Bible in 90 Days

1 Greetings from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

To the church of those in Thessalonica, who are in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace be yours.

The Life and Faith of the Thessalonians

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

⁴ Brothers and sisters, God loves you. And we know that he has chosen you to be his people. ⁵ When we brought the Good News to you, we came with more than words. We brought that Good News with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with the sure knowledge that it was true. Also you know how we lived when we were with you. We lived that way to help you. ⁶ And you became like us and like the Lord. You suffered much, but still you accepted the teaching with joy. The Holy Spirit gave you that joy.

⁷ You became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ The Lord’s teaching has spread from you throughout Greece and beyond. In fact, your faith in God has become known everywhere, so we never have to tell anyone about it. ⁹ People everywhere are already telling the story about the good way you accepted us when we were there with you. They tell about how you stopped worshiping idols and changed to serve the living and true God. ¹⁰ And you began waiting for God’s Son to come from heaven—the Son God raised from death. He is Jesus, who saves us from God’s angry judgment that is coming.

Paul’s Work in Thessalonica

2 Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you was not a failure. ² Before we came to you, people in Philippi abused us with insults and made us suffer. You know all about that. And then, when we came to you, many people there caused trouble for us. But our God gave us the courage we needed to tell you his Good News. ³ When we encourage people to believe the Good News, it’s not out of wrong motives. We are not trying to trick or fool anyone. ⁴ No, we did it because God is the one who gave us this work. And this was only after he tested us and saw that we could be trusted to do it. So when we speak, we are only trying to please God, not anyone else. He is the one who can see what is in 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 greed to hide from you. God knows that this is true. ⁶ We were not looking for praise from people—not from you or anyone else.

⁷ When we were with you, as apostles of Christ we could have used our authority to make you help us. But we were very gentle^[a] with you. We were like a mother caring for her little children. ⁸ We loved you very much, so we were happy to share God’s Good News with you. But not only that—we were also happy to share even our own lives with you. ⁹ Brothers and sisters, I know that you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day to support ourselves, so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we did the work of telling you God’s Good News.

¹⁰ When we were there with you believers, we were pure, honest, and without fault in the way we lived. You know, just as God does, that this is true. ¹¹ You know that we treated each one of you the way a father treats his own children. ¹² We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we told you to live good lives for God. He calls you to be part of his glorious kingdom.

¹³ Also, we always thank God because of the way you accepted his message. You heard it and accepted it as God’s message, not our own. And it really is God’s message. And it works in you who believe. ¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, you are just like God’s churches in Judea.^[b] I mean that you were treated badly by your own people, just as those believers in Christ Jesus were treated badly by other Jews— ¹⁵ the same Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets. And they forced us to leave their country. They are not pleasing to God, and they are against everyone else. ¹⁶ And they are trying to stop us from teaching those who are not Jews. They don’t want them to be saved. But they are just adding more and more sins to the ones they already have. Now the time has come for them to suffer God’s anger.

Paul’s Desire to Visit Them Again

¹⁷ Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a short time. But even though we were not there, our thoughts were still with you. We wanted very much to see you, and we tried very hard to do this. ¹⁸ Yes, we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried more than once to come, but Satan stopped us. ¹⁹ You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will be proud of when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. ²⁰ You bring us honor and joy.

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

⁶ But now Timothy has come back from his visit with you and told us good news about your faith and love. He told us that you always remember us in a good way. He told us that you want very much to see us again. And it is the same with us—we want very much to see you. ⁷ So, brothers and sisters, we are encouraged about you because of your faith. We have much trouble and suffering, but still we are encouraged. 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! So we thank God for you. But 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 come there and see you again. We want to give you everything you need to make your faith strong.

¹¹ We pray that our God and Father and our Lord Jesus will prepare the way for us to come to you. ¹² We pray that the Lord will make your love grow. We pray that he will give you more and more love for each other and for all people. We pray that you will love everyone in the same way we love you. ¹³ This will strengthen your desire to do what is right, and you will be holy and without fault before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy people.

A Life That Pleases God

4 Brothers and sisters, now I have some other things to tell you. We taught you how to live in a way that will please God. And you are living that way. Now we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live that way more and more. ² You know all that we told you to do by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ God wants you to be holy. He wants you to stay away from sexual sins. ⁴ God wants each one of you to learn to control your own body. Use your body in a way that is holy and that gives honor to God.^{[c] 5} Don’t let your sexual desires control you like the people who don’t know God. ⁶ Never wrong any of your fellow believers or cheat them in this way. The Lord will punish those who do that. We have already told you this and warned you about it. ⁷ God chose us to be holy. He does not want us to live in sin. ⁸ So anyone who refuses to obey this teaching is refusing to obey God, not us. And God is the one who gives you his Holy Spirit.

