A letter from Paul to Timothy, which is thought to have been written (possibly in Aramaic) around 62-CE.
1 Paul, an
Apostle of the Anointed Jesus by the authorization
of God our Savior and of the Anointed Jesus [who is] our hope;
2 To Timothy, a genuine child
in the faith.
May you find loving care, mercy, and
peace from God the Father and [from] the Anointed Jesus, our Lord.
3 [Please]
stay in Ephesus as I had encouraged you to do, while I travel on to Macedonia.
For I want you to give orders to some that are there not to be teaching anything
different 4 or paying attention
to myths and genealogies, because there’s no end to these things, and such
research detracts from the job of serving the needs of the Faith in the
household of God.
5 Rather,
what I want you to [encourage them to do] is to love [each other] with a clean
heart and a good conscience, and to develop a faith that isn’t judgmental.
6
For because of what they are teaching, some are being misled into foolish
discussions.
7 And though they
want to be teachers of the Law, they don’t have any idea what they’re talking
about, and they don’t understand the effects that all of this will have.
8 Now, we
know that the Law is good… as long as it’s used for
legal purposes.
9 But recognize
that the Law wasn’t laid out for the righteous, but for the lawless and
undisciplined, the godless and sinners, the disloyal and unclean, those that
would slap their fathers and mothers, the murderers, 10 the sexually
immoral, the men that have sex with men, the
presumptuous, the liars and promise breakers, and all the rest that go against
the wholesome teachings 11 that
come from the glorious good news that our Blest God has entrusted to us.
12 I am so
grateful to the Anointed Jesus (our Lord) who has considered me faithful, given
me this authority, and made me his servant 13
[despite the fact that] I used to be a slanderer, a persecutor, and an arrogant
man.
However, I was just ignorant and I acted [that way] because I didn’t
believe…
And then I was shown mercy 14
by the loving kindness of our Lord, through the faith and love of the Anointed
Jesus.
15
Therefore, when we say that the Anointed Jesus came into the
world to save sinners;
These words are faithful and deserve to be believed,
because I was the foremost of them!
16
And the reason why I was shown mercy was so that the Anointed Jesus might
demonstrate all of his patience and use me as a prime example of someone who
can still put faith in him and receive age-long life.
17 So, to the King of the Ages
[who is] incorruptible and invisible (the only
God), may there be honor and glory into the ages of ages…
May it be so!
18 Now, this
is the responsibility that I’m laying upon you, my
son Timothy:
As the prophecies about you foretold (that you would be a soldier in a good war); 19 hang onto your
faith and good conscience…
For some have pushed theirs aside and experienced
shipwreck.
20 This includes
Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I’ve handed
over to the Opposer so they can be taught not to
blaspheme.
Chapter 2
1 First, I’m
encouraging you to beg for, to pray for, to ask on behalf of, and to give
thanks for all sorts of men 2
(for kings and for all those in high offices) so that we can just go on living
a calm and quiet life, devoutly and seriously;
3 For this is something that is good and acceptable in the
eyes of our Savior God, 4
because He wants all men to be saved and to come to a complete knowledge of the
truth.
5
Understand that there’s just one God, and there’s just one mediator between God
and men… a man, the Anointed Jesus.
6 For he offered himself as the ransom price on behalf of everyone at just the
right time in proof of this.
7
Yes, this is the reason why I was made a preacher, an Apostle (I’m not lying, I’m
telling the truth), and a teacher to the gentiles about the Faith and the Truth!
8
So, I am praying that all men everywhere might raise their hands in holiness and
set aside their anger and their arguments.
9 (Questionable verses:) Likewise, all women
should dress themselves modestly and adorn themselves sensibly, not with fancy
hairstyles or in gold and pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but in ways befitting women that have
promised to worship God and to do everything that’s good.
11 Yes, the women should learn quietly and
obediently, 12 for I don’t
allow them to teach or to act independently from men,
but to [listen] quietly…
13
because Adam was created first, then Eve.
14 Also, Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman was thoroughly
deceived and went beyond [what she was told].
15 However, [the women] will be kept safe
through childbirth as long as they remain in the Faith in love, holiness, and
sensibleness.
Chapter 3
1 You can
believe that whenever anyone is reaching out to be an overseer,
he’s looking for good work.
2
However, an overseer must be [someone that] has not been charged [with
misconduct]… he must be a one-woman man
who is moderate in his habits, sensible, orderly, friendly to strangers, and a teacher.
