Man of Lawlessness

2 Now we ask you, ^(A)brothers and sisters, regarding the ^[a](B)coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our ^(C)gathering together to Him, ² that you not be quickly shaken from your ^[b]composure or be disturbed either by a ^(D)spirit, or a ^[c](E)message, or a ^(F)letter as if from us, to the effect that ^(G)the day of the Lord ^(H)has come. ^3 (I)No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the ^[d](J)apostasy comes first, and the ^(K)man of lawlessness is revealed, the ^(L)son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above ^[e](M)every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, ^(N)displaying himself as being God. ⁵ Do you not remember that ^(O)while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? ⁶ And you know ^(P)what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. ⁷ For ^(Q)the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[f](R)He who now restrains will do so until ^[g]He is ^[h]removed. ⁸ Then that lawless one ^(S)will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate ^(T)with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the ^(U)appearance of His ^[i]coming; ⁹ that is, the one whose ^[j]coming is in accord with the activity of ^(V)Satan, with all power and false ^[k](W)signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with ^[l]all the deception of wickedness for ^(X)those who perish, because they did not accept the love of ^(Y)the truth so as to be saved. ¹¹ For this reason ^(Z)God ^[m]will send upon them ^[n]a ^(AA)deluding influence so that they will believe ^[o]what is false, ¹² in order that they all may be ^[p]judged who ^(AB)did not believe the truth, but ^[q](AC)took pleasure in wickedness.

Stand Firm

^13 (AD)But we should always give thanks to God for you, ^(AE)brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because ^(AF)God has chosen you ^[r]from the beginning ^(AG)for salvation ^[s](AH)through sanctification ^[t]by the Spirit and faith in the truth. ¹⁴ It was for this He ^(AI)called you through ^(AJ)our gospel, ^[u]that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, ^(AK)stand firm and ^(AL)hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether ^(AM)by word of mouth or ^(AN)by letter ^[v]from us.

^16 (AO)Now may our Lord Jesus Christ ^(AP)Himself and God our Father, who has ^(AQ)loved us and given us eternal comfort and ^(AR)good hope by grace, ^17 (AS)comfort and ^(AT)strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

Request for Prayer

3 ^(AU)Finally, brothers and sisters, ^(AV)pray for us that ^(AW)the word of the Lord will ^[w]spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it was also with you; ² and that we will be ^(AX)rescued from troublesome and evil people; for not all have the faith. ³ But ^(AY)the Lord is faithful, ^[x]and He will strengthen and protect you ^[y]from ^(AZ)the evil one. ⁴ We have ^(BA)confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you ^(BB)are doing, and will do, what we command. ⁵ May the Lord ^(BC)direct your hearts to the love of God and to the perseverance of Christ.

⁶ Now we command you, brothers and sisters, ^(BD)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you ^[z](BE)keep away from every brother or sister who ^[aa]leads a ^[ab](BF)disorderly life and not one in accordance with ^(BG)the tradition which ^[ac]you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to ^[ad](BH)follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined way among you, ⁸ nor did we ^(BI)eat ^[ae]anyone’s bread ^[af]without paying for it, but with ^(BJ)labor and hardship we kept ^(BK)working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; ⁹ not because we do not have ^(BL)the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves ^(BM)as a role model for you, so that you would ^[ag]follow our example. ¹⁰ For even ^(BN)when we were with you, we used to give you this order: ^(BO)if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you are ^(BP)leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like ^(BQ)busybodies. ¹² Now we command and ^(BR)exhort such persons in the Lord Jesus Christ to ^(BS)work ^[ah]peacefully and eat their own bread. ¹³ But as for you, ^(BT)brothers and sisters, ^(BU)do not grow weary of doing good.

¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our ^[ai]instruction ^[aj](BV)in this letter, take special note of that person so as ^(BW)not to associate with him, so that he will be ^(BX)put to shame. ¹⁵ And yet ^(BY)do not regard that person as an enemy, but ^[ak](BZ)admonish that one as a ^(CA)brother or sister.

¹⁶ Now ^(CB)may the Lord of peace ^(CC)Himself continually grant you peace in every ^[al]circumstance. ^(CD)The Lord be with you all!