⁹ We don’t need to write to you about having love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. God has already taught you to love each other. ¹⁰ In fact, you love all the believers in Macedonia. We encourage you now, brothers and sisters, to show your love more and more.

¹¹ Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Mind your own business, and earn your own living, as we told you before. ¹² If you do these things, then those who are not believers will respect the way you live. 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 who have died. We don’t want you to be sad like other people—those who have no hope. ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died, but we also believe that he rose again. So we believe that God will raise to life through Jesus any who have died and bring them together with him when he comes.

¹⁵ What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. Those of us who are still living when the Lord comes again will join him, but not 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, and with the trumpet call of God. And the people who have died and were in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that we who are still alive at that time will be gathered up with those who have died. We will be taken up in the clouds and 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 don’t need to write to you about times and dates. ² You know very well that the day when the Lord comes again will be a surprise, like a thief who comes at night. ³ People will say, “We have peace and we are safe.” At that time destruction will come to them quickly, like the pains of a woman giving birth. And 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. You belong to the day. We don’t belong to the night or to darkness. ⁶ So we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping. We should be awake and have self-control. ⁷ People who sleep, sleep at night. People who drink too much, drink 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. God chose us to have salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him. It is not important if we are alive or dead when Jesus comes. ¹¹ So encourage each other and help each other grow stronger in faith, just as you are already doing.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹² Now brothers and sisters, we ask you to recognize the value of those who work hard among you—those who, as followers of the Lord, care for you and tell you how to live. ¹³ Show them the highest respect and love because of the work they do.

Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those who will not work. Encourage those 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 full of joy. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Don’t treat prophecy like something that is not important. ²¹ But test everything. Keep what is good, ²² and stay away from everything that is evil.

²³ We pray that God himself, the God of peace, will make you pure—belonging only to him. We pray that your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—will be kept safe and be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. ²⁴ The one who chose you will do that for you. You can trust him.

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, please pray for us. ²⁶ Give all the brothers and sisters the special greeting of God’s people.^{[d] 27} I tell you by the authority of the Lord to read this letter to all the believers there. ²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1 Greetings from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

To the church of those in Thessalonica, who are in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

³ We thank God for you always. And that’s what we should do, because you give us good reason to be thankful: Your faith is growing more and more. And the love that every one of you has for each other is also growing. ⁴ So we tell the other churches of God how proud we are of you. We tell them how you patiently continue to be strong and have faith, even though you are being persecuted and are suffering many troubles.

Paul Tells About God’s Judgment

⁵ This is proof that God is right in his judgment. He wants you to be worthy of his kingdom. Your suffering is for that kingdom. ⁶ God will do what is right. He will punish those who are causing you trouble. ⁷ And he will bring relief to you who are troubled. He will bring it to you and to us when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven for all to see, together with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will come with burning fire to punish those who don’t know God—those who refuse to accept the Good News about our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with a destruction that never ends. They will not be allowed to be with the Lord but will be kept away from his great power. ¹⁰ This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes to receive honor with his holy people. He will be admired among all who have believed. And this includes you because you believed what we told you.

¹¹ That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to help you live the good way he wanted when he chose you. The goodness you have makes you want to do good. And the faith you have makes you work. We pray that with his power God will help you do these things more and more. ¹² Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of you, and you will be honored because of him. This can happen only by 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. We want to talk to you about that time when we will meet together with him. ² Don’t let yourselves be easily upset or worried if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come. Someone might say that this idea came from us—in something the Spirit told us, or in something we said, or in a letter we wrote. ³ Don’t be fooled by anything they might say. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens. And that day will not come until the Man of Evil appears, the one who belongs to hell.^{[e] 4} He will stand against and put himself above everything that people worship or think is worthy of worship. He will even go into God’s Temple^[f] and sit there, claiming that he is God.

⁵ I told you before that all these things would happen. Remember? ⁶ And you know what is stopping that Man of Evil now. He is being stopped now so that he will appear at the right time. ⁷ The secret power of evil is already working in the world now. But there is one who is stopping that secret power of evil. And he will continue to stop it until he is taken out of the way. ⁸ Then that Man of Evil will appear. But the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath that comes from his mouth. The Lord will come in a way that everyone will see, and that will be the end of the Man of Evil.

⁹ When that Man of Evil comes, it will be the work of Satan. He will come with great power, and he will do all kinds of false miracles, signs, and wonders. ¹⁰ The Man of Evil will use every kind of evil to fool those who are lost. They are lost because they refused to love the truth and be saved. ¹¹ So God will send them something powerful that leads them away from the truth and causes them to believe a lie. ¹² They will all be condemned because they did not believe the truth and because they enjoyed doing evil.

