2 Timothy 1–2

Greeting

1Paul, an apostle of ¹Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the ^apromise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

²To Timothy, a ^bbeloved son:

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

Timothy’s Faith and Heritage

³I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my ^cforefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, ⁴greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, ⁵when I call to remembrance ^dthe ²genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and ^eyour mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. ⁶Therefore I remind you ^fto stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷For ^gGod has not given us a spirit of fear, ^hbut of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

⁸ⁱTherefore do not be ashamed of ^jthe testimony of our Lord, nor of me ^kHis prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, ^lnot according to our works, but ^maccording to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus ⁿbefore time began, ¹⁰but ^ohas now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ^11pto which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher ³of the Gentiles. ¹²For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, ^qfor I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Be Loyal to the Faith

^13rHold fast ^sthe pattern of ^tsound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶The Lord grant mercy to the ^uhousehold of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; ¹⁷but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. ¹⁸The Lord ^vgrant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord ^win that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ^xministered ⁴to me at Ephesus.

Be Strong in Grace

2You therefore, ^amy son, ^bbe strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³You therefore must ^cendure ¹hardship ^das a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ^4eNo one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵And also ^fif anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. ⁷Consider what I say, and ²may the Lord ^ggive you understanding in all things.

⁸Remember that Jesus Christ, ^hof the seed of David, ⁱwas raised from the dead ^jaccording to my gospel, ^9kfor which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, ^leven to the point of chains; ^mbut the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰Therefore ⁿI endure all things for the sake of the ³elect, ^othat they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

¹¹This is a faithful saying:

For ^pif we died with Him,

We shall also live with Him.

^12qIf we endure,

We shall also reign with Him.

^rIf we deny Him,

He also will deny us.

¹³If we are faithless,

He remains faithful;

He ^scannot deny Himself.

Approved and Disapproved Workers

¹⁴Remind them of these things, ^tcharging them before the Lord not to ⁴strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. ^15uBe diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ¹⁶But shun profane and ⁵idle babblings, for they will ⁶increase to more ungodliness. ¹⁷And their message will spread like cancer. ^vHymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, ¹⁸who have strayed concerning the truth, ^wsaying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. ¹⁹Nevertheless ^xthe solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord ^yknows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of ⁷Christ depart from iniquity.”

²⁰But in a great house there are not only ^zvessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, ⁸sanctified and useful for the Master, ^aprepared for every good work. ^22bFlee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴And ^ca servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, ^dable to teach, ^epatient, ^25fin humility correcting those who are in opposition, ^gif God perhaps will grant them repentance, ^hso that they may know the truth, ²⁶and that they may come to their senses and ⁱescape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.