1 Timothy 1:1-2

I, Paul, write to you, Timothy. May you be blessed by God and Christ Jesus with their kindness and mercy.

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. You know that I am an apostle. I represent Christ Jesus because God and Christ Jesus commanded me to do it. God is the one who saved us, and Jesus is the one for whom we are confidently waiting to return. 2 You, Timothy, are like [MET] a true son to me because you trusted in Christ after I told you about him.

I pray/desire that God, who is our Father, and Christ Jesus, who is our Lord, will continue to act kindly and mercifully to you, and that they will give you inner peace.

Defend and promote the true Christian doctrine. Teach it and live by it. Also I instruct you how to strengthen the congregation, which upholds the truth.

1 Timothy 1:3-20

3 I urge you now, just like I urged you when I was going to Macedonia province, that you remain there in Ephesus city. Stay there so that you may command certain persons who teach other believers that they not teach false doctrines. 4 And tell people to not continually give their attention to stories that tell about our ancestors, stories in which there are ◄genealogies/lists of our ancestors’ names► that seem to be endless. You must command your congregation not to think that these stories are valuable, because whenever people think that, they just start arguing about things uselessly, instead of teaching God’s plan, which is concerned with what we believe (OR, which we know because we trust in Christ). 5 Teach them to have pure desires [MTY] and so to know that God approves of what they do, and to sincerely believe the true teaching. By doing that, they will love God well. 6 There are some people who have turned away from these true teachings. As a result, they just discuss what is useless. 7 They desire to teach the laws that God gave to Moses, but they do not understand what they are really saying, or the things about which they ◄confidently speak/say that they understand well►.

8 We know that the laws that God gave to Moses are good if people consider correctly what God intended them for. 9 We must remember that God did not give Moses those laws in order to condemn righteous people. By those laws he condemns people who act as though there were no laws and who refuse to obey anyone. He condemns those who do not revere God and those who sin habitually. By them he condemns those who refuse to perform rituals that are pleasing to God and who show no respect for religion. He condemns those who murder their fathers and who murder their mothers and who murder other people. 10 He condemns those who are sexually immoral and those who are homosexuals. He condemns those who kidnap/steal people in order to make them slaves. He condemns those who lie and those who promise something strongly but do not do what they promised. He condemns every other action that is contrary to our true teaching. 11 This is what we teach people when we tell them the glorious/wonderful message about Christ that our awesome God has revealed and that he gave to me to teach.

12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord who enabled me to do this work, because he considered that I could be trusted. So he appointed me in order that I would serve him. 13 Formerly I said evil things about him, I caused his people to suffer, and I acted very cruelly toward them. But Christ acted in a kind way toward me since I ◄acted ignorantly/did not know that I was doing wrong► because I did not believe in him. 14 Our Lord kindly did for me what I did not deserve, so that I now believe in Christ Jesus and I love others (OR, him) because I belong to him.

15 Something that all we believers say is certainly true and is worthy for us to fully accept is that Christ Jesus came into the world in order to save sinful people so that God would not punish them for their sins. As for me, I consider that I have sinned more than all others. 16 Yet Christ Jesus acted mercifully to me in order that he might demonstrate to people that he is perfectly patient with them. He did that by his being patient with me, one who has sinned worse than everyone else. He wanted what he did for me ◄to be an example/to demonstrate his patience► to people who would later believe in him, and as a result would live forever.

17 I desire that people will honor and praise the only true God forever! Even though no one can see him, he is the King who rules for all time, who will never die! ◄Amen!/That is true!► 18 Timothy, you are like [MET] a son to me. So, ◄based on/in accordance with► what someone previously ◄prophesied/told what God revealed to them► about you, I am instructing you to strongly oppose those who teach false doctrines. You should oppose them like [MET] a soldier ◄fights strongly against/opposes► those who attack his countrymen. 19 Continue to believe the true teaching and do only what you know to be right! Remember that some people have ◄pushed aside/rejected► the true teaching. As a result, they no longer believe [MET] what is true. 20 Among the ones who have done that are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I put in the hands of Satan, in order that when Satan punishes them they may learn not to teach wrong teaching.

I instruct you how people who belong to God’s family and who hold fast to the truth should conduct themselves.

