Bible in 90 Days

The Faith of the Thessalonians

1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

To the church in Thessalonica, the church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God’s grace and peace be yours.

² We always remember you when we pray and thank God for all of you. ³ When we pray to God our Father, we always thank him for the things you have done because of your faith. And we thank him for the work you have done because of your love. And we thank him that you continue to be strong because of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ Brothers, God loves you. And we know that he has chosen you to be his. ⁵ We brought the Good News to you. But we did not use only words. We brought the Good News with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with sure knowledge that it is true. Also you know how we lived when we were with you. We lived that way to help you. ⁶ And you became like us and like the Lord. You suffered much, but still you accepted the teaching with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. ⁷ So you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Southern Greece. ⁸ The Lord’s teaching spread from you in Macedonia and Southern Greece. And your faith in God has become known everywhere. So we do not need to say anything about your faith. ⁹ People everywhere are telling about the good way you accepted us when we were there with you. They tell about how you stopped worshiping idols and changed to serving the living and true God. ¹⁰ And you changed to wait for God’s Son to come from heaven. God raised that Son from death. He is Jesus, who saves us from God’s angry judgment that is sure to come.

Paul’s Work in Thessalonica

2 Brothers, you know that our visit to you was not a failure. ² Before we came to you, we suffered in Philippi. People there insulted us. You know about that. And when we came to you, many people were against us. But our God helped us to be brave and to tell you his Good News. ³ Our message was a message to encourage you. We were not trying to lie. We had no evil plan. We were not trying to trick you. ⁴ But we speak the Good News because God tested us and trusted us to do it. When we speak, we are not trying to please men. But we are trying to please God, who tests our hearts. ⁵ You know that we never tried to influence you by saying nice things about you. We were not trying to get your money. We had no selfishness to hide from you. God knows that this is true. ⁶ We were not looking for praise from you or anyone else. We are apostles of Christ. When we were with you, we could have used our authority to make you do things.

⁷ But we were very gentle with you.^[a] We were like a mother caring for her little children. ⁸ Because we loved you, we were happy to share God’s Good News with you. But not only that, we were also happy to share even our own lives with you. ⁹ Brothers, I know that you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day so that we would not burden any of you while we preached God’s Good News to you.

¹⁰ When we were with you, we lived in a holy and right way, without fault. You know that this is true, and God knows that this is true. ¹¹ You know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. ¹² We strengthened you, we comforted you, and we told you to live good lives for God. It is God who calls you to his glorious kingdom.

¹³ Also, we always thank God because of the way you accepted his message. You heard his message from us, and you accepted it as the word of God, not the words of men. And it really is God’s message. And that message works in you who believe. ¹⁴ Brothers, you have been like God’s churches in Christ that are in Judea.^[b] God’s people suffered bad things from the other Jews there. And you suffered the same bad things from the people of your own country. ¹⁵ Those Jews killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets. And they forced us to leave that country. They do not please God. They are against all people. ¹⁶ They try to stop us from teaching the non-Jews so that they may be saved. But those Jews are adding more and more sins to the sins they already have. The anger of God has come to them at last.

Paul Wants to Visit Them Again

¹⁷ Brothers, we were separated from you for a short time, but our thoughts were still with you. We wanted very much to see you, and tried very hard to do so. ¹⁸ I, Paul, tried to come many times, but Satan stopped us. ¹⁹ For you are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will be proud of when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. ²⁰ Truly you are our glory and our joy.

3 We could not come to you, but it was very hard to wait any longer. So we decided to stay in Athens alone ² and send Timothy to you. Timothy is our brother, who works with us for God. He helps us tell people the Good News about Christ. We sent Timothy to strengthen and comfort you in your faith. ³ We sent him so that none of you would be upset by these troubles we have now. You yourselves know that we must have these troubles. ⁴ Even when we were with you, we told you that we all would have to suffer. And you know that it has happened the way we said. ⁵ This is why I sent Timothy to you, so that I could know about your faith. I sent him when I could not wait any longer. I was afraid that the devil had tempted you, and perhaps our hard work would have been wasted.

⁶ But Timothy now has come back to us from you and has brought us good news about your faith and love. He told us that you always remember us in a good way. He told us that you want to see us just as much as we want to see you. ⁷ So, brothers, we are comforted about you, because of your faith. We have much trouble and suffering, but still we are comforted. ⁸ For our life is really full if you stand strong in the Lord. ⁹ We have so much joy before our God because of you, and we thank him for you. But we cannot thank him enough for all the joy we feel. ¹⁰ And we continue praying with all our heart for you night and day. We pray that we can see you again and give you all the things you need to make your faith strong.

¹¹ We pray that our God and Father and our Lord Jesus will prepare the way for us to come to you. ¹² We pray that the Lord will make your love grow more and more for each other and for all people. We pray that you will love others as we love you and ¹³ that your hearts will be made strong. Then you will be holy and without fault before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy people.

