Timothy, a young Christian from Asia Minor, was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. He became a companion and assistant to Paul in his missionary work.

Paul’s First Letter to Timothy

deals with three main concerns.

The letter is first of all a warning against false teaching in the church. This teaching, a mixture of Jewish and non-Jewish ideas, was based on the belief that the physical world is evil and that one can attain salvation only by special secret knowledge and by practices such as avoiding certain foods and not marrying. The letter also contains instructions about church administration and worship, with a description of the kind of character that church leaders and helpers should have. Finally, Timothy is advised how to be a good servant of Jesus Christ and about the responsibilities that he has toward various groups of believers.

Outline of Contents

Introduction (1.1-2)

Instructions concerning the church and its officers (1.3—3.16)

Instructions to Timothy about his work (4.1—6.21)

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by order of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope—

2 To Timothy, my true son in the faith:

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

Warnings against False Teaching

3 I want you to stay in Ephesus, just as I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia. Some people there are teaching false doctrines, and you must order them to stop.

4 Tell them to give up those legends and those long lists of ancestors, which only produce arguments; they do not serve God’s plan, which is known by faith.

5 The purpose of this order is to arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.

6 Some people have turned away from these and have lost their way in foolish discussions.

7 They want to be teachers of God’s law, but they do not understand their own words or the matters about which they speak with so much confidence.

8 We know that the Law is good if it is used as it should be used.

9 It must be remembered, of course, that laws are made, not for good people, but for lawbreakers and criminals, for the godless and sinful, for those who are not religious or spiritual, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

10 for the immoral, for sexual perverts, for kidnappers, for those who lie and give false testimony or who do anything else contrary to sound doctrine.

11 That teaching is found in the gospel that was entrusted to me to announce, the Good News from the glorious and blessed God.

Gratitude for God’s Mercy

12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength for my work. I thank him for considering me worthy and appointing me to serve him,

13 even though in the past I spoke evil of him and persecuted and insulted him. But God was merciful to me because I did not yet have faith and so did not know what I was doing.

14 And our Lord poured out his abundant grace on me and gave me the faith and love which are ours in union with Christ Jesus.

15 This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of them,

16 but God was merciful to me in order that Christ Jesus might show his full patience in dealing with me, the worst of sinners, as an example for all those who would later believe in him and receive eternal life.

17 To the eternal King, immortal and invisible, the only God—to him be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.

18 Timothy, my child, I entrust to you this command, which is in accordance with the words of prophecy spoken in the past about you. Use those words as weapons in order to fight well,

19 and keep your faith and a clear conscience. Some people have not listened to their conscience and have made a ruin of their faith.

20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have punished by handing them over to the power of Satan; this will teach them to stop their blasphemy.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1TI/1-086552e9557c62c89bb1d986aeb2b0ee.mp3?version_id=68—

Church Worship

1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people;

2 for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.

3 This is good and it pleases God our Savior,

4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.

5 For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus,

6 who gave himself to redeem the whole human race. That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved,

7 and that is why I was sent as an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to proclaim the message of faith and truth. I am not lying; I am telling the truth!

8 In every church service I want the men to pray, men who are dedicated to God and can lift up their hands in prayer without anger or argument.

9 I also want the women to be modest and sensible about their clothes and to dress properly; not with fancy hair styles or with gold ornaments or pearls or expensive dresses,

10 but with good deeds, as is proper for women who claim to be religious.

11 Women should learn in silence and all humility.

12 I do not allow them to teach or to have authority over men; they must keep quiet.

13 For Adam was created first, and then Eve.

14 And it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and broke God’s law.

15 But a woman will be saved through having children,if she perseveresin faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1TI/2-fa3133ae1461af18601b1e39ab919c93.mp3?version_id=68—

Leaders in the Church

1 This is a true saying: If a man is eager to be a church leader, he desires an excellent work.

2 A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife,be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach;

3 he must not be a drunkard or a violent man, but gentle and peaceful; he must not love money;

4 he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect.

5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

6 He must be mature in the faith, so that he will not swell up with pride and be condemned, as the Devil was.

7 He should be a man who is respected by the people outside the church, so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the Devil’s trap.

Helpers in the Church

8 Church helpers must also have a good character and be sincere; they must not drink too much wine or be greedy for money;

9 they should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience.

10 They should be tested first, and then, if they pass the test, they are to serve.

11 Their wivesalso must be of good character and must not gossip; they must be sober and honest in everything.

12 A church helper must have only one wife,and be able to manage his children and family well.

13 Those helpers who do their work well win for themselves a good standing and are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.

The Great Secret

14 As I write this letter to you, I hope to come and see you soon.

15 But if I delay, this letter will let you know how we should conduct ourselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

16 No one can deny how great is the secret of our religion:

He appeared in human form,

was shown to be right by the Spirit,

and was seen by angels.

He was preached among the nations,

was believed in throughout the world,

and was taken up to heaven.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1TI/3-a27d04f7c4a9dd5cb2b5912b2a3776ad.mp3?version_id=68—

False Teachers

1 The Spirit says clearly that some people will abandon the faith in later times; they will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons.

2 Such teachings are spread by deceitful liars, whose consciences are dead, as if burnt with a hot iron.

3 Such people teach that it is wrong to marry and to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten, after a prayer of thanks, by those who are believers and have come to know the truth.

