Paul's Previous Charge to Timothy
1 From Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by command of God our saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,
2 to Timothy, a genuine child in faith, grace, mercy and peace from God our father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I write in the vein of when I appealed to you to stay on in Ephesus, when I was on my way to Macedonia, in order that you might command some not to teach extraneous doctrines,
4 nor to heed fables or interminable genealogies, which give rise to disputes rather than a dispensation of God in faith.
5 And the goal of the commandment is love from a pure heart and a clear conscience and unfeigned faith,
6 from which things some have deviated and have turned away to idle talk,
7 wanting to be teachers of the law, but understanding neither what they say nor things pertaining to what they assert.
8 And we know that the law is good, if a person uses it lawfully,
9 knowing this, that the law has not been instituted for a righteous person, but for the lawless and unruly, for the undevout and for sinners, for the irreverent and profane, for those who commit parricide and matricide, for murderers,
10 for fornicators, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and anything else there might be contrary to sound doctrine,
11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
12 And I am thankful to him who empowered me, to Christ Jesus our Lord, in that he considered me faithful and appointed me to a ministry,
13 me, who was formerly a blasphemer and persecutor and an impudent person, but I received mercy, because I acted in ignorance and unbelief,
14 and the grace of our Lord superabounded with faith, and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
16 But I received mercy on account of this: that in me first Jesus Christ should show all longsuffering, as a model for those who will believe in him, resulting in age-abiding life.
17 Now to the king of the ages, indefectible, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory throughout the durations of the ages. Amen.
First Charge: War a Good Warfare
18 I commit this command to you, Timothy, my child, according to the prophecies which have led in your direction, that by means of them you should fight the good fight,
19 having faith and a clear conscience, which some have rejected, and have suffered shipwreck in respect of their faith,
20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan in order that they may be taught not to blaspheme.