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1 Timothy 1

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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

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Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

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As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

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Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

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Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

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From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

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Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

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But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

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Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

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For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

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According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

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And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

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Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

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And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

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This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

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Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

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Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

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Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

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1 Timothy 1

Paul charges Timothy with his apostolic task in Ephesus: stop false teaching and myths that fuel speculation rather than faith, setting boundaries around doctrine and practice that protect the church from theological wandering. The trustworthy saying Christ Jesus came to save sinners of which I am the foremost establishes the universal scope of Christ's redemptive work while positioning Paul himself as exhibit A of grace's sufficiency, the chief of sinners yet chief of apostles through divine mercy. The law's proper use—lawful for the lawless, not the righteous—follows the logic of Romans, making the law's condemnatory function effective only for those outside Christ, while the righteous (dikaioi) standing justified before God have no need of the law's accusation. The command to stay in Ephesus, charge certain people not to teach false doctrine and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies, reflects both the historical reality of first-century Jewish-Christian controversy and the ongoing threat of gnosticism and speculation. The warning about Hymenaeus and Alexander who shipwrecked their faith (naufragēsan tēn pistin) demonstrates the stakes of false teaching, making apostolic correction severe precisely because souls hang in the balance. Paul's own apostolic commission as an example of grace establishes Timothy's authority to teach and rebuke, rooted not in human achievement but in Christ's saving work extending to him.

1 Timothy 1:12

I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service — Paul's autobiography becomes theology: Christ's judgment (ēxiōsen) of him as faithful constitutes apostolic legitimacy. Strength (endunamoō) comes not from personal virtue but from Christ's empowerment.

1 Timothy 1:13

even though I was formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and arrogant — but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief — Paul's past violence (blasphēmeō, diōktēs) against the church is reframed through the lens of ignorance and unbelief, not malice. Mercy (eleos) retroactively transforms his trajectory from enemy to servant.

1 Timothy 1:14

and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus — Christ-centered grace (charis) exceeds the measure of Paul's sin, producing faith and love as its fruit. The abundance metaphor (hyperperisseuō) suggests grace's inexhaustible superabundance.

1 Timothy 1:15

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — and I am the foremost of them — this trustworthy saying (logos pistos) likely represents early creedal material, emphasizing incarnation's soteriological purpose. Paul's self-designation as protocharmatōn (foremost) positions him not above but beneath other believers.

1 Timothy 1:16

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life — Paul becomes a living parable of redemption: his extreme past combined with his present faithfulness demonstrates Christ's patience (makrothumia) and the sufficiency of grace for the worst cases.

1 Timothy 1:17

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. — this doxology ascribes to God alone the attributes of eternality, incorruptibility, and invisibility, establishing monotheistic conviction as the foundation for all subsequent ethical and doctrinal instruction. The formula marks liturgical solemnity.

1 Timothy 1:18

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare — the martial metaphor (strateuō kalon agōna) frames Timothy's pastoral ministry as spiritual combat. The prophecies (proemphilopsian) suggest Timothy's gifts were recognized and confirmed through charismatic utterance.

1 Timothy 1:19

holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting these, some have made shipwreck of their faith — Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme — conscience (syneidēsis) paired with faith constitutes the moral compass for doctrinal faithfulness. Hymenaeus and Alexander's apostasy is so severe that Paul invokes Satan's disciplinary role (paradidōmi tō Satanā), hoping remedial suffering might produce repentance.

1 Timothy 1:20

holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting these, some have made shipwreck of their faith — Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme — conscience (syneidēsis) paired with faith constitutes the moral compass for doctrinal faithfulness. Hymenaeus and Alexander's apostasy is so severe that Paul invokes Satan's disciplinary role (paradidōmi tō Satanā), hoping remedial suffering might produce repentance.

1 Timothy 1:10

the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine — the expanded list extends to include those violating sexual ethics, enslaving others, and corrupting truth itself. Sound doctrine (hygiainō didaskalia) emerges as the positive counterweight to this catalogue of vice.

1 Timothy 1:1

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope — the salutation emphasizes not human election but divine command (epitagē), grounding apostolic authority in God's explicit decree. The double attribution (God and Christ) reflects early christological conviction: both participate in Paul's calling. Hope (elpis) is not mere optimism but the eschatological anchor of salvation.

1 Timothy 1:11

in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted — Paul frames his entire pastoral vision within the gospel's splendor (doxa) and divine blessing. The gospel is not mere intellectual content but divine power (dynamis) entrusted to him as herald and steward.

1 Timothy 1:2

To Timothy, my true child in the faith — the familial language (gnēsios teknon) conveys deep spiritual paternity and genuine conversion, distinguishing Timothy from those merely claiming faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord establish the theological foundation for all pastoral instruction to follow.

1 Timothy 1:3

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine — Timothy's specific assignment is defensive: halt the spread of false teaching in Ephesus's congregation. The charge (paraggellō) to Timothy parallels the charge Paul now gives him, establishing apostolic succession of doctrinal guardianship.

1 Timothy 1:4

nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship of God that is by faith — the false teachers' preoccupation with genealogies (perhaps proto-gnostic cosmologies or Jewish mythological elaborations) diverts from pistis and oikonomia (stewardship/divine plan). Speculation (zetēsis) replaces the solid foundation of gospel truth.

1 Timothy 1:5

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith — Paul defines the ultimate goal (telos) of all pastoral correction: not doctrinal purity for its own sake, but love flowing from regenerated interiority (pure heart, good conscience, genuine faith). Doctrine serves doxology and moral transformation.

1 Timothy 1:6

Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion — the false teachers have apostatized (apetrapesan) from the love-centered goal, their words devoid of salvific content (mataiologia). Their ethical trajectory mirrors their doctrinal descent.

1 Timothy 1:7

they desire to be teachers of the law, yet they understand neither what they are saying nor the things about which they make confident assertions — the irony cuts deep: these would-be nomikoi (law teachers) comprehend neither the law's purpose nor their own utterances. Confidence (diabebaioomai) without comprehension marks false teaching throughout the NT.

1 Timothy 1:8

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully — Paul's affirmation (nomimos chrisai) corrects the false teachers' approach while honoring Torah's divine origin. The law serves legitimate purposes when deployed for its intended end: revealing sin and condemning unrighteousness.

1 Timothy 1:9

understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers — Paul catalogs the law's proper scope: it operates as pedagogue for the unregenerate, condemning external and internal transgressions. The specificity targets actual vices afflicting Timothy's congregation.