2 Timothy 2
New International Reader's Version
Paul Again Encourages Timothy to Be Faithful
2 My son, be strong in the grace that is yours in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach in front of many witnesses. Pass on to people you can trust the things you’ve heard me say. Then they will be able to teach others also. 3 Like a good soldier of Christ Jesus, join with me in suffering. 4 A soldier does not take part in things that don’t have anything to do with the army. Instead, he tries to please his commanding officer. 5 It is the same for anyone who takes part in a sport. They don’t receive the winner’s crown unless they play by the rules. 6 The farmer who works hard should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Think about what I’m saying. The Lord will help you understand what all of it means.
8 Remember Jesus Christ. He came from David’s family line. He was raised from the dead. That is my good news. 9 I am suffering for it. I have even been put in chains like someone who has committed a crime. But God’s word is not held back by chains. 10 So I put up with everything for the good of God’s chosen people. Then they also can be saved. Christ Jesus saves them. He gives them glory that will last forever.
11 Here is a saying you can trust.
If we died with him,
we will also live with him.
12 If we don’t give up,
we will also rule with him.
If we say we don’t know him,
he will also say he doesn’t know us.
13 Even if we are not faithful,
he remains faithful.
He must be true to himself.
What to Do About False Teachers
14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. While God is watching, warn them not to argue about words. That doesn’t have any value. It only destroys those who listen. 15 Do your best to please God. Be a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed. Teach the message of truth correctly. 16 Stay away from godless chatter. Those who take part in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like a deadly sickness. Hymenaeus and Philetus are two of those teachers. 18 They have turned away from the truth. They say that the time when people will rise from the dead has already come. They destroy the faith of some people. 19 But God’s solid foundation stands firm. Here is the message written on it. “The Lord knows who his own people are.” (Numbers 16:5) Also, “All who say they believe in the Lord must turn away from evil.”
20 In a large house there are things made out of gold and silver. But there are also things made out of wood and clay. Some have special purposes. Others have common purposes. 21 Suppose someone stays away from what is common. Then the Master will be able to use them for special purposes. They will be made holy. They will be ready to do any good work.
22 Run away from the evil things that young people long for. Try hard to do what is right. Have faith, love and peace. Do these things together with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with arguing. It is dumb and foolish. You know it only leads to fights. 24 Anyone who serves the Lord must not be hard to get along with. Instead, they must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach. The one who serves must not hold anything against anyone. 25 They must gently teach those who are against them. Maybe God will give a change of heart to those who are against you. That will lead them to know the truth. 26 Maybe they will come to their senses. Maybe they will escape the devil’s trap. He has taken them as prisoners to do what he wanted.
2 Timothy 2
The Message
Doing Your Best for God
2 1-7 So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.
8-13 Fix this picture firmly in your mind: Jesus, descended from the line of David, raised from the dead. It’s what you’ve heard from me all along. It’s what I’m sitting in jail for right now—but God’s Word isn’t in jail! That’s why I stick it out here—so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ in all its glory. This is a sure thing:
If we die with him, we’ll live with him;
If we stick it out with him, we’ll rule with him;
If we turn our backs on him, he’ll turn his back on us;
If we give up on him, he does not give up—
for there’s no way he can be false to himself.
14-18 Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God’s people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they’re not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with.
19 Meanwhile, God’s firm foundation is as firm as ever, these sentences engraved on the stones:
god knows who belongs to him.
steer clear of evil, all you who name god as god.
20-21 In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.
22-26 Run away from childish indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God. Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson