2 Timothy 1–4

GREETING

1Paul,^a an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,^b for the sake of the promise of life^c in Christ Jesus:

²To Timothy, my dearly loved son.

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

THANKSGIVING

³I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience^e as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.^{f 4}Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵I recall your sincere faith^g that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice^h and now, I am convinced, is in you also.

⁶Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.^{i 7}For God has not given us a spirit of fear,^j but one of power,^Ak love,^l and sound judgment.

NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

⁸So don’t be ashamed^m of the testimony about our Lord,ⁿ or of me his prisoner.^o Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power^p of God. ⁹He has saved us and called us with a holy calling,^q not according to our works,^r but according to his own purpose^s and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. ¹⁰This has now been made evident through the appearing^t of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death^u and has brought life^v and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹For this gospel I was appointed^w a herald, apostle, and teacher,^{B 12}and that is why I suffer^x these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me^Cy until that day.^z

BE LOYAL TO THE FAITH

¹³Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching^aa that you have heard from me,^ab in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. ¹⁵You know that all those in the province of Asia^ac have deserted me,^ad including Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy^ae to the household of Onesiphorus,^af because he often refreshed me^ag and was not ashamed of my chains.^{ah 17}On the contrary, when he was in Rome,^ai he diligently searched for me and found me. ¹⁸May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy^aj from him on that day. You know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.^ak

BE STRONG IN GRACE

2You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace^al that is in Christ Jesus. ²What you have heard from me^am in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful^an men^A who will be able to teach others also.

³Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.^{ao 4}No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer. ⁵Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.^{ap 7}Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead^aq and descended from David, according to my gospel, ⁹for which I suffer to the point of being bound like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound. ¹⁰This is why I endure^ar all things for the elect:^as so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.^{at 11}This saying is trustworthy:^au

For if we died with him,^av

we will also live with him;

¹²if we endure, we will also reign^aw with him;

if we deny him, he will also deny us;

¹³if we are faithless, he remains faithful,

for he cannot deny himself.

AN APPROVED WORKER

¹⁴Remind them of these things, and charge them before God^B not to fight about words.^a This is useless and leads to the ruin of those who listen. ¹⁵Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.^{b 16}Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness,^{c 17}and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus^d and Philetus are among them. ¹⁸They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place,^e and are ruining the faith of some.^{f 19}Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription:^g The Lord knows those who are his,^Ch and let everyone who calls on the nameⁱ of^D the Lord turn away from wickedness.^j

²⁰Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels,^k but also those of wood and clay; some for honorable^E use and some for dishonorable.^{Fl 21}So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable,^G he will be a special^H instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.^m

²²Fleeⁿ from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace,^o along with those who call on the Lord^p from a pure heart. ²³But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴The Lord’s^q servant must not quarrel,^r but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach,^I and patient, ²⁵instructing his opponents with gentleness.^s Perhaps God will grant them repentance^t leading them to the knowledge of the truth. ²⁶Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil,^u who has taken them captive to do his will.^v

DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD

3But know this: Hard times will come in the last days.^{w 2}For people will be lovers of self,^x lovers of money,^y boastful, proud,^z demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,^{aa 3}unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers,^ab without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,^{ac 4}traitors,^ad reckless,^ae conceited,^af lovers of pleasure^ag rather than lovers of God, ⁵holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.^ah Avoid these people.^ai

⁶For among them are those who worm their way into households and deceive gullible women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by a variety of passions,^{aj 7}always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.^{ak 8}Just as Jannes and Jambres^al resisted Moses,^am so these also resist the truth. They are men who are corrupt in mind^an and worthless^ao in regard to the faith. ⁹But they will not make further progress, for their foolishness will be clear to all, as was the foolishness of Jannes and Jambres.

STRUGGLES IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

¹⁰But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose,^ap faith, patience, love,^aq and endurance, ¹¹along with the persecutions and sufferings^ar that came to me in Antioch,^as Iconium,^at and Lystra.^au What persecutions I endured—and yet the Lord rescued me from them all. ¹²In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.^{av 13}Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving^aw and being deceived. ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you,^{ax 15}and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,^ay which are able to give you wisdom for salvation^az through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God^Aba and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.^bb

FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY

4I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge^bc the living and the dead,^bd and because of his appearing and his kingdom:^{be 2}Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. ³For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine,^bf but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. ⁴They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.^{a 5}But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,^b fulfill your ministry.

⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,^c and the time for my departure is close. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸There is reserved for me the crown^d of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,^e will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.^Af

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

⁹Make every effort to come to me soon,^{g 10}because Demas^h has deserted me,ⁱ since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica.^j Crescens has gone to Galatia,^k Titus^l to Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke^m is with me. Bring Markⁿ with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry. ¹²I have sent Tychicus^o to Ephesus. ¹³When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas^p with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander^q the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works. ¹⁵Watch out^r for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.

¹⁶At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me.^s May it not be counted against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.^t To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

BENEDICTION

¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila,^u and the household of Onesiphorus.^{v 20}Erastus^w has remained at Corinth; I left Trophimus^x sick at Miletus.^{y 21}Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.

²²The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.