Bible in 90 Days

Paul Gives Thanks for Their Faith

1 This letter is from Paul and Silas and Timothy. It is to you, the church, in the city of Thessalonica. You belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May you have His loving-favor and His peace.

² We thank God for you all the time and pray for you. ³ While praying to God our Father, we always remember your work of faith and your acts of love and your hope that never gives up in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ Christian brothers, we know God loves you and that He has chosen you. ⁵ The Good News did not come to you by word only, but with power and through the Holy Spirit. You knew it was true. You also knew how we lived among you. It was for your good. ⁶ You followed our way of life and the life of the Lord. You suffered from others because of listening to us. But you had the joy that came from the Holy Spirit. ⁷ Because of your good lives, you are showing all the Christians in the countries of Macedonia and Greece how to live. ⁸ The Word of the Lord has been spoken by you in the countries of Macedonia and Greece. People everywhere know of your faith in God without our telling them. ⁹ The people themselves tell us how you received us when we came to you. They talk of how you turned to God from worshiping false gods. Now you worship the true and living God. ¹⁰ They tell us how you are waiting for His Son Jesus to come down from heaven. God raised Him from the dead. It is Jesus Who will save us from the anger of God that is coming.

2 Christian brothers, you know that my visit with you was not wasted. ² Just before we came to you, we had been in the city of Philippi. You know how they worked against us and made us suffer. But God helped us preach the Good News to you without fear, even while many people hated us and made it hard for us. ³ You remember what we said to you was true. We had no wrong desire in teaching you. We did not try to fool you. ⁴ God has allowed us to be trusted with the Good News. Because of this, we preach it to please God, not man. God tests and proves our hearts. ⁵ You know we never used smooth-sounding words. God knows we never tried to get money from you by preaching. ⁶ We never looked for thanks from men, not from you or from anyone else. But because we were missionaries of Christ, we could have asked you to do much for us. ⁷ Instead, we were gentle when we came to you. We were like a mother caring for her children. ⁸ We had such a strong desire to help you that we were happy to give you the Good News. Because we loved you so much, we were ready to give you our own lives also. ⁹ You remember, Christian brothers, we worked night and day for our food and clothes while we preached the Good News to you. We did not want to make it hard for you. ¹⁰ You know, and so does God, how pure and right and without blame we were among you who believe. ¹¹ As a father helps his children, you know how we wanted to help you and give you comfort. We told you with strong words ¹² that you should live to please God. He is the One Who chose you to come into His holy nation and to share His shining-greatness.

¹³ We always thank God that when you heard the Word of God from us, you believed it. You did not receive it as from men, but you received it as the Word of God. That is what it is. It is at work in the lives of you who believe. ¹⁴ Christian brothers, you became just like the churches in the country of Judea. You had to suffer from the men in your country as those churches had to suffer from the Jews. ¹⁵ It was the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the early preachers. The Jews made it hard for us and made us leave. They do not please God and are working against all men. ¹⁶ They tried to keep us from preaching the Good News to the people who are not Jews. The Jews do not want them saved from the punishment of sin. The lives of the Jews are full of more sin all the time. But now God’s anger has come to them at last.

¹⁷ Christian brothers, because we have not been able to be with you, our hearts have been with you. We have wanted very much to see you. ¹⁸ We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, have tried to come to you more than once but Satan kept us from coming. ¹⁹ Who is our hope or joy or crown of happiness? It is you, when you stand before our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again. ²⁰ You are our pride and joy.

3 When we could wait no longer, we decided it was best to stay in the city of Athens alone. ² And we sent Timothy to you. He works with us for God, teaching the Good News of Christ. We sent him to give strength and comfort to your faith. ³ We do not want anyone to give up because of troubles. You know that we can expect troubles. ⁴ Even when we were with you, we told you that much trouble would come to us. It has come as you can see. ⁵ For this reason, I could wait no longer. I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid the devil had tempted you. Then our work with you would be wasted.

⁶ But Timothy has come to us from you. He brought good news about your faith and love. It is good to know that you think well of us and that you would like to see us. We would like to see you also. ⁷ Christian brothers, word about your faith has made us happy even while we are suffering and are in much trouble. ⁸ It is life to us to know that your faith in the Lord is strong. ⁹ How can we give God enough thanks for you for all the joy you give us? ¹⁰ We keep on praying night and day that we may see you again. We want to help your faith to be complete. ¹¹ May our God and Father Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ take us on our way to you. ¹² May the Lord make you grow in love for each other and for everyone. We have this kind of love for you. ¹³ May our God and Father make your hearts strong and without blame. May your hearts be without sin in God’s sight when our Lord Jesus comes again with all those who belong to Him.

Paul Tells Them to Live Holy Lives

4 Christian brothers, we ask you, because of the Lord Jesus, to keep on living in a way that will please God. I have already told you how to grow in the Christian life. ² The Lord Jesus gave us the right and the power to tell you what to do. ³ God wants you to be holy. You must keep away from sex sins. ⁴ God wants each of you to use his body in the right way by keeping it holy and by respecting it. ⁵ You should not use it to please your own desires like the people who do not know God. ⁶ No man should do wrong to his Christian brother in anything. The Lord will punish a person who does. I have told you this before. ⁷ For God has not called us to live in sin. He has called us to live a holy life. ⁸ The one who turns away from this teaching does not turn away from man, but from God. It is God Who has given us His Holy Spirit.

