He puts Timothy in mind of his charge and blesses God for the mercy he himself had received.

¹ Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the authority of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope,

² to Timothy, beloved son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ Now I asked you to remain at Ephesus, while I went into Macedonia, so that you would speak strongly against certain ones who have been teaching a different way,

⁴ against those who have been paying attention to fables and endless genealogies. These things present questions as if they were greater than the edification that is of God, which is in faith.

⁵ Now the goal of instruction is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith.

⁶ Certain persons, wandering away from these things, have been turned aside to empty babbling,

⁷ desiring to be teachers of the law, but understanding neither the things that they themselves are saying, nor what they are affirming about these things.

⁸ But we know that the law is good, if one makes use of it properly.

⁹ Knowing this, that the law was not set in place for the just, but for the unjust and the insubordinate, for the impious and sinners, for the wicked and the defiled, for those who commit patricide, matricide, or homicide,¹

1. 1:9The law is not: He means, that the just man doth good, and avoids evil, not as compelled by the law, and merely for fear of the punishment appointed for transgressors; but voluntarily, and out of the love of God and virtue; and would do so, though there were no law.(Challoner)

¹⁰ for fornicators, for males who sleep with males, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,¹

1. 1:10The phrase ‘masculorum concubitoribus’ refers to homosexuality; the word ‘concubitoribus’ is masculine plural, and the word ‘masculorum’ refers to males generally. Since Paul adds ‘whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine’ female homosexuality is also condemned.(Conte)

¹¹ which is in accord with the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God, the Gospel which has been entrusted to me.

¹² I give thanks to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he has considered me faithful, placing me in the ministry,

¹³ though previously I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and contemptuous. But then I obtained the mercy of God. For I had been acting ignorantly, in unbelief.

¹⁴ And so the grace of our Lord has abounded greatly, with the faith and love that is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ It is a faithful saying, and worthy of acceptance by everyone, that Christ Jesus came into this world to bring salvation to sinners, among whom I am first.¹

1. 1:15Paul is not saying that he is literally the worst sinner of all, but merely that he was among the worst sinners; ‘first’ is used as a superlative in the general sense of ‘very much so,’ and not in the absolute sense of ‘more so than any other.’(Conte)

¹⁶ But it was for this reason that I obtained mercy, so that in me as first, Christ Jesus would display all patience, for the instruction of those who would believe in him unto eternal life.

¹⁷ So then, to the King of ages, to the immortal, invisible, solitary God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This precept I commend to you, my son Timothy, in accord with the prophets who preceded you: that you serve among them like a soldier in a good war,

¹⁹ holding to faith and good conscience, against those who, by rejecting these things, have made a shipwreck of the faith.

²⁰ Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.