Bible in 90 Days

1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

To the church in Thessalonica, the church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.

The Faith of the Thessalonians

² We always thank God for all of you and mention you when we pray. ³ We continually recall before God our Father the things you have done because of your faith and 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 and sisters, God loves you, and we know he has chosen you, ⁵ because the Good News we brought to you came not only with words, but 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 in order 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 And the Lord’s teaching spread from you not only into Macedonia and Southern Greece, but now your faith in God has become known everywhere. So we do not need to say anything about it. ⁹ People everywhere are telling about the way you accepted us when we were there with you. They tell how you stopped worshiping idols and began serving the living and true God. ¹⁰ And you wait for God’s Son, whom God raised from the dead, to come from heaven. He is Jesus, who saves us from God’s angry judgment that is sure to come.

Paul’s Work in Thessalonica

2 Brothers and sisters, you know our visit to you was not a failure. ² Before we came to you, we suffered in Philippi. People there insulted us, as you know, and many people were against us. But our God helped us to be brave and to tell you his Good News. ³ Our appeal does not come from lies or wrong reasons, nor were we 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 people, but 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 human praise, from you or anyone else, ⁷ even though as apostles of Christ we could have used our authority over you.

But we were very gentle with you,^[a] like a mother caring for her little children. ⁸ Because we loved you, we were happy to share not only God’s Good News with you, but even our own lives. You had become so dear to us! ⁹ Brothers and sisters, I know you remember our hard work and difficulties. We worked night and day so 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 honest way, without fault. You know this is true, and so does God. ¹¹ You know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. ¹² We encouraged you, we urged you, and we insisted that you live good lives for God, who calls you to his glorious kingdom.

¹³ Also, we always thank God because when you heard his message from us, you accepted it as the word of God, not the words of humans. And it really is God’s message which works in you who believe. ¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, your experiences have been like those of God’s churches in Christ that are in Judea.^[b] You suffered from the people of your own country, as they suffered from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and forced us to leave that country. They do not please God and are against all people. ¹⁶ They try to stop us from teaching those who are not Jews so they may be saved. By doing this, they are increasing their sins to the limit. The anger of God has come to them at last.

Paul Wants to Visit Them Again

¹⁷ Brothers and sisters, though we were separated from you for a short time, our thoughts were still with you. We wanted very much to see you and tried hard to do so. ¹⁸ We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried to come more than once, but Satan stopped us. ¹⁹ You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will take pride in when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. ²⁰ Truly you are our glory and our joy.

3 When we could not wait any longer, we decided it was best to stay in Athens alone ² and send Timothy to you. Timothy, our brother, works with us for God and helps us tell people the Good News about Christ. We sent him to strengthen and encourage you in your faith ³ so none of you would be upset by these troubles. You yourselves know that we must face these troubles. ⁴ Even when we were with you, we told you we all would have to suffer, and you know it has happened. ⁵ Because of this, when I could wait no longer, I sent Timothy to you so I could learn about your faith. I was afraid 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 and that you want to see us just as much as we want to see you. ⁷ So, brothers and sisters, while we have much trouble and suffering, we are encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸ Our life is really full if you stand strong in the Lord. ⁹ We have so much joy before our God because of you. We cannot thank him enough for all the joy we feel. ¹⁰ Night and day we continue praying with all our heart that we can see you again and give you all the things you need to make your faith strong.

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

A Life that Pleases God

4 Brothers and sisters, we taught you how to live in a way that will please God, and you are living that way. Now we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live that way even 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 sins. ⁴ He wants each of you to learn to control your own body^[c] in a way that is holy and honorable. ⁵ Don’t use your body for sexual sin like the people who do not know God. ⁶ Also, do not wrong or cheat another Christian in this way. The Lord will punish people who do those things as we have already told you and warned you. 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 disobeying God, not simply a human teaching. And God is the One who gives us his Holy Spirit.

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

¹¹ Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Take care of your own business, and do your own work as we have already told you. 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 and sisters, we want you to know about those Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. So, because of him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died. ¹⁵ What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. We who are living when the Lord comes again will not go before those who have already died. ¹⁶ The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel,^[d] and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.

Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming

5 Now, brothers and sisters, we do not need to write 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 While people are saying, “We have peace and we are safe,” they will be destroyed quickly. It is like pains that come quickly to a woman having a baby. Those people will not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, 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 and to the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness. ⁶ So we should not be like other people who are sleeping, but we should be alert 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, whether we are alive or dead when he comes. ¹¹ So encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now.

Final Instructions and Greetings

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

Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those who do not work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 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 joyful. ¹⁷ Pray continually, ¹⁸ and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not hold back the work of the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecy as if it were unimportant. ²¹ But test everything. Keep what is good, ²² and stay away from everything that is evil.

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

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

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

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

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, brothers and sisters. This is only right, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing. 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 even though you are being treated badly and are suffering many troubles.

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

¹¹ That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life he called you to live. We pray that with his power God will help you do the good things you want and perform the works that come from your faith. ¹² We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will have glory in you, and you will have glory in him. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Evil Things Will Happen

2 Brothers and sisters, we have something to say about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the 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 in a letter as if it came from us. ³ Do not let anyone fool you in any way. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away^[e] from God happens and the Man of Evil,^[f] who is on his way to hell, appears. ⁴ He will be against and put himself above any so-called god or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil will even go into God’s Temple and sit there and say that he is God.

⁵ I told you when I was with you that all this would happen. Do you not remember? ⁶ And now you know what is stopping that Man of Evil so he will appear at the right time. ⁷ The secret power of evil is already working in the world, 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 will die, because they refused to love the truth. (If they loved the truth, they would be saved.) ¹¹ For this reason God sends them something powerful that leads them away from the truth so they will believe a lie. ¹² So all those will be judged guilty who did not believe the truth, but enjoyed doing evil.

You Are Chosen for Salvation

¹³ Brothers and sisters, whom the Lord loves, God chose you from the beginning^[g] 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 so you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So, brothers and sisters, stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you in our speaking and in our letter.

^16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever.

Pray for Us

3 And now, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the Lord’s teaching will continue to spread quickly and that people will give honor to that teaching, just as happened with you. ² And pray that we will be protected from stubborn and evil people, because not all people believe.

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

The Duty to Work

⁶ Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ we command you to stay away from any believer who refuses to work and does not follow the teaching we gave you. 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 very hard night and day so we would not be an expense to any of you. ⁹ We had the right to ask you to help us, but we worked to take care of ourselves so we would be an example for you to follow. ¹⁰ When we were with you, we gave you this rule: “Anyone who refuses to work should not eat.”

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

¹⁴ If some people do not obey what we tell you in this letter, then take note of them. Have nothing to do with them so they will feel ashamed. ¹⁵ But do not treat them as enemies. Warn them as fellow believers.

Final Words

¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

¹⁷ I, Paul, 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 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

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 child to me because you believe:

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

Warning Against False Teaching

³ I asked you to stay longer in Ephesus when I went into Macedonia so you could command some people there to stop teaching false things. 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, which is done in faith. ⁵ The purpose of this command is for people to have love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a true faith. ⁶ Some people have missed these things and turned to useless talk. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand either what they are talking about or what they are sure about.

⁸ But we know that the law is good if someone uses it lawfully. ⁹ We also know that the law is not made for good people but for those who are against the law and for those who refuse to follow it. 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, who have sexual relations with people of the same sex, 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 of the blessed God that he gave me to tell.

Thanks for God’s Mercy

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave me strength, because he trusted me and gave me this work of serving him. ¹³ In the past I spoke against Christ and persecuted him and did all kinds of things to hurt him. But God showed me mercy, because I did not know what I was doing. 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, of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But I was given mercy so that in me, the worst of all sinners, Christ Jesus could show that he has patience without limit. His patience with me made me an example for those who would believe in him and have life forever. ¹⁷ To the King that rules forever, who will never die, who cannot be seen, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ Timothy, my child, I am giving you a command that agrees with the prophecies that were given about you in the past. I tell you this so you can follow them and fight the good fight. ¹⁹ Continue to have faith and do what you know is right. Some people have rejected this, and their faith has been shipwrecked. ²⁰ Hymenaeus and Alexander have done that, and I have given them to Satan so they will learn not to speak against God.

