001:001 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God,
for proclaiming the promise of the Life which is in Christ Jesus:

001:002 To Timothy my dearly-loved child. May grace, mercy and peace
be granted to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

001:003 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience—as my forefathers did—that night and day I unceasingly remember you in my prayers,

001:004 being always mindful of your tears, and longing to see you that I may be filled with joy.

001:005 For I recall the sincere faith which is in your heart— a faith which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully convinced, now dwells in you also.

001:006 For this reason let me remind you to rekindle God's gift
which is yours through the laying on of my hands.

001:007 For the Spirit which God has given us is not a spirit of cowardice,
but one of power and of love and of sound judgement.

001:008 Do not be ashamed then to bear witness for our Lord and for me
His prisoner; but rather share suffering with me in the service
of the Good News, strengthened by the power of God.

001:009 For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with our desserts, but in accordance with His own purpose and the free grace which He bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before the commencement of the Ages,

001:010 but which has now been plainly revealed through the Appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus. He has put an end to death and has brought Life and Immortality to light through the Good News,

001:011 of which I have been appointed a preacher, Apostle and teacher, to the Gentiles.

001:012 That indeed is the reason why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know in whom my trust reposes, and I am confident that He has it in His power to keep what I have entrusted to Him safe until that day.

001:013 Provide yourself with an outline of the sound teaching which you have heard from my lips, and be true to the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

001:014 That precious treasure which is in your charge, guard through
the Holy Spirit who has His home in our hearts.

001:015 Of this you are aware, that all the Christians in Roman Asia
have deserted me: and among them Phygelus and Hermogenes.

001:016 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus;
for many a time he cheered me and he was not ashamed of my chain.

001:017 Nay, when he was here in Rome, he took great pains to inquire
where I was living, and at last he found me.

001:018 (The Lord grant that he may obtain mercy at His hands on that day!)
And you yourself well know all the services which he rendered
me in Ephesus.

002:001 You then, my child, must be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

002:002 All that you have been taught by me in the hearing of many witnesses, you must hand on to trusty men who shall themselves, in turn, be competent to instruct others also.

002:003 As a good soldier of Christ Jesus accept your share of suffering.

002:004 Every one who serves as a soldier keeps himself from becoming entangled in the world's business—so that he may satisfy the officer who enlisted him.

002:005 And if any one takes part in an athletic contest, he gets
no prize unless he obeys the rules.

002:006 The harvestman who labours in the field must be the first to get
a share of the crop.

002:007 Mark well what I am saying: the Lord will give you
discernment in everything.

002:008 Never forget that Jesus Christ has risen from among the dead and is a descendant of David, as is declared in the Good News which I preach.

002:009 For preaching the Good News I suffer, and am even put in chains, as if I were a criminal: yet the word of God is not imprisoned.

002:010 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of God's own people; so that they also may obtain salvation—even the salvation which is in Christ Jesus—and with it eternal glory.

002:011 Faithful is the saying: "If we died with Him, we shall
also live with Him;

002:012 "If we patiently endure pain, we shall also share His Kingship; "If we
disown Him, He will also disown us;

002:013 "And even if *our* faith fails, He remains true—He cannot
prove false to Himself."

002:014 Bring all this to men's remembrances, solemnly charging them in the presence of God not to waste time in wrangling about mere words, a course which is altogether unprofitable and tends only to the ruin of the hearers.

002:015 Earnestly seek to commend yourself to God as a servant who, because of his straightforward dealing with the word of truth, has no reason to feel any shame.

002:016 But from irreligious and frivolous talk hold aloof, for those
who indulge in it will proceed from bad to worse in impiety,

002:017 and their teaching will spread like a running sore.
Hymenaeus and Philetus are men of that stamp.

002:018 In the matter of the truth they have gone astray, saying that the Resurrection is already past, and so they are overthrowing the faith of some.

002:019 Yet God's solid foundation stands unmoved, bearing this inscription, "The Lord knows those who really belong to Him." And this also, "Let every one who names the Name of the Lord renounce all wickedness."

002:020 Now in a great house there are not only articles of gold
and silver, but also others of wood and of earthenware;
and some are for specially honourable, and others for common use.

002:021 If therefore a man keeps himself clear of these latter, he himself
will be for specially honourable use, consecrated, fit for
the Master's service, and fully equipped for every good work.