4 Everything that God has created is good; nothing is to be rejected, but everything is to be received with a prayer of thanks,

5 because the word of God and the prayer make it acceptable to God.

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus

6 If you give these instructions to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, as you feed yourself spiritually on the words of faith and of the true teaching which you have followed.

7 But keep away from those godless legends, which are not worth telling. Keep yourself in training for a godly life.

8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future.

9 This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed.

10 We struggleand work hard, because we have placed our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all and especially of those who believe.

11 Give them these instructions and these teachings.

12 Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity.

13 Until I come, give your time and effort to the public reading of the Scriptures and to preaching and teaching.

14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you, which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the elders laid their hands on you.

15 Practice these things and devote yourself to them, in order that your progress may be seen by all.

16 Watch yourself and watch your teaching. Keep on doing these things, because if you do, you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1TI/4-30a48a132b35235f8fec6b409ee444ba.mp3?version_id=68—

Responsibilities toward Believers

1 Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat the younger men as your brothers,

2 the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, with all purity.

3 Show respect for widows who really are all alone.

4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn first to carry out their religious duties toward their own family and in this way repay their parents and grandparents, because that is what pleases God.

5 A widow who is all alone, with no one to take care of her, has placed her hope in God and continues to pray and ask him for his help night and day.

6 But a widow who gives herself to pleasure has already died, even though she lives.

7 Give them these instructions, so that no one will find fault with them.

8 But if any do not take care of their relatives, especially the members of their own family, they have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.

9 Do not add any widow to the list of widows unless she is over sixty years of age. In addition, she must have been married only once

10 and have a reputation for good deeds: a woman who brought up her children well, received strangers in her home, performed humble duties for other Christians, helped people in trouble, and devoted herself to doing good.

11 But do not include younger widows in the list; because when their desires make them want to marry, they turn away from Christ,

12 and so become guilty of breaking their earlier promise to him.

13 They also learn to waste their time in going around from house to house; but even worse, they learn to be gossips and busybodies, talking of things they should not.

14 So I would prefer that the younger widows get married, have children, and take care of their homes, so as to give our enemies no chance of speaking evil of us.

15 For some widows have already turned away to follow Satan.

16 But if any Christian woman has widows in her family, she must take care of them and not put the burden on the church, so that it may take care of the widows who are all alone.

17 The elders who do good work as leaders should be considered worthy of receiving double pay, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

18 For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain” and “Workers should be given their pay.”

19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or more witnesses.

20 Rebuke publicly all those who commit sins, so that the rest may be afraid.

21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the holy angels I solemnly call upon you to obey these instructions without showing any prejudice or favor to anyone in anything you do.

22 Be in no hurry to lay hands on people to dedicate them to the Lord’s service. Take no part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

23 Do not drink water only, but take a little wine to help your digestion, since you are sick so often.

24 The sins of some people are plain to see, and their sins go ahead of them to judgment; but the sins of others are seen only later.

25 In the same way good deeds are plainly seen, and even those that are not so plain cannot be hidden.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1TI/5-7b5456ddf0d204fa59c290fc4d15052d.mp3?version_id=68—

1 Those who are slaves must consider their masters worthy of all respect, so that no one will speak evil of the name of God and of our teaching.

2 Slaves belonging to Christian masters must not despise them, for they are believers too. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their work are believers whom they love.

False Teaching and True Riches

You must teach and preach these things.

3 Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching of our religion

4 is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words, and this brings on jealousy, disputes, insults, evil suspicions,

5 and constant arguments from people whose minds do not function and who no longer have the truth. They think that religion is a way to become rich.

6 Well, religion does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have.

7 What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing!

8 So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us.

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.

10 For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.

Personal Instructions

11 But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

12 Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.

13 Before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who firmly professed his faith before Pontius Pilate, I command you

14 to obey your orders and keep them faithfully until the Day when our Lord Jesus Christ will appear.

15 His appearing will be brought about at the right time by God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

16 He alone is immortal; he lives in the light that no one can approach. No one has ever seen him; no one can ever see him. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.

17 Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment.

18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others.

19 In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life.

20 Timothy, keep safe what has been entrusted to your care. Avoid the profane talk and foolish arguments of what some people wrongly call “Knowledge.”

21 For some have claimed to possess it, and as a result they have lost the way of faith.

God’s grace be with you all.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1TI/6-ccae83615bf95815bd61a43cc104756c.mp3?version_id=68—

Introduction

Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy

consists largely of personal advice to Timothy, as a younger colleague and assistant. The main theme is endurance. Timothy is advised and encouraged to keep on witnessing faithfully to Jesus Christ, to hold to the true teaching of the Good News and the Old Testament, and to do his duty as teacher and evangelist, all in the face of suffering and opposition.

Timothy is especially warned about the dangers of becoming involved in “foolish and ignorant arguments” that do no good, but only ruin the people who listen to them.

In all this, Timothy is reminded of the example of the writer’s own life and purpose—his faith, patience, love, endurance, and suffering in persecution.

Outline of Contents

Introduction (1.1-2)

Praise and exhortation (1.3—2.13)

Counsel and warning (2.14—4.5)

Paul’s own situation (4.6-18)

Conclusion (4.19-22)