A Loyal Soldier of Christ Jesus
2 Timothy, you are like a son to me. Be strong in the grace that we have in Christ Jesus. 2 You and many others have heard what I have taught. You should teach the same thing to some people you can trust. Then they will be able to teach it to others. 3 Share in the troubles that we have. Accept them like a true soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not waste his time doing the things that most people do. 5 If an athlete is running a race, he must obey all the rules in order to win. 6 The farmer who works hard should be the first person to get some of the food that he grew. 7 Think about these things that I am saying. The Lord will give you the ability to understand all these things.
8 Remember Jesus Christ. He is from the family of David. After Jesus died, he was raised from death. This is the Good News that I preach, 9 and I am suffering because of that Good News. I am even bound with chains like a criminal. But God’s teaching is not in chains. 10 So I patiently accept all these troubles. I do this so that those whom God has chosen can have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With that salvation comes glory that never ends.
11 This teaching is true:
If we died with him,
then we will also live with him.
12 If we accept suffering,
then we will also rule with him.
If we say we don’t know him,
then he will say he doesn’t know us.
13 If we are not faithful,
he will still be faithful,
because he must be true to who he is.
A Worker Pleasing to God
14 Continue teaching these things. And warn people before God not to argue about words. Arguing about words does not help anyone, and it ruins those who listen. 15 Do the best you can to be the kind of person that God will approve, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who is not ashamed of his work—a worker who uses the true teaching in the right way. 16 Stay away from those who talk about useless worldly things. That kind of talk will lead a person more and more away from God. 17 Their evil teaching will spread like a sickness inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are men like that. 18 They have left the true teaching. They say that the rising from death of all men has already taken place. And those two men are destroying the faith of some people. 19 But God’s strong foundation continues to stand. These words are written on that foundation: “The Lord knows those who belong to him.”[a] And also these words are written on that foundation, “Everyone who says that he believes in the Lord must stop doing wrong.”
20 In a large house there are things made of gold and silver. But also there are things made of wood and clay. Some things are used for special purposes, and others are made for ordinary jobs. 21 If anyone makes himself clean from evil things, he will be used for special purposes. He will be made holy, and the Master can use him. He will be ready to do any good work.
22 Stay away from the evil desires of youth. Try hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace. Work for these things together with those who have pure hearts and who trust in the Lord. 23 Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments. You know that such arguments grow into bigger arguments. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel! He must be kind to everyone. He must be a good teacher. He must be patient. 25 The Lord’s servant must gently teach those who do not agree with him. Maybe God will let them change their hearts so that they can accept the truth. 26 The devil has trapped them and causes them to do what he wants. But maybe they can wake up and free themselves from the devil’s trap.
Footnotes
- 2:19 “The Lord . . . him.” Quotation from Numbers 16:5.