3 He shouldn’t be someone that drinks a lot
of wine or is quarrelsome, but [someone that is] gentle and peaceable, and not a
lover of money.
4 He should
also be a good manager of his own family and have children that obey him in all
dignity.
5 For if any man doesn’t
know how to manage his own house, how can he care for the congregation of God?
6 He must
not be a newly-converted man, for fear that he might become too proud and fall
into the judgment of the Slanderer.
7 And those outside [of the congregation]
should also speak well of him, so he doesn’t fall into the reproach and snares
of the Slanderer.
8 Likewise, servants should be serious, not deceitful or
excessive drinkers, and not looking for easy money.
9 Rather, they should hold onto the
mystery of the faith with a clean conscience.
10
Let them prove themselves first, and if they do well, you may allow them to
serve.
11 Women should likewise be serious and not slanderous, but moderate in their habits and faithful in everything.
12 Servants
should be one-woman men who are managing their own households and their children
well.
13 Indeed, those that
serve well will acquire for themselves confidence and a good standing in the
faith that is in the Anointed Jesus.
14 I’m writing these things to you (though I’m hoping to come to you shortly), 15 so that if I’m delayed, you’ll know how you should conduct yourself in God’s household (the Congregation of the living God) as a pillar and supporter of the truth.
16
Admittedly, our sacred devotion is a great mystery.
For he was shown in the flesh,
He was found righteous in spirit,
He was seen by [God’s] messengers,
He was preached about
among the nations,
He was believed in the world,
And
then he was taken up in glory.
Chapter 4
1 However,
the Spirit definitely says that some will leave the
faith in the future and pay attention to wicked spirits
and the teachings of demons, 2
as well as to hypocritical men that are liars and
whose consciences are seared as with branding irons.
3 These will forbid marrying and the
eating of food that God created to be eaten appreciatively by all those that
have faith and understand the truth.
4
For everything that God created is good, and nothing should be thrown away.
So
if we thank Him for it, 5 it
becomes holy by what we say to God in our prayers.
6 So if you’ll explain these things to the brothers, you’ll prove yourself a fine servant of the Anointed Jesus, and [you’ll] grow strong on the words of the Faith and the fine teachings that you’ve been following so closely.
7 You must
avoid worldly fables and old-wives’ tales, and train yourself to be a truly
reverent person.
8 For though
physical exercise does a little good, learning reverence [for God] is good for
all things, because it holds the promise of life both now and into that which
is coming.
9 Yes, what
I’m saying is trustworthy and deserves [your special] attention, 10 for this is why we’ve been struggling
and working so hard as we’ve continued to put faith in a living God who is the
Savior of all men…
But mostly of the faithful.
11 So,
instruct and teach…
12 And don’t
allow anyone to look down on you because you’re young.
Rather, become an
example to the faithful in what you say, in what you do, in your love, in your
faith, and in your purity!
13 Until I get there, work at public reading, at giving council, and on your teaching abilities.
14 Don’t be careless with the gift in you that was given through a prophecy when the elders laid their hands on you.
15
Think deeply about these things… get wrapped up in them, so that everyone can
see the progress that you’re making.
16
Yes, pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching, and stick with it;
for if you do that, you’ll save both yourself and those that are listening to
you!
Chapter 5
1 Don’t be too harsh with older men… speak to them as you would to fathers, to younger men as brothers, 2 to older women as mothers, and to younger women as sisters, with all purity.
3 Show honor
to the widows that are really living as widows.
4 However, if a widow has children or grandchildren;
Let
them first learn the lesson of how to show deep respect inside their own
families by paying what they owe to their parents and grandparents… for in God’s
sight, that’s the right thing to do.
5 Now, a
[truly-worthy] widow is one that has been left on her own, and because she puts her hope
in God, she keeps begging Him in her prayers both night and day.
6 However, [a widow] that lives on her own
and for pleasure, is already dead while she’s still alive.
7 So you
must always teach them this, so they’ll be found blameless:
8 ‘If you don’t provide for [those who
are] your own (especially for those in your own households), you have denied
the faith and you are worse than an unbeliever!’
9 However, put
a widow on the list if:
· She’s more than sixty years old
· She’s had just one husband
· She’s done good things that can be attested to
· She’s raised children
· She’s been hospitable
· She’s washed the feet of the Holy Ones
· She’s provided for those in difficulty
· She’s followed the course of doing all sorts of good deeds.
11 On the
other hand, turn down younger widows. For when they feel the need, they leave
the Anointed One because they want to marry…
12
And they’re judged for doing this, because they set aside the faith that they
had at first, 13 while learning
wasteful habits such as going around and doing a lot of visiting.
