The Second Letter of Paul to Timothy
1 FROM PAUL, APOSTLE of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
whose promise of life is fulfilled in Christ Jesus, to Timothy his
dear son.
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord
Jesus Christ.
I thank God — whom I, like my forefathers, worship with a pure inten-
tion — when I mention you in my prayers; this I do constantly night and
day. And when I remember the tears you shed, I long to see you again to
make my happiness complete. I am reminded of the sincerity of your faith,
a faith which was alive in Lois your grandmother and Eunice your mother
before you, and which, I am confident, lives in you also.
That is why I now remind you to stir into flame the gift of God which is
within you through the laying on of my hands. For the spirit that God gave
us is no craven spirit, but one to inspire strength, love, and self-discipline.
So never be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but take your share of suffering for the sake of the Gospel, in the strength
that comes from God. It is he who brought us salvation and called us to a
dedicated life, not for any merit of ours but of his own purpose and his own
grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but has
now at length been brought fully into view by the appearance on earth of
our Saviour Jesus Christ. For he has broken the power of death and
brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.
Of this Gospel I, by his appointment, am herald, apostle, and teacher.
That is the reason for my present plight; but I am not ashamed of it,
because I know who it is whom I have trusted, and am confident of his
power to keep safe what he has put into my charge, until the great Day.
Keep before you an outline of the sound teaching which you heard from
me, living by the faith and love which are ours in Christ Jesus. Guard the
treasure put into our charge, with the help of the Holy Spirit dwelling
within us.
As you know, everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, including
Phygelus and Hermogenes. But may the Lord's mercy rest on the house
of Onesiphorus! He has often relieved me in my troubles. He was not
ashamed to visit a prisoner, but took pains to search me out when he came
to Rome, and found me. I pray that the Lord may grant him to find mercy
from the Lord on the great Day. The many services he rendered at Ephesus
you know better than I could tell you.
2 Now therefore, my son, take strength from the grace of God which is ours
in Christ Jesus. You heard my teaching in the presence of many witnesses;
put that teaching into the charge of men you can trust, such men as will be
competent to teach others.
Take your share of hardship, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. A
soldier on active service will not let himself be involved in civilian affairs;
he must be wholly at his commanding officer's disposal. Again, no athlete
can win a prize unless he has kept the rules. The farmer who gives his
labour has first claim on the crop. Reflect on what I say, for the Lord will
help you to full understanding.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, born of David's line. This
is the theme of my gospel, in whose service I am exposed to hardship, even
to the point of being shut up like a common criminal ; but the word of God
is not shut up. And I endure it all for the sake of God's chosen ones, with
this end in view, that they too may attain the glorious and eternal salvation
which is in Christ Jesus.
Here are words you may trust:
'If we died with him, we shall live with him;
if we endure, we shall reign with him.
If we deny him, he will deny us.
If we are faithless, he keeps faith,
for he cannot deny himself.'
GO ON REMINDING people of this, and charge them solemnly before
God to stop disputing about mere words; it does no good, and is the ruin
of those who listen. Try hard to show yourself worthy of God's approval,
as a labourer who need not be ashamed; be straightforward in your pro-
clamation of the truth. Avoid empty and worldly chatter; those who
indulge in it will stray further and further into godless courses, and the
infection of their teaching will spread like a gangrene. Such are Hymenaeus
and Philetus; they have shot wide of the truth in saying that our resurrection
has already taken place, and are upsetting people's faith. But God has laid
a foundation, and it stands firm, with this inscription: 'The Lord knows his
own', and, 'Everyone who takes the Lord's name upon his lips must for-
sake wickedness.' Now in any great house there are not only utensils of
gold and silver, but also others of wood or earthenware; the former are
valued, the latter held cheap. To be among those which are valued and
dedicated, a thing of use to the Master of the house, a man must cleanse
himself from all those evil things; then he will be fit for any honourable
purpose.
