1 Timothy 1:9 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)
9 We [also] know this: law [or, “the Law of Moses”] is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for unholy and irreverent people, for people who kill their parents, for murderers,
9 knowing 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,
9 Knowing and understanding this: that the Law is not enacted for the righteous (the upright and just, who are in right standing with God), but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike and beat and [even] murder fathers and strike and beat and [even] murder mothers, for manslayers,
9 as 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,
9 We understand this: the Law isn’t established for a righteous person but for people who live without laws and without obeying any authority. They are the ungodly and the sinners. They are people who are not spiritual, and nothing is sacred to them. They kill their fathers and mothers, and murder others.
9 Knowing this, that the law was not set in place for the just, but for the unjust and the insubordinate, for the impious and sinners, for the wicked and the defiled, for those who commit patricide, matricide, or homicide,
What then is [the benefit of] the Law of Moses? It was introduced [as part of God’s revelation] in order to define what sin was, until the seed [i.e., Jesus] would come, to whom the promise [of never ending life] was made. The Law of Moses was ordained through [the medium of] angels and [delivered] through the hand of an intermediary [i.e., Moses].
And if people who are trying to do right [i.e., Christians] are saved through [suffering] such difficulties, where will the ungodly and sinful person end up, [if not in hell]?
This was so that just as sin ruled [over mankind], causing [physical] death, even so God’s unearned favor would rule [over mankind], providing [them with] righteousness, and leading to never ending life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For we [Christians] were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various kinds of [evil] desires and [sinful] pleasures. [We used to] live in malice and envy, hating people and being hated by them.
On the outside [of the city] are the dogs [Note: This probably refers to people who practiced sexual perversions. See Deut. 23:17] and the sorcerers, and the sexually immoral people, and the murderers, and the idolaters and every person who loves and practices falsehood.
But the place for cowards, and unbelievers, and disgusting people [i.e., because of their terrible sins], and murderers, and sexually immoral people, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will be the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
These people claim to know God [as Savior], but they deny Him by their actions, so they are detestable and disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
These people had disobeyed [Noah’s preaching, See II Pet. 2:5] back when God’s patience waited [for them to repent, See Gen. 6:3], during the days of Noah, when the ship was being constructed. It was by that means [i.e., the ship floating them to safety through the Flood waters] that a few persons, eight of them, were saved [from destruction] through water.
By [having] faith, Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with the disobedient [inhabitants of Jericho] because she welcomed the [twelve] spies in peace.
And then the lawless person [See verse 3] will be revealed, the one whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the brilliant appearance of His presence [i.e., at His second coming].
For it was not through [obedience to] law [See 3:31] that the promise to Abraham or his descendants of inheriting [the best of] the world [was made], but through their being considered righteous because of faith [in God].
[At that time] a person will turn his brother over to be killed, and the father [will do the same to] his child. And children will rebel against their parents and turn them over to be killed.
To those of you who believe in Him then, this “Stone” is [very] precious. But to those who do not believe [Psa. 118:22 says], “The stone which those in charge of the building project have rejected has been made the principal stone for aligning the whole structure.”
envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you again, as I have done before, that those people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But you should have nothing to do with those worldly myths [See 1:4] and superstitious tales [often] told by old women. Instead, train yourself for living a godly life.
[So], Timothy, guard [the Gospel message] which has been entrusted to you, while avoiding worldly, empty chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called “knowledge,”
[An elder must] not be guilty of just blame, [he must be] the husband of one wife, whose children are believers [Note: The word for “believers” may also be translated “faithful ones” or “trustworthy ones”], who have a reputation for not being wild or disobedient.
to bring judgment upon all [such people], and to convict every person of their ungodly behavior, which they have wickedly committed, and of all the evil things that [such] ungodly sinners have spoken against God.”