6 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect,p so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.q 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers.r Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfarea of their slaves.

False Teachers and the Love of Money

These are the things you are to teach and insist on.s 3 If anyone teaches otherwiset and does not agree to the sound instructionu of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceitedv and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about wordsw that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truthx and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6 But godliness with contentmenty is great gain.z 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.a 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.b 9 Those who want to get richc fall into temptation and a trapd and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of moneye is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faithf and pierced themselves with many griefs.g

Final Charge to Timothy

11 But you, man of God,h flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness,i faith, love,j endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fightk of the faith. Take hold ofl the eternal lifem to which you were called when you made your good confessionn in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilateo made the good confession,p I charge youq 14 to keep this command without spot or blamer until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,s 15 which God will bring about in his own timet—God, the blessedu and only Ruler,v the King of kings and Lord of lords,w 16 who alone is immortalx and who lives in unapproachable light,y whom no one has seen or can see.z To him be honor and might forever. Amen.a

17 Command those who are richb in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,c which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,d who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.e 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,f and to be generous and willing to share.g 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselvesh as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold ofi the life that is truly life.

20 Timothy, guard what has been entrustedj to your care. Turn away from godless chatterk and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.l

Grace be with you all.m

2 Timothy

In his second letter to Timothy, written just before his death, Paul offered his final words of guidance to his young assistant. He encouraged Timothy to be faithful to Christ and true doctrine and to shun false teachers. He charged Timothy to preach the Word with patience and careful instruction.

1 Paul, an apostlea of Christ Jesus by the will of God,b in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,c

2 To Timothy,d my dear son:e

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

Thanksgiving

3 I thank God,g whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience,h as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.i 4 Recalling your tears,j I long to see you,k so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith,l which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunicem and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.n 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,o but gives us power,p love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamedq of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner.r Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel,s by the power of God. 9 He has savedt us and calledu us to a holy life—not because of anything we have donev but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealedw through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus,x who has destroyed deathy and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospelz I was appointeda a herald and an apostle and a teacher.b 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame,c because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guardd what I have entrusted to him until that day.e

13 What you heard from me,f keepg as the patternh of sound teaching,i with faith and love in Christ Jesus.j 14 Guardk the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.l

Examples of Disloyalty and Loyalty

15 You know that everyone in the province of Asiam has deserted me,n including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus,o because he often refreshed me and was not ashamedp of my chains.q 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day!r You know very well in how many ways he helped mes in Ephesus.t

The Appeal Renewed

2 You then, my son,u be strongv in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me sayw in the presence of many witnessesx entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering,y like a good soldierz of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crowna except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.b 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,c descended from David.d This is my gospel,e 9 for which I am sufferingf even to the point of being chainedg like a criminal. But God’s wordh is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everythingi for the sake of the elect,j that they too may obtain the salvationk that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.l

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:m

If we died with him,

we will also live with him;n

12 if we endure,

we will also reign with him.o

If we disown him,

he will also disown us;p

13 if we are faithless,

he remains faithful,q

for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing With False Teachers

14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words;r it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.s 16 Avoid godless chatter,t because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeusu and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place,v and they destroy the faith of some.w 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm,x sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,”y and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lordz must turn away from wickedness.”

20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.a 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.b

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, lovec and peace, along with those who call on the Lordd out of a pure heart.e 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.f 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.g 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,h 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,i who has taken them captive to do his will.