Some Rules for Men and Women

2 First, I tell you to pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him. ² Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. ³ This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to know the truth. ⁵ There is one God and one mediator so that human beings can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who is himself human. ⁶ He gave himself as a payment to free all people. He is proof that came at the right time. ⁷ That is why I was chosen to tell the Good News and to be an apostle. (I am telling the truth; I am not lying.) I was chosen to teach those who are not Jews to believe and to know the truth.

⁸ So, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up their hands in a holy manner, without anger and arguments.

⁹ Also, women should wear proper clothes that show respect and self-control, not using braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes. ¹⁰ Instead, they should do good deeds, which is right for women who say they worship God.

¹¹ Let a woman learn by listening quietly and being ready to cooperate in everything. ¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to listen quietly, ¹³ because Adam was formed first and then Eve. ¹⁴ And Adam was not tricked, but the woman was tricked and became a sinner. ¹⁵ But she will be saved through having children if she continues in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

Elders in the Church

3 What I say is true: Anyone wanting to become an overseer desires a good work. ² An overseer must not give people a reason to criticize him, and he must have only one wife. He must be self-controlled, wise, respected by others, ready to welcome guests, and able to teach. ³ He must not drink too much wine or like to fight, but rather be gentle and peaceable, not loving money. ⁴ He must be a good family leader, having children who cooperate with full respect. ⁵ (If someone does not know how to lead the family, how can that person take care of God’s church?) ⁶ But an elder must not be a new believer, or he might be too proud of himself and be judged guilty just as the devil was. ⁷ An elder must also have the respect of people who are not in the church so he will not be criticized by others and caught in the devil’s trap.

Deacons in the Church

⁸ In the same way, deacons must be respected by others, not saying things they do not mean. They must not drink too much wine or try to get rich by cheating others. ⁹ With a clear conscience they must follow the secret of the faith that God made known to us. ¹⁰ Test them first. Then let them serve as deacons if you find nothing wrong in them. ¹¹ In the same way, women^[h] must be respected by others. They must not speak evil of others. They must be self-controlled and trustworthy in everything. ¹² Deacons must have only one wife and 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 be very bold in their faith in Christ Jesus.

The Secret of Our Life

¹⁴ Although I hope I can come to you soon, I am writing these things to you now. ¹⁵ Then, even if I am delayed, you will know how to live 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 Now the Holy Spirit clearly says that in the later times some people will stop believing the faith. They will follow spirits that lie and teachings of demons. ² Such teachings come from the false words of liars whose consciences are destroyed as if by a hot iron. ³ They forbid people to marry and tell them not to eat certain foods which God created to be eaten with thanks by people who believe and know the truth. ⁴ Everything God made is good, and nothing should be refused if it is accepted with thanks, ⁵ because it is made holy by what God has said and by prayer.

Be a Good Servant of Christ

⁶ By telling these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will be made strong by the words of the faith and the good teaching which you have been following. ⁷ But do not follow foolish stories that disagree with God’s truth, but train yourself to serve God. ⁸ Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way by bringing you blessings in this life and in the future life, too. ⁹ What I say is true, and you should fully accept it. ¹⁰ This is why we work and struggle:^[j] We hope in the living God who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life. ¹³ Until I come, continue to read the Scriptures to the people, strengthen them, and teach them. ¹⁴ Use the gift you have, which was given to you through prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on^[k] you. ¹⁵ Continue to do those things; give your life to doing them so your progress may be seen by everyone. ¹⁶ Be careful in your life and in your teaching. If you continue to live and teach rightly, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Rules for Living with Others

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

³ Take care of widows who are truly widows. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to do their duty to their own family and to repay their parents or grandparents. That pleases God. ⁵ The true widow, who is all alone, puts her hope in God and continues to pray night and day for God’s help. ⁶ But the widow who uses her life to please herself is really dead while she is alive. ⁷ Tell the believers to do these things so that no one can criticize them. ⁸ Whoever does not care for his own relatives, especially his own family members, has turned against the faith and is worse than someone who does not believe in God.

⁹ To be on the list of widows, a woman must be at least sixty years old. She must have been faithful to her husband. ¹⁰ She must be known for her good works—works such as raising her children, welcoming strangers, washing the feet of God’s people, helping those in trouble, and giving 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 pulled away from him by their physical desires, and then they want to marry again. ¹² They will be judged for not doing what they first promised to do. ¹³ Besides that, they learn to waste their time, going from house to house. And they not only waste their time but also begin to gossip and busy themselves with other people’s lives, saying things they should not say. ¹⁴ So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their homes. Then no enemy will have any reason to criticize them. ¹⁵ But some have already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should care for them herself. The church should not have to care for them. Then it will be able to take care of those who are truly widows.

