[It is being sent] to Timothy, my dearly loved son. May you have unearned favor, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I have gratitude to God whom I serve from the forefathers in a pure conscience, as I have unceasing remembrance about thee in my supplications, night and day

when I call to mind your affliction, it makes me ardently desire the exceeding pleasure I shall have in seeing you:

I have been reminded of that sincere faith which is in your heart; which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully persuaded, dwells in you also.

For this reason I say to you, Let that grace of God which is in you, given to you by my hands, have living power.

Have no feeling of shame, then, for the witness of our Lord or for me, his prisoner: but undergo all things for the good news in the measure of the power of God;

for He delivered us and saved us and called us with a holy calling [a calling that leads to a consecrated life—a life set apart—a life of purpose], not because of our works [or because of any personal merit—we could do nothing to earn this], but because of His own purpose and grace [His amazing, undeserved favor] which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago],

Of this good news I have been appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.

This is why I am suffering so, but I am not ashamed of it, for I know whom I have trusted and I am absolutely sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Hold fast the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

You have had news that all those in Asia went away from me; among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes:

(May he have the Lord's mercy in that day); and of all he did for me at Ephesus you have full knowledge.

As for you, my son, strenuously acquit yourself of the charge you have receiv'd from Christ Jesus.

And what thou have heard from me through many witnesses, these things commit thou to faithful men who will be competent to teach others also.

And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully.

The farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops.

for which I have to suffer imprisonment as if I were a criminal. (But there is no prison for the word of God.)

But I undergo all things for the saints, so that they may have salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

This message is to be trusted: "If we indeed have died with Him, we will live with Him too.

If we go on to the end, then we will be ruling with him: if we say we have no knowledge of him, then he will say he has no knowledge of us:

Of these things put in remembrance, testifying earnestly before the Lord not to have disputes of words, profitable for nothing, to the subversion of the hearers.

Do your best to present yourself as a worker who is approved by God [and] does not have to be ashamed, [because you are] accurately handling [i.e., explaining] the message of truth.

and their word will have a feeding field like gangrene, of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

who have missed the truth by saying that the resurrection has already taken place, are undermining some people's faith.

If therefore one shall have purified himself from these, in separating himself from them, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified, serviceable to the Master, prepared for every good work.

But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels.

and they might recover their senses and escape from the devil's trap in which they have been caught by him to do his will.

destitute of natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers. They will have no self-control, but will be brutal, opposed to goodness,

they will be treacherous, reckless and conceited, preferring pleasure to God ??5 for though they keep up a form of religion, they will have nothing to do with it as a force. Avoid all such.

of which they wear the appearance, but disclaim its influence. have no intercourse with such.

Just as Jannes and Jambres [the court magicians of Egypt] opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, unqualified and worthless [as teachers] in regard to the faith.

But they will have no further success; for their folly will be as clearly manifest to all men, as that of the opponents of Moses came to be.

But you, on your part, have faithfully followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,

and the persecutions and sufferings which I have endured; the things which happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. You know the persecutions I endured, and how the Lord delivered me out of them all.

Yes, and all who aim at living a religious life in union with Christ Jesus will have to suffer persecution;

But you, on your part, must continue to abide by what you have learned and been led to rely upon, because you know from whom you learned it

and that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures which can give you wisdom that leads to salvation through the faith that leans on Christ Jesus.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge [both] those still alive and those who have already died, and in view of His appearing [i.e., at His second coming] and His kingdom [i.e., when it is revealed in its eternal splendor], I solemnly urge you:

For a time will come when they will not listen to wholesome teaching, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will heap up for themselves teachers upon teachers to satisfy their own fancies.

and they will turn away their ear from the truth, and will have turned aside to fables.

I have fought the fight for the good, I have run my race, I have kept faith.

Now the crown for doing right awaits me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not only me but also all who have loved His appearing.

Luke is the only friend I now have with me. Call for Mark on your way and bring him with you, for he is a great help to me in my ministry.

and I have sent Tychicus off to Ephesus.

for he has been bitterly hostile to anything I have said.

But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that the message preached by me might have its full effect and all the heathen might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's jaws.

Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.