A Life That Pleases God

4 Brothers, now I have some other things to tell you. We taught you how to live in a way that will please God. And you are living that way. Now we ask you and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live that way more and more. ² You know what we told you to do by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ God wants you to be holy and to stay away from sexual immorality. ⁴ He wants each one of you to learn how to take a wife^[c] in a way that is holy and honorable. ⁵ Don’t give in to lust like people who do not know God. ⁶ So do not wrong your brother or cheat him in this way. The Lord will punish people who do those things. We have already told you and warned you about that. ⁷ God called us to be holy and does not want us to live in sin. ⁸ So the person who refuses to obey this teaching is refusing to obey God, not man. And God is the One who gives us his Holy Spirit.

⁹ We do not need to write to you about having love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. God has already taught you to love each other. ¹⁰ And truly you do love the brothers in all of Macedonia. Brothers, now we encourage you to love them more and more.

¹¹ Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Take care of your own business. Do your own work. We have already told you to do these things. ¹² If you do, then people who are not believers will respect you. And you will not have to depend on others for what you need.

The Lord’s Coming

¹³ Brothers, we want you to know about those who have died. We do not want you to be sad as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. So, because of Jesus, God will bring together with Jesus those who have died. ¹⁵ What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. We who are living now may still be living when the Lord comes again. We who are living at that time will be with the Lord, but not before those who have already died. ¹⁶ The Lord himself will come down from heaven. There will be a loud command with the voice of the archangel^[d] and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died and were in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, those who are still alive at that time will be gathered up with them. We will be taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So comfort each other with these words.

Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming

5 Now, brothers, we do not need to write to you about times and dates. ² You know very well that the day the Lord comes again will be a surprise like a thief that comes in the night. ³ People will say, “We have peace and we are safe.” At that time they will be destroyed quickly, as pains come quickly to a woman having a baby. And those people will not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers, are not living in darkness. And so that day will not surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all people who belong to the light. You belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness. ⁶ So we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping, but we should be awake and have self-control. ⁷ Those who sleep, sleep at night. Those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But we belong to the day; so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us. And the hope of salvation should be our helmet. ⁹ God did not choose us to suffer his anger, but to have salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him. It is not important if we are alive or dead when Jesus comes. ¹¹ So comfort each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹² Now, brothers, we ask you to respect those people who work hard with you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you. ¹³ Respect them with a very special love because of the work they do with you.

Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ We ask you, brothers, to warn those who do not work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with every person. ¹⁵ Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong. But always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.

¹⁶ Always be happy. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not stop the work of the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecy as if it were not important. ²¹ But test everything. Keep what is good. ²² And stay away from everything that is evil.

²³ We pray that God himself, the God of peace, will make you pure, belonging only to him. We pray that your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—will be kept safe and be without wrong when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. ²⁴ The One who calls you will do that for you. You can trust him.

²⁵ Brothers, please pray for us.

²⁶ Give all the brothers a holy kiss when you meet. ²⁷ I tell you by the authority of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The Problems of New Christians

1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

To the church in Thessalonica in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

² Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul Talks About God’s Judgment

³ We must always thank God for you. And we should do this because it is right. It is right because your faith is growing more and more. And the love that every one of you has for each other is also growing. ⁴ So we brag about you to the other churches of God. We tell them about the way you continue to be strong and have faith. You are being treated badly and are suffering many troubles, but you continue with strength and faith.

⁵ This is proof that God is right in his judgment. God wants you to be worthy of his kingdom. Your suffering is for that kingdom. ⁶ And God will do what is right. He will give trouble to those who trouble you. ⁷ And he will give peace to you people who are troubled and to us also. God will give us this help when the Lord Jesus is shown to us from heaven with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will come from heaven with burning fire to punish those who do not know God. He will punish those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ Those people will be punished with a destruction that continues forever. They will not be allowed to be with the Lord, and they will be kept away from his great power. ¹⁰ This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes to receive glory with his holy people. And all the people who have believed will be amazed at Jesus. You will be in that group of believers because you believed what we told you.

¹¹ That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to help you live the good way that he called you to live. The goodness you have makes you want to do good, and the faith you have makes you work. We pray that with his power God will help you do these things more and more. ¹² We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ can have glory in you. And you can have glory in him. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Evil Things Will Happen

2 Brothers, we have something to say about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We want to talk to you about that time when we will meet together with him. ² Do not become easily upset in your thinking or afraid if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come. Someone may have said this in a prophecy or in a message. Or you may read it in a letter that someone tells you came from us. ³ Do not let any person fool you in any way. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens. And that day will not come until the Man of Evil^[e] appears. He belongs to hell. ⁴ He is against any so-called god or anything that people worship. And the Man of Evil puts himself above anything called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil even goes into God’s Temple and sits there. Then he says that he is God.