⁹ You do not need anyone to write to you about loving your Christian brothers. God has taught you to love each other. ¹⁰ You love all the Christians in all the country of Macedonia. But we ask you to love them even more. ¹¹ Do your best to live a quiet life. Learn to do your own work well. We told you about this before. ¹² By doing this, you will be respected by those who are not Christians. Then you will not be in need and others will not have to help you.

The Lord Is Coming Again

¹³ Christian brothers, we want you to know for sure about those who have died. You have no reason to have sorrow as those who have no hope. ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and then came to life again. Because we believe this, we know that God will bring to life again all those who belong to Jesus. ¹⁵ We tell you this as it came from the Lord. Those of us who are alive when the Lord comes again will not go ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud call. The head angel will speak with a loud voice. God’s horn will give its sounds. First, those who belong to Christ will come out of their graves to meet the Lord. ¹⁷ Then, those of us who are still living here on earth will be gathered together with them in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the sky and be with Him forever. ¹⁸ Because of this, comfort each other with these words.

Watch for the Lord to Come Again

5 You do not need anyone to write to tell you when and at what kind of times these things will happen. ² You know for sure that the day the Lord comes back to earth will be as a robber coming in the night. ³ When they say, “Everything is fine and safe,” then all at once they will be destroyed. It will be like pain that comes on a woman when a child is born. They will not be able to get away from it. ⁴ But you are not in darkness, Christian brothers. That day will not surprise you as a robber would. ⁵ For you are children of the light and of the day. We are not of darkness or of night. ⁶ Keep awake! Do not sleep like others. Watch and keep your minds awake to what is happening. ⁷ People sleep at night. Those who get drunk do it at night. ⁸ Because we are men of the day, let us keep our minds awake. Let us cover our chests with faith and love. Let us cover our heads with the hope of being saved. ⁹ God planned to save us from the punishment of sin through our Lord Jesus Christ. He did not plan for us to suffer from His anger. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, dead or alive, we will be with Him. ¹¹ So comfort each other and make each other strong as you are already doing.

Christian Living

¹² We ask you, Christian brothers, to respect those who work among you. The Lord has placed them over you and they are your teachers. ¹³ You must think much of them and love them because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

¹⁴ We ask you, Christian brothers, speak to those who do not want to work. Comfort those who feel they cannot keep going on. Help the weak. Understand and be willing to wait for all men. ¹⁵ Do not let anyone pay back for the bad he received. But look for ways to do good to each other and to all people.

¹⁶ Be full of joy all the time. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ In everything give thanks. This is what God wants you to do because of Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not try to stop the work of the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Do not laugh at those who speak for God. ²¹ Test everything and do not let good things get away from you. ²² Keep away from everything that even looks like sin.

²³ May the God of peace set you apart for Himself. May every part of you be set apart for God. May your spirit and your soul and your body be kept complete. May you be without blame when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ²⁴ The One Who called you is faithful and will do what He promised. ²⁵ Christian brothers, pray for us. ²⁶ Greet all the Christians with a kiss of holy love. ²⁷ I tell you to have this letter read to all the Christians. ²⁸ May you have loving-favor from our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 This letter is from Paul and Silas and Timothy. It is to the church in the city of Thessalonica that belongs to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ² May you have loving-favor and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ We must give thanks to God for you always, Christian brothers. It is the right thing to do because your faith is growing so much. Your love for each other is stronger all the time. ⁴ We are proud of you and tell the other churches about you. We tell them how your faith stays so strong even when people make it hard for you and make you suffer. ⁵ God wants you to prove yourselves to be worth being in His holy nation by suffering for Him. ⁶ He does what is right and will allow trouble to come to those who are making it hard for you. ⁷ He will help you and us who are suffering. This will happen when the Lord Jesus comes down from heaven with His powerful angels in a bright fire. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ They will be punished forever and taken away from the Lord and from the shining-greatness of His power. ¹⁰ On the day He comes, His shining-greatness will be seen in those who belong to Him. On that day, He will receive honor from all those who put their trust in Him. You believed what we had to say to you. ¹¹ For this reason, we always pray for you. We pray that our God will make you worth being chosen. We pray that His power will help you do the good things you want to do. We pray that your work of faith will be complete. ¹² In this way, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be honored by you and you will be honored by Him. It is through the loving-favor of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some People Will Believe a Lie

2 Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. We will be gathered together to meet Him. But we ask you, Christian brothers, ² do not be troubled in mind or worried by the talk you hear. Some say that the Lord has already come. People may say that I wrote this in a letter or that a spirit told them. ³ Do not let anyone fool you. For the Lord will not come again until many people turn away from God. Then the leader of those who break the law will come. He is the man of sin. ⁴ He works against and puts himself above every kind of god that is worshiped. He will take his seat in the house of God and say that he himself is God. ⁵ Do you not remember that while I was with you, I told you this? ⁶ You know the power that is keeping the man of sin back now. The man of sin will come only when his time is ready. ⁷ For the secret power of breaking the law is already at work in the world. But that secret power can only do so much until the One Who keeps back the man of sin is taken out of the way. ⁸ Then this man of sin will come. The Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of His mouth. The coming of Christ will put an end to him. ⁹ Satan will use this man of sin. He will have Satan’s power. He will do strange things and many powerful works that will be false. ¹⁰ Those who are lost in sin will be fooled by the things he can do. They are lost in sin because they did not love the truth that would save them. ¹¹ For this reason, God will allow them to follow false teaching so they will believe a lie. ¹² They will all be guilty as they stand before God because they wanted to do what was wrong.