1 Timothy 2:1—3:16

2 The first (OR, most important) thing that I urge you to tell your congregation is that Christians should continually ask God for what they need. They should also pray to God for all other people, and they should be thanking God. 2 Specifically, they should pray for rulers and for all other people who ◄are in important government positions/have authority►, in order that God will help them to rule. As God enables the rulers to rule well, we can live very peaceably as we conduct ours lives doing all that God and others consider to be right and proper. 3 It is good to pray like that, and it pleases God, who saves us, when we pray like that. 4 He desires to save everyone. He wants everyone to fully know and accept his true message. 5 He is the only one true God! And there is only one person who talks to God on behalf of people. That person is Christ Jesus, who himself is a man! 6 He gave ◄his life/himself► as a sacrifice in order to ransom/redeem all people, which showed at the proper time that God desires that all people be saved {to save all people}. 7 As for me, he appointed me to declare this message and to be an apostle. I am telling the truth about God appointing me. I am not lying! He appointed me to teach the non-Jews that they should believe God’s true message.

8 I desire that in every place where believers worship, the men who pray publicly [MTY] should be men who are not practicing sin. When they pray, they should not be angry with anyone and they should not doubt that God will answer their prayers (OR, should not quarrel with anyone). 9 I would like that the clothing that women wear be ◄modest and sensible/proper and appropriate► [DOU]. I want them to not fix their hair in fancy/elaborate ways, nor wear gold jewelry, nor pearls, nor expensive clothing in order that they may make themselves attractive. 10 Instead, they should be doing things that women who ◄claim to/say that they► worship God should do; that is, they should be doing good deeds. 11 Women must learn to listen quietly during the worship services and to fully subject themselves to the leaders of the congregation. 12 I do not permit women to teach men spiritual truth publicly, and I do not permit them to have authority over men. Instead, I desire that women listen quietly during the worship services. 13 Keep in mind that God made Adam first, and afterwards he made Eve, 14 and that it was not Adam whom Satan deceived. As a result of the woman being deceived, she sinned. She did what God had told her not to do. 15 But even though she did that, now women will be saved {God will accept women} as they bear children if they continue to trust God and if they continue to love others, and if they continue to live in a way that is more and more ◄acceptable to God/like God wants them to►, and if they continue to be modest.

3 Anyone who aspires to be an elder in the congregation (OR, a bishop) desires a noble/honorable task. 2 Since that is a task that others should respect, an overseer must live in such a way that no one can truly ◄say that he has done anything that is wrong/find fault with him►. Specifically, he must be faithful to his wife. He must think clearly about what he does. He must be able to control his behavior. He must be sensible. He must be dignified/respectable. He must welcome and care for guests. He must be able to teach God’s truth well. 3 He must not be a drunkard. He must not be ready/quick to fight those who make him angry. On the contrary, he must be gentle and he must not be quarrelsome. He must not be greedy for a lot of money. 4 He must lead and care for his own household/family well. For example, he must be a man whom his children obey and completely respect, 5 because if anyone does not know how he should lead well and care for well the people who live in his own house, ◄he certainly cannot care for God’s congregation!/how can he care for God’s congregation?► [RHQ] 6 He must not be one who has just recently trusted in Jesus, because if you choose a man like that, he might become conceited/proud because you chose him so soon. As a result of his being conceited/proud, God will condemn him like he condemned the devil because he was conceited/proud. 7 Moreover, an elder must live in such a way that non-Christians speak well of him, because if he conducts himself like that, people will not say evil things about him, and the devil will not capture/trap him [MET] like people capture animals in a trap.

8 Those whom you choose to serve as deacons likewise must be ones who conduct themselves suitably/appropriately. Specifically, they must be ◄serious/worthy that people respect them►. They must ◄be sincere/mean what they say►. They must not like to drink a lot of alcohol. They must not ◄be greedy/have a strong desire to get money►. 9 They must sincerely believe the message that God has now revealed to us. 10 Like you do for the elders, you must examine ◄their character/how they conduct their lives► before you appoint them to serve. Then if they are without fault, let them serve as deacons. 11 Their wives (OR, The women who are deacons) likewise must conduct themselves suitably/appropriately. Specifically, they must be ◄serious/worthy that people respect them►. They must not speak evil about people. They must not drink a lot of alcohol. They must be faithful in everything that they do. 12 Deacons must be faithful to their wives, and they must lead well and care well for their children and other people in their houses. 13 Because if deacons serve well, people will respect them, and they will be able to speak very boldly/confidently about what they believe concerning Christ Jesus.