You Are Chosen for Salvation

¹³ Brothers and sisters, you are people the Lord loves. And we always thank God for you. That’s what we should do, because God chose you to be some of the first people^[g] to be saved. You are saved by the Spirit making you holy and by your faith in the truth. ¹⁴ God chose you to have that salvation. He chose you by using the Good News that we told you. You were chosen so that 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 when we were there and by letter.

^16-17 We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us and gave us through his grace a wonderful hope and comfort that has no end.

Pray for Us

3 And now, brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s teaching will continue to spread quickly. And pray that people will give honor to that teaching, the same as happened with you. ² And pray that we will be protected from crooked and evil people. Not everyone believes in the Lord, you know.

³ But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and protect you from the Evil One. ⁴ The Lord gives us confidence that you are doing what we told you and that you will continue to do it. ⁵ We pray that the Lord will cause you to feel God’s love and remember Christ’s patient endurance.

The Obligation to Work

⁶ Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ we tell you to stay away from any believer who refuses to work. People who refuse to work are not following the teaching that we gave them. ⁷ You yourselves know that you should live like we do. We were not lazy when we were with you. ⁸ We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked and worked so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We worked night and day. ⁹ We had the right to ask you to help us. But we worked to take care of ourselves so that we would be an example for you to follow. ¹⁰ When we were with you, we gave you this rule: “Whoever will not work should not be allowed to eat.”

¹¹ We hear that some people in your group refuse to work. They are doing nothing except being busy in the lives of others. ¹² Our instruction to them is to stop bothering others, to start working and earn their own food. It is by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ that we are urging them to do this. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.

¹⁴ If there are some there who refuse to do what we tell you in this letter, remember who they are. Don’t associate with them. Then maybe they will feel ashamed. ¹⁵ But don’t treat them as enemies. Counsel them as fellow believers.

Final Words

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

¹⁷ Here’s my greeting in my own handwriting— Paul. I do this in all my letters 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 Greetings from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope.

² To Timothy, a true son to me in the faith we share.

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

Warnings Against False Teachings

³ When I went to Macedonia, I asked you to stay in Ephesus. Some people there are teaching things that are not true, and I want you to tell them to stop. ⁴ Tell them not to give their time to meaningless stories and to long lists of names to prove their family histories. Such things only cause arguments. They don’t help God’s work, which is done only by faith. ⁵ My purpose in telling you to do this is to promote love—the kind of love shown by those whose thoughts are pure, who do what they know is right, and whose faith in God is real. ⁶ But some have missed this key point in their teaching and have gone off in another direction. Now they talk about things that help no one. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the law,^[h] but they don’t know what they are talking about. They don’t even understand the things they say they are sure of.

⁸ We know that the law is good if someone uses it right. ⁹ We also know that the law is not made for those who do what is right. It is made for those who are against the law and refuse to follow it. The law is for sinners who are against God and all that is pleasing to him. It is for those who have no interest in spiritual things and for those who kill their fathers or mothers or anyone else. ¹⁰ It is for those who commit sexual sins, homosexuals, those who sell slaves, those who tell lies, those who don’t tell the truth under oath, and those who are against the true teaching of God. ¹¹ That teaching is part of the Good News that our blessed God gave me to tell. In it we see his glory.

Thanks for God’s Mercy

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord because he trusted me and gave me this work of serving him. He gives me strength. ¹³ In the past I insulted Christ. As a proud and violent man, I persecuted his people. But God gave me mercy because I did not know what I was doing. I did that before I became a believer. ¹⁴ But our Lord gave me a full measure of his grace. And with that grace came the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

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

¹⁸ Timothy, you are like a son to me. What I am telling you to do agrees with the prophecies^[i] that were told about you in the past. I want you to remember those prophecies and fight the good fight of faith. ¹⁹ Continue to trust in God and do what you know is right. Some people have not done this, and their faith is now in ruins. ²⁰ Hymenaeus and Alexander are men like that. I have given them to Satan so that they will learn not to speak against God.

God Wants Us to Pray for Everyone

2 First of all, I ask that you pray for all people. Ask God to bless them and give them what they need. And give thanks. ² You should pray for rulers and for all who have authority. Pray for these leaders so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives—lives full of devotion to God and respect for him. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior.

⁴ God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth. ⁵ There is only one God, and there is only one way that people can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who as a man ⁶ gave himself to pay for everyone to be free. This is the message that was given to us at just the right time. ⁷ And I was chosen as an apostle to tell people that message. (I am telling the truth. I am not lying.) I was chosen to teach those who are not Jews to believe and understand the truth.

Special Instructions for Men and Women

⁸ I want the men everywhere to pray. Men who lift their hands in prayer must be devoted to God and pleasing to him. They must be men who keep themselves from getting angry and having arguments.

