2 Timothy
Guard the Treasure Entrusted to You
1Paul, aan apostle of bChrist Jesus 1,cby the will of God, according to the promise of dlife in Christ Jesus,
2To aTimothy, my beloved bchild: cGrace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3aI am grateful to God, whom I bserve with a cclear conscience 1the way my forefathers did, das I unceasingly remember you in my 2prayers night and day, 4alonging to see you, bhaving remembered your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, 51being reminded of the aunhypocritical faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and byour mother Eunice, and I am convinced that it is in you as well. 6For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh athe gift of God which is in you through bthe laying on of my hands. 7For God has not given us a aspirit of 1timidity, but of power and love and 2self-discipline.
8Therefore ado not be ashamed of either the bwitness about our Lord or me cHis prisoner, but join with me in dsuffering for the egospel according to the power of God, 9who has asaved us and bcalled us with a holy ccalling, dnot according to our works, but according to His own epurpose and grace which was given to us in fChrist Jesus from gall eternity, 10but anow has been manifested by the bappearing of our Savior cChrist Jesus, who dabolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11afor which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12For this reason I also suffer these things, but aI am not ashamed; for I know bwhom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to cguard what I have entrusted to Him 1until dthat day. 131,aHold to the bstandard of csound words dwhich you have heard from me, in the efaith and love which are in fChrist Jesus. 14Guard, through the Holy Spirit who adwells in us, the 1,btreasure which has been entrusted to you.
15You are aware of this: that all who are in aAsia bturned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16The Lord give mercy to athe house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and bwas not ashamed of my 1,cchains, 17but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— 18the Lord 1grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on athat day—and you know very well what services he rendered at bEphesus.
Remember Jesus Christ
2You therefore, my achild, bbe strong in the grace that is in cChrist Jesus. 2And the things awhich you have heard from me in the presence of bmany witnesses, centrust these to dfaithful men who will be eable to teach others also. 3aSuffer hardship with me, as a good bsoldier of cChrist Jesus. 4No soldier in active service aentangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. 5And also if anyone acompetes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6aThe hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. 7Understand what I say, for the Lord will give you insight in everything.
8Remember Jesus Christ, arisen from the dead, of the bseed of David, caccording to my gospel, 91for which I aendure hardship even to bchains as a ccriminal. But dthe word of God ehas not been chained. 10For this reason aI endure all things for bthe sake of the elect, cso that they also may obtain the dsalvation, which is in eChrist Jesus, with feternal glory. 11aIt is a trustworthy saying: For bif we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
12If we endure, awe will also reign with Him;If we bwill deny Him, He also will deny us;13If we are faithless, aHe remains faithful, for bHe cannot deny Himself.Accurately Handle the Word of Truth
14Remind them of these things, solemnly acharging them in the presence of God not to bdispute about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15Be diligent to apresent yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling bthe word of truth. 16But aavoid bgodless and empty chatter, for 1it will lead to further ungodliness, 17and their word will spread like 1gangrene. Among them are aHymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have gone astray from the truth saying that athe resurrection has already taken place, and they upset bthe faith of some. 19Nevertheless, the afirm foundation of God stands, having this bseal, “cThe 1Lord knows those who are His,” and, “dEveryone who names the name of the 2Lord is to edepart from wickedness.”
20Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of clay, and asome to honor and some to dishonor. 21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from athese things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, having been bprepared for every good work. 22Now aflee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, bfaith, love, and peace, with those who ccall on the Lord dfrom a pure heart. 23But refuse foolish and ignorant aspeculations, knowing that they bproduce 1quarrels. 24aAnd the Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, bable to teach, patient when wronged, 25awith gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, bif perhaps God may give them repentance leading to cthe full knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come to their senses and escape from athe snare of the devil, having been bheld captive 1by him to do his will.
Difficult Times Will Come
3But know this, that ain the last days difficult times will come. 2For men will be alovers of self, blovers of money, cboastful, darrogant, eblasphemers, fdisobedient to parents, gungrateful, hunholy, 3aunloving, irreconcilable, 1,bmalicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, cwithout love for good, 4atreacherous, breckless, cconceited, dlovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5holding to a form of 1,agodliness, but having bdenied its power. cKeep away from such men as these. 6For among them are those who 1,aenter into households and take captive 2,bweak women weighed down with sins, being led on by cvarious desires, 7always learning and never able to acome to the 1full knowledge of the truth. 8Just as aJannes and Jambres bopposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, cmen of depraved mind, disqualified in regard to the faith. 9But they will not make further progress, for their afolly will be obvious to all, just bas theirs was also.
10But you afollowed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, blove, 1perseverance, 11apersecutions, and bsufferings, such as happened to me at cAntioch, at dIconium, and at eLystra. What fpersecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus awill be persecuted.
14But you, acontinue in the things you learned and became convinced of, knowing from whom you learned them, 15and that afrom childhood you have known bthe sacred writings which are able to cmake you wise unto dsalvation through faith which is in eChrist Jesus. 16aAll Scripture is 1God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for 2training in righteousness, 17so that athe man of God may be equipped, having been bthoroughly equipped for every good work.
Preach the Word
4aI solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to bjudge the living and the dead, and by His cappearing and His kingdom: 2preach athe word; be ready in season and out of season; breprove, rebuke, exhort, with 1great cpatience and teaching. 3For athe time will come when they will not endure bsound doctrine, but wanting to have 1their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and awill turn away their ears from the truth and bwill turn aside to myths.
5But you, abe sober in all things, bendure hardship, do the work of an cevangelist, fulfill your dministry.
6For I am already being apoured out as a drink offering, and the time of bmy departure has come. 7aI have fought the good fight, I have finished bthe course, I have kept cthe faith. 8In the future there ais laid up for me bthe crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on cthat day, and not only to me, but also to dall who have loved His eappearing.
Personal Concerns
9aBe diligent to come to me soon, 10for aDemas, having loved bthis present age, has deserted me and gone to cThessalonica; Crescens has gone to 1,dGalatia, eTitus to Dalmatia. 11aOnly bLuke is with me. Pick up cMark and bring him with you, dfor he is useful to me for service. 12But aTychicus I sent to bEphesus. 13When you come bring the cloak which I left at aTroas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially the parchments. 14aAlexander the coppersmith showed me much harm; bthe Lord will award him according to his deeds. 15Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our words.
16At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me. aMay it not be counted against them. 17But the Lord stood with me and astrengthened me, so that through me bthe preaching might be cfulfilled, and that all dthe Gentiles might hear. And I was erescued out of fthe lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will asave me unto His bheavenly kingdom; cto 1Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.