^17 [am]I, Paul, write this greeting ^(CE)with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. ^18 (CF)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Correcting False Teaching

1 Paul, ^(CG)an apostle of ^(CH)Christ Jesus ^(CI)according to the commandment of ^(CJ)God our Savior, and of ^(CK)Christ Jesus, who is our ^(CL)hope,

² To ^(CM)Timothy, ^(CN)my true ^[an]son in the faith: ^(CO)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and ^(CP)Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ Just as I urged you ^[ao]upon my departure for ^(CQ)Macedonia, to remain on at ^(CR)Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to ^(CS)teach strange doctrines, ⁴ nor to ^[ap]pay attention to ^(CT)myths and endless ^(CU)genealogies, which give rise to useless ^(CV)speculation rather than ^(CW)advance ^[aq]the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now. ⁵ But the goal of our ^[ar](CX)instruction is love ^(CY)from a pure heart, from a ^(CZ)good conscience, and from a sincere ^(DA)faith. ⁶ Some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside to ^(DB)fruitless discussion, ^7 (DC)wanting to be ^(DD)teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

⁸ But we know that ^(DE)the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ realizing the fact that ^(DF)law is not made for a righteous person but for those who are lawless and ^(DG)rebellious, for the ^(DH)ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and ^(DI)worldly, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for the ^[as](DJ)sexually immoral, ^(DK)homosexuals, ^[at](DL)slave traders, ^(DM)liars, ^(DN)perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to ^(DO)sound teaching, ¹¹ according to ^(DP)the glorious gospel of ^(DQ)the blessed God, with which I have been ^(DR)entrusted.

Paul’s Testimony

¹² I thank ^(DS)Christ Jesus our Lord, who has ^(DT)strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, ^(DU)putting me into service, ¹³ even though I was previously a blasphemer and a ^(DV)persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was ^(DW)shown mercy because ^(DX)I acted ignorantly in unbelief; ¹⁴ and the ^(DY)grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the ^(DZ)faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. ^15 (EA)It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that ^(EB)Christ Jesus came into the world to ^(EC)save sinners, among whom ^(ED)I am foremost. ¹⁶ Yet for this reason I ^(EE)found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might ^(EF)demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those ^[au]who would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the ^(EG)King ^[av]eternal, ^(EH)immortal, ^(EI)invisible, the ^(EJ)only God, ^(EK)be honor and glory ^[aw]forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This ^(EL)command I entrust to you, Timothy, ^(EM)my ^[ax]son, in accordance with the ^(EN)prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you ^(EO)fight the good fight, ¹⁹ keeping ^(EP)faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to ^[ay](EQ)their faith. ^20 [az]Among these are ^(ER)Hymenaeus and ^(ES)Alexander, whom I have ^(ET)handed over to Satan, so that they will be ^(EU)taught not to blaspheme.

A Call to Prayer

2 First of all, then, I urge that ^(EV)requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, ^2 (EW)for kings and all who are in ^[ba]authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and ^[bb]dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of ^(EX)God our Savior, ^4 (EY)who wants all people to be ^(EZ)saved and to ^(FA)come to the ^[bc]knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is ^(FB)one God, and ^(FC)one mediator also between God and mankind, the ^(FD)man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who ^(FE)gave Himself as a ransom for all, the ^(FF)testimony ^[bd]given at ^[be](FG)the proper time. ^7 (FH)For this I was appointed as a ^[bf]preacher and ^(FI)an apostle (^(FJ)I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of ^(FK)the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Instructions for Believers

⁸ Therefore ^(FL)I want the men ^(FM)in every place to pray, ^(FN)lifting up ^(FO)holy hands, without anger and dispute. ⁹ Likewise, I want ^(FP)women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, ^[bg]modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel, ¹⁰ but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. ^11 (FQ)A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ^12 (FR)But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ^13 (FS)For it was Adam who was first ^[bh]created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but ^(FT)the woman was ^[bi]deceived and ^[bj]became a wrongdoer. ¹⁵ But ^[bk]women will be ^[bl]preserved through ^[bm]childbirth—if they continue in ^(FU)faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.