You Belong to Those Who Believe the Truth

¹³ Christian brothers, the Lord loves you. We always thank God for you. It is because God has chosen you from the beginning to save you from the punishment of sin. He chose to make you holy by the Holy Spirit and to give you faith to believe the truth. ¹⁴ It was by our preaching the Good News that you were chosen. He chose you to share the shining-greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, Christian brothers, keep a strong hold on what we have taught you by what we have said and by what we have written.

¹⁶ Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loves us. Through His loving-favor He gives us comfort and hope that lasts forever. ¹⁷ May He give your hearts comfort and strength to say and do every good thing.

Christian Brothers, Pray for Us

3 My last words to you, Christian brothers, are that you pray for us. Pray that the Word of the Lord will go out over all the land and prove its power just as it did with you. ² Pray that we will be kept from sinful men, because not all men are Christians. ³ But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and keep you safe from the devil. ⁴ We have faith in the Lord for you. We believe you are doing and will keep on doing the things we told you. ⁵ May the Lord lead your hearts into the love of God. May He help you as you wait for Christ.

⁶ Now this is what we tell you to do, Christian brothers. In the name of the Lord Jesus, keep away from any Christian who is lazy and who does not do what we taught you. ⁷ You know you should follow the way of life we lived when we were with you. We worked hard while we were there. ⁸ We did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it. We worked hard night and day so none of you would have to give us anything. ⁹ We could have asked you to give us food. But we did not so that you might follow our way of living. ¹⁰ When we were with you, we told you that if a man does not work, he should not eat. ¹¹ We hear that some are not working. But they are spending their time trying to see what others are doing. ¹² Our words to such people are that they should be quiet and go to work. They should eat their own food. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we say this. ¹³ But you, Christian brothers, do not get tired of doing good. ¹⁴ If anyone does not want to listen to what we say in this letter, remember who he is and stay away from him. In that way, he will be put to shame. ¹⁵ Do not think of him as one who hates you. But talk to him as a Christian brother.

¹⁶ May the Lord of peace give you His peace at all times. The Lord be with you all. ¹⁷ I, Paul, write this last part with my own hand. It is the way I finish all my letters. ¹⁸ May all of you have loving-favor from our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 This letter is from Paul, a missionary of Jesus Christ. I am sent by God, the One Who saves, and by our Lord Jesus Christ Who is our hope. ² I write to you, Timothy. You are my son in the Christian faith. May God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord give you His loving-favor and loving-kindness and peace.

Watch for False Teachers

³ When I left for the country of Macedonia, I asked you to stay in the city of Ephesus. I wanted you to stay there so you could tell those who are teaching what is not true to stop. ⁴ They should not listen to stories that are not true. It is foolish for them to try to learn more about their early fathers. These only bring more questions to their minds and do not make their faith in God stronger. ⁵ We want to see our teaching help you have a true love that comes from a pure heart. Such love comes from a heart that says we are not guilty and from a faith that does not pretend. ⁶ But some have turned away from these things. They have turned to foolish talking. ⁷ Some of them want to be teachers of the Law. But they do not know what they are talking about even if they act as if they do.

The Law Is Good

⁸ We know the Law is good when it is used the way God meant it to be used. ⁹ We must remember the Law is not for the person who is right with God. It is for those who do not obey anybody or anything. It is for the sinners who hate God and speak against Him. It is for those who kill their fathers and mothers and for those who kill other people. ¹⁰ It is for those who do sex sins and for people who do sex sins with their own sex. It is for people who steal other people and for those who lie and for those who promise not to lie, but do. It is for everything that is against right teaching. ¹¹ The great Good News of our honored God is right teaching. God has trusted me to preach this Good News.

Paul Gives Thanks to God

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord for the power and strength He has given me. He trusted me and gave me His work to do. ¹³ Before He chose me, I talked bad about Christ. I made His followers suffer. I hurt them every way I could. But God had loving-kindness for me. I did not understand what I was doing for I was not a Christian then. ¹⁴ Then our Lord gave me much of His loving-favor and faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ What I say is true and all the world should receive it. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners from their sin and I am the worst sinner. ¹⁶ And yet God had loving-kindness for me. Jesus Christ used me to show how long He will wait for even the worst sinners. In that way, others will know they can have life that lasts forever also. ¹⁷ We give honor and thanks to the King Who lives forever. He is the One Who never dies and Who is never seen. He is the One Who knows all things. He is the only God. Let it be so.

The Good Fight of Faith

¹⁸ Timothy, my son, here is my word to you. Fight well for the Lord! God’s preachers told us you would. ¹⁹ Keep a strong hold on your faith in Christ. May your heart always say you are right. Some people have not listened to what their hearts say. They have done what they knew was wrong. Because of this, their faith in Christ was wrecked. ²⁰ This happened to Hymenaeus and Alexander. I gave them over to Satan to teach them not to speak against God.

