2 Timothy 3 - Titus 3

English Standard Version

Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that ^(A)in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be ^(B)lovers of self, ^(C)lovers of money, ^(D)proud, ^(E)arrogant, abusive, ^(F)disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ^3 (G)heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, ^(H)not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, ^(I)swollen with conceit, ^(J)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but ^(K)denying its power. ^(L)Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are ^(M)those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to ^(N)arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as ^(O)Jannes and Jambres ^(P)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ^(Q)men corrupted in mind and ^(R)disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, ^(S)as was that of those two men.

All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God

^10 (T)You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me ^(U)at Antioch, ^(V)at Iconium, and ^(W)at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet ^(X)from them all ^(Y)the Lord rescued me. ¹² Indeed, all who desire to ^(Z)live a godly life in Christ Jesus ^(AA)will be persecuted, ¹³ while ^(AB)evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and ^(AC)being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, ^(AD)continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom^[a] you learned it ¹⁵ and how ^(AE)from childhood you have been acquainted with ^(AF)the sacred writings, ^(AG)which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ^16 (AH)All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that ^(AI)the man of God^[b] may be complete, ^(AJ)equipped ^(AK)for every good work.

Preach the Word

4 ^(AL)I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, ^(AM)who is to judge the living and the dead, and by ^(AN)his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; ^(AO)reprove, rebuke, and ^(AP)exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ^3 (AQ)For the time is coming when people will not endure ^(AR)sound^[c] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and ^(AS)will turn away from listening to the truth and ^(AT)wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, ^(AU)always be sober-minded, ^(AV)endure suffering, do the work of ^(AW)an evangelist, ^(AX)fulfill your ministry.

⁶ For ^(AY)I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my ^(AZ)departure has come. ^7 (BA)I have fought the good fight, ^(BB)I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is ^(BC)laid up for me ^(BD)the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, ^(BE)the righteous judge, will award to me on ^(BF)that day, and not only to me but also to all ^(BG)who have loved his appearing.

Personal Instructions

^9 (BH)Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰ For ^(BI)Demas, ^(BJ)in love with ^(BK)this present world, ^(BL)has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,^{[d] (BM)}Titus to Dalmatia. ^11 (BN)Luke alone is with me. Get ^(BO)Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. ^12 (BP)Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. ^14 (BQ)Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; ^(BR)the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵ Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. ¹⁶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. ^(BS)May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷ But ^(BT)the Lord stood by me and ^(BU)strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and ^(BV)all the Gentiles might hear it. So ^(BW)I was rescued ^(BX)from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. ^(BY)To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹⁹ Greet ^(BZ)Prisca and Aquila, and ^(CA)the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰ Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left ^(CB)Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. ^21 (CC)Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.^[e]

²² The Lord be ^(CD)with your spirit. ^(CE)Grace be with you.^[f]

Greeting

1 Paul, a servant^[g] of God and ^(CF)an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and ^(CG)their knowledge of the truth, ^(CH)which accords with godliness, ^2 (CI)in hope of eternal life, which God, ^(CJ)who never lies, ^(CK)promised ^(CL)before the ages began^{[h] 3} and ^(CM)at the proper time manifested in his word^{[i] (CN)}through the preaching ^(CO)with which I have been entrusted ^(CP)by the command of God our Savior;

⁴ To Titus, ^(CQ)my true child in ^(CR)a common faith:

^(CS)Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications for Elders

^5 (CT)This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and ^(CU)appoint elders in every town as I directed you— ^6 (CV)if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,^[j] and his children are believers^[k] and not open to the charge of ^(CW)debauchery or insubordination. ⁷ For an overseer,^{[l] (CX)}as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not ^(CY)be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent ^(CZ)or greedy for gain, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, ^(DA)and disciplined. ⁹ He must ^(DB)hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in ^(DC)sound^[m] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, ^(DD)empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of ^(DE)the circumcision party.^{[n] 11} They must be silenced, since ^(DF)they are upsetting whole families by teaching ^(DG)for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. ^12 (DH)One of the Cretans,^[o] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”^{[p] 13} This testimony is true. Therefore ^(DI)rebuke them ^(DJ)sharply, that they ^(DK)may be sound in the faith, ^14 (DL)not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and ^(DM)the commands of people ^(DN)who turn away from the truth. ^15 (DO)To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and ^(DP)unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both ^(DQ)their minds and their consciences are defiled. ^16 (DR)They profess to know God, but they ^(DS)deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, ^(DT)unfit for any good work.

Teach Sound Doctrine

2 But as for you, teach what accords with ^(DU)sound^[q] doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, ^(DV)sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ^3 (DW)Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, ^(DX)not slanderers ^(DY)or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, ^(DZ)pure, ^(EA)working at home, kind, and ^(EB)submissive to their own husbands, ^(EC)that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge ^(ED)the younger men to be self-controlled. ⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be ^(EE)a model of good works, and in your teaching ^(EF)show integrity, ^(EG)dignity, ⁸ and ^(EH)sound speech that cannot be condemned, ^(EI)so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ^9 (EJ)Bondservants^[r] are to be submissive to their own masters ^(EK)in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, ^(EL)but showing all good faith, ^(EM)so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

¹¹ For ^(EN)the grace of God ^(EO)has appeared, bringing salvation ^(EP)for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and ^(EQ)worldly passions, and ^(ER)to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in ^(ES)the present age, ^13 (ET)waiting for our blessed ^(EU)hope, the ^(EV)appearing of the glory of our great ^(EW)God and Savior Jesus Christ, ^14 (EX)who gave himself for us to ^(EY)redeem us from all lawlessness and ^(EZ)to purify for himself ^(FA)a people for his own possession who are ^(FB)zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and ^(FC)rebuke with all authority. ^(FD)Let no one disregard you.

Be Ready for Every Good Work

3 Remind them ^(FE)to be submissive to rulers and authorities, ^(FF)to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ^2 (FG)to speak evil of no one, ^(FH)to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and ^(FI)to show perfect courtesy toward all people. ³ For ^(FJ)we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴ But when ^(FK)the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, ^(FL)not because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^(FM)according to his own mercy, by ^(FN)the washing of regeneration and ^(FO)renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he ^(FP)poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that ^(FQ)being justified by his grace we might become ^(FR)heirs ^(FS)according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸ The saying is ^(FT)trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful ^(FU)to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. ⁹ But ^(FV)avoid foolish ^(FW)controversies, ^(FX)genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for ^(FY)they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰ As for a person who stirs up division, ^(FZ)after warning him once and then twice, ^(GA)have nothing more to do with him, ¹¹ knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹² When I send Artemas or ^(GB)Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me ^(GC)at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³ Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and ^(GD)Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. ¹⁴ And let our people learn ^(GE)to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not ^(GF)be unfruitful.

¹⁵ All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

^(GG)Grace be with you all.