Common - II Timothy

Chapter 1

1:1  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

1:2  to Timothy, my beloved son: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1:3  I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.

1:4  As I recall your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

1:5  For I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure is in you as well.

1:6  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.

1:7  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-discipline.

1:8  So do not be ashamed to testify of our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the power of God,

1:9  who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and the grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

1:10  but has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

1:11  For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

1:12  For this reason I also suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

1:13  Follow the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

1:14  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure that has been entrusted to you.

1:15  You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

1:16  May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;

1:17  but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—

1:18  may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day—and you know very well all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

Chapter 2

2:1  You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2:2  And the things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

2:3  Share in hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

2:4  No soldier in active service gets entangled in civilian affairs, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

2:5  Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.

2:6  The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

2:7  Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

2:8  Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David according to my gospel,

2:9  for which I am suffering even to the point of wearing chains like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.

2:10  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.

2:11  Here is a trustworthy saying: if we died with him, we will also live with him;

2:12  if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

2:13  if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

2:14  Remind them of these things, and charge them in the presence of God to avoid disputing about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.

2:15  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2:16  Avoid godless chatter, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,

2:17  and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

2:18  who have gone astray from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and upset the faith of some.

2:19  Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

2:20  In a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware, and some for noble use, some for ignoble.

2:21  If anyone cleanses himself from what is ignoble, he will be a vessel for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

2:22  Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

2:23  Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know that they produce quarrels.

2:24  And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, patient when wronged,

2:25  with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God will grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

2:26  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Chapter 3

3:1  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress.

3:2  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3:3  unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

3:4  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

3:5  holding a form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people.

3:6  For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, weighed down with sins and swayed by various impulses,

3:7  always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

3:8  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.

3:9  But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

3:10  You, however, know all about my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,

3:11  persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, yet the Lord rescued me from them all.

3:12  Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

3:13  while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

3:14  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, knowing from whom you learned it,

3:15  and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

3:16  All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness;

3:17  so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Chapter 4

4:1  I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

4:2  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.

4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires,

4:4  and will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

4:5  But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

4:6  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

4:7  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

4:8  In the future there is laid up 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 loved his appearing.

4:9  Do your best to come to me soon;

4:10  for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

4:11  Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me in my ministry.

4:12  But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.

4:13  When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and the books, especially the parchments.

4:14  Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him for his deeds.

4:15  Be on guard against him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.

4:16  At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.

4:17  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 rescued from the lion’s mouth.

4:18  The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

4:19  Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

4:20  Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

4:21  Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.

4:22  The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.