Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will
of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy,
peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers in
a pure conscience, how unceasing is my remembrance of thee in my
supplications, night and day longing to see thee,
remembering thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that
is in thee; which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother
Eunice; and, I am persuaded, in thee also. For
which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God,
which is in thee through the laying on of my hands.
For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but
of power and love and discipline. Be not ashamed
therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but suffer
hardship with the gospel according to the power of God;
who saved us, and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,
but hath now been manifested by the appearing of
our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel,
whereunto I was appointed a preacher, and an
apostle, and a teacher. For which cause I suffer
also these things: yet I am not ashamed; for I know him whom I have
believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have
committed unto him against that day. Hold the
pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love
which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which
was committed unto thee guard through the Holy Spirit which
dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all that
are in Asia turned away from me; of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.
The Lord grant mercy unto the house of
Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
but, when he was in Rome, he sought me
diligently, and found me (the Lord grant unto
him to find mercy of the Lord in that day); and in how many things he
ministered at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things
which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou
to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier
of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service entangleth
himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who
enrolled him as a soldier. And if also a man
contend in the games, he is not crowded, except he have contended
lawfully. The husbandmen that laboreth must be
the first to partake of the fruits. Consider what
I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of
the seed of David, according to my gospel:
wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a
malefactor; but the word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect's
sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus
with eternal glory. Faithful is the saying: For
if we died with him, we shall also live with him:
if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if
we shall deny him, he also will deny us: if we
are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.
Of these things put them in remembrance,
charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they strive not about
words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear.
Give diligence to present thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of
truth. But shun profane babblings: for they will
proceed further in ungodliness, and their word
will eat as doth a gangrene: or whom is Hymenaeus an Philetus;
men who concerning the truth have erred, saying
that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some.
Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth,
having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one
that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.
Now in a great house there are not only vessels
of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor,
and some unto dishonor. If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for
the master's use, prepared unto every good work.
after righteousness, faith, love, pace, with
them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
But foolish and ignorant questionings refuse,
knowing that they gender strifes. And the Lord's
servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach,
forbearing, in meekness correcting them that
oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the
knowledge of the truth, and they may recover
themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him
unto his will.
But know this, that in the last days grievous
times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a
form of godliness, but having denied the power therefore. From these also
turn away. For of these are they that creep into
houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers
lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth. And even as Jannes
and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth. Men
corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
But they shall proceed no further. For their
folly shall be evident unto all men, as theirs also came to be.
But thou didst follow my teaching, conduct,
purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience,
persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me
at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of
them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all
that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and
worse, deceiving and being deceived. But abide
thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,
knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that
from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make
thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Every scripture inspired of God is also
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
which is in righteousness. That the man of God
may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.
I charge thee in the sight of God, and of
Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his
appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be
urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching. For the time will
come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching
ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
and will turn away their ears from the truth, and
turn aside unto fables. But be thou sober in all
things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy
ministry. For I am already being offered, and the
time of my departure is come. I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at
that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his
appearing. Give diligence to come shortly unto
me: for Demas forsook me, having loved this
present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to
Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and
bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering.
But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus.
The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus,
bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the
Lord will render to him according to his works:
of whom do thou also beware; for he greatly
withstood our words. At my first defence no one
took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account.
But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me;
that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the
Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work,
and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be the glory
forever and ever. Amen. Salute Prisca and
Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus. Erastus
remained at Corinth: but Trophimus I left at Miletus sick.
Give diligence to come before winter. Eubulus
saluteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
The Lord be with thy spirit. Grace be with you.
HTML generated 21 September 2002.
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