2 Timothy 4

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.