Chapter 6

Instructions to Those Who Minister

1 aAll who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so bthat the name of God and our doctrine will not be 1spoken against.

2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are abrethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who 1partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. bTeach and 2preach these principles.

3 If anyone aadvocates a different doctrine and does not 1agree with bsound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine cconforming to godliness,

4 he is aconceited and understands nothing; but he 1has a morbid interest in bcontroversial questions and cdisputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,

5 and constant friction between amen of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who bsuppose that 1godliness is a means of gain.

6 aBut godliness actually is a means of bgreat gain when accompanied by ccontentment.

7 For awe have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

8 If we ahave food and covering, with these we shall be content.

9 aBut those who want to get rich fall into temptation and ba snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10 For athe love of money is a root of all 1sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have bwandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

11 But aflee from these things, you bman of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, cfaith, dlove, 1perseverance and gentleness.

12 aFight the good fight of bfaith; ctake hold of the eternal life dto which you were called, and you made the good econfession in the presence of fmany witnesses.

13 aI charge you in the presence of God, who 1gives life to all things, and of bChrist Jesus, who testified the cgood confession dbefore Pontius Pilate,

14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the aappearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 which He will 1bring about at athe proper time—He who is bthe blessed and conly Sovereign, dthe King of 2kings and eLord of 3lords,

16 awho alone possesses immortality and bdwells in unapproachable light, cwhom no man has seen or can see. aTo Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

17 Instruct those who are rich in athis present world bnot to be conceited or to cfix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, dwho richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in agood 1works, bto be generous and ready to share,

19 astoring up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may btake hold of that which is life indeed.

20 O aTimothy, guard bwhat has been entrusted to you, avoiding cworldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—

21 which some have professed and thus agone astray 1from bthe faith.

cGrace be with you.