1 Timothy 1 (BHT-FTN)

“To: Timothy, My Genuine Son in the Faith”

1 From: Paul, an apostle of Messiah Jesus according to the command of God our Savior and Messiah Jesus our hope.

2 To: Timothy, my genuine+ son in the faith.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Messiah Jesus our Lord.

“I Urge You...to Remain in Ephesus”

3 I urge+ ˢyou,+ just as I did when I was leaving for Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus, so that you may instruct certain people to stop+ teaching things that are contrary to the accepted teachings,+ 4 and to stop occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies, which promote nothing but+ useless speculations+ rather than God’s plan of salvation,+ which operates by faith. 5 The goal of this instruction, moreover, is love from a pure+ heart and a clear conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain people, by+ deviating from these, have strayed into fruitless chatter, 7 desiring to be teachers of Torah but not understanding the things they are talking about or the matters about which they make such confident assertions.

“Messiah Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners”

8 Now, we know that Torah is good+ if someone uses it as it is supposed+ to be used,+ 9 that person+ understanding this: It is+ not the righteous for whom Torah is appointed, but the lawless and rebellious, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreverent,+ those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary+ to teaching that is sound,+ 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

12 I am grateful to the one who strengthens me, to Messiah Jesus our Lord, that he considered me trustworthy,+ appointing me to his service— 13 one who was once a blasphemer and persecutor and insolent man. Even so, I was shown mercy, because failing to understand, I acted in unbelief.+ 14 Yet the gift of our Lord was lavished on me even more,+ along with the faith and love that are found+ in union with Messiah Jesus. 15 Trustworthy+ is this saying, and deserving indeed of full acceptance: Messiah Jesus came into the world to save sinners,+ of whom I am the very+ worst. 16 Yet here is why I was shown mercy: So that in me, the worst of sinners, Messiah Jesus could display the very+ greatest of patience, as an example for those who would place their faith in him unto life in the coming age.+ 17 Now to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever into the ages of the ages. Amen.

“This Instruction I Am Entrusting to You”

18 This instruction I am entrusting to you in keeping with the prophecies, my son Timothy,+ previously made about you, so that you may use these words+ to continue fighting the good fight,+ 19 holding fast to faith and a clear conscience. Some, by+ rejecting these, have with respect to the faith suffered shipwreck.+ 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I turned over to Satan so that they may be taught through God’s discipline+ not to blaspheme.+

+1:2γνησίῳ ( gnēsiō) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and has therefore been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:3Cf NRSV. An infinitive is used in the Greek text here (lit just as I urged you to remain in Ephesus when I was leaving for Macedonia). The construction doesn’t transfer naturally into the receptor language here (English), and most translations compensate in various ways (cf, eg, ESV, NRSV, ISV, TEV).+1:3Unless otherwise noted (through superscript—ᵖyou—or some other means), all second person pronouns are in the second person singular.+1:3The context indicates that the “different doctrines” are already being taught. Cf CJB, ISV, NCV, NLT, TEV; UBSHS (1 Ti), 14.+1:3According to BDAG, ἑτεροδιδασκαλέω ( heterodidaskaleō) means “to teach contrary to standard instruction” ( BDAG, 398, sv). Cf also BSL, 1 Ti 1:3, sv; UBSHS (1 Ti), 14 (where the standard teaching is referred to as “accepted teachings”).+1:4ἐκζητήσεις ( ekzētēseis) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore a downtoner (based on context and lexeme; see, eg, L-N, 33.442) has been used to give this element extra focus and stress.+1:4Or idle disputes, or controversies.+1:4Lit the stewardship/management/administration of God. ME (see translation and notes at Eph 1:10; NET Bible Notes, 1 Ti 1:4; UBSHS [1 Ti], 16). Cf HCSB, NET, TEV.+1:5καθαρᾶς ( katharas) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and has thus been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:6The participle has been interpreted as an adverbial participle of means. This is reflected in the translation. Cf ESV, RSV.+1:8καλὸς ( kalos) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has therefore been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:8νομίμως ( nomimōs) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore italics have been used to give extra focus and emphasis to this element within the ME (see following note).+1:8Lit uses it lawfully. ME (see UBSHS [1 Ti], 21; cf TEV).+1:9The participle here is singular/nominative/masculine, and thus refers to τις ( tis) in the conditional clause. Cf ISV.+1:9δικαίῳ ( dikaiō) is in P2 (see BART Display), and therefore a cleft-construction has been used to give this element extra focus and stress.+1:9Or profane.+1:10ἀντίκειται ( antikeitai) is in a DFE position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore italics have been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:10ὑγιαινούσῃ ( hugiainousē) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and therefore the phrase has been rendered so as to give extra focus to this element.+1:12Or faithful. πιστόν ( piston) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has thus been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:13Cf Rm 10:1-4.+1:14Cf Rm 5:20.+1:14Cf NASB.+1:15Or faithful. πιστὸς καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος ( pistos kai pasēs apodochēs axios) is in a split focal position (see BART Display and LDGNT), with πάσης ἀποδοχῆς in an embedded focal position (see BART Display). Inversion and an adverb have thus been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:15ἁμαρτωλοὺς ( hamartōlous) is in P2 (see BART Display), and therefore italics have been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:15πρῶτός ( prōtos) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore an adverb has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:16ἅπασαν ( hapasan) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and therefore an adverb has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:16This is a more literal rendering of ζωὴν αἰώνιον ( zōēn aiōnion), which most English translations render as “eternal life.” See UBSHS (Jn), 88.+1:18προαγούσας ἐπὶ σὲ ( proagousas epi se) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and therefore τέκνον Τιμόθεε ( teknon Timothee) has been used as a spacer to give extra focus to this element.+1:18Lit by them. ME. Cf TEV.+1:18Cf ISV.+1:19The participle has been interpreted as an adverbial participle of means. This is reflected in the translation. Cf ESV, NRSV, RSV.+1:19ἐναυάγησαν ( enauagēsan) is in a DFE position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore inversion has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:20παιδεύω ( paideuō) in this context is referring to training through divine discipline (see BDAG, 749, sv 2.b.α.).+1:20Cf 1 Co 5:5.