Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by order of God our Savior and of Jesus Christ our hope,

to Timothy, my true child in faith; God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord bless you and be merciful to you, and give you peace.

The aim of your instruction must be love that springs from a pure heart and from a good conscience and from a sincere faith.

as set forth in the glorious good news of the blessed God with which I have been intrusted.

but God had mercy on me in order that in my case as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display his perfect patience, as an example to those who would later believe in him and find eternal life.

To the eternal King, immortal and invisible, the one God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.

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,

keeping hold of faith and a good conscience. For some people have let that go and have had their faith ruined,

for emperors and all who are in authority, so that we may live tranquil, quiet lives, with perfect piety and probity.

It is right to do this, and it pleases God our Savior,

For there is but one God, and one intermediary between God and men??he man Christ Jesus,

but, as is appropriate for women who profess to be religious, with good actions.

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

A superintendent must be a man above reproach, only once married, temperate, sensible, a man of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

managing his own house well, and keeping his children under control and perfectly respectful??5 for if a man does not know how to conduct his own household, how can he look after a church of God?

He must also be a man of good standing with outsiders, or he may get into disgrace and be entrapped by the slanderers.

For those who do good service as assistants gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

so that if I am delayed, you may know how we are to conduct ourselves in the household of God, for it is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

who forbid people to marry and insist on abstinence from certain kinds of food that God created for men who believe and understand the truth to enjoy and give thanks for.

For everything God has created is good, and nothing need be refused, provided it is accepted with thanksgiving,

If you point this out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, living on the principles of the faith and the excellent teaching you have had.

It is for this that we toil and struggle, for we have fixed our hopes on the living God, the Savior of all men, especially those who believe.

If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety in the treatment of their own families, and to return the care of those who brought them up, for that is what God approves.

But a woman who is really a widow, and has no children, has fixed her hope on God, and devotes herself to prayers and entreaties night and day.

and have a good reputation for Christian service, such as bringing up children, being hospitable to strangers, washing the feet of God's people, helping people in distress, or devoting herself to any form of doing good.

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.

I charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels to observe these rules without any discrimination, and to be perfectly impartial.

Stop drinking nothing but water; take a little wine for the good of your digestion and for your frequent attacks of illness.

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

All who are under the yoke of slavery must treat their masters with the greatest respect, so that the name of God and our teaching may not be abused.

But men who want to get rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish, harmful cravings, that plunge people into destruction and ruin.

For love of money is the root of all the evils, and in their eagerness to get rich, some men wander away from the faith and pierce themselves to the heart with many a pang.

But you, man of God, must fly from these things. Strive for uprightness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Enter the great contest of faith! Take hold of eternal life, to which God called you, when before many witnesses you made the great profession of faith.

Before God who maintains all life, and before Christ Jesus who in testifying before Pontius Pilate made his great profession, I charge you

Charge the rich of this world not to be arrogant, nor to set their hopes on such an uncertain thing as riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, open-handed and generous,

through professing which some people have made a failure of the faith. God bless you all.