Honoring the Elders
17
The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
18
For the Scripture says:
Do not muzzle an ox
while it is treading out the grain,
and,
the worker is worthy of his wages.
19
Don't accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.
20
Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will also be afraid.
21
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism.
22
Don't be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder, and don't share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23
Don't continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
24
Some people's sins are obvious, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later.
25
Likewise, good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden.
1 Timothy
Honoring Masters
6
All who are under the yoke as
•slaves
must regard their own masters to be worthy of all respect, so that God's name and His teaching will not be blasphemed.
2
Those who have believing masters should not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but should serve them better, since those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved.
False Doctrine and Human Greed
Teach and encourage these things.
3
If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness,
4
he is conceited, understanding nothing, but has a sick interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions,
5
and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.
6
But godliness with contentment is a great gain.
7
For we brought nothing into the world,
and we can take nothing out.
8
But if we have food and clothing,
we will be content with these.
9
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
Fight the Good Fight
11
But you, man of God, run from these things,
and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance, and gentleness.
12
Fight the good fight for the faith;
take hold of eternal life
that you were called to
and have made a good confession about
in the presence of many witnesses.
13
In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius
•Pilate
, I charge you
14
to keep the command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15
God will bring this about in His own time. He is
the blessed and only Sovereign,
the King of kings,
and the Lord of lords,
16
the only One who has immortality,
dwelling in unapproachable light;
no one has seen or can see Him,
to Him be honor and eternal might.
•Amen
.
Instructions to the Rich
17
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.
18
Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share,
19
storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real.
Guard the Heritage
20
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent, empty speech and contradictions from the “knowledge” that falsely bears that name.
21
By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith.
Grace be with all of you.
2 Timothy
2 Timothy
Greeting
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, for the promise of life in Christ Jesus:
2
To Timothy, my dearly loved son.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving
3
I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.
4
Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy,
5
clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.
6
Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
8
So don't be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me His prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.
9
He has saved us and called us
with a holy calling,
not according to our works,
but according to His own purpose and grace,
which was given to us in Christ Jesus
before time began.
10
This has now been made evident
through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,
who has abolished death
and has brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel.
11
For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher,
12
and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.
Be Loyal to the Faith
13
Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
14
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.
15
This you know: All those in
•Asia
have turned away from me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16
May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
17
On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me.
18
May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy from Him on that day. And you know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.
2 Timothy
Be Strong in Grace
2
You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2
And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4
No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter.
5
Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
6
The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.
7
Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
8
Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead and descended from David. This is according to my gospel.
9
I suffer for it to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God's message is not bound.
10
This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11
This saying is trustworthy:
For if we have died with Him,
we will also live with Him;
12
if we endure, we will also reign with Him;
if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
13
if we are faithless, He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.
An Approved Worker
14
Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
16
But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness.
17
And their word will spread like gangrene; Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them.
18
They have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are overturning the faith of some.
19
Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription:
The Lord knows those who are His,
and
Everyone who names the name of the Lord
must turn away from unrighteousness.
20
Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
21
So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
22
Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
23
But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels.
24
The Lord's
•slave
must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient,
25
instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.
26
Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil's trap, having been captured by him to do his will.
2 Timothy
Difficult Times Ahead
3
But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days.
2
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3
unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,
4
traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5
holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!
6
For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions,
7
always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
8
Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind, worthless in regard to the faith.
9
But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also.
Struggles in the Christian Life
10
But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance,
11
along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from them all.
12
In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
13
Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you,
15
and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
17
so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy
Fulfill Your Ministry
4
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom:
2
Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.
3
For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.
4
They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.
5
But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.