2 to Timotheus his lawful son in the faith: grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 As I asked you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay where you are at Ephesus and warn certain individuals against teaching novelties
4 and studying myths and interminable genealogies; such studies bear upon speculations rather than on the divine order which belongs to faith.
5 Whereas the aim of the Christian discipline is the love that springs from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.
6 Certain individuals have failed here by turning to empty argument;
7 doctors of the Law is what they want to be, but they have no idea either of the meaning of the words they use or of the themes on which they harp.
8 I am quite aware that 'the Law is admirable' ??provided that one makes a lawful use of it;
9 he must keep in mind that no law is ever made for honest people but for the lawless and the insubordinate, for the impious and the sinful, for the irreverent and the profane, for parricides and matricides, murderers,
10 immoral persons, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine
11 as laid down by that glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
12 I render thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has made me able for this; he considered me trustworthy and appointed me to the ministry,
13 though I had formerly been a blasphemer and a persecutor and a wanton aggressor. I obtained mercy because in my unbelief I had acted out of ignorance;
14 and the grace of our Lord flooded my life along with the faith and love that Christ Jesus inspires.
15 It is a sure word, it deserves all praise, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"; and though I am the foremost of sinners,
16 I obtained mercy, for the purpose of furnishing Christ Jesus with the chief illustration of his utter patience; I was to be the typical instance of all who were to believe in him and gain eternal life.
17 To the King of eternity, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever: Amen.
18 I transmit these instructions to you, Timotheus my son, in accordance with what the prophets said who first directed me to you; fight the good fight on these lines,
19 keeping hold of faith and a good conscience. Certain individuals have scouted the good conscience and thus come to grief over their faith ??20 including Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have made over to Satan. That will teach them to stop their blasphemous ongoings!