Be Strong in Grace

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace(A) that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me(B) in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful(C) men who will be able to teach others also.

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.(D) No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter. Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.(E) Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead(F) and descended from David. This is according to my gospel. I suffer for it to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God’s message is not bound. 10 This is why I endure(G) all things for the elect:(H) so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.(I) 11 This saying is trustworthy:(J)

For if we have died with Him,(K)
we will also live with Him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign(L) with Him;
if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.

An Approved Worker

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before God[a] not to fight about words;(M) this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.(N) 16 But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness.(O) 17 And their word will spread like gangrene; Hymenaeus(P) and Philetus are among them. 18 They have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place,(Q) and are overturning the faith of some.(R) 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription:(S)

The Lord knows those who are His,(T)[b] and
Everyone who names the name(U) of the Lord
must turn away from unrighteousness.(V)

20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls,(W) but also those of wood and clay, some for honorable[c] use, some for dishonorable.[d](X) 21 So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable,[e] he will be a special[f] instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.(Y)

22 Flee(Z) from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace,(AA) along with those who call on the Lord(AB) from a pure heart. 23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. 24 The Lord’s(AC) slave must not quarrel,(AD) but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach,[g] and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness.(AE) Perhaps God will grant them repentance(AF) leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap,(AG) having been captured by him to do his will.(AH)

Notas al pie

  1. 2 Timothy 2:14 Other mss read before the Lord
  2. 2 Timothy 2:19 Nm 16:5
  3. 2 Timothy 2:20 Or special
  4. 2 Timothy 2:20 Or ordinary
  5. 2 Timothy 2:21 Lit from these
  6. 2 Timothy 2:21 Or an honorable
  7. 2 Timothy 2:24 Or everyone, skillful in teaching

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

You then, (A)my child, (B)be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and (C)what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses (D)entrust to faithful men,[a] (E)who will be able to teach others also. (F)Share in suffering as (G)a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier (H)gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. (I)An athlete is not (J)crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is (K)the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Remember Jesus Christ, (L)risen from the dead, the (M)offspring of David, (N)as preached in my gospel, (O)for which I am suffering, (P)bound with chains as a criminal. But (Q)the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore (R)I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain (S)the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with (T)eternal glory. 11 The saying is (U)trustworthy, for:

(V)If we have died with him, we will also (W)live with him;
12 (X)if we endure, we will also reign with him;
(Y)if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 (Z)if we are faithless, (AA)he remains faithful—

for (AB)he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

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

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

22 So (AQ)flee (AR)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with (AS)those who call on the Lord (AT)from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant (AU)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And (AV)the Lord's servant[e] must not be quarrelsome but (AW)kind to everyone, (AX)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents (AY)with gentleness. God (AZ)may perhaps grant them repentance (BA)leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from (BB)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Notas al pie

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women, depending on the context
  2. 2 Timothy 2:14 Some manuscripts the Lord
  3. 2 Timothy 2:15 That is, one approved after being tested
  4. 2 Timothy 2:21 Greek from these things
  5. 2 Timothy 2:24 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

Doing Your Best for God

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.