2 First of all, I ask you to pray much for all men and to give thanks for them. ² Pray for kings and all others who are in power over us so we might live quiet God-like lives in peace. ³ It is good when you pray like this. It pleases God Who is the One Who saves. ⁴ He wants all people to be saved from the punishment of sin. He wants them to come to know the truth. ⁵ There is one God. There is one Man standing between God and men. That Man is Christ Jesus. ⁶ He gave His life for all men so they could go free and not be held by the power of sin. God made this known to the world at the right time. ⁷ This is why I was chosen to be a teacher and a missionary. I am to teach faith and truth to the people who do not know God. I am not lying but telling the truth.

Women in the Church

⁸ I want men everywhere to pray. They should lift up holy hands as they pray. They should not be angry or argue. ⁹ Christian women should not be dressed in the kind of clothes and their hair should not be combed in a way that will make people look at them. They should not wear much gold or pearls or clothes that cost much money. ¹⁰ Instead of these things, Christian women should be known for doing good things and living good lives.

¹¹ Women should be quiet when they learn. They should listen to what men have to say. ¹² I never let women teach men or be leaders over men. They should be quiet. ¹³ Adam was made first, then Eve. ¹⁴ Adam was not fooled by Satan; it was the woman who was fooled and sinned. ¹⁵ But women will be saved through the giving of birth to children if they keep on in faith and live loving and holy lives.

What a Church Leader Must Be Like

3 It is true that if a man wants to be a church leader, he wants to do a good work. ² A church leader must be a good man. His life must be so no one can say anything against him. He must have only one wife and must be respected for his good living. He must be willing to take people into his home. He must be willing to learn and able to teach the Word of God. ³ He must not get drunk or want to fight. Instead, he must be gentle. He must not have a love for money. ⁴ He should be a good leader in his own home. His children must obey and respect him. ⁵ If a man cannot be a good leader in his own home, how can he lead the church? ⁶ A church leader must not be a new Christian. A new Christian might become proud and fall into sin which is brought on by the devil. ⁷ A church leader must be respected by people who are not Christians so nothing can be said against him. In that way, he will not be trapped by the devil.

What the Church Helpers Must Be Like

⁸ Church helpers must also be good men and act so people will respect them. They must speak the truth. They must not get drunk. They must not have a love for money. ⁹ They must have their faith in Christ and be His follower with a heart that says they are right. ¹⁰ They must first be tested to see if they are ready for the work as church helpers. Then if they do well, they may be chosen as church helpers. ¹¹ The wives of church helpers must be careful how they act. They must not carry stories from one person to another. They must be wise and faithful in all they do. ¹² Church helpers must have only one wife. They must lead their home well and their children must obey them. ¹³ Those who work well as church helpers will be respected by others and their own faith in Christ Jesus will grow.

Why Paul Writes to Timothy

¹⁴ I hope to come to you soon. I am writing these things ¹⁵ because it may be awhile before I get there. I wanted you to know how you should act among people in the church which is the house of the living God. The church holds up the truth. ¹⁶ It is important to know the secret of God-like living, which is: Christ came to earth as a Man. He was pure in His Spirit. He was seen by angels. The nations heard about Him. Men everywhere put their trust in Him. He was taken up into heaven.

False Teaching in the Last Days

4 The Holy Spirit tells us in plain words that in the last days some people will turn away from the faith. They will listen to what is said about spirits and follow the teaching about demons. ² Those who teach this tell it as the truth when they know it is a lie. They do it so much that their own hearts no longer say it is wrong. ³ They will say, “Do not get married. Do not eat some kinds of food.” But God gave these things to Christians who know the truth. We are to thank God for them. ⁴ Everything God made is good. We should not put anything aside if we can take it and thank God for it. ⁵ It is made holy by the Word of God and prayer.

Christians Are to Grow

⁶ If you keep telling these things to the Christians, you will be a good worker for Jesus Christ. You will feed your own soul on these words of faith and on this good teaching which you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with foolish stories old women tell. Keep yourself growing in God-like living. ⁸ Growing strong in body is all right but growing in God-like living is more important. It will not only help you in this life now but in the next life also. ⁹ These words are true and they can be trusted. ¹⁰ Because of this, we work hard and do our best because our hope is in the living God, the One Who would save all men. He saves those who believe in Him.

Paul’s Helpful Words to Young Timothy

¹¹ Tell people that this is what they must do. ¹² Let no one show little respect for you because you are young. Show other Christians how to live by your life. They should be able to follow you in the way you talk and in what you do. Show them how to live in faith and in love and in holy living. ¹³ Until I come, read and preach and teach the Word of God to the church. ¹⁴ Be sure to use the gift God gave you. The leaders saw this in you when they laid their hands on you and said what you should do. ¹⁵ Think about all this. Work at it so everyone may see you are growing as a Christian. ¹⁶ Watch yourself how you act and what you teach. Stay true to what is right. If you do, you and those who hear you will be saved from the punishment of sin.

Teaching About Women Whose Husbands Have Died

5 Do not speak sharp words to an older man. Talk with him as if he were a father. Talk to younger men as brothers. ² Talk to older women as mothers. Talk to younger women as sisters, keeping yourself pure. ³ Help women whose husbands have died. ⁴ If a woman whose husband has died has children or grandchildren, they are the ones to care for her. In that way, they can pay back to their parents the kindness that has been shown to them. God is pleased when this is done. ⁵ Women whose husbands have died are alone in this world. Their trust is in the Lord. They pray day and night. ⁶ But the one who lives only for the joy she can receive from this world is the same as dead even if she is alive.