⁹ And I want the women to make themselves attractive in the right way. Their clothes should be sensible and appropriate. They should not draw attention to themselves with fancy hairstyles or gold jewelry or pearls or expensive clothes. ¹⁰ But they should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. That is more appropriate for women who say they are devoted to God.

¹¹ A woman should learn while listening quietly and being completely willing to obey. ¹² I don’t allow a woman to teach a man or tell him what to do. She must listen quietly, ¹³ because Adam was made first. Eve was made later. ¹⁴ Also, Adam was not the one who was tricked.^[j] It was the woman who was tricked and became a sinner. ¹⁵ But women will be saved in their work of having children. They will be saved if they continue to live in faith, love, and holiness with sensible behavior.

Leaders in the Church

3 It is a true statement that anyone whose goal is to serve as an elder^[k] has his heart set on a good work. ² An elder^[l] must be such a good man that no one can rightly criticize him. He must be faithful to his wife.^[m] He must have self-control and be wise. He must be respected by others. He must be ready to help people by welcoming them into his home. He must be a good teacher. ³ He must not drink too much, and he must not be someone who likes to fight. He must be gentle and peaceful. He must not be someone who loves money. ⁴ He must be a good leader of his own family. This means that his children obey him with full respect. ⁵ If a man does not know how to lead his own family, he will not be able to take care of God’s church.

⁶ An elder must not be a new believer. It might make him too proud of himself. Then he would be condemned for his pride the same as the devil was. ⁷ An elder must also have the respect of people who are not part of the church. Then he will not be criticized by others and be caught in the devil’s trap.

Special Servants

⁸ In the same way, the men who are chosen to be special servants must have the respect of others. They must not be men who say things they don’t mean or who spend their time drinking too much. They must not be men who will do almost anything for money. ⁹ They must follow the true faith that God has now made known to us and always do what they know is right. ¹⁰ You should test them first. Then, if you find that they have done nothing wrong, they can be special servants.

¹¹ In the same way, the women^[n] must have the respect of others. They must not be women who speak evil about other people. They must have self-control and be women who can be trusted in everything.

¹² The men who are special servants must be faithful in marriage.^[o] They must be good leaders of children and their own families. ¹³ Those who do well as special servants are making an honorable place for themselves. And they will feel very sure of their faith in Christ Jesus.

The Secret of Our Life

¹⁴ I hope I can come to you soon. But I am writing this to you now, ¹⁵ so that, even if I cannot come soon, you will know how people should live in the family^[p] of God. That family is the church of the living God. And God’s church is the support and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ Without a doubt, the secret of our life of worship is great:

A Warning About False Teachers

4 The Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe. They will obey spirits that tell lies. And they will follow the teachings of demons. ² Those teachings come through people who tell lies and trick others. These evil people cannot see what is right and what is wrong. It is like their conscience has been destroyed with a hot iron. ³ They say that it is wrong to marry. And they say that there are some foods that people must not eat. But God made these foods, and those who believe and who understand the truth can eat them with thanks. ⁴ Everything that God made is good. Nothing he made should be refused if it is accepted with thanks to him. ⁵ Everything he created is made holy by what he has said and by prayer.

Be a Good Servant of Christ Jesus

⁶ Tell this to the brothers and sisters there. This will show that you are a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will show that you are made strong by the words of faith and good teaching you have followed. ⁷ People tell silly stories that don’t agree with God’s truth. Don’t follow what these stories teach. But teach yourself to be devoted to God. ⁸ Training your body helps you in some ways. But devotion to God helps you in every way. It brings you blessings in this life and in the future life too. ⁹ Here is a true statement that should be accepted without question: ¹⁰ We hope in the living God, the Savior of all people. In particular, he is the Savior of all those who believe in him. This is why we work and struggle.

¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² You are young, but don’t let anyone treat you as if you are not important. Be an example to show the believers how they should live. Show them by what you say, by the way you live, by your love, by your faith, and by your pure life.

¹³ Continue to read the Scriptures to the people, encourage them, and teach them. Do this until I come. ¹⁴ Remember to use the gift you have, which was given to you through a prophecy^[r] when the group of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Continue to do these things. Give your life to doing them. Then everyone can see that your work is progressing. ¹⁶ Be careful in your life and in your teaching. Continue to live and teach rightly. Then you will save yourself and those who listen to your teaching.

5 Don’t speak angrily to an older man. But talk to him as if he were your father. Treat the younger men like brothers. ² Treat the older women like mothers. And treat the younger women with respect like sisters.