⁵ I told you when I was with you that all this would happen. Do you not remember? ⁶ And you know what is stopping that Man of Evil now. He is being stopped now so that he will appear at the right time. ⁷ The secret power of evil is already working in the world now. But there is one who is stopping that power. And he will continue to stop it until he is taken out of the way. ⁸ Then that Man of Evil will appear. And the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath that comes from his mouth and will destroy him with the glory of his coming. ⁹ The Man of Evil will come by the power of Satan. He will have great power, and he will do many different false miracles, signs, and wonders. ¹⁰ He will use every kind of evil to trick those who are lost. They are lost because they refused to love the truth. (If they loved the truth, they would be saved.) ¹¹ But they refused to love the truth; so God sends them something powerful that leads them away from the truth. He sends them that power so they will believe something that is not true. ¹² So all those who do not believe the truth will be judged guilty. They did not believe the truth, and they enjoyed doing evil.

You Are Chosen for Salvation

¹³ Brothers, the Lord loves you. God chose you from the beginning^[f] to be saved. So we must always thank God for you. You are saved by the Spirit that makes you holy and by your faith in the truth. ¹⁴ God used the Good News that we preached to call you to be saved. He called you so that you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So, brothers, stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you. We taught you those things in our speaking and in our letter to you.

^16-17 We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us. Through his grace he gave us a good hope and comfort that continues forever.

Pray for Us

3 And now, brothers, pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s teaching will continue to spread quickly. And pray that people will give honor to that teaching, just as happened with you. ² And pray that we will be protected from bad and evil people. (Not all people believe in the Lord.)

³ But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and protect you from the Evil One. ⁴ The Lord makes us feel sure that you are doing the things we told you. And we know that you will continue to do those things. ⁵ We pray that the Lord will lead your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s patience.

The Duty to Work

⁶ Brothers, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ we command you to stay away from any believer who refuses to work. People who refuse to work are not following the teaching that we gave them. ⁷ You yourselves know that you should live as we live. We were not lazy when we were with you. ⁸ And when we ate another person’s food, we always paid for it. We worked and worked so that we would not be a trouble to any of you. We worked night and day. ⁹ We had the right to ask you to help us. But we worked to take care of ourselves so that we would be an example for you to follow. ¹⁰ When we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If anyone will not work, he will not eat.”

¹¹ We hear that some people in your group refuse to work. They do nothing. And they busy themselves in other people’s lives. ¹² We command those people to work quietly and earn their own food. In the Lord Jesus Christ we beg them to do this. ¹³ Brothers, never become tired of doing good.

¹⁴ If anyone does not obey what we tell you in this letter, then remember who he is. Do not associate with him. Then maybe he will feel ashamed. ¹⁵ But do not treat him as an enemy. Warn him as a brother.

Final Words

¹⁶ We pray that the Lord of peace will give you peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with all of you.

¹⁷ I am Paul, and I end this letter now in my own handwriting. All my letters have this to show they are from me. This is the way I write.

¹⁸ May our Lord Jesus Christ show all of you his grace.

Advice to a Young Preacher

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope.

² To Timothy, a true son to me because you believe.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Warning Against False Teaching

³ I want you to stay in Ephesus. I asked you to do that when I went into Macedonia. Some people there in Ephesus are teaching false things. Stay there so that you can command them to stop. ⁴ Tell them not to spend their time on stories that are not true and on long lists of names in family histories. These things only bring arguments; they do not help God’s work. God’s work is done by faith. ⁵ The purpose of this command is for people to have love. To have this love they must have a pure heart, they must do what they know is right, and they must have true faith. ⁶ Some people have wandered away from these things. They talk about things that are worth nothing. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about. They do not even understand what they say they are sure about.

⁸ We know that the law is good if a man uses it right. ⁹ We also know that the law is not made for good men. The law is made for people who are against the law and for those who refuse to follow the law. It is for people who are against God and are sinful, who are unholy and ungodly, who kill their fathers and mothers, who murder, ¹⁰ who take part in sexual sins, men who have physical relations with other men, those who sell slaves, who tell lies, who speak falsely, and who do anything against the true teaching of God. ¹¹ That teaching is part of the Good News that God gave me to tell. That glorious Good News is from the blessed God.

Thanks for God’s Mercy

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord because he trusted me and gave me this work of serving him. And he gives me strength. ¹³ In the past I spoke against Christ and persecuted him and did all kinds of things to hurt him. But God showed mercy to me because I did not know what I was doing. I did those things when I did not believe. ¹⁴ But the grace of our Lord was fully given to me. And with that grace came the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ What I say is true, and you should fully accept it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst of those sinners. ¹⁶ But I was given mercy. I was given mercy so that in me Christ Jesus could show that he has patience without limit. And he showed his patience with me, the worst of all sinners. Christ wanted me to be an example for those who would believe in him and have life forever. ¹⁷ Honor and glory to the King that rules forever! He cannot be destroyed and cannot be seen. Honor and glory forever and ever to the only God. Amen.

¹⁸ Timothy, you are like a son to me. I am giving you a command that agrees with the prophecies that were given about you in the past. I tell you this so that you can follow those prophecies and fight the good fight of faith. ¹⁹ Continue to have faith and do what you know is right. Some people have not done this. Their faith has been destroyed. ²⁰ Hymenaeus and Alexander are men who have done that. I have given them to Satan so that they will learn not to speak against God.

