1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope,
2to Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3As I urged you to do when I was leaving for Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you can command certain people not to teach a different doctrine.
4Neither should they pay attention to stories and endless genealogies. These cause arguments rather than helping the plan of God, which is by faith.
5Now the goal of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.
6Some people have missed the mark and have turned away from these things to foolish talk.
7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or what they so confidently affirm.
8But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully.
9We know this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for a lawless and rebellious people, for ungodly people and sinners, and for those who are godless and profane. It is made for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers,
10for sexually immoral people, for homosexuals, for those who kidnap people for slaves, for liars, for false witnesses, and for whatever else is against faithful instruction.
11This instruction is according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord. He strengthened me, for he considered me faithful, and he placed me into service.
13I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. But I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.
14But the grace of our Lord overflowed with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus.
15This message is reliable and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of these.
16But for this reason I was given mercy, so that in me, the foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate all patience. He did this as an example for those who would trust in him for eternal life.
17Now to the king of the ages, the immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
18I am placing this command before you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that you might fight the good fight,
19holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have shipwrecked their faith.
20Such are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I gave over to Satan so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.