Sound Teaching and Christian Living

But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching.(A) Older men(B) are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love,(C) and endurance. In the same way, older women(D) are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission(E) to their husbands, so that God’s word(F) will not be slandered.

In the same way, encourage the young men(G) to be self-controlled in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity[a] in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach,(H) so that any opponent will be ashamed, because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us.

Slaves are to submit to their masters(I) in everything, and to be well-pleasing,(J) not talking back 10 or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior(K) in everything.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2:7 Other mss add and incorruptibility

Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.(A) Teach the older men(B) to be temperate,(C) worthy of respect, self-controlled,(D) and sound in faith,(E) in love and in endurance.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers(F) or addicted to much wine,(G) but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women(H) to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled(I) and pure, to be busy at home,(J) to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands,(K) so that no one will malign the word of God.(L)

Similarly, encourage the young men(M) to be self-controlled.(N) In everything set them an example(O) by doing what is good.(P) In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.(Q)

Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything,(R) to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior(S) attractive.(T)

Read full chapter