1 Timothy — Chapter 1

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1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines

4or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith.

5The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

6Some have strayed from these ways and turned aside to empty talk.

7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert.

8Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately.

9We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers,

10for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching

11that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.

13I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.

14And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.

16But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

17Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

18Timothy, my child, I entrust you with this command in keeping with the previous prophecies about you, so that by them you may fight the good fight,

19holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and thereby shipwrecked their faith.

20Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

2Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

3As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

4Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

5Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

6From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

7Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

8But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

9Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

11According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

17Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

18This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

19Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

20Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope;

2unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

4neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; [so do I now].

5But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:

6from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking;

7desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.

8But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully,

9as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

11according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12I thank him that enabled me, [even] Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to [his] service;

13though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;

14and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:

16howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all his longsuffering, for an ensample of them that should thereafter believe on him unto eternal life.

17Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

18This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare;

19holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith:

20of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2to Timothy, my genuine child in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!

3As I urged you when I was leaving for Macedonia, stay on in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to spread false teachings,

4nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. Such things promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan that operates by faith.

5But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

6Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion.

7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently.

8But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately,

9realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

10sexually immoral people, practicing homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers—in fact, for any who live contrary to sound teaching.

11This accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me.

12I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry,

13even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,

14and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus.

15This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them!

16But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.

17Now to the eternal King, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.

18I put this charge before you, Timothy my child, in keeping with the prophecies once spoken about you, in order that with such encouragement you may fight the good fight.

19To do this you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith.

20Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope;

2to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

4and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith—

5but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;

6from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking;

7desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

8But we know that the law is good, if a person uses it lawfully,

9as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

11according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;

13although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

16However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

18This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare;

19holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith;

20of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Paul opens by reminding Timothy why he left him in Ephesus: to stop certain men from teaching false doctrine and chasing myths and genealogies instead of the love that flows from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith (vv. 1-7). He explains that the law is good when used rightly, aimed at the lawless and sinful, and is consistent with the gospel of God's glory entrusted to him (vv. 8-11). Paul then recalls his own testimony as a former blasphemer and persecutor who was shown mercy and appointed to service, calling himself the worst of sinners as an example of Christ's patience, and breaks into praise of God as the eternal, immortal, invisible King (vv. 12-17). He closes by charging Timothy to fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a clear conscience, warning that Hymenaeus and Alexander have already shipwrecked their faith by rejecting it (vv. 18-20).

