1 TIM 1:15 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT This word is trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—of whom I am first.

UST Everyone should trust and rely on this statement: “Jesus the Messiah was here on earth to rescue sinful people.” As for me, I am more sinful than everyone else.

BLB Trustworthy is the saying, and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

AICNT The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the foremost.

OEB How true the saying is, and worthy of the fullest acceptance, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”! And there is no greater sinner than I!

CSB This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” —and I am the worst of them.

NLT This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.

NIV Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

CEV "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all!

ESV The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

NASB It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

LSB It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.

2DT The word is allegiant and deserving of complete reception, that Christos Yēsous came into the Kosmos to deliver sinners” (of whom I am first!).

WEBBE The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

WMBB The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Messiah Yeshua came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

MSG ^(15-20)Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.
  Deep honor and bright glory
  to the King of All Time—
One God, Immortal, Invisible,
  ever and always. Oh, yes!
I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in.

NET This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them!

LSV The word [is] steadfast, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am first;

FBV You can trust this saying that everyone should accept: “Christ Jesus came to this world to save sinners,” and I'm the worst of them.

TCNT This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

T4T 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.

LEB The saying is trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

NRSV The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.

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

NAB This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost.

BBE It is a true saying, in which all may put their faith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to give salvation to sinners, of whom I am the chief:

Moff It is a sure word, it deserves all praise, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"; and though I am the foremost of sinners,

Wymth Faithful is the saying, and deserving of universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; among whom I stand foremost.

ASV Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:

DRA A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.

YLT stedfast [is] the word, and of all acceptation worthy, that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners — first of whom I am;

Drby Faithful [is] the word, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am [the] first.

RV Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:

SLT Faithful the word, and worthy of all acceptance, for Christ Jesus came into the world to save the sinful; of whom I am first.

Wbstr 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.

KJB-1769 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.

KJB-1611 This is a faithfull saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners, of whom I am chiefe.
(This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Yesus/Yeshua came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chiefe.)

Bshps This is a faythfull saying, and by all meanes worthy to be receaued, that Christe Iesus came into the worlde to saue synners, of whom I am chiefe.
(This is a faithful saying, and by all means worthy to be received, that Christ Yesus/Yeshua came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chiefe.)

Gnva This is a true saying, and by all meanes worthy to be receiued, that Christ Iesus came into the worlde to saue sinners, of whom I am chiefe.
(This is a true saying, and by all means worthy to be received, that Christ Yesus/Yeshua came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chiefe. )

Cvdl For this is a true sayenge, and by all meanes worthy to be receaued, that Christ Iesus came in to ye worlde to saue synners, of whom I am chefe.
(For this is a true saying, and by all means worthy to be received, that Christ Yesus/Yeshua came in to ye/you_all world to save sinners, of whom I am chefe.)

TNT This is a true sayinge and by all meanes worthy to be receaved that Christ Iesus came into the world to save synners of whom I am chefe.
(This is a true saying and by all means worthy to be received that Christ Yesus/Yeshua came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chefe. )

Wycl A trewe word and worthi al resseyuyng, for Crist Jhesu cam in to this world to make synful men saaf, of whiche Y am the firste.
(A true word and worthy all resseyuing, for Christ Yhesu came in to this world to make sinful men safe, of which I am the first.)

Luth Denn das ist je gewißlich wahr und ein teuer wertes Wort, daß Christus JEsus kommen ist in die Welt, die Sünder selig zu machen, unter welchen ich der vornehmste bin.
(Because the is each/ever certainly true and a expensive/costly value/worthes word, that Christ Yesus coming is in the world, the sinners blessed to/for make, under which_(ones) I the/of_the most_distinguished am.)

ClVg Fidelis sermo, et omni acceptione dignus: quod Christus Jesus venit in hunc mundum peccatores salvos facere, quorum primus ego sum.[fn]
(Fidelis speech, and all acceptancene worthy: that Christ/Messiah Yesus he_came in/into/on this_one the_world sinners salvos to_do, whose primus I I_am. )

1.15 Omni acceptione, quia corpus et animam salvat. Vel, humanus est sermo iste. Alia littera: Ut non dicam divinus, quia si homo qui hospitio suscipit hominem, humanus dicitur, quanto magis humanus est qui in seipso suscipit hominem. Quia Christus Jesus. Nulla causa veniendi fuit Christo, nisi quod peccatores salvos faceret. Primus. Id est pejor, quia persecutor, quo prior non erat: Nemo enim acrior inter persecutores, ergo nemo prior inter peccatores, primus ergo erat non ordine temporis, sed magnitudine iniquitatis.