Overseers and Deacons

3 ^(FV)It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the ^(FW)office of ^[bn]overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. ^2 [bo](FX)An overseer, then, must be above reproach, ^(FY)the husband of one wife, ^[bp](FZ)temperate, self-controlled, respectable, ^(GA)hospitable, ^(GB)skillful in teaching, ^3 (GC)not overindulging in wine, not ^[bq]a bully, but gentle, not contentious, ^(GD)free from the love of money. ⁴ He must be one who ^(GE)manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity ⁵ (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of ^(GF)the church of God?), ⁶ and not a new convert, so that he will not become ^(GG)conceited and fall into ^(GH)condemnation ^[br]incurred by the devil. ⁷ And he must ^(GI)have a good reputation with ^(GJ)those outside the church, so that he will not fall into ^[bs]disgrace and ^(GK)the snare of the devil.

^8 (GL)Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not ^[bt]insincere, ^(GM)not prone to drink much wine, ^(GN)not greedy for money, ^9 (GO)but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ^10 (GP)These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. ^11 [bu]Women must likewise be dignified, ^(GQ)not malicious gossips, but ^[bv](GR)temperate, faithful in all things. ^12 (GS)Deacons must be ^(GT)husbands of one wife, and ^[bw](GU)good managers of their children and their own households. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons ^(GV)obtain for themselves a ^[bx]high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵ but ^[by]in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in ^(GW)the household of God, which is the ^(GX)church of ^(GY)the living God, the ^(GZ)pillar and support of the truth. ¹⁶ Beyond question, great is ^(HA)the mystery of godliness:

Abandonment of Faith

4 But ^(HH)the Spirit explicitly says that ^(HI)in later times some will ^[cb]fall away from the faith, paying attention to ^(HJ)deceitful spirits and ^(HK)teachings of demons, ² by means of the hypocrisy of liars ^(HL)seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, ³ who ^(HM)forbid marriage and advocate ^(HN)abstaining from foods which ^(HO)God has created to be ^(HP)gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For ^(HQ)everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is ^(HR)received with gratitude; ⁵ for it is sanctified by means of ^(HS)the word of God and prayer.

A Good Minister’s Discipline

⁶ In pointing out these things to ^(HT)the brothers and sisters, you will be a good ^(HU)servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the ^(HV)good doctrine which you ^(HW)have been following. ⁷ But ^[cc]stay away from ^(HX)worthless ^(HY)stories that are typical of old women. Rather, ^[cd]discipline yourself for the purpose of ^(HZ)godliness; ⁸ for ^(IA)bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but ^(IB)godliness is beneficial for all things, since it ^(IC)holds promise for the ^(ID)present life and also for the life to come. ^9 (IE)It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. ¹⁰ For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set ^(IF)our hope on ^(IG)the living God, who is ^(IH)the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.

^11 [ce](II)Prescribe and teach these things. ^12 (IJ)Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, ^(IK)love, faith, and purity, show yourself ^(IL)an example ^[cf]of those who believe. ^13 (IM)Until I come, give your attention to the public ^[cg](IN)reading, to exhortation, and teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was granted to you through words of ^(IO)prophecy with ^(IP)the laying on of hands by the ^[ch](IQ)council of elders. ¹⁵ Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. ^16 (IR)Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ^(IS)save both yourself and those who hear you.

Honor Widows

5 ^(IT)Do not sharply rebuke an ^(IU)older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, and to ^(IV)the younger men as brothers, ² to the older women as mothers, and to the younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³ Honor widows who are actually ^(IW)widows; ⁴ but if any widow has children or grandchildren, ^(IX)they must first learn to show proper respect for their own family and to give back compensation to their parents; for this is ^(IY)acceptable in the sight of God. ⁵ Now she who is actually a ^(IZ)widow and has been left alone ^(JA)has set her hope on God, and she continues in ^(JB)requests and prayers night and day. ⁶ But she who ^(JC)indulges herself in luxury is ^(JD)dead, even while she lives. ^7 [ci](JE)Give these instructions as well, so that they may be above reproach. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has ^(JF)denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ A widow is to be ^(JG)put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been ^(JH)the wife of one man, ¹⁰ having a reputation for ^(JI)good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has ^(JJ)shown hospitality to strangers, if she ^(JK)has washed the ^[cj]saints’ feet, if she has ^(JL)assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹ But refuse to register younger widows, for when they feel ^(JM)physical desires alienating them from Christ, they want to get married, ¹² thereby incurring condemnation, because they have ^[ck]ignored their previous pledge. ¹³ At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become ^(JN)gossips and ^(JO)busybodies, talking about ^(JP)things not proper to mention. ¹⁴ Therefore, I want younger widows to get ^(JQ)married, have children, ^(JR)manage their households, and ^(JS)give the enemy no opportunity for reproach; ¹⁵ for some ^(JT)have already turned away to follow ^(JU)Satan. ¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer ^(JV)has dependent widows, she must ^(JW)assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are actually ^(JX)widows.

Concerning Elders

^17 (JY)The elders who ^(JZ)lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who ^(KA)work hard ^[cl]at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “^(KB)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “^(KC)The laborer is worthy of his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not accept an accusation against an ^(KD)elder except on the basis of ^(KE)two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Those who continue in sin, ^(KF)rebuke in the presence of all, ^(KG)so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. ^21 (KH)I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. ^22 (KI)Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and ^[cm]thereby share ^(KJ)responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself ^[cn]free from sin.

²³ Do not go on drinking only water, but ^(KK)use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

²⁴ The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins ^(KL)follow after. ²⁵ Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and ^(KM)those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

Instructions to Those Who Minister

6 ^(KN)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor ^(KO)so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be ^[co]spoken against. ² Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are ^(KP)brothers or sisters, but must serve them all the more, because those who ^[cp]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. ^(KQ)Teach and ^[cq]preach these principles.

³ If anyone ^(KR)advocates a different doctrine and does not ^[cr]agree with ^(KS)sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine ^(KT)conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is ^(KU)conceited and understands nothing; but he ^[cs]has a sick craving for ^(KV)controversial questions and ^(KW)disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between ^(KX)people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who ^(KY)suppose that ^[ct]godliness is a means of gain. ^6 (KZ)But godliness actually is a means of ^(LA)great gain when accompanied by ^(LB)contentment. ⁷ For ^(LC)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. ⁸ If we ^(LD)have food and ^[cu]covering, with these we shall be content. ^9 (LE)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and ^(LF)a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For ^(LG)the love of money is a root of all ^[cv]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have ^(LH)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many ^[cw]griefs.

¹¹ But ^(LI)flee from these things, you ^(LJ)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, ^(LK)faith, ^(LL)love, ^[cx]perseverance, and gentleness. ^12 (LM)Fight the good fight of ^(LN)faith; ^(LO)take hold of the eternal life ^(LP)to which you were called, and for which you made the good ^(LQ)confession in the presence of ^(LR)many witnesses. ^13 (LS)I direct you in the presence of God, who ^[cy]gives life to all things, and of ^(LT)Christ Jesus, who testified the ^(LU)good confession ^(LV)before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without ^[cz]fault or reproach until the ^(LW)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will ^[da]bring about at ^(LX)the proper time—He who is ^(LY)the blessed and ^(LZ)only Sovereign, ^(MA)the King of ^[db]kings and ^(MB)Lord of ^[dc]lords, ^16 (MC)who alone possesses immortality and ^(MD)dwells in unapproachable light, ^(ME)whom ^[dd]no one has seen or can see. ^(MF)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in ^(MG)this present world ^(MH)not to be conceited or to ^(MI)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(MJ)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in ^(MK)good ^[de]works, ^(ML)to be generous and ready to share, ^19 (MM)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(MN)take hold of that which is truly life.

^20 (MO)Timothy, protect ^(MP)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding ^(MQ)worldly, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— ²¹ which some have professed and thereby have ^(MR)gone astray ^[df]from ^(MS)the faith.

^(MT)Grace be with you.

Timothy Charged to Guard His Trust

1 Paul, ^(MU)an apostle of ^(MV)Christ Jesus ^[dg](MW)by the will of God, according to the promise of ^(MX)life in Christ Jesus,

² To ^(MY)Timothy, my beloved ^[dh](MZ)son: ^(NA)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

^3 (NB)I thank God, whom I ^(NC)serve with a ^(ND)clear conscience ^[di]the way my forefathers did, ^(NE)as I constantly remember you in my ^[dj]prayers night and day, ^4 (NF)longing to see you, ^(NG)even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. ^5 [dk]For I am mindful of the ^(NH)sincere faith within you, which first dwelled in your grandmother Lois and ^(NI)your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh ^(NJ)the gift of God which is in you through ^(NK)the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a ^(NL)spirit of ^[dl]timidity, but of power and love and ^[dm]discipline.

⁸ Therefore ^(NM)do not be ashamed of the ^(NN)testimony of our Lord or of me ^(NO)His prisoner, but join with me in ^(NP)suffering for the ^(NQ)gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who ^(NR)saved us and ^(NS)called us with a holy ^(NT)calling, ^(NU)not according to our works, but according to His own ^(NV)purpose and grace, which was granted to us in ^(NW)Christ Jesus from ^(NX)all eternity, ¹⁰ but has ^(NY)now been revealed by the ^(NZ)appearing of our Savior ^(OA)Christ Jesus, who ^(OB)abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ^11 (OC)for which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. ¹² For this reason I also suffer these things; but ^(OD)I am not ashamed, for I know ^(OE)whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to ^(OF)protect what I have entrusted to Him ^[dn]until ^(OG)that day. ^13 (OH)Hold on to the ^(OI)example of ^(OJ)sound words ^(OK)which you have heard from me, in the ^(OL)faith and love which are in ^(OM)Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Protect, through the Holy Spirit who ^(ON)dwells in us, the ^[do](OO)treasure which has been entrusted to you.

¹⁵ You are aware of the fact that all who are in ^[dp](OP)Asia ^(OQ)turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ The Lord grant mercy to ^(OR)the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and ^(OS)was not ashamed of my ^[dq](OT)chains; ¹⁷ but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— ¹⁸ the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on ^(OU)that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at ^(OV)Ephesus.

Be Strong

2 You therefore, my ^[dr](OW)son, ^(OX)be strong in the grace that is in ^(OY)Christ Jesus. ² The things ^(OZ)which you have heard from me in the presence of ^(PA)many witnesses, ^(PB)entrust these to ^(PC)faithful ^[ds]people who will be ^(PD)able to teach others also. ^3 (PE)Suffer hardship with me, as a good ^(PF)soldier of ^(PG)Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier in active service ^(PH)entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him. ⁵ And if someone likewise ^(PI)competes as an athlete, he is not ^[dt]crowned as victor unless he competes according to the rules. ^6 (PJ)The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. ⁷ Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, ^(PK)risen from the dead, ^(PL)descendant of David, ^(PM)according to my gospel, ^9 [du]for which I ^(PN)suffer hardship even to ^(PO)imprisonment as a ^(PP)criminal; but ^(PQ)the word of God ^(PR)is not imprisoned. ¹⁰ For this reason ^(PS)I endure all things for ^(PT)the sake of ^[dv]those who are chosen, ^(PU)so that they also may obtain the ^(PV)salvation which is in ^(PW)Christ Jesus and with it ^(PX)eternal glory. ^11 (PY)The statement is trustworthy:

An Unashamed Worker

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and solemnly ^(QE)exhort them in the presence of God not to ^(QF)dispute about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the listeners. ¹⁵ Be diligent to ^(QG)present yourself approved to God as a worker who ^[dx]does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling ^(QH)the word of truth. ¹⁶ But ^(QI)avoid ^(QJ)worldly and empty chatter, for ^[dy]it will lead to further ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their ^[dz]talk will spread like ^[ea]gangrene. Among them are ^(QK)Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ men who have gone astray from the truth, claiming that ^(QL)the resurrection has already taken place; and they are jeopardizing ^(QM)the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, the ^(QN)firm foundation of God stands, having this ^(QO)seal: “^(QP)The Lord knows those who are His;” and, “^(QQ)Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to keep away from wickedness.”

²⁰ Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and ^(QR)some are for honor while others are for dishonor. ²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from ^(QS)these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, ^(QT)prepared for every good work. ²² Now ^(QU)flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, ^(QV)faith, love, and peace with those who ^(QW)call on the Lord ^(QX)from a pure heart. ²³ But refuse foolish and ignorant ^(QY)speculations, knowing that they ^(QZ)produce ^[eb]quarrels. ^24 (RA)The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, ^(RB)skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, ^25 (RC)with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, ^(RD)if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to ^(RE)the knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(RF)the snare of the devil, having been ^(RG)held captive ^[ec]by him to do his will.