Taking Care of Widows

³ Take care of widows who really need help. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, the first thing they need to learn is this: to show their devotion to God by taking care of their own family. They will be repaying their parents, and this pleases God. ⁵ A widow who really needs help is one who has been left all alone. She trusts God to take care of her. She prays all the time, night and day, and asks God for help. ⁶ But the widow who uses her life to please herself is really dead while she is still living. ⁷ Tell the believers there to take care of their family so that no one can say they are doing wrong. ⁸ Everyone should take care of all their own people. Most important, they should take care of their own family. If they do not do that, then they do not accept what we believe. They are worse than someone who does not even believe in God.

⁹ To be added to your list of widows, a woman must be 60 years old or older. She must have been faithful to her husband.^{[s] 10} She must be known for the good she has done: raising children, welcoming travelers into her home, serving the needs^[t] of God’s people, helping those in trouble, and using her life to do all kinds of good.

¹¹ But don’t put younger widows on that list. When their strong physical needs pull them away from their commitment to Christ, they will want to marry again. ¹² Then they will be guilty of not doing what they first promised to do. ¹³ Also, these younger widows begin to waste their time going from house to house. They also begin to gossip and try to run other people’s lives. They say things they should not say. ¹⁴ So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and take care of their homes. If they do this, our enemy will not have any reason to criticize them. ¹⁵ But some of the younger widows have already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she^[u] should take care of them herself. Then the church will not have that burden and will be able to care for the widows who have no one else to help them.

More About Elders and Other Matters

¹⁷ The elders who lead the church in a good way should receive double honor^[v]—in particular, those who do the work of counseling and teaching. ¹⁸ As the Scriptures say, “When a work animal is being used to separate grain, don’t keep it from eating the grain.”^[w] And the Scriptures also say, “A worker should be given his pay.”^[x]

¹⁹ Don’t listen to someone who accuses an elder. You should listen to them only if there are two or three others who can say what the elder did wrong. ²⁰ Tell those who sin that they are wrong. Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will have a warning.

²¹ Before God and Jesus Christ and the chosen angels, I tell you to make these judgments without any prejudice. Treat every person the same.

²² Think carefully before you lay your hands on anyone to make him an elder. Don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

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

²⁴ The sins of some people are easy to see. Their sins show that they will be judged. But the sins of some others are seen only later. ²⁵ It is the same with the good things people do. Some are easy to see. But even if they are not obvious now, none of them will stay hidden forever.

Special Instructions for Slaves

6 All those who are slaves should show full respect to their masters. Then God’s name and our teaching will not be criticized. ² Some slaves have masters who are believers, so they are brothers. Does this mean they should show their masters any less respect? No, they should serve them even better, because they are helping believers, people they should love.

This is what you must teach and tell everyone to do.

False Teaching and True Riches

³ Some people will teach what is false and will not agree with the true teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will not accept the teaching that produces a life of devotion to God. ⁴ They are proud of what they know, but they understand nothing. They are sick with a love for arguing and fighting about words. And that brings jealousy, quarrels, insults, and evil mistrust. ⁵ They are always making trouble, because they are people whose thinking has been confused. They have lost their understanding of the truth. They think that devotion to God is a way to get rich.

⁶ Devotion to God is, in fact, a way for people to be very rich, but only if it makes them satisfied with what they have. ⁷ When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. ⁸ So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that. ⁹ People who want to be rich bring temptations to themselves. They are caught in a trap. They begin to want many foolish things that will hurt them. These things ruin and destroy people. ¹⁰ The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have turned away from what we believe because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves a lot of pain and sorrow.

Some Things to Remember

¹¹ But you belong to God. So you should stay away from all those things. Always try to do what is right, to be devoted to God, and to have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. ¹² We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard. ¹³ Before God and Christ Jesus I give you a command. Jesus is the one who confessed that same wonderful truth when he stood before Pontius Pilate. And God is the one who gives life to everything. Now I tell you this: ¹⁴ Do what you were commanded to do without fault or blame until the time when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ¹⁵ God will make that happen at the right time. God is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. ¹⁶ God is the only one who never dies. He lives in light so bright that people cannot go near it. No one has ever seen him; no one is able to see him. All honor and power belong to him forever. Amen.

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

²⁰ Timothy, God has trusted you with many things. Keep these things safe. Stay away from people who talk about useless things that are not from God and who argue against you with a “knowledge” that is not knowledge at all. ²¹ Some people who claim to have that “knowledge” have gone completely away from what we believe.

God’s grace be with you all.

1 Greetings from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because God wanted me to be. God sent me to tell people about the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

² To Timothy, a dear son to me.

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

Thanksgiving and Encouragement

³ I always remember you in my prayers day and night. And in these prayers I thank God for you. He is the God my ancestors served, and I have always served him with a clear conscience. ⁴ I remember that you cried for me. I want very much to see you so that I can be filled with joy. ⁵ I remember your true faith. That kind of faith first belonged to your grandmother Lois and to your mother Eunice. I know you now have that same faith. ⁶ That is why I want you to remember the gift God gave you. God gave you that gift when I laid my hands on you. Now I want you to use that gift and let it grow more and more, like a small flame grows into a fire. ⁷ The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.