Some Rules for Men and Women

2 First, I tell you to pray for all people. Ask God for the things people need, and be thankful to him. ² You should pray for kings and for all who have authority. Pray for the leaders so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives—lives full of worship and respect for God. ³ This is good, and it pleases God our Savior. ⁴ God wants all people to be saved. And he wants everyone to know the truth. ⁵ There is only one God. And there is only one way that people can reach God. That way is through Jesus Christ, who is also a man. ⁶ Jesus gave himself to pay for the sins of all people. Jesus is proof that God wants all people to be saved. And that proof came at the right time. ⁷ That is why I was chosen to tell the Good News and was chosen to be an apostle. (I am telling the truth. I am not lying.) I was chosen to teach the non-Jewish people to believe and to know the truth.

⁸ I want men everywhere to pray. These men who lift up their hands in prayer must be holy. They must not be men who become angry and have arguments.

⁹ I also want women to wear clothes that are right for them. They should dress with respect and right thinking. They should not use fancy braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes to make themselves beautiful. ¹⁰ But they should make themselves beautiful by doing good deeds. Women who say they worship God should make themselves beautiful in that way.

¹¹ A woman should learn by listening quietly and being fully ready to obey. ¹² I do not allow a woman to teach a man or to have authority over a man. She must remain silent. ¹³ For Adam was made first; Eve was made later. ¹⁴ Also, Adam was not the one who was tricked by the devil. It was the woman who was tricked and became a sinner. ¹⁵ But women will be saved through having children. They will be saved if they continue in faith, love, holiness, and self-control.

Leaders in the Church

3 What I say is true: If anyone wants to become an overseer, he is wanting a good work. ² An overseer must be so good that people cannot rightly criticize him. He must have only one wife. He must have self-control and be wise. He must be respected by other people and must be ready to help people by accepting them into his home. He must be a good teacher. ³ He must not drink too much wine, and he must not be a man who likes to fight. He must be gentle and peaceful. He must not love money. ⁴ He must be a good leader of his own family so that his children obey him with full respect. ⁵ (If a man does not know how to be a leader over his own family, he will not be able to take care of God’s church.) ⁶ But an elder must not be a new believer. A new believer might be too proud of himself. Then he would be judged guilty for his pride just as the devil was. ⁷ An elder must also have the respect of people who are not in the church. Then he will not be criticized by others and caught in the devil’s trap.

Helpers in the Church

⁸ In the same way, deacons must be men that people can respect. They must not say things they do not mean. They must not use their time drinking too much wine, and they must not be men who are always trying to get rich by cheating others. ⁹ They must follow the faith that God made known to us and always do what they know is right. ¹⁰ You should test those men first. If you find nothing wrong in them, then they can serve as deacons. ¹¹ In the same way, the women^[g] must have the respect of other people. They must not be women who repeat evil gossip about other people. They must have self-control and be women who can be trusted in everything. ¹² Deacons must have only one wife. They must be good leaders of their children and their own families. ¹³ Those who serve well as deacons are making an honorable place for themselves. And they will feel very sure of their faith in Christ Jesus.

The Secret of Our Life

¹⁴ I hope I can come to you soon. But I am writing these things to you now. ¹⁵ Then, even if I cannot come soon, you will know about the things that people must do in the family of God. That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ Without doubt, the secret of our life of worship is great:

A Warning About False Teachers

4 The Holy Spirit clearly says that in the later times some people will stop believing the true faith. They will obey spirits that lie and will follow the teachings of demons. ² Such teachings come from hypocrites, men who cannot see what is right and what is wrong. It is as if their understanding were destroyed by a hot iron. ³ They tell people that it is wrong to marry. And they tell people that there are some foods that must not be eaten. But God made those foods, and the people who believe and who know the truth can eat those foods with thanks. ⁴ Everything that God made is good. Nothing that God made should be refused if it is accepted with thanks to God. ⁵ Everything God made is made holy by what God has said and by prayer.

Be a Good Servant of Christ

⁶ Tell these things to the brothers. This will show that you are a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will show that you are made strong by the words of faith and good teaching that you have been following. ⁷ People tell silly stories that do not agree with God’s truth. Do not follow what those stories teach. But teach yourself only to serve God. ⁸ Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way. Serving God brings you blessings in this life and in the future life, too. ⁹ What I say is true, and you should fully accept it. ¹⁰ For this is why we work and struggle:^[i] We hope in the living God. He is the Savior of all people. And in a very special way, he is the Savior of all who believe in him.

¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² You are young, but do not let anyone treat you as if you were not important. Be an example to show the believers how they should live. Show them with your words, with the way you live, with your love, with your faith, and with your pure life. ¹³ Continue to read the Scriptures to the people, strengthen them, and teach them. Do these things until I come. ¹⁴ Remember to use the gift that you have. That gift was given to you through a prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on^[j] you. ¹⁵ Continue to do those things. Give your life to doing them. Then everyone can see that your work is progressing. ¹⁶ Be careful in your life and in your teaching. Continue to live and teach rightly. Then you will save yourself and those people who listen to you.

Rules for Living with Others

5 Do not speak angrily to an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers. ² Treat older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters. Always treat them in a pure way.

