2 Timothy

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, ²to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day ⁴longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy; ⁵having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you; which lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, in you also.

⁶For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. ⁸Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God, ⁹who 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 to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, ¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News. ¹¹For this, I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. ¹²For this cause I also suffer 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 to him against that day.

¹³Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me; of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain, ¹⁷but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me ¹⁸(the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well.

You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. ³You therefore must endure hardship, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. ⁵Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he isn’t crowned unless he has competed by the rules. ⁶The farmer who labors must be the first to get a share of the crops. ⁷Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the offspring of David, according to my Good News, ⁹in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained. ¹⁰Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ¹¹This saying is trustworthy:

“For if we died with him,

we will also live with him.

¹²If we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we deny him,

he also will deny us.

¹³If we are faithless,

he remains faithful.

For he can’t deny himself.”

¹⁴Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don’t argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.

¹⁵Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth. ¹⁶But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, ¹⁷and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; ¹⁸men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some. ¹⁹However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” ²⁰Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor, and some for dishonor. ²¹If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.

²²Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³But refuse foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle towards all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to his will.

But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come. ²For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good, ⁴traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; ⁵holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. ⁶For some of these are people who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also oppose the truth; men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected. ⁹But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be. ¹⁰But you did follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, ¹¹persecutions, and sufferings: those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all. ¹²Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ¹³But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. ¹⁵From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: ²preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching. ³For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts; ⁴and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. ⁵But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.

⁶For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. ⁸From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing. ⁹Be diligent to come to me soon, ¹⁰for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. ¹²But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds, ¹⁵of whom you also must beware; for he greatly opposed our words.

¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷But 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. ¹⁸And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus. ²⁰Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick. ²¹Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers. ²²The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.