1 Timothy 4-6

I Timothy 4

¹But the Spirit says clearly that in later times some will be turned away from the faith, giving their minds to spirits of deceit, and the teachings of evil spirits,

²Through the false ways of men whose words are untrue, whose hearts are burned as with a heated iron;

³Who keep men from being married and from taking food which God made to be taken with praise by those who have faith and true knowledge.

⁴Because everything which God has made is good, and nothing is evil, if it is taken with praise:

⁵For it is made holy by the word of God and by prayer.

⁶If you keep these things before the minds of the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the right teaching which has been your guide:

⁷But have nothing to do with unclean and foolish stories. Give yourself training in religion:

⁸For the training of the body is of profit for a little, but religion is of profit in every way, giving hope for the life which now is, and for that which is to come.

⁹This is a true saying, in which all may put their faith.

¹⁰And this is the purpose of all our work and our fighting, because our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and specially of those who have faith.

¹¹Let these be your orders and your teaching.

¹²Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living.

¹³Till I come, give attention to the reading of the holy Writings, to comforting the saints, and to teaching.

¹⁴Make use of that grace in you, which was given to you by the word of the prophets, when the rulers of the church put their hands on you.

¹⁵Have a care for these things; give yourself to them with all your heart, so that all may see how you go forward.

¹⁶Give attention to yourself and your teaching. Go on in these things; for in doing so you will get salvation for yourself and for those who give hearing to you.

I Timothy 5

¹Do not say sharp words to one who has authority in the church, but let your talk be as to a father, and to the younger men as to brothers:

²To the older women as to mothers, to the younger as to sisters, with a clean heart.

³Give honour to widows who are truly widows.

⁴But if any widow has children or children's children, let these see that it is right to take care of their family and their fathers and mothers: for this is pleasing in the eyes of God.

⁵Now she who is truly a widow and without family puts her hope in God, giving herself to prayer day and night.

⁶But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she is living.

⁷Give orders to this effect, so that no evil may be said of anyone.

⁸If anyone has no care for his family and those in his house, he is false to the faith, and is worse than one who has no faith.

⁹Let no woman be numbered among the widows who is under sixty years old, and only if she has been the wife of one man,

¹⁰And if witness is given of her good works; if she has had the care of children, if she has been kind to travellers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those who are in trouble, giving herself to good works.

¹¹But to the younger widows say No: for when their love is turned away from Christ, they have a desire to be married;

¹²And they are judged because they have been false to their first faith;

¹³And they get into the way of doing no work, going about from house to house; and not only doing no work, but talking foolishly, being over-interested in the business of others, saying things which they have no right to say.

¹⁴So it is my desire that the younger widows may be married and have children, controlling their families, and giving the Evil One no chance to say anything against them,

¹⁵For even now some are turned away to Satan.

¹⁶If any woman of the faith has relations who are widows, let her give them help, so that the care of them does not come on the church, and so it may give help to those who are truly widowed.

¹⁷Let rulers whose rule is good be honoured twice over, specially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

¹⁸For the Writings say, It is not right to keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. And, The worker has a right to his reward.

¹⁹Do not take as true any statement made against one in authority, but only if two or three give witness to it.

²⁰Say sharp words to sinners when all are present, so that the rest may be in fear.

²¹I give you orders before God and Christ Jesus and the angels of God's selection, to keep these orders without giving thought to one side more than another.

²²Do not put hands on any man without thought, and have no part in other men's sins: keep yourself clean.

²³Do not take only water as your drink, but take a little wine for the good of your stomach, and because you are frequently ill.

²⁴The sins of some men are clearly seen, going before them to be judged; but with others, their sins go after them.

²⁵In the same way, there are good works which are clearly seen; and those which are not so, may not be kept secret.

I Timothy 6

¹Let all who are servants under the yoke give all honour to their masters, so that no evil may be said against the name of God and his teaching.

²And let those whose masters are of the faith have respect for them because they are brothers, working for them the more readily, because those who take part in the good work are of the faith and are dear. Give orders and teaching about these things.

³If any man gives different teaching, not in agreement with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the teaching which is in agreement with true religion,

⁴He has an over-high opinion of himself; being without knowledge, having only an unhealthy love of questionings and wars of words, from which come envy, fighting, cruel words, evil thoughts,

⁵Bitter talk of men who, being evil in mind and dead to what is true, take the faith to be a way of making profit.

⁶But true faith, with peace of mind, is of great profit:

⁷For we came into the world with nothing, and we are not able to take anything out;

⁸But if we have food and a roof over us, let that be enough.

⁹But those who have a desire for wealth are falling into danger, and are taken as in a net by a number of foolish and damaging desires, through which men are overtaken by death and destruction.

¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all evil: and some whose hearts were fixed on it have been turned away from the faith, and been wounded with unnumbered sorrows.

¹¹But you, O man of God, keep yourself from these things, and go after righteousness, religion, faith, love, a quiet mind, gentle behaviour.

¹²Be fighting the good fight of the faith; take for yourself the life eternal, for which you were marked out, and of which you gave witness in the eyes of all.

¹³I give you orders before God, the giver of life, and Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate gave witness to the faith,

¹⁴To keep the word untouched by evil, clear from all shame, till the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ:

¹⁵Which at the right time he will make clear, who is the eternal and only Ruler, King of kings, and Lord of lords;

¹⁶Who only has life for ever, living in light to which no man may come near; whom no man has seen or is able to see: to whom be honour and power for ever. So be it.

¹⁷Give orders to those who have money and goods in this life, not to be lifted up in their minds, or to put their hope in the uncertain chances of wealth, but in God who gives us in full measure all things for our use;

¹⁸And to do good, having wealth in good works, being quick to give, taking part with one another;

¹⁹Making ready for themselves a safe place for the time to come, so that the true life may be theirs.

²⁰O Timothy, take good care of that which is given to you, turning away from the wrong and foolish talk and arguments of that knowledge which is falsely so named;

²¹Through which some, who gave their minds to it, have been turned away from the faith. Grace be with you.