³ Take care of widows who are all alone. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, the first thing they need to learn is to do their duty to their own family. When they do this, they will be repaying their parents or grandparents. That pleases God. ⁵ If a widow is all alone and without help, then she puts her hope in God and prays night and day for God’s help. ⁶ But the widow who uses her life to please herself is really dead while she is still living. ⁷ Tell the believers there to do these things so that no one can say they are doing wrong. ⁸ A believer should take care of his own relatives, especially his own family. If he does not do that, he has turned against the faith. He is worse than a person who does not believe in God.

⁹ To be on your list of widows, a woman must be 60 years old or older. She must have been faithful to her husband. ¹⁰ She must be known as a woman who has done good works. By this, I mean good works such as raising her children, accepting visitors in her home, washing the feet of God’s people, helping those in trouble, and using her life to do all kinds of good deeds.

¹¹ But do not put younger widows on that list. After they give themselves to Christ, they are often pulled away from him by their physical desires. And then they want to marry again. ¹² And they will be judged for not doing what they first promised to do. ¹³ Also, those younger widows begin to waste their time going from house to house. They begin to gossip and busy themselves with other people’s lives. They say things that they should not say. ¹⁴ So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and take care of their homes. If they do this, then no enemy will have any reason to criticize them. ¹⁵ But some of the younger widows have already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, then she should care for them herself. The church should not have to care for them. Then the church will be able to care for the widows who have no living family.

¹⁷ The elders who lead the church well should receive great honor. Those who work hard by speaking and teaching especially should receive great honor. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “When an ox is working in the grain, do not cover its mouth to keep it from eating.”^[k] And the Scripture also says, “A worker should be given his pay.”^[l]

¹⁹ Do not listen to someone who accuses an elder, unless there are two or three other persons who say he did wrong. ²⁰ Tell those who keep on sinning that they are wrong. Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will have a warning.

²¹ Before God and Jesus Christ and the chosen angels, I command you to do these things. Be careful to do them without showing favor to anyone.

²² Think carefully before you lay your hands on^[m] anyone for the Lord’s service. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

²³ Timothy, you stop drinking only water and drink a little wine. This will help your stomach, and you will not be sick so often.

²⁴ The sins of some people are easy to see even before they are judged. But the sins of others are seen only later. ²⁵ So also good deeds are easy to see. But even when they are not easy to see, they cannot stay hidden.

6 All who are slaves should show full respect to their masters. Then no one will speak against God’s name and our teaching. ² Some slaves have masters who are believers. This means they are all brothers. But the slaves should not show their masters any less respect. They should serve their masters even better, because they are helping believers they love.

False Teaching and True Riches

You must teach and preach these things. ³ If anyone has a different teaching, he does not accept the true teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that teaching shows him the true way to serve God. ⁴ The person who teaches falsely is full of pride and understands nothing. He is sick with a love for arguing and fighting about words. And that brings jealousy, making trouble, insults, and evil mistrust. ⁵ And that also brings arguments from men who have evil minds. They have lost the truth. They think that serving God is a way to get rich.

⁶ It is true that serving God makes a person very rich, if he is satisfied with what he has. ⁷ When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. ⁸ So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that. ⁹ Those who want to become rich bring temptation to themselves. They are caught in a trap. They begin to want many foolish things that will hurt them, things that ruin and destroy people. ¹⁰ The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the true faith because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves much sorrow.

Some Things to Remember

¹¹ But you are a man of God. So you should stay away from all those things. Try to live in the right way, serve God, have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. ¹² Keeping your faith is like running a race. Try as hard as you can to win. Be sure you receive the life that continues forever. You were called to have that life. And you confessed the great truth about Christ in a way that many people heard. ¹³ Before God and Christ Jesus I give you a command. Christ Jesus confessed that same great truth when he stood before Pontius Pilate. And God gives life to everything. Now I tell you: ¹⁴ Do the things you were commanded to do. Do them without wrong or blame until the time when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ¹⁵ God will make that happen at the right time. He is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. ¹⁶ God is the only One who never dies. He lives in light so bright that men cannot go near it. No one has ever seen God, or can see him. May honor and power belong to God forever. Amen.

¹⁷ Give this command to those who are rich with things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ Tell the rich people to do good and to be rich in doing good deeds. Tell them to be happy to give and ready to share. ¹⁹ By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves in heaven. That treasure will be a strong foundation. Their future life can be built on that treasure. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life.

²⁰ Timothy, God has trusted you with many things. Keep those things safe. Stay away from people who say foolish things that are not from God. Stay away from those who argue against the truth. They use something they call “knowledge,” but it is really not knowledge. ²¹ They say that they have that “knowledge,” but they have left the true faith.

God’s grace be with you.