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

¹⁹ Do not listen to someone who accuses an elder, without two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Tell those who continue 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 Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, I command you to do these things without showing favor of any kind to anyone.

²² Think carefully before you lay your hands on^[n] anyone, and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

²³ Stop drinking only water, but drink a little wine to help your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.

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 those that are not easily seen cannot stay hidden.

6 All who are slaves under a yoke should show full respect to their masters so no one will speak against God’s name and our teaching. ² The slaves whose masters are believers should not show their masters any less respect because they are believers. They should serve their masters even better, because they are helping believers they love.

You must teach and preach these things.

False Teaching and True Riches

³ Anyone who has a different teaching does not agree with the true teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that shows the true way to serve God. ⁴ This person is full of pride and understands nothing, but is sick with a love for arguing and fighting about words. This brings jealousy, fighting, speaking against others, evil mistrust, ⁵ and constant quarrels from those who have evil minds and have lost the truth. They think that serving God is a way to get rich.

⁶ Serving God does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have. ⁷ We brought nothing into the world, so we can take nothing out. ⁸ But, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that. ⁹ Those who want to become rich bring temptation to themselves and are caught in a trap. They want many foolish and harmful things that ruin and destroy people. ¹⁰ The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the faith, because they wanted to get more money, but they have caused themselves much sorrow.

Some Things to Remember

¹¹ But you, man of God, run away from all those things. Instead, live in the right way, serve God, have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, grabbing hold of the life that continues forever. You were called to have that life when you confessed the good confession before many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, I give you a command. Christ Jesus made the good confession when he stood before Pontius Pilate. ¹⁴ Do what you were commanded to do without wrong or blame until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ¹⁵ God will make that happen at the right time. He is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. ¹⁶ He is the only One who never dies. He lives in light so bright no one can go near it. No one has ever seen God, or can see him. May honor and power belong to God forever. Amen.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich with things of this world not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not in their uncertain riches. God richly gives us everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ Tell the rich people to do good, to be rich in doing good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. ¹⁹ By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life.

²⁰ Timothy, guard what God has trusted to you. Stay away from foolish, useless talk and from the arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge.” ²¹ By saying they have that “knowledge,” some have missed the true faith.

Grace be with you.

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 child to me:

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

Encouragement for Timothy

³ I thank God as I always mention you in my prayers, day and night. I serve him, doing what I know is right as my ancestors did. ⁴ Remembering that you cried for me, I want very much to see you so I can be filled with joy. ⁵ I remember your true faith. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I know you now have that same faith. ⁶ This is why I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on^[o] 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 but 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, in prison for the Lord. But suffer with me for the Good News. God, who gives us the strength to do that, ⁹ saved us and made us his holy people. That was not because of anything we did ourselves but because of God’s purpose and grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began, ¹⁰ but it is now shown to us by the coming of our Savior Christ Jesus. He 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 I am suffering now because I tell the Good News, but I am not ashamed, because I know Jesus, the One in whom I have believed. And I am sure he is able to protect what he has trusted me with until that day.^{[p] 13} Follow the pattern of true teachings that you heard from me in faith and love, which are 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 May the Lord show mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, who has often helped me and was not ashamed that I was in prison. ¹⁷ When he came to Rome, he looked eagerly for me until he found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord allow him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. You know how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

A Loyal Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 You then, Timothy, my child, be strong in the grace we have in Christ Jesus. ² You should teach people whom you can trust the things you and many others have heard me say. Then they will be able to teach others. ³ Share in the troubles we have like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ A soldier wants to please the enlisting officer, so no one serving in the army wastes time with everyday matters. ⁵ Also an athlete who takes part in a contest 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 was grown. ⁷ Think about what I am saying, because the Lord will give you the ability to understand everything.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, who is from the family of David. This is the Good News I preach, ⁹ and I am suffering because of it to the point of being bound with chains like a criminal. But God’s teaching is not in chains. ¹⁰ So I patiently accept all these troubles 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, warning people in God’s presence not to argue about words. It does not help anyone, and it ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Make every effort to give yourself to God as the kind of person he will approve. Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way. ¹⁶ Stay away from foolish, useless talk, because that will lead people further away from God. ¹⁷ Their evil teaching will spread like a sickness inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like that. ¹⁸ They have left the true teaching, saying that the rising from the dead has already taken place, and so they are destroying the faith of some people. ¹⁹ But God’s strong foundation continues to stand. These words are written on the seal: “The Lord knows those who belong to him,”^[q] and “Everyone who wants to belong to the Lord must stop doing wrong.”