⁷ Teach these things so they will do what is right. ⁸ Anyone who does not take care of his family and those in his house has turned away from the faith. He is worse than a person who has never put his trust in Christ. ⁹ A woman over sixty years old whose husband has died may receive help from the church. To receive this help, she must have been the wife of one man. ¹⁰ She must be known for doing good things for people and for being a good mother. She must be known for taking strangers into her home and for washing the feet of Christians. She must be known for helping those who suffer and for showing kindness.

¹¹ Do not write the names of younger women whose husbands have died together with the names of others who need help. They will turn away from Christ because of wanting to get married again. ¹² Then they would be thought of as guilty of breaking their first promise. ¹³ They will waste their time. They will go from house to house carrying stories. They will find fault with people and say things they should not talk about. ¹⁴ I think it is best for younger women whose husbands have died to get married. They should have children and care for their own homes. Then no one can speak against them. ¹⁵ Some of these women have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶ If you have any women whose husbands have died in your family, you must care for them. The church should not have to help them. The church can help women whose husbands have died who are all alone in this world and have no one else to help them.

Teaching About Leaders

¹⁷ Leaders who do their work well should be given twice as much pay, and for sure, those who work hard preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ The Holy Writings say, “When a cow is walking on the grain to break it open, do not stop it from eating some” ^(A), and “A person who works should be paid.” ^(B)

¹⁹ Do not listen to what someone says against a church leader unless two or three persons say the same thing. ²⁰ Show those who keep on sinning where they are wrong in front of the whole church. Then others will be afraid of sinning. ²¹ I tell you from my heart that you must follow these rules without deciding before the truth is known. God and Jesus Christ and the chosen angels know what I am saying. Show favors to no one. ²² Do not be in a hurry about choosing a church leader. You do not want to have any part in other men’s sins. Keep yourself pure.

²³ Do not drink water only. Use a little wine because of your stomach and because you are sick so often.

²⁴ The sins of some men can be seen. Their sins go before them and make them guilty. The sins of other men will be seen later. ²⁵ In the same way, good works are easy to see now. But some that are not easy to be seen cannot always be hid.

Teaching About Christians Who Were Servants

6 All you Christians who are servants must respect your owners and work hard for them. Do not let the name of God and our teaching be spoken against because of poor work. ² Those who have Christian owners must respect their owners because they are Christian brothers. They should work hard for them because much-loved Christian brothers are being helped by their work. Teach and preach these things.

Live Like God Wants You to Live

³ Someone may teach something else. He may not agree with the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. He may not teach you to live God-like lives. ⁴ Such a person is full of pride and knows nothing. He wastes time on questions and argues about things that are not important. This makes those he teaches jealous and they want to fight. They talk bad and have bad ideas about others. ⁵ Men who are not able to use their minds in the right way because of sin argue all the time. They do not have the truth. They think religion is a way to get much for themselves.

⁶ A God-like life gives us much when we are happy for what we have. ⁷ We came into this world with nothing. For sure, when we die, we will take nothing with us. ⁸ If we have food and clothing, let us be happy. ⁹ But men who want lots of money are tempted. They are trapped into doing all kinds of foolish things and things which hurt them. These things drag them into sin and will destroy them. ¹⁰ The love of money is the beginning of all kinds of sin. Some people have turned from the faith because of their love for money. They have made much pain for themselves because of this.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

¹¹ But you, man of God, turn away from all these sinful things. Work at being right with God. Live a God-like life. Have faith and love. Be willing to wait. Have a kind heart. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the life that lasts forever. You were chosen to receive it. You have spoken well about this life in front of many people.

¹³ I tell you this before God Who gives life to all people and before Jesus Christ Who spoke well in front of Pontius Pilate. ¹⁴ You must do all our Lord Jesus Christ said so no one can speak against you. Do this until He comes again. ¹⁵ At the right time, we will be shown that God is the One Who has all power. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. ¹⁶ He can never die. He lives in a light so bright that no man can go near Him. No man has ever seen God or can see Him. Honor and power belong to Him forever. Let it be so.

Paul’s Last Words to Timothy

¹⁷ Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money. Money cannot be trusted. They should put their trust in God. He gives us all we need for our happiness. ¹⁸ Tell them to do good and be rich in good works. They should give much to those in need and be ready to share. ¹⁹ Then they will be gathering together riches for themselves. These good things are what they will build on for the future. Then they will have the only true life!

²⁰ Timothy, keep safe what God has trusted you with. Turn away from foolish talk. Do not argue with those who think they know so much. They know less than they think they do. ²¹ Some people have gone after much learning. It has proved to be false and they have turned away from the faith. May you have God’s loving-favor.

1 This letter is from Paul, a missionary of Jesus Christ. God has sent me to tell that He has promised life that lasts forever through Christ Jesus. ² I am writing to you, Timothy. You are my much-loved son. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you His loving-favor and loving-kindness and peace.

Timothy’s Special Gift

³ I thank God for you. I pray for you night and day. I am working for God the way my early fathers worked. My heart says I am free from sin. ⁴ When I remember your tears, it makes me want to see you. That would fill me with joy. ⁵ I remember your true faith. It is the same faith your grandmother Lois had and your mother Eunice had. I am sure you have that same faith also.

