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2 Timothy
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Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise
of life that is in Christ Jesus, {2} To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
{3} I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear
conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
{4} Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled
with joy. {5} I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which
first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am
persuaded, now lives in you also. {6} For this reason I remind
you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the
laying on of my hands. {7} For God did not give us a spirit of
timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. {8}
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his
prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of
God, {9} who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not
because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and
grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of
time, {10} but it has now been revealed through the appearing of
our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel. {11} And of this
gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. {12}
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I
know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard
what I have entrusted to him for that day. {13} What you heard
from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in
Christ Jesus. {14} Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to
you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. {15}
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me,
including Phygelus and Hermogenes. {16} May the Lord show mercy
to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was
not ashamed of my chains. {17} On the contrary, when he was in
Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. {18} May the
Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know
very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. |
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2 Timothy
2 |
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You
then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. {2}
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses
entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
{3} Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
{4} No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian
affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. {5}
Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the
victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. {6} The
hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
{7} Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight
into all this. {8} Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,
descended from David. This is my gospel, {9} for which I am
suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's
word is not chained. {10} Therefore I endure everything for the
sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in
Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. {11} Here is a trustworthy
saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; {12} if
we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also
disown us; {13} if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for
he cannot disown himself. {14} Keep reminding them of these
things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no
value, and only ruins those who listen. {15} Do your best to
present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to
be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. {16}
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more
and more ungodly. {17} Their teaching will spread like gangrene.
Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, {18} who have wandered
away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken
place, and they destroy the faith of some. {19} Nevertheless,
God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The
Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of
the Lord must turn away from wickedness." {20} In a large house
there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and
clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. {21} If a
man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble
purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good
work. {22} Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue
righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the
Lord out of a pure heart. {23} Don't have anything to do with
foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
{24} And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be
kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. {25} Those who
oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them
repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, {26} and
that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the
devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. |
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2 Timothy 3 |
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But
mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. {2}
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, {3}
without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not
lovers of the good, {4} treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God-- {5} having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. {6}
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control
over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by
all kinds of evil desires, {7} always learning but never able to
acknowledge the truth. {8} Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed
Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who,
as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. {9} But they will
not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will
be clear to everyone. {10} You, however, know all about my
teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,
{11} persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me
in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord
rescued me from all of them. {12} In fact, everyone who wants to
live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, {13} while
evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being
deceived. {14} But as for you, continue in what you have learned
and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you
learned it, {15} and how from infancy you have known the holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith
in Christ Jesus. {16} All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
{17} so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work. |
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2 Timothy 4 |
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In the
presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the
dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this
charge: {2} Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of
season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful
instruction. {3} For the time will come when men will not put up
with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching
ears want to hear. {4} They will turn their ears away from the
truth and turn aside to myths. {5} But you, keep your head in all
situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all
the duties of your ministry. {6} For I am already being poured
out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.
{7} I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. {8} Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on
that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his
appearing. {9} Do your best to come to me quickly, {10}
for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to
Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
{11} Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because
he is helpful to me in my ministry. {12} I sent Tychicus to
Ephesus. {13} When you come, bring the cloak that I left with
Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. {14}
Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will
repay him for what he has done. {15} You too should be on your
guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. {16}
At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted
me. May it not be held against them. {17} But the Lord stood at
my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be
fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered
from the lion's mouth. {18} The Lord will rescue me from every
evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be
glory for ever and ever. Amen. {19} Greet Priscilla and Aquila
and the household of Onesiphorus. {20} Erastus stayed in Corinth,
and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. {21} Do your best to get
here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia
and all the brothers. {22} The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be
with you. |
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