1 Timothy 1:1-13 ▼

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope;

2 to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain people not to teach a different doctrine,

4 neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause speculation, rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith--

5 but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith;

6 from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking;

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,

9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers,

10 for the sexually immoral, for men who have sexual relations with men, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to sound teaching;

11 according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12 And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;

13 although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.