⁸ So don’t be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus. And don’t be ashamed of me—I am in prison for the Lord. But suffer with me for the Good News. God gives us the strength to do that.

⁹ God saved us and chose us to be his holy people, but not because of anything we ourselves did. God saved us and made us his people because that was what he wanted and because of his grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began. ¹⁰ And now it has been shown to us in the coming of our Savior Christ Jesus. He destroyed death and showed us the way to have life. Yes, through the Good News Jesus showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed.

¹¹ I was chosen to tell people that message as an apostle and teacher. ¹² And I suffer now because of that work. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one I have put my trust in. And I am sure that he is able to protect what I have put into his care^[y] until that Day.

¹³ What you heard me teach is an example of what you should teach. Follow that model of right teaching with the faith and love we have in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ This teaching is a treasure that you have been trusted with. Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us.

¹⁵ You know that everyone in Asia has left me. Even Phygelus and Hermogenes have left me. ¹⁶ I pray that the Lord will show mercy to the family of Onesiphorus. Many times Onesiphorus encouraged me. He was not ashamed that I was in prison. ¹⁷ No, he was not ashamed. When he came to Rome, he looked and looked for me until he found me. ¹⁸ I pray that the Lord Jesus will make sure Onesiphorus receives mercy from the Lord God on that Day. You know how many ways this brother helped me in Ephesus.

A Loyal Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 Timothy, you are a son to me. Be strong in the grace that we have because we belong to Christ Jesus. ² What you have heard me teach publicly you should teach to others. Share these teachings with people you can trust. Then they will be able to teach others these same things. ³ As a good soldier of Christ Jesus, accept your share of the troubles we have. ⁴ A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not spend any time on activities that are not a part of his duty. ⁵ Athletes in a race must obey all the rules to win. ⁶ The farmer who works hard deserves the first part of the harvest. ⁷ Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand it all.

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ. He is from the family of David. After Jesus died, he was raised from death. This is the Good News that I tell people. ⁹ And because I tell that message, I am suffering. I am even bound with chains like someone who has really done wrong. But God’s message is not bound. ¹⁰ So I patiently accept all these troubles. I do this to help the people God has chosen so that they can have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With this salvation comes glory that never ends.

¹¹ Here is a true statement:

A Worker Who Pleases God

¹⁴ Keep on telling everyone these truths. And warn them before God not to argue about words. Such arguments don’t help anyone, and they ruin those who listen to them. ¹⁵ Do your best to be the kind of person God will accept, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who has no reason to be ashamed of his work, one who applies the true teaching in the right way.

¹⁶ Stay away from people who talk about useless things that are not from God. That kind of talk will lead a person more and more against God. ¹⁷ Their evil teaching will spread like a sickness inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are men like that. ¹⁸ They have left the true teaching. They say that the day when people will be raised from death has already come and gone. And they are destroying the faith of some people.

¹⁹ But God’s strong foundation never moves, and these words are written on it: “The Lord knows those who belong to him.”^[z] Also, these words are written there: “Everyone who says they believe in the Lord must stop doing wrong.”

²⁰ In a large house there are things made of gold and silver. But there are also things made of wood and clay. Some of these are used for special purposes, others for ordinary jobs. ²¹ The Lord wants to use you for special purposes, so make yourself clean from all evil. Then you will be holy, and the Master can use you. You will be ready for any good work.

²² Stay away from the evil things a young person like you typically wants to do. Do your best to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together with others who trust in the Lord with pure hearts. ²³ Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments. You know that these arguments grow into bigger arguments. ²⁴ As a servant of the Lord, you must not argue. You must be kind to everyone. You must be a good teacher, and you must be patient. ²⁵ You must gently teach those who don’t agree with you. Maybe God will let them change their hearts so that they can accept the truth. ²⁶ The devil has trapped them and now makes them do what he wants. But maybe they can wake up to see what is happening and free themselves from the devil’s trap.

Many People Will Stop Loving God

3 Remember this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days. ² People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. They will abuse others with insults. They will not obey their parents. They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God. ³ They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴ People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. ⁵ They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to let that “devotion” change the way they live. Stay away from these people!

⁶ Some of them go into homes and get control over weak women, whose lives are full of sin—women who are led into sin by all the things they want. ⁷ These women always want to learn something new, but they are never able to fully understand the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres^[aa] fought against Moses, these people fight against the truth. Their thinking has been confused. The faith they have and teach is worthless. ⁹ But they will not succeed in what they are trying to do. Everyone will see how foolish they are. That is what happened to Jannes and Jambres.