⁶ For this reason, I ask you to keep using the gift God gave you. It came to you when I laid my hands on you and prayed that God would use you. ⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind. ⁸ Do not be ashamed to tell others about what our Lord said, or of me here in prison. I am here because of Jesus Christ. Be ready to suffer for preaching the Good News and God will give you the strength you need. ⁹ He is the One Who saved us from the punishment of sin. He is the One Who chose us to do His work. It is not because of anything we have done. But it was His plan from the beginning that He would give us His loving-favor through Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ We know about it now because of the coming of Jesus Christ, the One Who saves. He put a stop to the power of death and brought life that never dies which is seen through the Good News. ¹¹ I have been chosen to be a missionary and a preacher and a teacher of this Good News. ¹² For this reason, I am suffering. But I am not ashamed. I know the One in Whom I have put my trust. I am sure He is able to keep safe that which I have trusted to Him until the day He comes again. ¹³ Keep all the things I taught you. They were given to you in the faith and love of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ Keep safe that which He has trusted you with by the Holy Spirit Who lives in us.

Onesiphorus Was Faithful

¹⁵ I am sure you have heard that all the Christians in the countries of Asia have turned away from me. Phygelus and Hermogenes turned away also. ¹⁶ Onesiphorus was not ashamed of me in prison. He came often to comfort me. May the Lord show loving-kindness to his family. ¹⁷ When he came to Rome, he looked everywhere until he found me. ¹⁸ You know what a help he was to me in Ephesus. When the Lord comes again, may He show loving-kindness to Onesiphorus.

Be a Good Soldier

2 So you, my son, be strong in the loving-favor of Christ Jesus. ² What you have heard me say in front of many people, you must teach to faithful men. Then they will be able to teach others also. ³ Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No soldier fighting in a war can take time to make a living. He must please the one who made him a soldier. ⁵ Anyone who runs in a race must follow the rules to get the crown. ⁶ A hard-working farmer should receive first some of what he gathers from the field. ⁷ Think about these things and the Lord will help you understand them.

⁸ Remember this! Jesus Christ, Who was born from the early family of David, was raised from the dead! This is the Good News I preach. ⁹ I suffer much and am in prison as one who has done something very bad. I am in chains, but the Word of God is not chained. ¹⁰ I suffer all things so the people that God has chosen can be saved from the punishment of their sin through Jesus Christ. Then they will have God’s shining-greatness that lasts forever. ¹¹ These things are true. If we die with Him, we will live with Him also. ¹² If we suffer and stay true to Him, then we will be a leader with Him. If we say we do not know Him, He will say He does not know us. ¹³ If we have no faith, He will still be faithful for He cannot go against what He is.

Foolish Talk

¹⁴ Tell your people about these things again. In the name of the Lord, tell them not to argue over words that are not important. It helps no one and it hurts the faith of those who are listening. ¹⁵ Do your best to know that God is pleased with you. Be as a workman who has nothing to be ashamed of. Teach the words of truth in the right way. ¹⁶ Do not listen to foolish talk about things that mean nothing. It only leads people farther away from God. ¹⁷ Such talk will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like this. ¹⁸ They have turned from the truth. They say the dead have already been raised. The faith of some people has been made weak because of such foolish talk. ¹⁹ But the truth of God cannot be changed. It says, “The Lord knows those who are His.” And, “Everyone who says he is a Christian must turn away from sin!”

²⁰ In a big house there are not only things made of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some are of more use than others. Some are used every day. ²¹ If a man lives a clean life, he will be like a dish made of gold. He will be respected and set apart for good use by the owner of the house.

²² Turn away from the sinful things young people want to do. Go after what is right. Have a desire for faith and love and peace. Do this with those who pray to God from a clean heart. ²³ Let me say it again. Have nothing to do with foolish talk and those who want to argue. It can only lead to trouble. ²⁴ A servant owned by God must not make trouble. He must be kind to everyone. He must be able to teach. He must be willing to suffer when hurt for doing good. ²⁵ Be gentle when you try to teach those who are against what you say. God may change their hearts so they will turn to the truth. ²⁶ Then they will know they had been held in a trap by the devil to do what he wanted them to do. But now they are able to get out of it.

Things That Will Happen in the Last Days

3 You must understand that in the last days there will come times of much trouble. ² People will love themselves and money. They will have pride and tell of all the things they have done. They will speak against God. Children and young people will not obey their parents. People will not be thankful and they will not be holy. ³ They will not love each other. No one can get along with them. They will tell lies about others. They will not be able to keep from doing things they know they should not do. They will be wild and want to beat and hurt those who are good. ⁴ They will not stay true to their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think too much of themselves. They will love fun instead of loving God. ⁵ They will do things to make it look as if they are Christians. But they will not receive the power that is for a Christian. Keep away from such people.

⁶ These are the kind of people who go from house to house. They talk to foolish women who are loaded down with sins and all kinds of sinful desires. ⁷ Such women are always listening to new teaching. But they are never able to understand the truth. ⁸ Jannes and Jambres fought against Moses. So do these teachers fight against the truth today. Their minds think only of sinful things. They have turned against the Christian teaching. ⁹ They will not get very far. Their foolish teaching will be seen by everyone. That was the way it was with the two who worked against Moses.