14 Although I hope that I will come and visit you soon, I am writing these things to you now 15 in order that if I ◄am delayed/things prevent me from visiting to you soon►, you will know how believers should conduct their lives and you will be able to teach that to them. I am talking about all those who are members of God’s family, all the congregations that belong to the all-powerful God, all those who uphold/support [MET] the true message. 16 It is certainly true that the message that God has now revealed is very wonderful! From it, we learn this spiritual truth that we say/sing about Christ (OR, We affirm this teaching to be true and very important.) It is what shows us how to live ◄in a godly manner/in a manner that pleases God►. It is what God has now revealed, even though it was not known before. We ◄affirm/say that it is true► concerning Jesus Christ that,

He is the one who appeared on the earth in a human body.

God’s Spirit showed/demonstrated that he is/was truly the Messiah (OR, that he always acted righteously);

Angels saw him; people preached about him in many nations;

People in many parts of the world believed the message about him.

God took him up into heaven.

Be sure that you conduct yourself well and that you teach the true doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:1-16

4 God’s Spirit has clearly told us that in later times some people will stop believing the teaching that all of us believe. Instead, they will listen to evil spirits who deceive people. They will also believe the false doctrines/teachings that they receive from these evil spirits. 2 The people who teach those false doctrines/teachings are liars! And they do not feel at all guilty [MET] when they teach such teachings! 3 For example, they forbid believers to marry because they say that it makes us unacceptable to God. They also command that people abstain from eating certain foods. But God created such foods in order that we can eat them! We who believe in Christ know the true teaching, and we thank God for the food that he gives us. That is why we can eat it. 4 We can eat all kinds of food because God has created all food, and it is all good. We should not refuse to eat certain kinds of food if we thank God for it when we eat it. 5 It is acceptable to God because God long ago said that all things that he made are good, and because we pray that God will bless it.

6 When you teach these things to your fellow believers, you will be showing that you, whom Christ Jesus appointed, serve them well. You will have become strong spiritually ◄by holding fast/by obeying► the true message that we all believe. 7 You must completely reject godless, silly/foolish stories from your ancestors that old people tell. Keep training yourself so that you have more ◄godly behavior/behavior that pleases God►. 8 Some people say, “It helps us in some ways if we exercise our bodies.” But I say that people benefit very much if they live ◄in a godly way/in a way that pleases God►, because if people live in a godly way, that will benefit them both while they live now and when they live in the future life in heaven. 9 Those are words that are absolutely true, and everybody should believe them! 10 This is the reason why we work so hard [DOU] for others, because we confidently expect that God, who is all-powerful, will do the things that he has promised. He is the one who wants to save all people, so he protects them. He certainly protects us who believe in Christ! 11 Command these things and teach these things.

12 Timothy, by the way you conduct your life, show the believers in your congregation how they should conduct their lives. Specifically, speak good things, conduct yourself well, love people, trust God, and be pure in every way. If you do all that, no one will have any reason ◄to belittle/to treat you disrespectfully► because of your being young. 13 Until I come, be sure that you read the Scriptures to the congregation and that you exhort/urge them to obey the Scriptures, and teach them. 14 Do not forget to use the abilities that God gave to you as a result of people/us ◄prophesying/telling what God revealed to them► about you, and as a result of the elders putting their hands on you to commission/appoint you to do God’s work. 15 Do these things that I have told you to do! ◄Concentrate on them/Do them sincerely and wholeheartedly► in order that everyone may see that you are improving in how you do them.

16 Be careful that you conduct yourself well. By continuing to do that, you will save yourself. And if you continue to teach the good doctrine/teaching, the result of your teaching will be that God will save the people who listen to you.

I instruct you how to act toward various groups in the church.

1 Timothy 5:1-25

5 Do not rebuke/scold older men. Instead, exhort/advise them respectfully as you would exhort/advise your father. Exhort/advise younger men gently as you would exhort/advise your brothers. 2 Exhort/advise older women respectfully as you would exhort/advise your mother. Exhort/advise younger women gently as you would exhort/advise your sisters; but you must act in a completely proper way as you do that.

