¹³ Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture,^[a] to exhorting, to teaching.

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority.^[a] Let no one look down on you.

⁴ while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.”

² proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching.^(A)

¹⁶ Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.^(A)

¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. ¹⁶ Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people^[a] into more and more impiety,^{(A) 17} and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,^(B)

A Good Minister of Jesus Christ

⁶ If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant^[a] of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed.^(A)

¹¹ These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so.^(A)

³⁹ “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf.^(A)

⁸ This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.^(A)