Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁴ These things I write to you trusting to come to you shortly, ¹⁵ but if I am long in coming, so that you may yet have knowledge how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the congregation of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth.

¹⁶ And there is no denying, great is the mystery of godliness: God was shown in the flesh, was confirmed in the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached to the Gentiles, was believed on in earth, and received up in glory.

He prophesies of the latter days, and exhorts Timothy to the diligent reading of the holy scripture.

4 The Spirit speaks clearly that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, and will give heed to spirits of error, and to devilish teaching ² by those who speak falsely through hypocrisy, who have their consciences marked with an hot iron, ³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For everything God created is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. ⁵ For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.