The Good Confession

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus ^(A)who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, ¹⁵ which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only ^[a]Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, dwelling in ^(B)unapproachable light, ^(C)whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

Instructions to the Rich

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain ^(D)riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things ^(E)to enjoy. ¹⁸ Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ^19 (F)storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Guard the Faith

²⁰ O Timothy! ^(G)Guard what was committed to your trust, ^(H)avoiding the profane and ^[b]idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— ²¹ by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and ^(A)the acknowledgment of the truth ^(B)which accords with godliness, ² in hope of eternal life which God, who ^(C)cannot lie, promised before time began, ³ but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

⁴ To ^(D)Titus, a true son in our common faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and ^[a]the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Qualified Elders

⁵ For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should ^(E)set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— ⁶ if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, ^(F)having faithful children not accused of ^[b]dissipation or insubordination. ⁷ For a ^[c]bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, ^(G)not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, ⁹ holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

The Elders’ Task

¹⁰ For there are many insubordinate, both idle ^(H)talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹ whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, ^(I)for the sake of dishonest gain. ^12 (J)One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This testimony is true. ^(K)Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴ not giving heed to Jewish fables and ^(L)commandments of men who turn from the truth. ^15 (M)To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. ¹⁶ They profess to ^(N)know God, but ^(O)in works they deny Him, being ^[d]abominable, disobedient, ^(P)and disqualified for every good work.

Qualities of a Sound Church

2 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: ² that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; ³ the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— ⁴ that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be discreet, chaste, ^(Q)homemakers, good, ^(R)obedient to their own husbands, ^(S)that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

⁶ Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, ⁷ in all things showing yourself to be ^(T)a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, ^(U)incorruptibility,^{[e] 8} sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of ^[f]you.

⁹ Exhort ^(V)bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, ¹⁰ not ^[g]pilfering, but showing all good ^[h]fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Trained by Saving Grace

¹¹ For ^(W)the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹² teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ^13 (X)looking for the blessed ^(Y)hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ^14 (Z)who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed ^(AA)and purify for Himself ^(AB)His own special people, zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Speak these things, ^(AC)exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Graces of the Heirs of Grace

3 Remind them ^(AD)to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, ^(AE)to be ready for every good work, ² to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. ³ For ^(AF)we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. ⁴ But when ^(AG)the kindness and the love of ^(AH)God our Savior toward man appeared, ^5 (AI)not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through ^(AJ)the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ^6 (AK)whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ that having been justified by His grace ^(AL)we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

^8 (AM)This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Avoid Dissension

⁹ But ^(AN)avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. ^10 (AO)Reject a divisive man after the first and second ^[i]admonition, ¹¹ knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Final Messages

¹² When I send Artemas to you, or ^(AP)Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³ Send Zenas the lawyer and ^(AQ)Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. ¹⁴ And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.

Farewell

¹⁵ All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of ^[a]Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the ^(A)promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, a ^(B)beloved son:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy’s Faith and Heritage

³ I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my ^(C)forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, ⁴ greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, ⁵ when I call to remembrance ^(D)the ^[b]genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and ^(E)your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. ⁶ Therefore I remind you ^(F)to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For ^(G)God has not given us a spirit of fear, ^(H)but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

^8 (I)Therefore do not be ashamed of ^(J)the testimony of our Lord, nor of me ^(K)His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, ^(L)not according to our works, but ^(M)according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus ^(N)before time began, ¹⁰ but ^(O)has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ^11 (P)to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher ^[c]of the Gentiles. ¹² For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, ^(Q)for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Be Loyal to the Faith

^13 (R)Hold fast ^(S)the pattern of ^(T)sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵ This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ The Lord grant mercy to the ^(U)household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; ¹⁷ but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. ¹⁸ The Lord ^(V)grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord ^(W)in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ^(X)ministered ^[d]to me at Ephesus.