They would like to be teachers of law although they do not understand the words they use or the matters they insist upon.

These are the instructions that I intrust to you, my son Timothy, and they are in accordance with the predictions made long ago about you. Fight the good fight with their aid,

I do not allow women to teach or to domineer over men; they must keep quiet.

But they will be saved through motherhood, if they continue to have faith and to be loving and holy, and sensible as well.

They should first be tested, and afterward, if there is no fault to be found with them, they can serve as assistants.

Their wives too must be serious, not gossips; they must be temperate, and perfectly trustworthy.

Do not put young women on the list of widows, for when their youthful vigor comes between them and Christ, they want to marry,

Besides, as they go about from house to house they learn to be idle, and not only idle but gossips and busybodies, and talk of things they ought not to mention.

Elders who do their duties well should be considered as deserving twice as much as they get, particularly those who work at preaching and teaching.

Good deeds too are evident enough, or when they are not, they cannot be wholly concealed.

Those who have Christian masters must not think lightly of them because they are brothers; they must serve them all the more faithfully, because those who benefit by it are believers and hence dear to them. These are the things you must teach and preach.

Timothy, guard what has been intrusted to you. Keep away from the worldly, empty phrases and contradictions of what they falsely call knowledge,