They not only
waste time, they also gossip, meddle in other people’s affairs, and talk about
things that they shouldn’t.
14 I prefer
to see younger widows marry, have children, and manage a home.
That way, the Opposer isn’t given something over which he can
gleefully gloat.
15 Yet, some
of them have already returned to following the Slanderer.
16 So if any believing woman has a widow [in her family], she should take care of this herself, so that the congregation won’t have to handle the burden and can then help those [that are truly are in need].
17 Also, let the elders that take the lead in a fine way be considered
as worthy of a double honor…
Especially those that work hard at speaking and
teaching.
18 For the Scriptures
tell us:
‘You shouldn’t muzzle a bull when it’s threshing grain,’
and,
‘A
worker deserves his pay.’
19
[Also, don’t] accept an accusation against an elder unless there are two or
three witnesses.
20 However,
you should expose those that you find guilty of sins before all onlookers, so the
rest will be afraid [of doing such things].
21 Before
God, the Anointed Jesus, and the chosen messengers,
I solemnly charge you to follow these instructions!
However, don’t reach any conclusions
before you’ve heard all the evidence, and never decide
because you’re biased one way or the other.
22 Also, don’t be too quick to lay your hands on any man [to appoint him to a responsibility], so you aren’t found to be a sharer in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure!
23 And don’t just drink water; rather, you might take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and for your frequent illnesses.
24 [Remember
that] the sins of some people are done in the open and lead directly to
judgment.
However, the [sins] of the rest will eventually become known.
25 For just as many good deeds become
widely known, [sins] can’t be kept hidden either.
Chapter 6
1 Now, those
that are in bondage as slaves should treat their masters as worthy of all honor,
so that the Name of God and our teachings won’t be slandered.
2 And those that have believing owners shouldn’t
think less of them because they are brothers.
Rather, they should zealously serve
them as slaves, because those that work hard are considered faithful and are
loved in return.
Keep on teaching these things and giving them this encouragement!
3 Now, if
anyone is teaching something different and doesn’t follow these life-giving
words (which are those of our Lord Jesus the Anointed
One), or doesn’t teach deep respect for God;
4 He’s just blowing smoke, he doesn’t understand anything
well, and he has become mentally diseased with doubts and debates over words…
The results of which create envy, arguing, slandering, wicked suspicions, 5 and ‘making mountains out of mole hills.’
Men with corrupt minds like that have let themselves be robbed of the truth…
And they’re the same ones who say that we should earn
a profit from this worship.
6 Yet, we do
gain much profit from this worship… that is, if we pay our own way.
7 For none of us brought anything into the
world and we can’t carry anything out.
8
So if we have enough to eat and enough to wear, we should be satisfied with
that.
9 However,
those that want to be rich fall into temptation, snares, and many foolish and
damaging desires, which drag people down into destruction and ruin…
10 For the love of money is the root of
everything that’s bad.
And because some have reached out for it, they’ve been led
away from the faith and into error, stabbing themselves all over and causing
themselves a lot of pain.
11 But you,
O man of God;
Flee from these things and pursue righteousness, reverence,
faith, love, endurance, and inner strength.
12
Yes, wrestle the fine match of the faith and put on the age-long life to which
you were called and about which you offered such a fine confession before so
many witnesses!
13 I’m
ordering you in the sight of The God
through whom all lives may be saved, and of
the Anointed Jesus who gave such a fine confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 to obey these instructions flawlessly
and blamelessly until the appearance of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One!
15 For he will appear at his own set time…
This praised and only sovereign;
The King of those that rule as kings and Lord
of those who rule as lords;
16 The one who alone has immortality
and who lives in unapproachable light;
The one whom no man has seen or can see.
May he have honor and age-long power…
May it be so!
17 Also, give
orders to those that are rich in this age not to think too much of themselves
and not to trust in their wealth (which is fickle), but in God who brings [the
type of] wealth to us that we can truly enjoy.
18 [Yes, teach them to] work at being good, to be rich in good
deeds, and to be generous and ready to share, 19
as they safely store away for themselves the treasures of a fine foundation in
that which is coming, so they can put on the real life.
20 O
Timothy; Guard this hope and turn away from all the worldly babbling, as well
as all that is falsely called ‘knowledge;’
21
For it’s through [such things] that some who once showed much promise in the
faith have been turned aside.
May [God’s] loving care be with you.
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