A Call to Prayer

1First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.

7For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything. 8Therefore I want the men everywherea to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.

Instructions to Women

9Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.

11A womanb must learn in quietness and full submissiveness. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man;c she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, and then Eve. 14And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was deceived and fell into transgression. 15Women, however, will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

Qualifications for Overseers
(Titus 1:5–9; 1 Peter 5:1–4)

1This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife,a temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.

4An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity. 5For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil. 7Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons
(Acts 6:1–7)

8Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money. 9They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.

11In the same way, the womenb must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.

12A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household. 13For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

14Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these things 15in case I am delayed, so that you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

16By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appearedc in the flesh,

was vindicated by the Spirit,d

was seen by angels,

was proclaimed among the nations,

was believed in throughout the world,

was taken up in glory.

A Warning against Apostasy

1Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, 5because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Jesus Christ

6By pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of faith and sound instruction that you have followed.

7But reject irreverent, silly myths. Instead, train yourself for godliness. 8For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come. 9This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance.

10To this end we labor and strive,a because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe. 11Command and teach these things.

12Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.

14Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. 15Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Reproof and Respect

1Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father.

Treat younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Honoring True Widows
(Ruth 1:1–5)

3Honor the widows who are truly widows. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

5The widow who is truly in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers. 6But she who lives for pleasure is dead even while she is still alive.

7Give these instructions to the believers, so that they will be above reproach. 8If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9A widow should be enrolled if she is at least sixty years old, the wife of one man, 10and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.

11But refuse to enroll younger widows. For when their passions draw them away from Christ, they will want to marry, 12and thus will incur judgment because they are setting aside their first faith. 13At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and being not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention.

14So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander. 15For some have already turned aside to follow Satan.

16If any believing woman has dependent widows, she must assist them and not allow the church to be burdened, so that it can help the widows who are truly in need.

Honoring Elders

17Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”a and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”b

19Do not entertain an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 20But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.

A Charge to Timothy

21I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.

22Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

23Stop drinking only water and use a little wine instead, because of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

24The sins of some men are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment; but the sins of others do not surface until later. 25In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even the ones that are inconspicuous cannot remain hidden.

Serving with Honor
(Ephesians 6:5–9; Colossians 3:22–25)

1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited. 2Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.

Reject False Doctrines

3If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.a

Godliness with Contentment

6Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, sob we cannot carry anything out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

9Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Fight the Good Fight

11But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.

13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate: 14Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time. 16He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

A Charge to the Rich
(Proverbs 23:1–5; James 5:1–6)

17Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. 18Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, 19treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Guard the Faith

20O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,” 21which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith.

Grace be with you all.c