A Good Servant of Christ Jesus

^6 (A)If you put these things before the brothers,^[a] you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have ^(B)followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with irreverent, ^(C)silly myths. Rather ^(D)train yourself for godliness; ⁸ for while ^(E)bodily training is of some value, godliness ^(F)is of value in every way, as ^(G)it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹ The saying is ^(H)trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and strive,^[b] because we have our hope set on the living God, ^(I)who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

¹¹ Command and teach ^(J)these things. ^12 (K)Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers ^(L)an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ^14 (M)Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you ^(N)by prophecy when the council of elders ^(O)laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,^[c] so that ^(P)all may see your progress. ^16 (Q)Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save ^(R)both yourself and ^(S)your hearers.

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

5 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by ^(A)the lake of Gennesaret, ^2 (B)and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were ^(C)washing their nets. ³ Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And ^(D)he sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ^(E)“Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ And Simon answered, “Master, ^(F)we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, ^(G)they enclosed a large number of fish, and ^(H)their nets were breaking. ⁷ They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. ^(I)And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ^(J)“Depart from me, for ^(K)I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”^{[a] 11} And when they had brought their boats to land, ^(L)they left everything and followed him.