Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy

1 Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus through God’s will in accordance with the promise that we are to have life in Christ Jesus, 2 to my dear child Timothy: grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3* I thank God, to whom I perform service with a clear conscience as did my fathers, that I keep the mention of you so uninterrupted in my prayers, night and day 4 longing to see you, remembering your tears in order that I may be filled with joy 5* by getting a reminiscence of the unfeigned faith you have in you, which resided first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and does, I am persuaded, in you too. 6 For which reason I am reminding you to brighten up the fire of the gift of God which you have in you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of timorousness but of power and love and discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of testifying to our Lord nor of me his man in prison, but in the hardships of the gospel work take a share appropriate to the power of God, 9* who saved us and gave us a holy call in accordance not with our deeds but with an intent and grace of his own, given to us in Christ Jesus eternities ago 10 but now made apparent by the oncoming of our Savior Christ Jesus, who superseded death and gave the illumination of life and imperishability through the gospel. 11 For which I was appointed a herald and apostle and teacher; 12 for which same cause I am suffering these things; but I am not abashed, for I know him whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to guard for that day what I left in his care. 13* Have an outline of sound words heard from me; in faith and the love that is in Christ Jesus 14 safeguard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit our inmate.

15 You know this, that everybody in the province of Asia turned his back on me; among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord grant mercy to Onesiphorus’s family, because he heartened me up over and over, and was not ashamed of my chains 17 but, when he was in Rome, took pains to hunt me up and found me; 18* the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And what services he rendered in Ephesus you know right well.

2 So for your part, my child, be valiant in the grace that there is in Christ Jesus; 2* and what you heard from me with many witnesses, those things commit to trustworthy men who shall be competent in turn to teach others. 3 Take your share of hardships like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4* Everybody in military service keeps clear of entanglement in the businesses of daily life so as to satisfy the one who enlisted him. 5* Or if one goes into an athletic contest either, he gets no wreath unless he contends according to the rules. 6 The hardworking husbandman has to be the first to enjoy a part of the crop. 7 Note what I say, for the Lord will give you insight into everything. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, a descendant of David, in accordance with my preaching, 9 in which I am having hardships to the extent of imprisonment as a criminal; but God’s word is not imprisoned; 10 for this reason I hold on through everything for the sake of such as are chosen, in order that they too may come in for the salvation that there is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is a trustworthy one, “For if we died with him, so shall we live with him; 12 if we are bearing the brunt, so shall we reign with him; if we disown him, so will he disown us; 13 if we are distrustful, he remains trusty, for he cannot disown himself.”

14 Remind people of these things, admonishing them before God not to wrangle over technicalities to no useful purpose, upsetting the listeners. 15 Make a point of presenting yourself to God tried and true, a worker with nothing to be ashamed of, keeping the straight line of the word of truth; 16 but stand away from outpourings of unsanctified nonsense; for they will go further in irreligiousness, 17 and their talk will spread like a gangrene,—among whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18* who missed the mark of truth, saying that there has already been a resurrection, and are wrecking some people’s faith. 19* However, God’s solid foundation still stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows the ones that belong to him” and “Let everybody who names the Lord’s name keep clear of wrong.” 20 And in a great house there is not only gold and silver ware but also woodenware and crockery, and some pieces destined for honor, some for ignominy; 21 so if one cleans himself out from these things he will be a piece for honor, consecrated, useful to the owner, prepared for every good work. 22* But tear yourself away from the desires of youth, and aim at righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23** But try to keep out of foolish and half-educated arguments, knowing that they breed quarrels; 24 and a servant of the Lord’s must not quarrel but be gentle toward everybody, a good teacher, a man to put up with hard treatment, 25 educating opponents by mild methods in case God should give them repentance into recognition of the truth 26* and they should sober up out of the Devil’s trap, captured by him, into His will.

3 But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come on; 2 for men will be selfish, money-mad, pretentious, proud, scurrilous, disobedient to parents, thankless, graceless, 3* loveless, implacable, slanderers, slaves of appetite, ferocious, disinclined to goodness, 4* traitorous, headstrong, conceited, more devoted to pleasure than to God, 5* having a formulation of piety but denying its efficacy; eschew these too. 6* For to this class belong those who slip into houses and get into their hands females loaded up with sins, led along by miscellaneous desires, 7 always learning and never able to come to awareness of truth. 8* And in just the same way as Jannes and Jambres opposed themselves to Moses these too oppose themselves to the truth, men of ruined mind, incompetent for matters of faith; 9 but they will make no further progress, for their senselessness will be evident to everybody, just as those men’s came to be.

10 But you observed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadiness, 11 persecutions, sufferings, what things happened to me at Antioch, at lconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I underwent—and the Lord delivered me out of all. 12 And all who propose to live piously in Christ Jesus will also be persecuted; 13 but scoundrels and impostors will make progress for the worse, misguiding and misguided. 14 But as for you, remain in what you learned and were given assurance of, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and that ever since you were a baby you have known sacred literature such as could give you the wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every text is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in doing right, 17 in order that the man of God may be a whole man, rounded out to fitness for every good work.

4 I notify you before God and Christ Jesus who is to judge living men and dead men, and by his oncoming and his reign, 2* proclaim the word; push in with a good opening or without, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and along every line of teaching. 3* For there will be a time when they will not stand sound teaching, but to suit their own desires will pile up teachers for themselves as they get their ears tickled, 4 and avert their ears from the truth and turn off to the fictions. 5 But for your part be sober in every respect, bear hardships, do a gospel preacher’s work, do your service thoroughly.

6 For as for me, I am a cup that is already being poured on the sacrifice, and it is almost time for me to be getting away. 7* I have played the great game, I have run the race through, I have kept the faith: 8 what is left is that I have awaiting me the wreath of righteousness, which the Lord, the just judge, will deliver to me on that day. And not only to me but also to all who have been in love with his oncoming.

9 Try hard to come to me right off; 10* for Demas left me in the lurch, falling in love with the present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; Titus to Dalmatia; 11 Luke is the only one with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is valuable to me for errands. 12 And Tychicus I sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come bring the poncho I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.

14* Alexander the coppersmith injured me in many ways; the Lord will repay him in accordance with his deeds. 15 Be on your guard against him yourself, for he opposed our words much.

16 At my first defense nobody rallied to me, everybody left me in the lurch; may it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood by me and put power into me in order that through me the proclamation might be consummated and all the nations might hear, and I was rescued out of a lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me out of the way of every deed of evil and will save me into his heavenly kingdom; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

19 Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila and Onesiphorus’s family. 20 Erastus stayed at Corinth; and Trophimus I left at Miletus sick. 21 Try hard to come before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you and yours.

MARGINAL NOTES TO SECOND TIMOTHY