Paul Encourages Timothy

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. God sent me to tell about the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

² To Timothy, a dear son to me. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ I always remember you in my prayers, day and night. And I thank God for you in these prayers. He is the God my ancestors served. And I serve him, doing what I know is right. ⁴ I remember that you cried for me. And I want very much to see you so that I can be filled with joy. ⁵ I remember your true faith. That kind of faith first belonged to your grandmother Lois and to your mother Eunice. And I know that you now have that same faith. ⁶ That is why I remind you to use the gift God gave you. God gave you that gift when I laid my hands on^[n] you. Now let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire. ⁷ God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid. He gave us a spirit of power and love and self-control.

⁸ So do not be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus. And do not be ashamed of me. I am in prison for the Lord. But suffer with me for the Good News. God gives us the strength to do that. ⁹ God saved us and made us his holy people. That was not because of anything we did ourselves but because of what he wanted and because of his grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began. ¹⁰ It was not shown to us until our Savior Christ Jesus came. Jesus destroyed death. And through the Good News, he showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed. ¹¹ I was chosen to tell that Good News and to be an apostle and a teacher. ¹² And I suffer now because I tell the Good News. But I am not ashamed. I know Jesus, the One I have believed in. And I am sure that he is able to protect what he has trusted me with until that Day.^{[o] 13} Follow the true teachings you heard from me. Follow them as an example of the faith and love we have in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Protect the truth that you were given. Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

¹⁵ You know that everyone in Asia has left me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ I pray that the Lord will show mercy to the family of Onesiphorus. He has often helped me and was not ashamed that I was in prison. ¹⁷ When he came to Rome, he looked for me until he found me. ¹⁸ I pray that the Lord will allow Onesiphorus to have mercy from the Lord on that Day. You know how many ways Onesiphorus helped me in Ephesus.

A Loyal Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 Timothy, you are like a son to me. Be strong in the grace that we have in Christ Jesus. ² You and many others have heard what I have taught. You should teach the same thing to some people you can trust. Then they will be able to teach it to others. ³ Share in the troubles that we have. Accept them like a true soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not waste his time doing the things that most people do. ⁵ If an athlete is running a race, he must obey all the rules in order to win. ⁶ The farmer who works hard should be the first person to get some of the food that he grew. ⁷ Think about these things that I am saying. The Lord will give you the ability to understand all these things.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ. He is from the family of David. After Jesus died, he was raised from death. This is the Good News that I preach, ⁹ and I am suffering because of that Good News. I am even bound with chains like a criminal. But God’s teaching is not in chains. ¹⁰ So I patiently accept all these troubles. I do this so that those whom God has chosen can have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With that salvation comes glory that never ends.

¹¹ This teaching is true:

A Worker Pleasing to God

¹⁴ Continue teaching these things. And warn people before God not to argue about words. Arguing about words does not help anyone, and it ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Do the best you can to be the kind of person that God will approve, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who is not ashamed of his work—a worker who uses the true teaching in the right way. ¹⁶ Stay away from those who talk about useless worldly things. That kind of talk will lead a person more and more away from God. ¹⁷ Their evil teaching will spread like a sickness inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are men like that. ¹⁸ They have left the true teaching. They say that the rising from death of all men has already taken place. And those two men are destroying the faith of some people. ¹⁹ But God’s strong foundation continues to stand. These words are written on that foundation: “The Lord knows those who belong to him.”^[p] And also these words are written on that foundation, “Everyone who says that he believes in the Lord must stop doing wrong.”

²⁰ In a large house there are things made of gold and silver. But also there are things made of wood and clay. Some things are used for special purposes, and others are made for ordinary jobs. ²¹ If anyone makes himself clean from evil things, he will be used for special purposes. He will be made holy, and the Master can use him. He will be ready to do any good work.

²² Stay away from the evil desires of youth. Try hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace. Work for these things together with those who have pure hearts and who trust in the Lord. ²³ Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments. You know that such arguments grow into bigger arguments. ²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel! He must be kind to everyone. He must be a good teacher. He must be patient. ²⁵ The Lord’s servant must gently teach those who do not agree with him. Maybe God will let them change their hearts so that they can accept the truth. ²⁶ The devil has trapped them and causes them to do what he wants. But maybe they can wake up and free themselves from the devil’s trap.

The Last Days

3 Remember this! There will be many troubles in the last days. ² In those times people will love only themselves and money. They will brag and be proud. They will say evil things against others. They will not obey their parents. People will not be thankful or be the kind of people God wants. ³ They will not have love for others. They will refuse to forgive others and will speak bad things. They will not control themselves. They will be cruel and will hate what is good. ⁴ In the last days, people will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking. They will be conceited and proud. They will love pleasure. They will not love God. ⁵ They will continue to act as if they serve God, but they will not really serve God. Stay away from those people. ⁶ Some of them go into homes and get control of weak women who are full of sin. They are led to sin by the many evil desires they have. ⁷ Those women always try to learn new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth fully. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres were against Moses, these people are against the truth. They are people whose thinking has been confused. They have failed in trying to follow the faith. ⁹ But they will not be successful in what they do. Everyone will see that they are foolish. That is what happened to Jannes and Jambres.

