2 Timothy 1–4

Greeting

1Paul, ^aan apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, ^bfor the promise of life ^cin Christ Jesus:

²To Timothy, my dearly loved son.

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

Thanksgiving

³I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience ^eas my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day. ^f4Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy, ⁵clearly recalling your sincere faith ^gthat first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, ^hand that I am convinced is in you also.

⁶Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze ⁱthe gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. ^j7For God has not given us a spirit ^kof fearfulness, ^lbut one of power, ^mlove, ⁿand sound judgment.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

⁸So don’t be ashamed ^oof the testimony about our Lord, ^por of me His prisoner. ^qInstead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power ^rof God.

⁹He has saved us and called us

with a holy calling, ^s

not according to our works, ^t

but according to His own purpose ^uand grace,

which was given to us in Christ Jesus

before time began.

¹⁰This has now been made evident

through the appearing ^vof our Savior Christ Jesus,

who has abolished death ^w

and has brought life ^xand immortality to light

through the gospel.

¹¹For this gospel I was appointed ^ya herald, apostle, and teacher, ^z12and that is why I suffer ^athese things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me ^bcuntil that day. ^d

Be Loyal to the Faith

¹³Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching ^ethat you have heard from me, ^fin the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you. ¹⁵This you know: All those in Asia ^ghave turned away from me, ^hincluding Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy ⁱto the household of Onesiphorus, ^jbecause he often refreshed me ^kand was not ashamed of my chains. ^l17On the contrary, when he was in Rome, ^mhe diligently searched for me and found me. ¹⁸May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy ⁿfrom Him on that day. And you know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus. ^o

Be Strong in Grace

2You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace ^pthat is in Christ Jesus. ²And what you have heard from me ^qin the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful ^rmen who will be able to teach others also.

³Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ^s4No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter. 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. ^t7Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead ^uand descended from David. This is according to my gospel. ⁹I suffer for it to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God’s message is not bound. ¹⁰This is why I endure ^vall things for the elect: ^wso that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. ^x11This saying is trustworthy: ^y

For if we have died with Him, ^z

we will also live with Him;

¹²if we endure, we will also reign ^awith 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, charging them before God ^bnot to fight about words; ^cthis is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers. ¹⁵Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. ^d16But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness. ^e17And their word will spread like gangrene; Hymenaeus ^fand Philetus are among them. ¹⁸They have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, ^gand are overturning the faith of some. ^h19Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription: ⁱ

The Lord knows those who are His, ^jkand

Everyone who names the name ^lof the Lord

must turn away from unrighteousness. ^m

²⁰Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, ⁿbut also those of wood and clay, some for honorable ^ouse, some for dishonorable. ^pq21So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, ^rhe will be a special ^sinstrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. ^t

²²Flee ^ufrom youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, ^valong with those who call on the Lord ^wfrom a pure heart. ²³But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. ²⁴The Lord’s ^xslave must not quarrel, ^ybut must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, ^zand patient, ²⁵instructing his opponents with gentleness. ^aPerhaps God will grant them repentance ^bleading them to the knowledge of the truth. ²⁶Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, ^chaving been captured by him to do his will. ^d

Difficult Times Ahead

3But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. ^e2For people will be lovers of self, ^flovers of money, ^gboastful, proud, ^hblasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ⁱ³unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, ^jwithout self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, ^k4traitors, ^lreckless, ^mconceited, ⁿlovers of pleasure ^orather than lovers of God, ⁵holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. ^pAvoid these people! ^q

⁶For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions, ^r7always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ^s8Just as Jannes and Jambres ^tresisted Moses, ^uso these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind, ^vworthless ^win regard to the faith. ⁹But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs ^xwas also.

Struggles in the Christian Life

¹⁰But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, ^yfaith, patience, love, ^zand endurance, ¹¹along with the persecutions and sufferings ^athat came to me in Antioch, ^bIconium, ^cand Lystra. ^dWhat persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from them all. ¹²In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ^e13Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving ^fand being deceived. ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, ^g15and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, ^hwhich are able to give you wisdom for salvation ⁱthrough faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God ^jkand 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. ^l

Fulfill Your Ministry

4I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge ^mthe living and the dead, ⁿand because of His appearing and His kingdom: ^o2Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. ³For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, ^pbut according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. ^q4They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. ^r5But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, ^sfulfill your ministry.

⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, ^tand 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 in the future the crown ^uof righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, ^vwill give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing. ^w

Final Instructions

⁹Make every effort to come to me soon, ^x10for Demas ^yhas deserted me, ^zbecause he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. ^aCrescens has gone to Galatia, ^bTitus ^cto Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke ^dis with me. Bring Mark ^ewith you, for he is useful to me in the ministry. ¹²I have sent Tychicus ^fto Ephesus. ¹³When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas ^gwith Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander ^hthe coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works. ¹⁵Watch out ⁱfor him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.

¹⁶At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. ^jMay it not be counted against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me and all the Gentiles might hear. 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. ^kTo Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Benediction

¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila, ^land the household of Onesiphorus. ^m20Erastus ⁿhas remained at Corinth; I left Trophimus ^osick at Miletus. ^p21Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

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