Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
Rekindle the gift!
1 Paul, an apostle of Messiah Jesus by God’s will, according to the promise of life in Messiah Jesus; 2 to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy and peace from God the father and Messiah Jesus our Lord.
3 I serve God with a clear conscience, as my forebears did, and I am grateful to him that I remember you all the time, as I pray for you night and day. 4 I remember how you cried when I left, and I’m longing to see you and be filled with joy. 5 I have in my mind a clear picture of your sincere faith—the faith which first lived in Lois your grandmother and Eunice your mother, and which, I am confident, lives in you as well.
6 That’s why I now want to remind you that God gave you a gift when I laid my hands on you, and that you must bring it back into a blazing fire! 7 After all, the spirit given to us by God isn’t a fearful spirit; it’s a spirit of power, love and prudence.
Don’t be ashamed!
8 So don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me as his prisoner. Rather, suffer for the gospel along with us, in accordance with God’s power. 9 God saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. He gave us this grace in Messiah Jesus before all time and ages, 10 but has now made it visible through the appearing of our savior Messiah Jesus, who abolished death and, through the gospel, shone a bright light on life and immortality.
11 I was made a herald, apostle and teacher for this gospel; 12 that’s why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one I have trusted, and I’m convinced that he has the power to keep safe until that day what I have entrusted to him.
13 Keep a firm hold on the pattern of healthy teaching which you heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Messiah Jesus. 14 You have had something very important entrusted to you, too; make sure you look after it, through the holy spirit who dwells in us.
Foes and friends
15 You will know that everyone in Asia has turned away from me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord give mercy to the household of Onesiphorus; he has often refreshed me. He wasn’t ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he was in Rome he eagerly hunted for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know very well all the things he did for me in Ephesus.
Conditions of service
2 So, then, my child: you must be strong in the grace which is in Messiah Jesus. 2 You heard the teaching I gave in public; pass it on to faithful people who will be capable of instructing others as well. 3 Take your share of suffering as one of Messiah Jesus’ good soldiers. 4 No one who serves in the army gets embroiled in civilian activities, since they want to please the officer who enlisted them. 5 If you take part in athletic events, you don’t win the crown unless you compete according to the rules. 6 The farmer who does the work deserves the first share of the crops. 7 Think about what I say; the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
God’s word is not tied up
8 Remember Jesus the Messiah, risen from the dead, from the seed of David, according to my gospel— 9 for which I suffer like a criminal, even being chained up! But God’s word is not tied up. 10 That’s why I put up with everything for the sake of God’s chosen ones, so that they too may obtain, with glory that lasts forever, the salvation which is in Messiah Jesus. 11 You can rely on this saying:
If we die with him, we shall live with him;
12 if we endure patiently, we shall reign with him;
if we deny him, he will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny his own self.
Foolish words and the word of truth
14 Remind them about these things; and warn them, in God’s presence, not to quarrel about words. This doesn’t do any good; instead, it threatens to ruin people who listen to it. 15 Do your very best to present yourself before God as one who has passed the test—a workman who has no need to be ashamed, who can carve out a straight path for the word of truth. 16 Avoid pointless and empty chatter. It will push people further and further towards ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like a cancer. I’m thinking in particular of Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 they have turned aside from the truth by saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting some people’s faith. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, and it has this as its seal: “The Lord knows those who belong to him,” and “Everyone who uses the name of the Lord must leave wickedness behind.”
Vessels for God’s use
20 In a great house there are vessels not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and pottery. Some of them are given special honor in the way they’re used; others are for menial purposes. 21 So if people purify themselves from dishonorable things, they will become vessels for honor, made holy, pleasing to the master of the house, fit for every good work.
22 Run away from the passions of youth. Instead, chase after justice, faith, love and peace, along with all who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Avoid silly and unprofitable disputes, because you know that they produce fights; 24 and the Lord’s servant mustn’t be a fighter, but must be gentle to all people, able to teach, able to bear evil without resentment, 25 able to correct opponents with a meek spirit. It may be that God will give them repentance so that they can arrive at a knowledge of the truth, 26 and, in coming to their senses, escape the devil’s snare, after having been held captive by him and made to do his will.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.