17Now to the King eternal, the imperishable, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
18This charge I commit to thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before concerning thee, that thou mayest wage in them the good warfare; 19having faith, and a good conscience, which some thrusting away made shipwreck concerning the faith. 20Of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered over to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.
II. I exhort then, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; 2for kings, and all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and decorum. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God; 4who desires that all should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.
5For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time; 7whereunto I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle (I speak truth, I lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8I desire, therefore, that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing; 9in like manner also that women, in becoming apparel, adorn themselves with modesty and sobriety; not in braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly raiment; 10but, which becomes women professing godliness, by means of good works.
11Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection. 12But I permit not the woman to teach, nor to have authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived; but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into transgression. 15But she shall be saved through child-bearing, if they continue in faith, and love, and holiness, with sobriety.
III. Faithful is the saying, if any one desires the office of overseer[1], he desires a good work. 2The overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, orderly, hospitable, apt in teaching; 3not given to wine, not a striker, but forbearing, averse to strife, not a lover of money; 4presiding well over his own house, having his children in subjection with all decorum; 5(but if one knows not how to preside over his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6not a novice[6], lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. 7But he must also have a good testimony from those without, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil.
8Deacons in like manner must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of gain; 9holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, being without reproach. 11[Their] wives in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12Let the deacons be husbands of one wife, presiding well over their children and their own houses. 13For they that have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good degree[13], and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee shortly; 15but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifested[16] in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, was received up in glory.