Turn from the wayward impulses of youth, and pursue justice, integrity,
love, and peace with all who invoke the Lord in singleness of mind. Have
nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations. You know tey breed
quarrels, and the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but kindly
towards all. He should be a good teacher, tolerant, and gentle when
discipline is needed for the refractory. The Lord may grant them a change
of heart and show them the truth, and thus they may come to their senses
and escape from the devil's snare, in which they have been caught and held
at his will.
3 You must face the fact: the final age of this world is to be a time of
troubles. Men will love nothing but money and self; they wil be arrogant,
boastful, and abusive; with no respect for parents, no gratitude, no piety,
no natural affection; they will be implacable in their hatreds, scandal-
mongers, intemperate and fierce, strangers to all goodness, traitors,
adventurers, swollen-with self-importance. They will be men who put
pleasure in the place of God, men who preserve the outward form of
religion, but are standing in denial of its reality. Keep clear of men like these.
They are the sort that insulate themselves into private houses and there
get miserable women into their clutches, women burdened with a sinful
past, and led on by all kinds of desires, who are always wanting to be taught,
but are incapable of reaching a knowledge of the truth. As Jennes and
Jambres defied Moses, so these men defy the truth; they have lost the
power to reason, and they cannot pass the tests of faith. But their successes
will be short-lived, for, like those opponents of Moses, they will come to
be recognized by everyone for the fools they are.
But you, my son, have followed, step by step, my teaching and my
manner of life, my resolution, my faith, patience, and spirit of love, and my
fortitude under persecutions and sufferings — all that I went through at
Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, all the persecutions I endured; and the
Lord rescued me out of them all. Yes, persecutions will come to all who want
to live a godly life as Christians, whereas wicked men and charlatans will
make progress from bad to worse, deceiving and deceived. But for your
part, stand by the truths you have learned and are assured of. Remember
from whom you learned them; remember that from early childhood you
have been familiar with the sacred writings which have power to make you
wise and lead you to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every inspired
scripture has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, or for
reformation of manners and discipline in right living, so that the man who
belongs to God may be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind.
4 Before God, and before Christ Jesus who is to judge men living and
dead, I charge you solemnly by his coming appearance and his reign, pro-
claim the message, press it home on all occasions, convenient or in-
convenient, use argument, reproof, and appeal, with all the patience that
the work of teaching requires. For the time will come when they will not
stand wholesome teaching, but will follow their own fancy and gather a
crowd of teachers to tickle their ears. They will stop their ears to the truth
and turn to mythology. But you yourself must keep calm and sane at all
times; face hardship, work to spread the Gospel, and do all the duties of
your calling.
AS FOR ME, already my life is being poured out on the altar, and the hour
for my departure is upon me. I have run the great race, I have finished the
course, I have kept faith. And now the prize awaits me, the garland of
righteousness which the Lord, the all-just Judge, will award me on that
great Day; and it is not for me alone, but for all who have set their hearts
on his coming appearance.
Do your best to join me soon; for Demas has deserted me because his
heart was set on this world; he has gone to Thessalonica, Crescens to
Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia; I have no one with me but Luke. Pick up
Mark and bring him with you, for I find him a useful assistant. Tychicus
I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus
at Troas, and the books, above all my notebooks.
Alexander the copper-smith did me a great deal of harm. Retribution
will fall upon him from the Lord. You had better be on your guard against
him too, for he violently opposed everything I said. At the first hearing of
my case no one came into court to support me; they all left me in the lurch;
I pray that it may not be held against them. But the Lord stood by me and
lent me strength, so that I might be his instrument in making the full
proclamation of the Gospel for the whole pagan world to hear; and thus I
was rescued out of the lion's jaws. And the Lord will rescue me from every
attempt to do me harm, and keep me safe until his heavenly reign begins.
Glory to him for ever and ever! Amen.
Greetings to Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
Erastus stayed behind at Corinth, and I left Trophimus ill at Miletus.
Do try to get here before winter.
Greetings from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia, and from all the
brotherhood here.
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all!
The New English Bible (with Apocrypha)
Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, 1970
Posted Jan 2, 2019, 12:29 AM UTC
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