1 Timothy 6:1 - 2 Timothy 3:5

English Standard Version

6 ^(A)Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants^[a] regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, ^(B)so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. ² Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are ^(C)brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

False Teachers and True Contentment

^(D)Teach and urge these things. ³ If anyone ^(E)teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with ^(F)the sound^[b] words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching ^(G)that accords with godliness, ^4 (H)he is puffed up with conceit and ^(I)understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for ^(J)controversy and for ^(K)quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction among people ^(L)who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, ^(M)imagining that godliness is a means of gain. ⁶ But ^(N)godliness ^(O)with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for ^(P)we brought nothing into the world, and^[c] we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But ^(Q)if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But ^(R)those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ^(S)into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^(T)plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of ^(U)all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

¹¹ But as for you, ^(V)O man of God, ^(W)flee these things. ^(X)Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ^12 (Y)Fight the good fight of the faith. ^(Z)Take hold of the eternal life ^(AA)to which you were called and about which you made ^(AB)the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ^13 (AC)I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, ^(AD)who in his testimony before^[d] Pontius Pilate made ^(AE)the good confession, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until ^(AF)the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which he will display ^(AG)at the proper time—he who is ^(AH)the blessed and only Sovereign, ^(AI)the King of kings and Lord of lords, ^16 (AJ)who alone has immortality, ^(AK)who dwells in ^(AL)unapproachable light, ^(AM)whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

¹⁷ As for the rich in ^(AN)this present age, charge them ^(AO)not to be haughty, nor ^(AP)to set their hopes on ^(AQ)the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(AR)who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ They are to do good, ^(AS)to be rich in good works, to be generous and ^(AT)ready to share, ¹⁹ thus ^(AU)storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(AV)take hold of ^(AW)that which is truly life.

²⁰ O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. ^(AX)Avoid the ^(AY)irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” ²¹ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

^(AZ)Grace be with you.^[e]

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(BA)an apostle of Christ Jesus ^(BB)by the will of God according to ^(BC)the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, ^(BD)my beloved child:

^(BE)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You

^3 (BF)I thank God ^(BG)whom I serve, as did my ancestors, ^(BH)with a clear conscience, as I remember you ^(BI)constantly in my prayers night and day. ^4 (BJ)As I remember your tears, ^(BK)I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of ^(BL)your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and ^(BM)your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you ^(BN)to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God gave us ^(BO)a spirit not of fear but ^(BP)of power and love and self-control.

⁸ Therefore ^(BQ)do not be ashamed of ^(BR)the testimony about our Lord, nor of ^(BS)me his prisoner, but ^(BT)share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ^9 (BU)who saved us and ^(BV)called us to^[f] a holy calling, ^(BW)not because of our works but because of ^(BX)his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus ^(BY)before the ages began,^{[g] 10} and which now has ^(BZ)been manifested through ^(CA)the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, ^(CB)who abolished death and ^(CC)brought life and ^(CD)immortality to light through the gospel, ^11 (CE)for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, ^12 (CF)which is why I suffer as I do. But ^(CG)I am not ashamed, for ^(CH)I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until ^(CI)that day ^(CJ)what has been entrusted to me.^{[h] 13 (CK)}Follow ^(CL)the pattern of ^(CM)the sound^[i] words ^(CN)that you have heard from me, in ^(CO)the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ By the Holy Spirit ^(CP)who dwells within us, guard ^(CQ)the good deposit entrusted to you.

¹⁵ You are aware that ^(CR)all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to ^(CS)the household of Onesiphorus, for he often ^(CT)refreshed me and was not ashamed of ^(CU)my chains, ¹⁷ but when he arrived in Rome ^(CV)he searched for me earnestly and found me— ¹⁸ may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on ^(CW)that day!—and you well know all the service he ^(CX)rendered at Ephesus.

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 You then, ^(CY)my child, ^(CZ)be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and ^(DA)what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses ^(DB)entrust to faithful men,^{[j] (DC)}who will be able to teach others also. ^3 (DD)Share in suffering as ^(DE)a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier ^(DF)gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. ^5 (DG)An athlete is not ^(DH)crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ It is ^(DI)the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. ⁷ Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, ^(DJ)risen from the dead, the ^(DK)offspring of David, ^(DL)as preached in my gospel, ^9 (DM)for which I am suffering, ^(DN)bound with chains as a criminal. But ^(DO)the word of God is not bound! ¹⁰ Therefore ^(DP)I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain ^(DQ)the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with ^(DR)eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is ^(DS)trustworthy, for:

for ^(DZ)he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and ^(EA)charge them before God^{[k] (EB)}not to quarrel about words, ^(EC)which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,^[l] a worker ^(ED)who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But ^(EE)avoid ^(EF)irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are ^(EG)Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth, ^(EH)saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ^(EI)“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone ^(EJ)who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰ Now in ^(EK)a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, ^(EL)some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹ Therefore, ^(EM)if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,^[m] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ^(EN)ready for every good work.

²² So ^(EO)flee ^(EP)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with ^(EQ)those who call on the Lord ^(ER)from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^(ES)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And ^(ET)the Lord's servant^[n] must not be quarrelsome but ^(EU)kind to everyone, ^(EV)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(EW)with gentleness. God ^(EX)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(EY)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(EZ)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that ^(FA)in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be ^(FB)lovers of self, ^(FC)lovers of money, ^(FD)proud, ^(FE)arrogant, abusive, ^(FF)disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ^3 (FG)heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, ^(FH)not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, ^(FI)swollen with conceit, ^(FJ)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but ^(FK)denying its power. ^(FL)Avoid such people.