Last Instructions

¹⁰ But you know all about me. You know what I teach and the way I live. You know my goal in life. You know my faith, my patience, and my love. You know that I never stop trying. ¹¹ You know about my persecutions and my sufferings. You know all the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—the persecution I suffered in those places. But the Lord saved me from all of it. ¹² Everyone who wants to live showing true devotion to God in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ¹³ People who are evil and cheat others will become worse and worse. They will fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves.

¹⁴ But you should continue following the teaching you learned. You know it is true, because you know you can trust those who taught you. ¹⁵ You have known the Holy Scriptures^[ab] since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. ¹⁷ Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.

4 Before God and Jesus Christ, I give you a command. Christ Jesus is the one who will judge all people—those who are living and those who have died. He is coming again to rule in his kingdom. So I give you this command: ² Tell everyone God’s message. Be ready at all times to do whatever is needed. Tell people what they need to do, tell them when they are doing wrong, and encourage them. Do this with great patience and careful teaching.

³ The time will come when people will not listen to the true teaching. But people will find more and more teachers who please them. They will find teachers who say what they want to hear. ⁴ People will stop listening to the truth. They will begin to follow the teaching in false stories. ⁵ But you should control yourself at all times. When troubles come, accept them. Do the work of telling the Good News. Do all the duties of a servant of God.

⁶ My life is being given as an offering for God. The time has come for me to leave this life here. ⁷ I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have served the Lord faithfully. ⁸ Now, a prize is waiting for me—the crown that will show I am right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give it to me on that Day. Yes, he will give it to me and to everyone else who is eagerly looking forward to his coming.

Personal Notes

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

¹³ When I was in Troas, I left my coat there with Carpus. So when you come, bring it to me. Also, bring my books. The books written on parchment are the ones I need.

¹⁴ Alexander the metalworker caused me so much harm. The Lord will punish him for what he did. ¹⁵ He fought against everything we teach. You should be careful that he doesn’t hurt you too.

¹⁶ The first time I defended myself, no one helped me. Everyone left me. I pray that God will forgive them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stayed with me. The Lord gave me strength so that I could tell the Good News everywhere. He wanted all those who are not Jews to hear that Good News. So I was saved from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will save me when anyone tries to hurt me. He will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Glory forever and ever be the Lord’s. Amen.

Final Greetings

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

Greetings to you from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters here.

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

1 Greetings from Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was sent to help God’s chosen people have faith and understand the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. ² This faith and knowledge make us sure that we have eternal life. God promised that life to us before time began—and God does not lie. ³ At the right time, God let the world know about that life. He did this through the telling of the Good News message, and he trusted me with that work. I told people that message because God our Savior commanded me to.

⁴ To Titus, a true son to me in the faith we share together.

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

Titus’ Work in Crete

⁵ I left you in Crete so that you could finish doing what still needed to be done. And I also left you there so that you could choose men to be elders in every town. ⁶ To be an elder, a man must not be guilty of living in a wrong way. He must be faithful to his wife,^[ac] and his children must be faithful to God.^[ad] They must not be known as children who are wild or don’t obey. ⁷ An elder^[ae] has the job of taking care of God’s work. So people should not be able to say that he lives in a wrong way. He must not be someone who is proud and selfish or who gets angry quickly. He must not drink too much, and he must not be someone who likes to fight. He must not be a man who will do almost anything for money. ⁸ An elder must be ready to help people by welcoming them into his home. He must love what is good. He must be wise. He must live right. He must be devoted to God and pleasing to him. And he must be able to control himself. ⁹ An elder must be faithful to the same true message we teach. Then he will be able to encourage others with teaching that is true and right. And he will be able to show those who are against this teaching that they are wrong.

¹⁰ This is important, because there are many people who refuse to obey—people who talk about worthless things and mislead others. I am talking especially about those who say that men who are not Jews must be circumcised to please God. ¹¹ These people must be stopped, because they are destroying whole families by teaching what they should not teach. They teach only to cheat people and make money. ¹² Even one of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars. They are evil animals and lazy people who do nothing but eat.” ¹³ The words that prophet said are true. So tell those people that they are wrong. You must be strict with them. Then they will become strong in the faith, ¹⁴ and they will stop paying attention to the stories told by those Jews. They will stop following the commands of those who have turned away from the truth.

¹⁵ To people who are pure, everything is pure. But to those who are full of sin and don’t believe, nothing is pure. Really, their thinking has become evil and their consciences have been ruined. ¹⁶ They say they know God, but the evil things they do show that they don’t accept him. They are disgusting. They refuse to obey God and are not capable of doing anything good.

Following the True Teaching

2 You, however, must tell everyone how to live in a way that agrees with the true teaching. ² Teach the older men to have self-control, to be serious, and to be wise. They must be strong in faith, in love, and in patience.