Authorship & Background

Author: Paul the Apostle (v.1). Written approximately AD 62-64, after Paul's release from his first Roman imprisonment (Acts 28). First Timothy is one of the three "Pastoral Epistles" (with 2 Timothy and Titus) — letters written to individual pastors about church leadership and ministry.
Recipient: Timothy — Paul's "own son in the faith" (v.2). Timothy was from Lystra (Acts 16:1), had a Jewish mother (Eunice) and Greek father, and became Paul's closest ministry partner. He was young (4:12), somewhat timid (2 Tim 1:7), and had stomach problems (5:23). Paul left him in Ephesus to deal with false teachers and organize the church.
Purpose: To instruct Timothy on how to lead the church at Ephesus — dealing with false teaching, organizing worship, establishing leadership qualifications, and maintaining personal integrity. Paul writes "that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God" (3:15).
Chapter 1 Overview: Paul charges Timothy to confront false teachers (vv.3-11), shares his own testimony of grace (vv.12-17), and recommits the charge to Timothy (vv.18-20).
Classification: Epistle — Pauline, Pastoral Epistle
Key Themes: A charge to stay and correct, endless genealogies set against love from a pure heart, the lawful use of the law, Paul as chief of sinners and pattern of mercy, and faith either held or shipwrecked
Greeting: An Apostle by Commandment (vv.1-2): Paul is an apostle “by the commandment of God” rather than by permission, and Timothy is “my own son in the faith”. The letter is personal without being private: it would be read aloud in the church, which means the opening lends Paul's authority to Timothy in front of the very people he has been left to correct.
Charged to Stay at Ephesus (vv.3-4): The reason for writing arrives in the first substantive sentence: remain, and charge some that they teach no other doctrine. The problem is named as fables and endless genealogies that raise questions rather than build anything. The objection is less that the material is false than that it leads nowhere, which is why the corrective is a purpose rather than a refutation.
The End of the Commandment Is Love (vv.5-7): The standard is stated positively: charity out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. The teachers have “swerved”, a word for missing a mark, and turned aside to vain talk. Paul's assessment is blunt — they want to be teachers of the law while understanding neither what they say nor what they insist on — and it names confidence without comprehension as the actual fault.
What the Law Is For (vv.8-11): The law is good when used lawfully, and its use is diagnostic rather than speculative: not made for a righteous man but for the lawless. The vice list tracks the second table of the Ten Commandments roughly in order, which is the argument in miniature. The law names what is wrong with people, while the false teachers were mining it for material.
Enabled, Though Formerly a Blasphemer (vv.12-14): Paul turns to himself as the evidence. He was a blasphemer, a persecutor and injurious, and obtained mercy “because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” — offered as explanation rather than excuse, since he has just called the conduct what it was. Grace is described as exceeding abundant, and it arrives with faith and love rather than in place of them.
Chief of Sinners, Pattern of Mercy (vv.15-17): “This is a faithful saying” marks a formula the churches already used. Paul puts himself first among sinners in the present tense, not the past, and then gives the reason it matters: he is a pattern, so that nobody afterward can suppose themselves past the reach of the same mercy. The doxology in v.17 interrupts the argument, which is what tends to happen when a writer stops arguing.
War a Good Warfare: Faith Shipwrecked (vv.18-20): The charge is renewed in military terms and tied to prophecies spoken over Timothy earlier. Hymenaeus and Alexander are named as men who put away a good conscience and made shipwreck of faith — conscience first, then doctrine, in that order. The stated aim of handing them over is corrective, “that they may learn not to blaspheme”, which sets the temperature for the discipline instructions later in the letter.

Map & Geography

  • Ephesus (v.3): Major city in Asia Minor (modern Turkey); location of a key early church.

Places on this map

  • Ephesusnear Selcuk, TurkeyThe largest port of Roman Asia, at the mouth of the Cayster on the west coast of Asia Minor, and home to the temple of Artemis. Its harbour silted up and the ruins now sit several miles inland, which is why a great seaport has no sea. Wikipedia
  • Asia MinorTurkeyThe peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, a high dry plateau ringed by mountains with the Greek cities on its western coast. Roman Asia, the province Paul worked from Ephesus, was only its western end. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik covers the charge against false teachers, the proper use of the Law, Paul's testimony, and the warfare charge to Timothy.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Book of 1 Timothy Summary: A Complete Animated Overview
BibleProject

1 Timothy 1 | The Gospel of Patience | Podcast
Spoken Gospel

1 Timothy 1 | The Worst of Sinners | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

1 Timothy 1 - Fighting for the Faith
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 1 Timothy -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Guarding Sound Teaching (vv.3-4) — Paul charges Timothy to stop the spread of speculative myths and endless genealogies that stir up controversy instead of building faith. What ideas or distractions pull your attention away from what actually strengthens your walk with God?
  • Love as the Goal of Instruction (v.5) — Paul says the whole point of sound teaching is love flowing from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and sincere faith. Does your growing knowledge of Scripture translate into greater love for people, or has it become an end in itself?
  • Chief of Sinners, Saved by Grace (v.15) — Paul calls himself the foremost of sinners, not out of false humility but out of honest self-assessment next to God's holiness. Do you still feel the weight of what you've been forgiven, or has grace become familiar background noise?
  • A Pattern of Patience for Others (v.16) — Paul says God saved him first, as the worst case, to prove His patience to everyone who would believe after him. How might your own story of being saved encourage someone who doubts they're too far gone?
  • Fighting the Good Fight (vv.18-19) — Paul charges Timothy to hold onto faith and a clear conscience, warning that some have shipwrecked their faith by abandoning both. What battles are you currently in, and are you protecting your conscience as carefully as your beliefs?