002:022 Keep a strong curb, however, on your youthful cravings;
and strive for integrity, good faith, love, peace, in company
with all who pray to the Lord with pure hearts.

002:023 But avoid foolish discussions with ignorant men, knowing—as you do— that these lead to quarrels;

002:024 and a bondservant of the Lord must not quarrel, but must
be inoffensive towards all men, a skilful teacher,
and patient under wrongs.

002:025 He must speak in a gentle tone when correcting the errors
of opponents, in the hope that God will at last give them repentance,
for them to come to a full knowledge of the truth

002:026 and recover sober-mindedness and freedom from the Devil's snare,
though they are now entrapped by him to do his will.

003:001 But of this be assured: in the last days grievous times
will set in.

003:002 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money,
boastful, haughty, profane. They will be disobedient
to parents, thankless, irreligious,

003:003 destitute of natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers.
They will have no self-control, but will be brutal,
opposed to goodness,

003:004 treacherous, headstrong, self-important. They will love pleasure
instead of loving God,

003:005 and will keep up a make-believe of piety and yet live in defiance
of its power. Turn away from people of this sort.

003:006 Among them are included the men who make their way into private houses and carry off weak women as their prisoners— women who, weighed down by the burden of their sins, are led by ever-changing caprice,

003:007 and are always learning something new, and yet are never able to arrive at real knowledge of the truth.

003:008 And just as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so also these false teachers withstand the truth—being, as they are, men of debased intellects, and of no real worth so far as faith is concerned.

003:009 But they will have no further success; for their folly will be as clearly manifest to all men, as that of the opponents of Moses came to be.

003:010 But you have intimately known my teaching, life, aims, faith, patience, love, resignation,

003:011 and the persecutions and sufferings which I have endured; the things which happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. You know the persecutions I endured, and how the Lord delivered me out of them all.

003:012 And indeed every one who is determined to live a godly life
as a follower of Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

003:013 But bad men and impostors will go on from bad to worse,
misleading and being misled.

003:014 But you must cling to the things which you have learnt and have
been taught to believe, knowing who your teachers were,

003:015 and that from infancy you have known the sacred writings
which are able to make you wise to obtain salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus.

003:016 Every Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching,
for convincing, for correction of error, and for instruction
in right doing;

003:017 so that the man of God may himself be complete and may be perfectly equipped for every good work.

004:001 I solemnly implore you, in the presence of God and of
Christ Jesus who is about to judge the living and the dead,
and by His Appearing and His Kingship:

004:002 proclaim God's message, be zealous in season and out of season;
convince, rebuke, encourage, with the utmost patience
as a teacher.

004:003 For a time is coming when they will not tolerate wholesome
instruction, but, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will
find a multitude of teachers to satisfy their own fancies;

004:004 and will turn away from listening to the truth and will turn aside to fables.

004:005 But as for you, you must exercise habitual self-control, and not live a self-indulgent life, but do the duty of an evangelist and fully discharge the obligations of your office.

004:006 I for my part am like a drink-offering which is already being
poured out; and the time for my departure is now close at hand.

004:007 I have gone through the glorious contest; I have run the race;
I have guarded the faith.

004:008 From this time onward there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who love the thought of His Appearing.

004:009 Make an effort to come to me speedily.

004:010 For Demas has deserted me—loving, as he does, the present age—
and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia,
and Titus to Dalmatia.

004:011 Luke is the only friend I now have with me. Call for Mark
on your way and bring him with you, for he is a great help
to me in my ministry.

004:012 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.

004:013 When you come, bring with you the cloak which I left behind at Troas at the house of Carpus, and the books, but especially the parchments.

004:014 Alexander the metal-worker showed bitter hostility towards me:
the Lord will requite him according to his doings.

004:015 You also should beware of him; for he has violently
opposed our preaching.

004:016 At my first defence I had no one at my side, but all deserted me.
May it not be laid to their charge.

004:017 The Lord, however, stood by me and filled me with inward strength, that through me the Message might be fully proclaimed and that all the Gentiles might hear it; and I was rescued from the lion's jaws.

004:018 The Lord will deliver me from every cruel attack and will keep me safe in preparation for His heavenly Kingdom. To Him be the glory until the Ages of the Ages! Amen.

004:019 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

004:020 Erastus stayed in Corinth; Trophimus I left behind me
at Miletus, ill.

004:021 Make an effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you,
and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.

004:022 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

*****

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