1 Timothy 2

¹ I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men,

² for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

⁴ who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time,

⁷ to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.

⁹ In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety, not with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing,

¹⁰ but with good works, which is appropriate for women professing godliness.

¹¹ Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission.

¹² But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.

¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

¹⁴ Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience;

¹⁵ but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with sobriety.

Around 1 Timothy 2

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

1 Timothy 2 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Paul begins with prayer. Before anything else, petitions, prayers and thanksgivings are to be made for all people, including kings and those in high places, so that the church may lead a quiet life. This is good in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved. There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.

The chapter then turns to conduct in worship. Men are to pray without anger. Women are to adorn themselves with good works rather than costly display. Then Paul writes that a woman is to learn in quietness, that he does not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, and he points to Adam and Eve. The last verse, about being saved through childbearing, is among the most puzzling in the letter.

Background

Paul writes to Timothy in Ephesus, where false teaching is troubling the church. The passage on women is among the most debated in the New Testament, and Christians differ. Some traditions read it as a lasting rule that church teaching and leadership belong to men. Others read it as an answer to a particular situation in Ephesus, and point to women who taught and led elsewhere, such as Priscilla in Acts 18 and the women named in Romans 16. Verse 15 has been read in several ways. Many scholars think the letter was written in Paul’s name by a later follower.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 18 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes