² and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.^(A)

¹³ Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^{(A) 14} Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

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)

¹² Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made^[a] the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.^(A)

Titus in Crete

⁵ I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you:^{(A) 6} someone who is blameless, married only once,^[a] whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious.^{(B) 7} For a bishop,^[b] as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain,^{(C) 8} but he must be hospitable,^[c] a lover of goodness, self-controlled, upright, devout, and restrained, ⁹ holding tightly to the trustworthy word of the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to refute those who contradict it.

⁷ For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.^(A)

Paul’s Charge to Timothy

¹⁰ Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,^(A)

²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord.^(A)

¹⁸ This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight,^(A)

¹⁰ “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.^{(A) 11} If, then, you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth,^[a] who will entrust to you the true riches?^{(B) 12} And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?