3 Make sure that the congregation takes care of widows who have no one to care for them. 4 If a widow has children or grandchildren, these children or grandchildren should learn that they are to take care of their own family first. By doing that they can repay their parents and grandparents for all that they did for them when they were young, because doing that pleases God. 5 The widows who are really alone and have no one to help them confidently expect that God will help them. So night and day they pray, earnestly asking [DOU] God that he will help them and others. 6 But widows who just want to have a lot of pleasure are spiritually [MET] dead, although they are physically alive. 7 And tell the congregation that the children or grandchildren should do these things in order that no one can ◄criticize the believers/say that the believers are doing anything that is wrong►. 8 If anyone does not take care of those who live in his own house, and especially if he does not take care of his own family, he has ◄denied/quit believing► what we believe and we should consider that he is worse than a person who does not believe in Christ.

9 You have a list of widows who will do work for the congregation and receive money. Put women’s names on the list only if they are more than 60 years old, and if they were faithful to their husbands. 10 Put women’s names on that list only if it is known that they have wholeheartedly done every kind of good deed, if they have helped children who were afflicted/suffering, if they have ◄brought up/cared for► their children properly/well, if they have welcomed and cared for guests, and if they have humbly served [MTY] other believers. 11 As for younger widows, do not put their names on that list, because they promise to do work for the congregation, but instead of doing that, they usually want to marry again (OR, marry an unbeliever) when they have a strong desire to get married. 12 If that happens, they may become guilty of not having done what they had promised to do for the congregation (OR, promised Christ that they would do.) 13 In addition, they generally become lazy. Specifically, as they just go about from house to house, they also begin ◄to gossip/to talk about people► and to meddle in other people’s affairs, saying what they should not say. 14 So I advise that instead of putting the names of younger widows on the list, they marry again, that they bear/have children, that they manage their homes well, and that they do nothing for which an enemy can say bad things about them. 15 I say this because some younger widows have stopped obeying Christ in order to obey Satan.

16 If any woman who believes in Christ has widows in her household/family, she should take care of them. The congregation should not be burdened by having {She should not depend on the congregation} to take care of their needs. The congregation should take care of the widows who truly have no one to care for them.

17 Each congregation should pay well the elders who lead well. They should greatly honor them, especially those who preach and those who teach. 18 Long ago Moses wrote in the Scriptures, “While an ox is threshing grain, you must not tie its mouth so that it cannot eat the grain,” and Jesus said, “People should pay those who work for their benefit.” So we know that congregations should support their leaders.

19 When some person accuses an elder about doing wrong, accept what he says only if there are at least two or three persons who ◄testify/say that► they saw him do that wrong.

20 But as for any elder who repeatedly sins, rebuke him before the whole congregation, in order that the rest of the elders will be afraid to sin.

21 I solemnly tell you that as you keep in mind that God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels know everything that you do, obey these commands about elders! As you consider what others say about an elder doing wrong, do not easily/quickly decide that what they say is true. And treat them all equally.

22 Do not be in a hurry to put your hands on a man ◄to set him apart/to appoint him► as an elder. Wait until you have examined him to see how he conducts his life, because God will consider that you are responsible if you approve a person who sins, saying that he should become an elder. Keep your life pure in every way. 23 And Timothy, no longer drink only water, but instead, drink a little wine also, because that may help to cure your stomach’s frequent illnesses. 24 I tell you not ◄to set apart/appoint► elders hastily, without seeing how they conduct their lives, because some people sin secretly, so that it is not known what they have done until after someone examines them (OR, before God judges them). But some people sin openly, so that people know what they have done before anyone examines them. 25 Similarly, although some people do good things openly, with the result that people know what they have done, some people do good things secretly, yet the good things that they have done cannot remain secret either.

Live in a way that agrees with Christian doctrine, and complete what I have commanded.

1 Timothy 6:1-21

6 As for slaves [DOU] who are believers, teach them that they should consider that it is right for them to honor their masters in every way. If they do that, people will not speak ◄against/evil about► God [MTY] and they will not speak ◄against/evil about► that which we apostles teach, because they will see that the slaves are being respectful of their masters.

