2 Timothy 4

J.B. Phillips New Testament

My time is nearly over: you must carry on

4 ^1-2I urge you, Timothy, as we live in the sight of God and of Christ Jesus (whose coming in power will judge the living and the dead), to preach the Word of God. Never lose your sense of urgency, in season or out of season. Prove, correct, and encourage, using the utmost patience in your teaching.

^3-5For the time is coming when men will not tolerate wholesome teaching. They will want something to tickle their own fancies, and they will collect teachers who will pander to their own desires. They will no longer listen to the truth, but will wander off after man-made fictions. For yourself, stand fast in all that you are doing, meeting whatever suffering this may involve. Go on steadily preaching the Gospel and carry out to the full the commission that God gave you.

^6-8As for me, I feel that the last drops of my life are being poured out for God. The glorious fight that God gave me I have fought. The course that I was set I have finished, and I have kept the faith. The future for me holds the crown of righteousness which God, the true judge, will give to those who have loved what they have seen of him.

Personal messages

^9-11aDo your best to come to me as soon as you can. Demas, loving this present world, I fear, has left me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus is away in Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me now.

^11b-15When you come, pick up Mark and bring him with you. I can certainly find a job for him here. (I had to send Tychicus off to Ephesus.) And please bring with you the cloak I left with Carpus at Troas, and the books, especially the manuscripts. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm—the Lord will reward him for what he did—and I should be very careful of him if I were you. He has been an obstinate opponent of our teaching.

^16-18The first time I had to defend myself no one was on my side—they all deserted me. God forgive them! Yet the Lord himself stood by me and gave me the strength to proclaim the message clearly and fully, so that the Gentiles could hear it, and I was rescued “from the lion’s mouth”. I am sure the Lord will rescue me from every evil plot, and will keep me safe until I reach his heavenly kingdom. Glory be to him for ever and ever!

Closing greetings

^19-20Give my love to Prisca and Aquila and Onesiphorus and his family. Erastus is still staying on at Corinth, and Trophimus I had to leave sick at Miletus.

^21-22Do your best to get here before the winter. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all here send their greetings to you. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

PAUL

2 Timothy 4

Lexham English Bible

Paul’s Charge to Timothy

4 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, ²preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and instruction. ³For there will be a time when they will not put up with sound teaching, but in accordance with their own desires, they will accumulate for themselves teachers, because they have an insatiable curiosity^[a], ⁴and they will turn away from the hearing of the truth, but will turn to myths. ⁵But you, be self-controlled in all things, bear hardship patiently, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is imminent. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have completed the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Finally, the crown of righteousness is reserved for me, that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Final Instructions to Timothy

⁹Make haste to come to me quickly. ¹⁰For Demas deserted me, because he^[b] loved the present age, and went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia; Titus went to Dalmatia. ¹¹Luke alone is with me. Take along Mark and^[c] bring him with you, because he is useful to me for ministry. ¹²But I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³When you^[d] come, bring the cloak that I left behind in Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander the metalworker did me much harm; may the Lord pay back to him according to his deeds, ¹⁵against whom you also be on guard, because he vehemently opposed our words. ¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to my aid, but they all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. ¹⁷But the Lord helped me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fulfilled and all the Gentiles might hear, and he rescued me from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will save me for his heavenly kingdom, to whom be the glory forever and ever^[e]. Amen.

Final Greetings and Benediction

¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰Erastus remained in Corinth, but Trophimus I left behind in Miletus because he^[f] was sick. ²¹Make haste to come before winter. Eubulus and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers greet you. ²²The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

Footnotes

2 Timothy 4:3 Literally “feeling an itching in the ear”; “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“feeling an itching”) which is understood as causal
2 Timothy 4:10 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“loved”) which is understood as causal
2 Timothy 4:11 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“take along”) has been translated as a finite verb
2 Timothy 4:13 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“come”) which is understood as temporal
2 Timothy 4:18 Literally “to the ages of the ages”
2 Timothy 4:20 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was sick”) which is understood as causal

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

2 Timothy 4 J.B. Phillips New Testament