²⁰ In a large house there are not only things made of gold and silver, but also things made of wood and clay. Some things are used for special purposes, and others are made for ordinary jobs. ²¹ All who make themselves clean from evil will be used for special purposes. They will be made holy, useful to the Master, ready to do any good work.

²² But run away from the evil desires of youth. Try hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together with those who trust in the Lord from pure hearts. ²³ Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they grow into quarrels. ²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. ²⁵ The Lord’s servant must gently teach those who disagree. Then maybe God will let them change their minds so they can accept the truth. ²⁶ And they may wake up and escape from the trap of the devil, who catches them to do what he wants.

The Last Days

3 Remember this! In the last days there will be many troubles, ² because people will love themselves, love money, brag, and be proud. They will say evil things against others and will not obey their parents or be thankful or be the kind of people God wants. ³ They will not love others, will refuse to forgive, will gossip, and will not control themselves. They will be cruel, will hate what is good, ⁴ will turn against their friends, and will do foolish things without thinking. They will be conceited, will love pleasure instead of God, ⁵ and will act as if they serve God but will not have his power. Stay away from those people. ⁶ Some of them go into homes and get control of silly women who are full of sin and are led by many evil desires. ⁷ These women are always learning 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. Their thinking has been ruined, and they have failed in trying to follow the faith. ⁹ But they will not be successful in what they do, because as with Jannes and Jambres, everyone will see that they are foolish.

Obey the Teachings

¹⁰ But you have followed what I teach, the way I live, my goal, faith, patience, and love. You know I never give up. ¹¹ You know how I have been hurt and have suffered, as in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I have suffered, but the Lord saved me from all those troubles. ¹² Everyone who wants to live as God desires, in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted. ¹³ But people who are evil and cheat others 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 you learned. You know they are true, because you trust those who taught you. ¹⁵ Since you were a child you have known the Holy Scriptures which 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, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right. ¹⁷ Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be capable, having all that is needed to do every good work.

4 I give you a command in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, the One who will judge the living and the dead, and by his coming and his kingdom: ² Preach the Good News. Be ready at all times, and tell people what they need to do. Tell them when they are wrong. Encourage them with great patience and careful teaching, ³ because the time will come when people will not listen to the true teaching but will find many more teachers who please them by saying the things they want to hear. ⁴ They will stop listening to the truth and will begin to follow false stories. ⁵ But you should control yourself at all times, accept troubles, do the work of telling the Good News, and complete all the duties of a servant of God.

⁶ My life is being given as an offering to God, and 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 being held for me—a crown for being right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the crown to me on that day^[r]—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 because Demas, who loved this world, 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, because 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, along with my books, particularly the ones written on parchment.^[s]

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

¹⁶ The first time I defended myself, no one helped me; everyone left me. May they be forgiven. ¹⁷ But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength so I could fully tell the Good News to all those who are not Jews. So I was saved from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will save me when anyone tries to hurt me, and he 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 and sisters in Christ greet you.

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

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 and to help them know the truth that shows people how to serve God. ² That faith and that knowledge come from the hope for life forever, which God promised to us before time began. And God cannot 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 by the command of God our Savior.

⁴ To Titus, my true child in the faith we share:

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

Titus’ Work in Crete

⁵ I left you in Crete so you could finish doing the things that still needed to be done and so you could appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. ⁶ An elder must not be guilty of doing wrong, must have only one wife, and must have believing children. They must not be known as children who are wild and do not cooperate. ⁷ As God’s managers, overseers must not be guilty of doing wrong, being selfish, or becoming angry quickly. They must not drink too much wine, like to fight, or try to get rich by cheating others. ⁸ Overseers must be ready to welcome guests, love what is good, be wise, live right, and be holy and self-controlled. ⁹ By holding on to the trustworthy word just as we teach it, overseers can help people by using true teaching, and they can show those who are against the true teaching that they are wrong.