2 Slaves who have masters who believe in Christ must not be disrespectful to their masters just because their masters are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve their masters even better because their masters are fellow believers whom God loves and who benefit when the slaves serve them well.

As you teach these things to your congregation, exhort/urge people that they do them.

3 Some people teach things that are different. What they teach ◄does not agree with/is not like► the correct teaching that our Lord Jesus Christ taught (OR, that is about our Lord Jesus Christ). They do not say that we should conduct our lives ◄in a godly manner/in a manner that pleases God►. 4 Such people are very proud and do not understand anything [HYP]. Instead, they abnormally/wrongly desire to argue about unimportant matters and about certain words. As a result, people who listen to them ◄envy others/desire to have what others have►. They quarrel with others and with one another. They say bad things about others. They suspect/think that others have evil ◄motives/reasons for doing what they do►. 5 Their whole way of thinking has become completely wrong because they have rejected the true doctrine/teaching. As a result, they mistakenly think that ◄by practicing religion/by saying that they believe in God► they will gain a lot of money.

6 Well, we truly do gain great benefit when we conduct our lives ◄in a godly manner/in a manner that pleases God► and we are content with what we have. 7 We brought nothing into the world when we were born, and we cannot take anything out of it when we die, 8 so if we have food and clothing, we should be satisfied with these. 9 But some people strongly desire to be rich. As a result, they do wrong things to get money, and this will cause them to be caught/trapped [MET] as animals get caught in traps. They foolishly desire many things, and those desires cause them to get hurt. And God will completely reject them! 10 All kinds of bad things will happen to people who [PRS] desire to have a lot of money. Because some people longed for money, they have stopped believing the doctrine/teaching that all of us believe and they have caused themselves much grief/sadness.

11 But as for you, who are a man who serves God, ◄keep completely away from such love of money/do not be like the people who love money►. Decide that you will do what is right, and that you will ◄be godly/do what pleases God►. Decide that you will trust God, and that you will love others. Endure difficult circumstances. Always be gentle with people. 12 Try earnestly and with all your energy/strength [MET] to live in accordance with what you believe. Continue to do your tasks well in order that you will know for sure that you will live eternally. Remember that God chose you to live with him, and that when many elders were listening you said strongly ◄what you believe/that you trust in Christ►.

13 God, who gives life to all things, knows everything that you do. Christ Jesus also knows everything that you do. He strongly declared what was true when he was on trial before Pontius Pilate. 14 I command you that as you keep all that in mind, in every way you ◄hold fast/obey► to what Christ has commanded us [DOU]. ◄Hold fast/obey► to those teachings in a way that our Lord Jesus Christ cannot ◄criticize you about/say that what you did was wrong►, until he comes again. 15 Remember that God will cause Jesus to come again at the proper time. God is awesome! He is the only Ruler! He rules over all other people who rule! 16 He is the only one who will never die, and he lives in heaven surrounded by light that is so bright that no one can approach it! He is the one whom no person has ever seen and whom no person is able to see! My desire is that all people will honor him and that he will rule powerfully [MTY] forever! ◄May it be so!/Amen!►

17 Tell the believers who are rich here in this present world that they should not be proud, and that they should not trust in their many possessions, because they cannot be certain how long they will have them. Teach them that instead of trusting in their wealth, they should trust in God. He is the one who generously gives us everything we have in order that we may enjoy it. 18 Also, tell them that their good deeds must be as plentiful as their money. Specifically, they should share very generously with others what they have. 19 If they do that, Jesus will give them a great reward. It will be as though they are piling up in heaven treasure for themselves that will ◄be a good basis on which they may rely for/result in their► receiving a great reward in the future (OR, which will be as solid as the foundation [MET] of a house). By doing this they will experience what real life is like.

20 Timothy, faithfully proclaim/protect the true message (OR, do the work) that Jesus has given to you. ◄Avoid/Do not listen to► people who want to chatter about things that are not important to God. ◄Avoid/Do not listen to► people who claim/say that they have ‘true knowledge’ but who say things that oppose/contradict our true teaching. 21 ◄Keep completely away from/Reject completely► such teaching. Remember that some people who claim to have this ‘knowledge’ have stopped believing what all of us believe.

◄I desire that/May► God continue to act kindly toward you all.