Montgomery - I Timothy - 1

1:1  Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by command of God our Saviour and Jesus Christ our Hope,

1:2  to Timothy, my true son in the faith; Grace, mercy and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:3  As I begged you when I was setting out for Macedonia, stay where you are at Ephesus, and instruct certain individuals there not to be teaching heterodoxy,

1:4  nor to be paying attention to myths and interminable genealogies, which tend to promote discussions rather than a stewardship entrusted by God, a stewardship which is in faith.

1:5  Now the end of the exhortation is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and an undissembled faith.

1:6  Some have failed here, and have turned aside to empty argument.

1:7  Although they desire to be teachers of the law, they understand neither the words they use nor the subjects they talk about.

1:8  I know well that "the Law is good" if a man use it lawfully;

1:9  but he must remember that the Law is not enacted for a good man, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the irreligious and sinful, for the godless and profane, for parricides and murderers,

1:10  for the immoral, for sexual perverts, for slave dealers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,

1:11  as laid down in the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which has been entrusted to me.

1:12  And I am thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has thus enabled me, that he accounted me faithful, and appointed me to his service,

1:13  although I had formerly been a blasphemer and a persecutor and a doer of outrage. But I obtained mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.

1:14  And the grace of our Lord overflowed with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus.

1:15  Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners"! And there is no greater sinner than I!

1:16  Yet for this very cause I obtained mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might display all his boundless patience as an illustration for those who should later believe in him, and so gain life eternal.

1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen!

1:18  This charge then, I am laying upon you, Timothy, my son, according to the predictions formerly made concerning you. Fight the good fight in the spirit of these predictions,

1:19  keeping fast hold of faith and a good conscience; which certain individuals have cast aside, and so made shipwreck of their faith.

1:20  Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.