To Timothy, my dear Child, from Paul who, by the will of God, is an Apostle of Christ Jesus, charged to proclaim the Life that comes from union with Christ Jesus. May God, the Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord, bless you, and be merciful to you, and give you peace.

and what you learnt from me, in the presence of many listeners, entrust to reliable men, who will be able in their turn to teach others.

Reflect upon what I say; the Lord will always help you to understand.

If we continue to endure, we shall also share his throne. If we should ever disown him, he, too, will disown us.

and their teaching will spread like a cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are instances of this.

If, then, a man has escaped from the pollution of such errors as I have mentioned, he will be like a thing kept for better use, set apart, serviceable to its owner, ready for any good purpose.

He should instruct his opponents in a gentle spirit; for, possibly, God may give them a repentance that will lead to a fuller knowledge of Truth,

and they may yet come to a sober mind, and escape from the snares of the Devil, when captured by the Lord's Servant to do the will of God.

Be sure of this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

Men will be selfish, mercenary, boastful, haughty, and blasphemous; disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, impure,

treacherous, reckless, and puffed up with pride; they will love pleasure more than they love God;

and while they retain the outward form of religion, they will not allow it to influence them. Turn your back on such men as these.

They will not, however, make further progress; for their wicked folly will be plain to every one, just as that of Jannes and Jambres was.

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

but wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.

I solemnly charge you, in the sight of God and of Christ Jesus, who will one day judge the living and the dead--I charge you by his Appearing and by his Kingdom:--

For a time will come when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will follow their own wishes, and, in their itching for novelty, procure themselves a crowd of teachers.

They will turn a deaf ear to the Truth, and give their attention to legends instead.

And now the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just Judge, will give me on 'That Day'--and not only to me, but to all who have loved his Appearing.

Alexander, the coppersmith, showed much ill-feeling towards me. 'The Lord will give him what his actions deserve.'

The Lord will rescue me from all evil, and bring me safe into his Heavenly Kingdom. All glory to him for ever and ever! Amen.