Teach the Truth

¹⁰ But you know what I teach and how I live. You know what I want to do. You know about my faith and my love. You know how long I am willing to wait for something. You know how I keep on working for God even when it is hard for me. ¹¹ You know about all the troubles and hard times I have had. You have seen how I suffered in the cities of Antioch and Iconium and Lystra. Yet the Lord brought me out of all those troubles. ¹² Yes! All who want to live a God-like life who belong to Christ Jesus will suffer from others. ¹³ Sinful men and false teachers will go from bad to worse. They will lead others the wrong way and will be led the wrong way themselves.

¹⁴ But as for you, hold on to what you have learned and know to be true. Remember where you learned them. ¹⁵ You have known the Holy Writings since you were a child. They are able to give you wisdom that leads to being saved from the punishment of sin by putting your trust in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All the Holy Writings are God-given and are made alive by Him. Man is helped when he is taught God’s Word. It shows what is wrong. It changes the way of a man’s life. It shows him how to be right with God. ¹⁷ It gives the man who belongs to God everything he needs to work well for Him.

Paul’s Work Is Finished—Timothy Must Carry On

4 These words are from my heart to you. I say this before God and Jesus Christ. Some day He will judge those who are living and those who are dead. It will be when Christ comes to bring His holy nation. ² Preach the Word of God. Preach it when it is easy and people want to listen and when it is hard and people do not want to listen. Preach it all the time. Use the Word of God to show people they are wrong. Use the Word of God to help them do right. You must be willing to wait for people to understand what you teach as you teach them.

³ The time will come when people will not listen to the truth. They will look for teachers who will tell them only what they want to hear. ⁴ They will not listen to the truth. Instead, they will listen to stories made up by men. ⁵ You must watch for all these things. Do not be afraid to suffer for our Lord. Preach the Good News from place to place. Do all the work you are to do.

⁶ It will soon be time for me to leave this life. ⁷ I have fought a good fight. I have finished the work I was to do. I have kept the faith. ⁸ There is a crown which comes from being right with God. The Lord, the One Who will judge, will give it to me on that great day when He comes again. I will not be the only one to receive a crown. All those who love to think of His coming and are looking for Him will receive one also.

Paul Sends Word to Timothy About Some Friends

⁹ Come to me here as soon as you can. ¹⁰ Demas left me. He loved the things of this world and has gone to the city of Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to the city of Galatia. Titus has gone to the city of Dalmatia. ¹¹ Luke is the only one with me here. Bring Mark when you come. He is a help to me in this work. ¹² I sent Tychicus to the city of Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the coat I left with Carpus in the city of Troas. Bring the books and for sure do not forget the writings written on sheepskin. ¹⁴ Alexander, the man who makes things out of copper, has worked hard against me. The Lord will give him the pay that is coming to him. ¹⁵ Watch him! He fought against every word we preached.

¹⁶ At my first trial no one helped me. Everyone left me. I hope this will not be held against them. ¹⁷ But the Lord was with me. He gave me power to preach the Good News so all the people who do not know God might hear. I was taken from the mouth of the lion. ¹⁸ The Lord will look after me and will keep me from every sinful plan they have. He will bring me safe into His holy nation of heaven. May He have all the shining-greatness forever. Let it be so.

¹⁹ Greet Priscilla and Aquila for me and to all the family of Onesiphorus. ²⁰ Erastus stayed in the city of Corinth. I left Trophimus sick in the city of Miletus. ²¹ Try to come before winter. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the Christian brothers greet you. ²² May the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. May you have God’s loving-favor.

1 This letter is from Paul, a servant owned by God, and a missionary of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to those God has chosen for Himself. I am to teach them the truth that leads to God-like living. ² This truth also gives hope of life that lasts forever. God promised this before the world began. He cannot lie. ³ He made this known at the right time through His Word. God, the One Who saves, told me I should preach it. ⁴ I am writing to you, Titus. You are my true son in the faith which we both have. May you have loving-favor and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, the One Who saves.

What a Church Leader Must Be Like

⁵ I left you on the island of Crete so you could do some things that needed to be done. I asked you to choose church leaders in every city. ⁶ Their lives must be so that no one can talk against them. They must have only one wife. Their children must be Christians and known to be good. They must obey their parents. They must not be wild. ⁷ A church leader is God’s servant. His life must be so that no one can say anything against him. He should not try to please himself and not be quick to get angry over little things. He must not get drunk or want to fight. He must not always want more money for himself. ⁸ He must like to take people into his home. He must love what is good. He must be able to think well and do all things in the right way. He must live a holy life and be the boss over his own desires. ⁹ He must hold to the words of truth which he was taught. He must be able to teach the truth and show those who are against the truth that they are wrong.

False Teachers

¹⁰ There are many men who will not listen or will not obey the truth. Their teaching is foolish and they lead people to believe a lie. Some Jews believe their lies. ¹¹ This must be stopped. It turns whole families from the truth. They teach these things to make money. ¹² One of their own teachers said, “People of the island of Crete always lie. They are like wild animals. They are lazy. All they want to do is eat.” ¹³ This is true of them. Speak sharp words to them because it is true. Lead them in the right way so they will have strong faith. ¹⁴ Do not let them listen to Jewish stories made up by men. Do not let them listen to man-made rules which lead them away from the truth. ¹⁵ All things are pure to the man with a pure heart. But to sinful people nothing is pure. Both their minds and their hearts are bad. ¹⁶ They say they know God, but by the way they act, they show that they do not. They are sinful people. They will not obey and are of no use for any good work.

