A Loyal Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 ¹Timothy, you are [like] a son to me. Be strong in the grace (kindness) that we have in Christ Jesus. ²You have heard the things that I have taught. Many other people heard those things too. You should teach those same things. Give those teachings to some people you can trust. Then they will be able to teach those things to other people. ³Share in the troubles that we have. Accept those troubles like a true soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴A person that is a soldier wants to please his commanding officer. So that soldier does not use his time doing the things that most people do. ⁵If an athlete is running a race, he must obey all the rules to win. ⁶The farmer who works hard should be the first person to get some of the food that he grew. ⁷Think about these things that I am saying. The Lord will give you the ability to understand all these things. ⁸Remember 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. ⁹And I am suffering because I tell that Good News. I am even bound with chains like a person who has really done wrong. But God's teaching is not bound. ¹⁰So I patiently accept all these troubles. I do this to help all the people that God has chosen. I accept these troubles so that those people can have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With that salvation comes glory that never ends. ¹¹This teaching is true: If we died with him (Jesus), then we will also live with him. ¹²If we accept suffering, then we will also rule with him. If we refuse to accept him, then he will refuse to accept us. ¹³If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he cannot be false to himself.

An Approved Worker

¹⁴Continue telling the people these things. And warn those people before God not to argue about words. Arguing about words does not help any person. And it ruins those people who listen. ¹⁵Do the very best you can to be the kind of person that God will accept, 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. ¹⁶Stay 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. ¹⁷Their [evil] teaching will spread like a sickness inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are men like that. ¹⁸They have left the true teaching. They say that the rising from death [of all people] has already happened. And those two men are destroying the faith of some people. ¹⁹But God's strong foundation* continues to be the same. These words are written on that foundation: "The Lord knows those people who belong to him."* Also, these words are written on that foundation: "Every person who says that he believes in the Lord must stop doing wrong." ²⁰In 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. Other things are made for dirty jobs. ²¹If any person will make himself clean from all the evil things, then that person will be used for special purposes. That person will be made holy,^*and the master can use him. That person will be ready to do any good work. ²²Stay away from the evil things a young person wants to do. Try very hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace. Do these things together with those people who have pure hearts and trust in the Lord. ²³Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments. You know that those arguments grow into bigger arguments. ²⁴A servant of the Lord must not argue! He must be kind to every person. A servant of the Lord must be a good teacher. He must be patient. ²⁵The Lord's servant must gently teach those people that don't agree with him. Maybe God will let those people change their hearts so that they can accept the truth. ²⁶The devil has trapped those people and makes them do what he wants. But maybe they can wake up [and see that the devil is using them] and free themselves from the devil's trap.

David King of Israel about 1000 years before Christ. Good News The news that God has made a way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever. foundation The bottom part or first part of a house that the rest of the house is built on. "The Lord knows ... him" Quote from Num. 16:5. holy A holy person is pure and belongs only to God.