Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

How To Act toward Others

5 Don't correct an older man. Encourage him, as you would your own father. Treat younger men as you would your own brother, ² and treat older women as you would your own mother. Show the same respect to younger women that you would to your sister.

³ Take care of any widow who is really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn to serve God by taking care of her, as she once took care of them. This is what God wants them to do. ^5 (A) A widow who is really in need is one who doesn't have any relatives. She has faith in God, and she keeps praying to him night and day, asking for his help.

⁶ A widow who thinks only about having a good time is already dead, even though she is still alive.

⁷ Tell all this to everyone, so they will do the right thing. ⁸ People who don't take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith. They are worse than someone who doesn't have faith in the Lord.

⁹ For a widow to be put on the list of widows, she must be at least 60 years old, and she must have been faithful in marriage.^{[a] 10} She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God's people into her home,^[b] helping people in need, and always making herself useful.

¹¹ Don't put young widows on the list. They may later have a strong desire to get married. Then they will turn away from Christ ¹² and become guilty of breaking their promise to him. ¹³ Besides, they will become lazy and get into the habit of going from house to house. Next, they will start gossiping and become busybodies, talking about things that are none of their business.

¹⁴ I would prefer that young widows get married, have children, and look after their families. Then the enemy won't have any reason to say insulting things about us. ¹⁵ Look what's already happened to some of the young widows! They have turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If a woman who is a follower has any widows in her family, she^[c] should help them. This will keep the church from having that burden, and then the church can help widows who are really in need.

Church Leaders

¹⁷ Church leaders^[d] who do their job well deserve to be paid^[e] twice as much, especially if they work hard at preaching and teaching. ^18 (B) It is just as the Scriptures say, “Don't muzzle an ox when you are using it to grind grain.” You also know the saying, “Workers are worth their pay.”

^19 (C) Don't listen to any charge against a church leader, unless at least two or three people bring the same charges. ²⁰ But if any of the leaders should keep on sinning, they must be corrected in front of the whole group, as a warning to everyone else.

²¹ In the presence of God and Christ Jesus and their chosen angels, I order you to follow my instructions! Be fair with everyone, and don't have any favorites.

²² Don't be too quick to accept people into the service of the Lord^[f] by placing your hands on them.

Don't sin because others do, but stay close to God.

²³ Stop drinking only water. Take a little wine to help your stomach trouble and the other illnesses you often have.

²⁴ Some people get caught in their sins almost at once, even before the time of judgment. But other people's sins don't show up until later. ²⁵ It is the same with good deeds. Some are easily seen, but none of them can be hidden.

6 If you are a slave, you should respect and honor your owner. This will keep people from saying bad things about God and about our teaching. ² If any of you slaves have owners who are followers, you should show them respect. After all, they are also followers of Christ, and he loves them. So you should serve and help them the best you can.

False Teaching and True Wealth

These are the things you must teach and tell the people to do. ³ Anyone who teaches something different disagrees with the correct and godly teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ Those people who disagree are proud of themselves, but they don't really know a thing. Their minds are sick, and they like to argue over words. They cause jealousy, disagreements, unkind words, evil suspicions, ⁵ and nasty quarrels. They have wicked minds and have missed out on the truth.

These people think religion is supposed to make you rich. ⁶ And religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have. ⁷ We didn't bring anything into this world, and we won't^[g] take anything with us when we leave. ⁸ So we should be satisfied just to have food and clothes. ⁹ People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. ¹⁰ The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.

Fighting a Good Fight for the Faith

¹¹ Timothy, you belong to God, so keep away from all these evil things. Try your best to please God and to be like him. Be faithful, loving, dependable, and gentle. ¹² Fight a good fight for the faith and claim eternal life. God offered it to you when you clearly told about your faith, while so many people listened. ^13 (D) Now I ask you to make a promise. Make it in the presence of God, who gives life to all, and in the presence of Christ Jesus, who openly told Pontius Pilate about his faith. ¹⁴ Promise to obey completely and fully all that you have been told until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

¹⁷ Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have. ¹⁹ This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so they will know what true life is like.

²⁰ Timothy, guard what God has placed in your care! Don't pay any attention to godless and stupid talk that sounds smart but really isn't. ²¹ Some people have even lost their faith by believing this talk.

I pray that the Lord will be kind to all of you!