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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,
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To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
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As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
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nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
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Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,
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from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,
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desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
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But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,
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knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
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for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
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according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
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And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
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although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.