Obey the Teachings

¹⁰ But you know all about me. You know what I teach and the way I live. You know my goal in life. You know my faith, my patience, and my love. You know that I never stop trying. ¹¹ You know how I have been hurt and have suffered. You know all that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. You know the hurts I suffered in those places. But the Lord saved me from all those troubles. ¹² Everyone who wants to live the way God wants, in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted. ¹³ People who are evil and cheat other people will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves.

¹⁴ But you should continue following the teachings that you learned. You know that these teachings are true. And you know you can trust those who taught you. ¹⁵ You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. The Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right. ¹⁷ Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be ready and will have everything he needs to do every good work.

4 Before God and Jesus Christ I give you a command. Christ Jesus is the One who will judge all who are living and all who have died. Jesus has a kingdom, and he is coming again. So I give you this command: ² Preach the Good News. Be ready at all times. Tell people what they need to do, tell them when they are wrong, and encourage them. Do these things with great patience and careful teaching. ³ The time will come when people will not listen to the true teaching. They will find more and more teachers who are pleasing to them, teachers who say the things they want to hear. ⁴ They will stop listening to the truth. They will begin to follow the teaching in false stories. ⁵ But you should control yourself at all times. When troubles come, accept them. Do the work of telling the Good News. Do all the duties of a servant of God.

⁶ My life is being given as an offering to God. The time has come for me to leave this life. ⁷ I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now, a crown is waiting for me. I will get that crown for being right with God. The Lord is the judge who judges rightly, and he will give me the crown on that Day.^[q] He will give that crown not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.

Personal Words

⁹ Do your best to come to me as soon as you can. ¹⁰ Demas loved this world too much. He left me and went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia. And Titus went to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Luke is the only one still with me. Get Mark and bring him with you when you come. He can help me in my work here. ¹² I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

¹³ When I was in Troas, I left my coat there with Carpus. So when you come, bring it to me. Also, bring my books, particularly the ones written on parchment.^[r]

¹⁴ Alexander the metalworker did many harmful things against me. The Lord will punish him for the things he did. ¹⁵ You should be careful that he does not hurt you too. He fought strongly against our teaching.

¹⁶ The first time I defended myself, no one helped me. Everyone left me. I pray that God will forgive them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stayed with me. He gave me strength so that I could fully tell the Good News to the non-Jews. The Lord wanted all the non-Jews to hear it. So I was saved from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will save me when anyone tries to hurt me. The Lord will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Glory forever and ever be the Lord’s. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹⁹ Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the family of Onesiphorus. ²⁰ Erastus stayed in Corinth. And I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. ²¹ Try as hard as you can to come to me before winter.

Eubulus sends greetings to you. Also Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers in Christ greet you.

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

Paul Instructs Titus

1 From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was sent to help the faith of God’s chosen people. I was sent to help them to know the truth. And that truth shows people how to serve God. ² That faith and that knowledge come from our hope for life forever. God promised that life to us before time began, and God does not lie. ³ At the right time God let the world know about that life through preaching. He trusted me with that work, and I preached because God our Savior commanded me to.

⁴ To Titus. You are like a true son to me in the faith we share.

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Titus’ Work in Crete

⁵ I left you in Crete so that you could finish doing the things that still needed to be done. I left you there also so that you could choose men to be elders in every town. ⁶ To be an elder, a man must not be guilty of doing wrong. He must have only one wife. His children must be believers. They must not be known as children who are wild and who do not obey. ⁷ An overseer has the job of taking care of God’s work. So he must not be guilty of doing wrong. He must not be a man who is proud and selfish or who becomes angry quickly. He must not drink too much wine. He must not be a person who likes to fight. And he must not be a person who always tries to get rich by cheating people. ⁸ An overseer must be ready to help others by accepting them into his home. He must love what is good. He must be wise. He must live right. He must be holy. And he must be able to control himself. ⁹ An overseer must faithfully follow the truth just as we teach it. He must be able to help people by using true and right teaching. And he must be able to show those who are against the true teaching that they are wrong.

¹⁰ There are many people who refuse to obey—people who talk about worthless things and lead others into the wrong way. I am talking mostly about those who insist on circumcision to be saved. ¹¹ These people must be stopped from talking. They are destroying whole families by teaching things that they should not teach. They teach them only to cheat people and make money. ¹² Even one of their own prophets from Crete said, “Cretan people are always liars. They are evil animals and lazy people who do nothing but eat.” ¹³ The words that prophet said are true. So tell those people that they are wrong. You must be strict with them. Then they will become strong in the faith ¹⁴ and stop accepting Jewish stories. And they will stop following the commands of others who do not accept the truth. ¹⁵ To those who are pure, all things are pure. But to those who are full of sin and do not believe, nothing is pure. The thinking of those people has become evil and their knowledge of what is right has been ruined. ¹⁶ They say they know God, but the evil things they do show that they do not accept God. They are terrible people, they refuse to obey, and they are useless for doing anything good.

Following the True Teaching

2 You must tell everyone what they must do to follow the true teaching. ² Teach older men to have self-control, to be serious, and to be wise. They should be strong in faith, strong in love, and strong in patience.