Right Teaching

2 You must teach what is right and true. ² Older men are to be quiet and to be careful how they act. They are to be the boss over their own desires. Their faith and love are to stay strong and they are not to give up. ³ Teach older women to be quiet and to be careful how they act also. They are not to go around speaking bad things about others or things that are not true. They are not to be chained by strong drink. They should teach what is good.

⁴ Older women are to teach the young women to love their husbands and children. ⁵ They are to teach them to think before they act, to be pure, to be workers at home, to be kind, and to obey their own husbands. In this way, the Word of God is honored. ⁶ Also teach young men to be wise. ⁷ In all things show them how to live by your life and by right teaching. ⁸ You should be wise in what you say. Then the one who is against you will be ashamed and will not be able to say anything bad about you.

⁹ Those who are servants owned by someone must obey their owners and please them in everything. They must not argue. ¹⁰ They must not steal from their owners but prove they can be trusted in every way. In this way, their lives will honor the teaching of God Who saves us.

¹¹ God’s free gift of being saved is being given to everyone. ¹² We are taught to have nothing to do with that which is against God. We are to have nothing to do with the desires of this world. We are to be wise and to be right with God. We are to live God-like lives in this world. ¹³ We are to be looking for the great hope and the coming of our great God and the One Who saves, Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ He gave Himself for us. He did this by buying us with His blood and making us free from all sin. He gave Himself so His people could be clean and want to do good. ¹⁵ Teach all these things and give words of help. Show them if they are wrong. You have the right and the power to do this. Do not let anyone think little of you.

The Work of a Leader

3 Teach your people to obey the leaders of their country. They should be ready to do any good work. ² They must not speak bad of anyone, and they must not argue. They should be gentle and kind to all people.

God Saved Us from All These Things

³ There was a time when we were foolish and did not obey. We were fooled in many ways. Strong desires held us in their power. We wanted only to please ourselves. We wanted what others had and were angry when we could not have them. We hated others and they hated us.

⁴ But God, the One Who saves, showed how kind He was and how He loved us ⁵ by saving us from the punishment of sin. It was not because we worked to be right with God. It was because of His loving-kindness that He washed our sins away. At the same time He gave us new life when the Holy Spirit came into our lives. ⁶ God gave the Holy Spirit to fill our lives through Jesus Christ, the One Who saves. ⁷ Because of this, we are made right with God by His loving-favor. Now we can have life that lasts forever as He has promised.

⁸ What I have told you is true. Teach these things all the time so those who have put their trust in God will be careful to do good things. These things are good and will help all men.

⁹ Do not argue with people about foolish questions and about the Law. Do not spend time talking about all of your early fathers. This does not help anyone and it is of no use. ¹⁰ Talk once or twice to a person who tries to divide people into groups against each other. If he does not stop, have nothing to do with him. ¹¹ You can be sure he is going the wrong way. He is sinning and he knows it.

¹² I will send Artemas or Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them gets there, try to come to me in the city of Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³ Zenas, the man who knows the law, and Apollos are going on a trip. Do everything you can to help them. ¹⁴ Our people must learn to work hard. They must work for what they need and be able to give to others who need help. Then their lives will not be wasted. ¹⁵ All those with me here greet you. Greet my Christian friends there. May you have God’s loving-favor.

¹ This letter is from Paul. I am in prison because of Jesus Christ. Brother Timothy is also writing to you, Philemon. You are a much-loved workman together with us. ² We are also writing to the church that meets in your home. This letter is also for our Christian sister Apphia and it is for Archippus who is a soldier together with us. ³ May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you His loving-favor and peace.

⁴ I always thank God when I speak of you in my prayers. ⁵ It is because I hear of your love and trust in the Lord Jesus and in all the Christians. ⁶ I pray that our faith together will help you know all the good things you have through Christ Jesus. ⁷ Your love has given me much joy and comfort. The hearts of the Christians have been made happy by you, Christian brother.

⁸ So now, through Christ, I am free to tell you what you must do. ⁹ But because I love you, I will only ask you. I am Paul, an old man, here in prison because of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I am asking you for my son, Onesimus. He has become my son in the Christian life while I have been here in prison. ¹¹ At one time he was of no use to you. But now he is of use to you and to me. ¹² I am sending him back to you. It is like sending you my own heart. ¹³ I would like to keep him with me. He could have helped me in your place while I am in prison for preaching the Good News. ¹⁴ But I did not want to keep him without word from you. I did not want you to be kind to me because you had to but because you wanted to. ¹⁵ He ran away from you for awhile. But now he is yours forever. ¹⁶ Do not think of him any longer as a servant you own. He is more than that to you. He is a much-loved Christian brother to you and to me.

¹⁷ If you think of me as a true friend, take him back as you would take me. ¹⁸ If he has done anything wrong or owes you anything, send me

the bill. ¹⁹ I will pay it. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will not talk about how much you owe me because you owe me your life. ²⁰ Yes, Christian brother, I want you to be of use to me as a Christian. Give my heart new joy in Christ. ²¹ I write this letter knowing you will do what I ask and even more.

²² Please have a room ready for me. I trust God will answer your prayers and let me come to you soon. ²³ Epaphras says hello. He is a brother in Christ in prison with me. ²⁴ Mark and Aristarchus and Demas and Luke who are workers with me say hello. ²⁵ May the loving-favor of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.