¹⁰ There are many people who refuse to cooperate, who talk about worthless things and lead others into the wrong way—mainly those who insist on circumcision to be saved. ¹¹ These people must be stopped, because they are upsetting whole families by teaching things they should not teach, which they do to get rich by cheating people. ¹² Even one of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil animals, and lazy people who do nothing but eat.” ¹³ The words that prophet said are true. So firmly tell those people they are wrong so they may become strong in the faith, ¹⁴ not accepting Jewish false stories and the commands of people who reject 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. Both their minds and their consciences have been ruined. ¹⁶ They say they know God, but their actions show they do not accept him. They are hateful people, they refuse to obey, and they are useless for doing anything good.

Following the True Teaching

2 But you must tell everyone what to do to follow the true teaching. ² Teach older men to be self-controlled, serious, wise, strong in faith, in love, and in patience.

³ In the same way, teach older women to be holy in their behavior, not speaking against others or enslaved to too much wine, but teaching what is good. ⁴ Then they can teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be wise and pure, to be good workers at home, to be kind, and to yield to their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us.

⁶ In the same way, encourage young men to be wise. ⁷ In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with honesty and seriousness. ⁸ Speak the truth so that you cannot be criticized. Then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad to say about us.

⁹ Slaves should yield to their own masters at all times, trying to please them and not arguing with them. ¹⁰ They should not steal from them but should show their masters they can be fully trusted so that in everything they do they will make the teaching of God our Savior attractive.

¹¹ That is the way we should live, because God’s grace that can save everyone has come. ¹² It teaches us not to live against God nor to do the evil things the world wants to do. Instead, that grace teaches us to live in the present age in a wise and right way and in a way that shows we serve God. ¹³ We should live like that while we wait for our great hope and the coming of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ He gave himself for us so he might pay the price to free us from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to him—people who are always wanting to do good deeds.

¹⁵ Say these things and encourage the people and tell them what is wrong in their lives, with all authority. Do not let anyone treat you as if you were unimportant.

The Right Way to Live

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

³ In the past we also were foolish. We did not obey, we were wrong, and we were slaves to many things our bodies wanted and enjoyed. We spent our lives doing evil and being jealous. People hated us, and we hated each other. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was shown, ⁵ he saved us because of his mercy. It was not because of good deeds we did to be right with him. He saved us through the washing that made us new people through the Holy Spirit. ⁶ God poured out richly upon us that Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Savior. ⁷ Being made right with God by his grace, we could have the hope of receiving the life that never ends.

⁸ This teaching is true, and I want you to be sure 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 everyone.

⁹ But stay away from those who have foolish arguments and talk about useless family histories and argue and quarrel about the law. Those things are worth nothing and will not help anyone. ¹⁰ After a first and second warning, avoid someone who causes arguments. ¹¹ You can know that such people are evil and sinful; their own sins prove them wrong.

Some Things to Remember

¹² When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to stay there this winter. ¹³ Do all you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey so that they have everything they need. ¹⁴ Our people must learn to use their lives for doing good deeds to provide what is necessary so that their lives will not be useless.

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

Grace be with you all.

¹ From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, 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 always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, ⁵ because 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 may make you understand every blessing we have in Christ. ⁷ I have great joy and comfort, my brother, because the love you have shown to God’s people has refreshed them.

Accept Onesimus as a Brother

⁸ So, in Christ, I could be bold and order you to do what is right. ⁹ But because I love you, I am pleading with you instead. I, Paul, an old man now and also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, ¹⁰ am pleading with you for my child Onesimus, who became my child 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 so that in your place he might help me while I am in prison for the Good News. ¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without asking you first so that any good you do for me will be because you want to do it, not because I forced you. ¹⁵ Maybe Onesimus was separated from you for a short time so you could have him back forever— ¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a loved brother. I love him very much, but you will love him even more, both as a person and as a believer in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has done anything wrong to you or if he owes you anything, charge that to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back, 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: Refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ I write this letter, knowing that you will do what I ask you and even more.

²² One more thing—prepare a room for me in which to stay, because I hope God will answer your prayers and I will be able to come to you.

Final Greetings

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

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