1 Pāvils, Kristus Jēzus apustulis pēc Dieva, mūsu Pestītāja, un Kunga Kristus Jēzus, mūsu cerības, pavēles, 2 Timotejam, savam īstam dēlam ticībā: žēlastība, apžēlošana, miers no Dieva Tēva un Kristus Jēzus, mūsu Kunga. 3 Jau iedams uz Maķedoniju, esmu lūdzis tevi palikt Efezā, lai tu piekodinātu zināmiem ļaudīm nemācīt svešas mācības, 4 nedz nodoties bezgalīgām pasakām un cilts rakstiem, kas vairāk ierosina prātošanu nekā kopj Dieva draudzi ticībā, 5 bet sludināšanas mērķis ir mīlestība, kas nāk no skaidras sirds un labas apziņas un neliekuļotas ticības. 6 No tā daži ir noklīduši un nogriezušies uz tukšu izrunāšanos, 7 gribēdami būt bauslības mācītāji, bet nesaprazdami ne to, ko saka, nedz to, ko daži apgalvo. 8 Bet mēs zinām, ka bauslība ir laba, ja lieto to pareizi, 9 atzīstot, ka bauslība nav dota taisnam, bet netaisniem un nepaklausīgiem, bezdievīgiem un grēciniekiem, negantiem un nesvētiem, tēva un mātes slepkavām, cilvēku kāvējiem, 10 netikļiem, vīru piegulētājiem, cilvēku pārdevējiem, melkuļiem, zvēresta lauzējiem un ja kas vien vēl ir pretim veselīgai mācībai, 11 pēc svētā Dieva godības evaņģēlija, kas man uzticēts. 12 Esmu pateicīgs Tam, kas darījis mani spēcīgu - Kristum Jēzum, mūsu Kungam, ka Viņš atzinis mani par uzticamu un iecēlis kalpošanai, 13 kaut gan iepriekš biju zaimotājs, vajātājs un varmāka; tomēr es esmu apžēlots, jo es nezinādams esmu darījis to neticībā, 14 bet pāri mēram bija mūsu Kunga žēlastība ar ticību un mīlestību, kas sakņojas Kristū Jēzū. 15 Tas ir patiess un pilnā mērā atzīstams vārds, ka Kristus Jēzus ir nācis pasaulē izglābt grēciniekus. Es esmu pirmais viņu starpā, 16 bet tāpēc es esmu atradis apžēlošanu, lai īpaši manī Kristus Jēzus parādītu visu savu lēnprātību par priekšzīmi tiem, kas turpmāk, paļaudamies uz Viņu, iegūs mūžīgu dzīvību. 17 Bet pasaules mūžu valdniekam, neiznīcīgam, neredzamam vienīgajam Dievam lai ir gods un slava mūžu mūžos. Āmen. 18 Šo piekodinājumu es lieku tev pie sirds, mans dēls Timotej, pēc agrākiem praviešu vārdiem par tevi, lai tu cīnītos ar tiem labo cīņu 19 savā ticībā un labā sirdsapziņā, ko daži ir atmetuši, un tā viņu ticības laiva ir sadragāta; 20 to starpā ir Himenējs un Aleksandrs. Tos esmu nodevis sātanam, lai viņi pārmācīti vairs nezaimotu Dievu.
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.
