1 From Paul.
God our Savior and Christ Jesus commanded me to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.
2 Timothy, because of our faith, you are like a son to me. I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind and merciful to you. May they bless you with peace!
Warning against False Teaching
3 When I was leaving for Macedonia, I asked you to stay on in Ephesus and warn certain people there to stop spreading their false teachings. 4 You needed to warn them to stop wasting their time on senseless stories and endless lists of ancestors. Such things only cause arguments. They don't help anyone to do God's work that can only be done by faith.
5 You must teach people to have genuine love, as well as a good conscience and true faith. 6 There are some who have given up these for nothing but empty talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the Law of Moses. But they don't know what they are talking about, even though they think they do.
8 We know the Law is good, if it is used in the right way. 9 We also understand it wasn't given to control people who please God, but to control lawbreakers, criminals, godless people, and sinners. It is for wicked and evil people, and for murderers, who would even kill their own parents. 10 The Law was written for people who are sexual perverts or who live as homosexuals or are kidnappers or liars or won't tell the truth in court. It is for anything else that opposes the correct teaching 11 of the good news the glorious and wonderful God has given me.
Being Thankful for God's Kindness
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me the strength for my work because he knew he could trust me. 13 I used to say terrible and insulting things about him, and I was cruel. But Christ had mercy on me because I didn't know what I was doing, and I had not yet put my faith in him. 14 Christ Jesus our Lord treated me with undeserved grace and has greatly blessed my life with faith and love just like his own.
15 “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! 16 But since I was worse than anyone else, God had mercy on me and let me be an example of the endless patience of Christ Jesus. He did this so that others would put their faith in Christ and have eternal life. 17 I pray that honor and glory will always be given to the only God, who lives forever and is the invisible and eternal King! Amen.
18 Timothy, my son, the instructions I am giving you are based on what some prophets once said about you. If you follow these instructions, you will fight like a good soldier. 19 You will be faithful and have a clear conscience. Some people have made a mess of their faith because they didn't listen to their consciences. 20 Two of them are Hymenaeus and Alexander. I have given these men over to the power of Satan, so they will learn not to oppose God.
Sveiciens
1 Pāvils, Kristus Jēzus apustulis, Dieva, mūsu glābēja, un Kristus Jēzus, mūsu cerības, uzdevumā – 2 Timotejam, īstenajam dēlam ticībā: lai žēlastība, žēlsirdība un miers no mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus!
Brīdinājums par svešām mācībām
3 Kad devos uz Maķedoniju, es tevi lūdzu uzkavēties Efesā, lai tu stingri pavēlētu kādiem nemācīt svešas mācības, 4 nedz pievērsties mītiem un nebeidzamiem cilts rakstiem; no tā vairāk ceļas lieka prātošana nekā īstenojas Dieva nodomi ticībā. 5 Šā aizlieguma mērķis ir mīlestība, kas nāk no tīras sirds, labas sirdsapziņas un neliekuļotas ticības; 6 daži, no ceļa nomaldījušies, to visu ir pārvērtuši tukšvārdībā – 7 gribēdami būt Mozus bauslības mācītāji, tie nesaprot, nedz ko viņi runā, nedz ko viņi uzstājīgi apgalvo. 8 Mēs zinām, ka likums ir labs, ja to lieto pareizi, 9 apzinoties, ka likums nav pret taisno, bet pret likuma pārkāpējiem un nepaklausīgajiem, bezdievjiem un grēciniekiem, neticīgajiem un nešķīstajiem, tēva un mātes nogalinātājiem, slepkavām, 10 izvirtuļiem, vīru piegulētājiem, vergu tirgotājiem, krāpniekiem, viltus lieciniekiem un pret visu to, kas ir pretējs veselīgai mācībai 11 un neatbilst svētā Dieva godības evaņģēlijam, kas man uzticēts.
Pateicība par Kristus žēlastību
12 Es pateicos mūsu Kungam Jēzum Kristum, kas devis man spēku un uzticējis man kalpošanu, atzinis mani par uzticamu, 13 lai gan agrāk biju zaimotājs, vajātājs un augstprātības pilns, bet viņš apžēlojās par mani, jo es savas nezināšanas dēļ biju rīkojies neticībā. 14 Mūsu Kunga žēlastība ir pārmēru vairojusies, dodot ticību un mīlestību Kristū Jēzū. 15 Uzticami un pilnīgi atzīstami ir vārdi, ka Kristus Jēzus ir nācis pasaulē glābt grēciniekus, no kuriem pirmais esmu es. 16 Bet apžēlots es esmu tādēļ, lai manī pirmajā Kristus Jēzus parādītu pacietību par paraugu tiem, kas ticēs uz viņu, lai iegūtu mūžīgo dzīvību. 17 Gods un slava lai ir mūžības Ķēniņam, neiznīcīgajam, neredzamajam vienīgajam Dievam uz mūžu mūžiem! Āmen! 18 Pēc pravietojumiem, kas par tevi izteikti agrāk, es tev, mans dēls Timotej, uzticu šo uzdevumu, lai tu šo pravietojumu spēkā cīnies krietno cīņu, 19 turēdamies pie ticības un saglabādams tīru sirdsapziņu, ko daži ir atmetuši, un viņu ticības kuģis ir sadragāts. 20 Starp tiem ir Himenejs un arī Aleksandrs, viņus esmu atmetis sātana varai, lai Dievs viņus pārmācītu vairs nezaimot.