³ Also, teach the older women to live the way those who serve the Lord should live. They should not go around saying bad things about others or be in the habit of drinking too much. They should teach what is good. ⁴ By doing this they will teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. ⁵ They will teach them to be wise and pure, to take care of their homes, to be kind, and to be willing to serve their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us.

⁶ In the same way, tell the young men to be wise. ⁷ You should be an example for them in every way by the good things you do. When you teach, be honest and serious. ⁸ And your teaching should be clearly right so that you cannot be criticized. Then anyone who is against you will be ashamed. There will not be anything bad they can say about us.

⁹ And tell this to those who are slaves: They should be willing to serve their masters at all times; they should try to please them, not argue with them; ¹⁰ they should not steal from them; and they should show their masters that they can be trusted. Then, in everything they do, they will show that the teaching of God our Savior is good.

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

¹⁵ These are the things you should tell people. Encourage them, and when they are wrong, correct them. You have full authority to do this, so don’t let anyone think they can ignore you.

The Right Way to Live

3 Remind your people that they should always be under the authority of rulers and government leaders. They should obey these leaders and be ready to do good. ² Tell them not to speak evil of anyone but to live in peace with others. They should be gentle and polite to everyone.

³ In the past we were foolish too. We did not obey, we were wrong, and we were slaves to the many things our bodies wanted and enjoyed. We lived doing evil and being jealous. People hated us and we hated each other. ⁴ But then the kindness and love of God our Savior was made known. ⁵ He saved us because of his mercy, not because of any good things we did. He saved us through the washing that made us new people. He saved us by making us new through the Holy Spirit. ⁶ God poured out to us that Holy Spirit fully through Jesus Christ our Savior. ⁷ We were made right with God by his grace. God saved us so that we could be his children and look forward to receiving life that never ends. ⁸ This is a true statement.

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

⁹ Stay away from those who have foolish arguments, who talk about useless family histories, or who make trouble and fight about what the Law of Moses teaches. These things are useless and will not help anyone. ¹⁰ Give a warning to all those who cause arguments. If they continue to cause trouble after a second warning, then don’t associate with them. ¹¹ You know that people like that are evil and sinful. Their sins prove they are wrong.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹² I will send Artemas and Tychicus to you. When I send them, try hard to come to me at Nicopolis. I have decided to stay there this winter. ¹³ Zenas the lawyer and Apollos will be traveling from there. Do all that you can to help them prepare for their trip. Be sure that they have everything they need. ¹⁴ Our people must learn to use their lives for doing good and helping anyone who has a need. Then they will not have empty lives.

¹⁵ All the people with me here send you their greetings. Give my greetings to those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

¹ Greetings from Paul, a prisoner for Jesus Christ, and from Timothy, our brother.

To Philemon, our dear friend and worker with us. ² Also to our sister Apphia, to Archippus, who serves with us in the Lord’s army, and to the church that meets in your home.

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

Philemon’s Love and Faith

⁴ I remember you in my prayers. And I always thank my God for you. ⁵ I thank God because I hear about the love you have for all of God’s holy people and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus. ⁶ I pray that the faith you share will make you understand every blessing we have in Christ. ⁷ My brother, you have shown love to God’s people, and your help has greatly encouraged them. What a great joy and encouragement that has been to me.

Accept Onesimus as a Brother

⁸ There is something that you should do. And because of the authority I have in Christ, I feel free to command you to do it. ⁹ But I am not commanding you; I am asking you to do it out of love. I, Paul, am an old man now, and I am a prisoner for Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ I am asking you for my son Onesimus. He became my son while I was in prison. ¹¹ In the past he was useless to you. But now he has become useful^[af] for both you and me.

¹² I am sending him back to you, but it’s as hard as losing part of myself. ¹³ I would like to keep him here to help me while I am still in prison for telling the Good News. By helping me here, he would be representing you. ¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without asking you first. Then whatever you do for me will be what you want to do, not what I forced you to do.

¹⁵ Onesimus was separated from you for a short time. Maybe that happened so that you could have him back forever, ¹⁶ not to be just a slave, but better than a slave, to be a dear brother. That’s what he is to me. And I know he will mean even more to you, both as your slave and as one who shares your faith in the Lord.

¹⁷ If you accept me as your friend, then accept Onesimus back. Welcome him like you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has done any wrong to you or owes you anything, charge that to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this in my own handwriting: I will pay back anything Onesimus owes. And I will say nothing about what you owe me for your own life. ²⁰ So, my brother, as a follower of the Lord please do this favor^[ag] for me. It would be such a great encouragement to me as your brother in Christ. ²¹ I write this letter knowing that you will do what I ask, and even more than I ask.

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

Final Greetings

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

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