Paul's Previous Charge to Timothy
1 PAUL, apostle of Christ Jesus according to God our Savior’s commandment, and of Christ Jesus our: hope;
2 to Timothy, genuine child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our: Lord.
3 As I, going into Macedonia, exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, that thou charge certain men not to teach otherwise,
4 neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister to questionings, rather than God’s stewardship which is in faith; so now.
5 But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned:
6 from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking;
7 desiring to be teachers of law, though understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.
8 But we know that the law is good, if one use it lawfully,
9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for lawless and unruly, for ungodly and sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 for fornicators, abusers of themselves with men, menstealers, liars, false swearers, and if any other thing be contrary to the sound teaching;
11 according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was entrusted to me.
12 I thank him that enabled me, Christ Jesus our: Lord, that he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;
13 though I was: before a blasphemer, and persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;
14 and the grace of our: Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 Faithful the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:
16 howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all the longsuffering, for an example of them that should thereafter believe on him unto eternal life.
17 Now unto the King of the ages, incorruptible, invisible, only God, honor and glory unto the ages of the ages. Amen.
First Charge: War a Good Warfare
18 This: charge I commit to thee, Timothy child, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou war the good warfare;
19 having faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made shipwreck concerning the faith:
20 of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered to: Satan, that they be taught not to blaspheme.