1.15 All acceptancene, because body and the_soul savet. Or, humanus it_is speech this. Alia letter: As not/no I_will_say divine, because when/but_if human who/which hospitio undertake man, humanus it_is_said, how_much more humanus it_is who/which in/into/on seipso undertake man. Because Christ/Messiah Yesus. Nulla cause I_cameendi it_was to_Christ/Messiah, except that sinners salvos would_do. Primus. That it_is peyor, because persecutor, where prior not/no was: Nobody because acrior between persecutors, therefore nobody/no_one prior between sinners, primus therefore was not/no in_order time, but size iniquity.

UGNT πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος: ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ.
(pistos ho logos, kai pasaʸs apodoⱪaʸs axios: hoti Ⱪristos Yaʸsous aʸlthen eis ton kosmon hamartōlous sōsai, hōn prōtos eimi egō.)

SBL-GNT πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι· ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ,
(pistos ho logos kai pasaʸs apodoⱪaʸs axios, hoti Ⱪristos Yaʸsous aʸlthen eis ton kosmon hamartōlous sōsai; hōn prōtos eimi egō,)

RP-GNT Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ·
(Pistos ho logos kai pasaʸs apodoⱪaʸs axios, hoti ⱪristos Yaʸsous aʸlthen eis ton kosmon hamartōlous sōsai, hōn prōtos eimi egō;)

TC-GNT Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ·
(Pistos ho logos kai pasaʸs apodoⱪaʸs axios, hoti Ⱪristos Yaʸsous aʸlthen eis ton kosmon hamartōlous sōsai, hōn prōtos eimi egō; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:12–17: Paul thanked Christ Jesus for his mercy

Paul began this section by thanking Christ Jesus for forgiving him. He described himself as the worst sinner. He said that Christ would forgive everyone who believed in him, no matter how sinful they were, just as Christ had forgiven him.

Paragraph 1:15–17

In the same way that Christ saved Paul, he will also save everyone else who believes in him, no matter how sinful they are.

1:15a

This is a trustworthy saying,

¶ This saying is reliable,
¶ This saying is something that you can be sure is true,
¶ Believers know the following words, which can be trusted,

This is a trustworthy saying: This is an expression that Paul used often in his letters to Timothy and Titus. See 1 Timothy 3:1, 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 1:9, 3:8. You should try to use the same expression of introduction in all these places. Paul used this expression to introduce a saying that was well-known among believers at that time. This saying is found in 1:15c.

trustworthy: Paul said that this saying (1:15c) about Christ was trustworthy. That means that it was true and reliable. Other ways to say this could be: “This saying really is true,” or “people should believe this.”

saying: A saying is an expression that is well known to people. In some languages it may be possible to use a word like “proverb.”

1:15b

worthy of full acceptance:

and it deserves to be accepted without doubt:
and they are worthy to be believed completely:

worthy of full acceptance: Because the saying in 1:15c is “trustworthy”, everyone should believe it and should not doubt it in any way. They can be sure that it is true.

1:15c

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,

“Christ Jesus came to this world to save those who had sinned,”
Christ Jesus was born into our^(incl) world to rescue us^(incl) sinners.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: This is the saying that Paul introduced in 1:15a–b.

Christ Jesus came into the world: This refers to when Christ Jesus came to earth the first time and died on the cross.

Christ Jesus: Notice that in this verse Paul referred to Jesus as Christ Jesus instead of “Jesus Christ.” The names “Christ Jesus” and “Jesus Christ” refer to the same person.Some people, however, think that when Paul used the word Christ before the word Jesus, as in Christ Jesus, he was emphasizing that Jesus was the Messiah.

In most English versions “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus” are translated in the same order as they occur in the Greek manuscripts. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

However, it is possible that, in some languages, people may be confused to see the names in two different orders. They may even think that Paul was referring to two different people. If this is true in your language, it may be necessary to translate Christ Jesus as “Jesus Christ.” This is the more usual word order in the New Testament.

