Praise to the Lord from Creation

Honor Masters

6 Let as many ^(A)bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. ² And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Error and Greed

³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to ^(B)wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(C)and to the ^[a]doctrine which accords with godliness, ⁴ he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, ^5 [b]useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. ^[c]From ^(D)such withdraw yourself.

⁶ Now godliness with ^(E)contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, ^[d]and it is ^(F)certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be ^(G)content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The Good Confession

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus ^(H)who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, ¹⁵ which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only ^[e]Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, dwelling in ^(I)unapproachable light, ^(J)whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

Instructions to the Rich

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain ^(K)riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things ^(L)to enjoy. ¹⁸ Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ^19 (M)storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Guard the Faith

²⁰ O Timothy! ^(N)Guard what was committed to your trust, ^(O)avoiding the profane and ^[f]idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— ²¹ by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of ^[a]Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the ^(A)promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, a ^(B)beloved son:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy’s Faith and Heritage

³ I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my ^(C)forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, ⁴ greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, ⁵ when I call to remembrance ^(D)the ^[b]genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and ^(E)your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. ⁶ Therefore I remind you ^(F)to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For ^(G)God has not given us a spirit of fear, ^(H)but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

^8 (I)Therefore do not be ashamed of ^(J)the testimony of our Lord, nor of me ^(K)His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, ^(L)not according to our works, but ^(M)according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus ^(N)before time began, ¹⁰ but ^(O)has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ^11 (P)to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher ^[c]of the Gentiles. ¹² For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, ^(Q)for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Be Loyal to the Faith

^13 (R)Hold fast ^(S)the pattern of ^(T)sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵ This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ The Lord grant mercy to the ^(U)household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; ¹⁷ but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. ¹⁸ The Lord ^(V)grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord ^(W)in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ^(X)ministered ^[d]to me at Ephesus.

Be Strong in Grace

2 You therefore, ^(Y)my son, ^(Z)be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ You therefore must ^(AA)endure^[e] hardship ^(AB)as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ^4 (AC)No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵ And also ^(AD)if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. ⁷ Consider what I say, and ^[f]may the Lord ^(AE)give you understanding in all things.

⁸ Remember that Jesus Christ, ^(AF)of the seed of David, ^(AG)was raised from the dead ^(AH)according to my gospel, ^9 (AI)for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, ^(AJ)even to the point of chains; ^(AK)but the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(AL)I endure all things for the sake of the ^[g]elect, ^(AM)that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

¹¹ This is a faithful saying:

Approved and Disapproved Workers

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, ^(AR)charging them before the Lord not to ^[h]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. ^15 (AS)Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ¹⁶ But shun profane and ^[i]idle babblings, for they will ^[j]increase to more ungodliness. ¹⁷ And their message will spread like cancer. ^(AT)Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, ¹⁸ who have strayed concerning the truth, ^(AU)saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless ^(AV)the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord ^(AW)knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of ^[k]Christ depart from iniquity.”

²⁰ But in a great house there are not only ^(AX)vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹ Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, ^[l]sanctified and useful for the Master, ^(AY)prepared for every good work. ^22 (AZ)Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴ And ^(BA)a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, ^(BB)able to teach, ^(BC)patient, ^25 (BD)in humility correcting those who are in opposition, ^(BE)if God perhaps will grant them repentance, ^(BF)so that they may know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and ^(BG)escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Perilous Times and Perilous Men

3 But know this, that ^(BH)in the last days ^[m]perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, ^[n]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ^4 (BI)traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ^5 (BJ)having a form of godliness but ^(BK)denying its power. And ^(BL)from such people turn away! ⁶ For ^(BM)of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able ^(BN)to come to the knowledge of the truth. ^8 (BO)Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: ^(BP)men of corrupt minds, ^(BQ)disapproved concerning the faith; ⁹ but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, ^(BR)as theirs also was.

The Man of God and the Word of God

^10 (BS)But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, ¹¹ persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me ^(BT)at Antioch, ^(BU)at Iconium, ^(BV)at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And ^(BW)out of them all the Lord delivered me. ¹² Yes, and ^(BX)all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ^13 (BY)But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But you must ^(BZ)continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known ^(CA)the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

^16 (CB)All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, ^(CC)and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for ^[o]instruction in righteousness, ^17 (CD)that the man of God may be complete, ^(CE)thoroughly equipped for every good work.