³ Also, teach older women to be holy in the way they live. Teach them not to speak against others or have the habit of drinking too much wine. They should teach what is good. ⁴ In that way they can teach younger women to love their husbands and children. ⁵ They can teach younger women to be wise and pure, to take care of their homes, to be kind, and to obey their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us.

⁶ In the same way, tell young men to be wise. ⁷ You should do good deeds to be an example in every way for young men. When you teach, be honest and serious. ⁸ And when you speak, speak the truth so that you cannot be criticized. Then anyone who is against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad that he can say against us.

⁹ And tell slaves to obey their masters at all times. They should try to please them and not argue with them. ¹⁰ They should not steal from them. And they should show their masters that they can be trusted. Slaves should do these things so that in everything they do, they will show that the teaching of God our Savior is good.

¹¹ That is the way we should live, because God’s grace has come. That grace can save every person. ¹² It teaches us not to live against God and not to do the evil things the world wants to do. That grace teaches us to live in the present age in a wise and right way—a way that shows that we serve God. ¹³ We should live like that while we are waiting for the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our great hope, and he will come with glory. ¹⁴ He gave himself for us; he died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure people who belong only to him—people who are always wanting to do good things.

¹⁵ Tell everyone these things. You have full authority. So use that authority to strengthen the people and tell them what they should do. And do not let anyone treat you as if you were not important.

The Right Way to Live

3 Remind the believers to do these things: to be under the authority of rulers and government leaders, to obey them and be ready to do good, ² to speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace with all, to be gentle and polite to all people.

³ In the past we were foolish people, too. We did not obey, we were wrong, and we were slaves to many things our bodies wanted and enjoyed. We lived doing evil and being jealous. People hated us and we hated each other. ⁴ But then the kindness and love of God our Savior was shown. ⁵ He saved us because of his mercy, not because of good deeds we did to be right with God. He saved us through the washing that made us new people. He saved us by making us new through the Holy Spirit. ⁶ God poured out to us that Holy Spirit fully through Jesus Christ our Savior. ⁷ We were made right with God by His grace. And God gave us the Spirit so that we could receive the life that never ends. That is what we hope for.

⁸ This teaching is true. And I want you to be sure that the people understand these things. Then those who believe in God will be careful to use their lives for doing good. These things are good and will help all people.

⁹ Stay away from those who have foolish arguments, who talk about useless family histories, who make trouble and fight about what the law of Moses teaches. Those things are worth nothing and will not help anyone. ¹⁰ If someone causes arguments, then give him a warning. If he continues to cause arguments, warn him again. If he still continues causing arguments, then do not be around him. ¹¹ You know that such a person is evil and sinful. His sins prove that he is wrong.

Some Things to Remember

¹² I will send Artemas and Tychicus to you. When I send them, try hard to come to me at Nicopolis. I have decided to stay there this winter. ¹³ Zenas the lawyer and Apollos will be traveling from there. Do all that you can to help them on their way. Be sure that they have everything they need. ¹⁴ Our people must learn to use their lives for doing good deeds. They should do good to those in need. Then our people will not have useless lives.

¹⁵ All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

A Slave Becomes a Christian

¹ From Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and from Timothy, our brother.

To Philemon, our dear friend and worker with us; ² to Apphia, our sister; to Archippus, a worker with us; and to the church that meets in your home.

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon’s Love and Faith

⁴ I remember you in my prayers. And I always thank my God for you. ⁵ I hear about the love you have for all God’s holy people and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus. ⁶ I pray that the faith you share will make you understand every blessing that we have in Christ. ⁷ My brother, you have shown love to God’s people. You have made them feel happy. This has given me great joy and comfort.

Accept Onesimus as a Brother

⁸ There is something that you should do. And because of your love in Christ, I feel free to order you to do it. ⁹ But because I love you, I am asking you instead. I, Paul, am an old man now, and a prisoner for Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ I am asking you a favor for my son Onesimus. He became my son while I was in prison. ¹¹ In the past he was useless to you. But now he has become useful for both you and me.

¹² I am sending him back to you, and with him I am sending my own heart. ¹³ I wanted to keep him with me to help me while I am in prison for the Good News. By helping me he would be serving you. ¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without asking you first. Then any favor you do for me will be because you want to do it, not because I forced you to do it.

¹⁵ Onesimus was separated from you for a short time. Maybe that happened so that you could have him back forever— ¹⁶ not to be a slave, but better than a slave, to be a loved brother. I love him very much. But you will love him even more. You will love him as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷ If you think of me as your friend, then accept Onesimus back. Welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If Onesimus has done anything wrong to you, charge that to me. If he owes you anything, charge that to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay back anything Onesimus owes. And I will say nothing about what you owe me for your own life. ²⁰ So, my brother, I ask that you do this for me in the Lord. Comfort my heart in Christ. ²¹ I write this letter, knowing that you will do what I ask you and even more.

²² Also, please prepare a room for me to stay in. I hope that God will answer your prayers and I will be able to come to you.

Final Greetings

²³ Epaphras is a prisoner with me for Christ Jesus. He sends greetings to you. ²⁴ And also Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke send greetings. They are workers together with me.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.