to Timothy my genuine child in faith: spiritual blessing, mercy, and peace be with you from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I begged you to do when I was on my way to Macedonia, I still beg you to stay on in Ephesus to warn certain teachers

I am always thanking Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me strength for it, for thinking me trustworthy and putting me into the ministry,

though I once used to abuse, persecute, and insult Him. But mercy was shown me by Him, because I did it in ignorance and unbelief,

and the spiritual blessing of our Lord in increasing floods has come upon me, accompanied by faith and love inspired by union with Christ Jesus.

Yet, mercy was shown me for the very purpose that in my case as the foremost of sinners Jesus might display His perfect patience, to make me an example to those who in the future might believe on Him to obtain eternal life.

This is the instruction which I entrust to you, my son Timothy, which is in accordance with the prophetic utterances formerly made about you, that you may, aided by them, continue to fight the good fight,

for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead peaceful, quiet lives in perfect piety and seriousness.

He must not be a new convert, or else becoming conceited he may incur the doom the devil met.

He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, or else he may incur reproach and fall into the devil's trap.

so that, if I am detained, you may know how people ought to conduct themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Continue to give these directions so that the people may be without reproach.

Those who are guilty reprove in public, so that others may be warned.

All who are under the yoke of slavery must esteem their masters to be deserving the highest respect, so that the name of God and our teaching may not be abused.

in this way amassing for themselves the riches that forever endure in the life to come, so that at last they may grasp the life that is life indeed.