Christ: The word Christ is used two ways in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Christ is a title for Jesus. It means “the anointed one.” But later, by the time that Paul and others wrote letters to individuals and churches, the word Christ was used as another name for Jesus. It was no longer used as a title. So here and in other New Testament letters you should spell Christ according to the rules of your language.

to save sinners: This is the purpose for which Jesus came into the world. The Greek word that the BSB translates as save means “to rescue from danger.” In this context, the danger is that if a person does not repent and stop sinning, he will not receive eternal life.

sinners: A sinner is a person who has disobeyed God.

General Comment on 1:15c

Sayings are normally short because people want to remember them. Therefore translate this saying with as few words as possible. It would also be helpful to keep the saying in one sentence. One way to do this is:

Christ Jesus came to earth to rescue people who have sinned.

In some languages it may be helpful to indicate the beginning and end of the saying in some way. For example, you may want to use quotation marks or a different printing style, such as italics. The JBP uses both.

1:15d

of whom I am the worst.

and I am the greatest sinner of all.
Of all the people who have sinned, I am the one who has sinned the most.

of whom I am the worst: Notice that this part of the verse is not part of the saying in 1:15c. One way to make this clear would be to use special punctuation. For example, the NIV uses a dash, that is, —. If you place the saying in quotation marks, make sure you close the quotation marks at the end of 1:15c. Paul added these words to make it personal in this context.

I am the worst: The Greek word that the BSB translates as worst literally means “first.” Paul meant that he considered himself to be the greatest sinner. This did not mean that Paul had committed more or greater sins than anyone else in the world. It meant that Paul felt as if he were the worst sinner.Stott, page 53, says, “…when we are convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, an immediate result is that we give up all such comparisons. Paul was so vividly aware of his own sins that he could not conceive that anybody could be worse. It is the language of every sinner whose conscience has been awakened and disturbed by the Holy Spirit. We may begin like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men’, but we end like the tax collector who beat his breast and said (literally), ‘God have mercy on me, the sinner [Luke 18:9ff.].’ The Pharisee indulged in odious comparisons; as far as the tax collector was concerned, however, there were no other sinners with whom to compare himself; he was the one and only.” Paul was so aware of his own sins that he could not imagine that anybody could be worse than he was.

General Comment on 1:15a–d

In some languages it may be best to reorder this verse. For example, it may be better to translate the saying before stating that it is trustworthy. One way to do this is:

We believers often say: ^15c“Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners.” ^15aThese words are true ^15band everyone can believe them without doubting them in any way. ^15dAnd I have sinned more than anyone…

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

πιστὸς ὁ λόγος

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πιστός ὁ λόγος καί πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος ὅτι Χριστός Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τόν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλούς σῶσαι ὧν πρῶτος εἰμί ἐγώ)

Here, word represents what Paul is about to write using words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [What I am about to write is trustworthy] or [The following words are trustworthy]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

πιστὸς & καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος

The terms trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance mean similar things. Paul is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [is completely trustworthy] or [worthy of complete acceptance]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος

˱of˲_all acceptance worthy

Here, Paul is using the possessive form to describe a word that deserves to be accepted. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another. Alternate translation: [should receive all acceptance] or [deserves to receive all acceptance]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

πάσης ἀποδοχῆς

˱of˲_all acceptance

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of acceptance, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [of being completely accepted]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι

These words are the word that Paul shares with Timothy. To indicate this, the ULT and UST put quotation marks around these words. The ULT also uses a dash to indicate that the words of whom I am the first are not part of the word that Paul shares with Timothy. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use quotation marks or another form to indicate which words are the ones that Paul introduces as the word.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ

˱of˲_whom (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Πιστός ὁ λόγος καί πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος ὅτι Χριστός Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τόν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλούς σῶσαι ὧν πρῶτος εἰμί ἐγώ)

Here Paul speaks of the most sinful person, himself, as if he were first in a sequence. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [of whom I am the worst] or [of whom I have the most sin]

Note 7 topic: translate-ordinal

πρῶτός

If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you could use a cardinal number here or an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: [number one]

Parallel 1 TIM 1:15