Day 348 of 364

^2:1Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you ^2:2not to be quickly shaken in your mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter as if from us, saying that the day of Christ has already come. ^2:3Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction. ^2:4He opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. ^2:5Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? ^2:6Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. ^2:7For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. ^2:8Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; ^2:9even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ^2:10and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ^2:11Because of this, God sends them a powerful delusion, that they should believe a lie, ^2:12that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. ^2:13But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth, ^2:14to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^2:15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter. ^2:16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ^2:17comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. ^3:1Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you, ^3:2and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith. ^3:3But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. ^3:4We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command. ^3:5May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and into the perseverance of Christ. ^3:6Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion and not after the tradition which they received from us. ^3:7For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you, ^3:8neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. ^3:9This was not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us. ^3:10For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone is not willing to work, don’t let him eat.” ^3:11For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies. ^3:12Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread. ^3:13But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing what is right. ^3:14If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man and have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. ^3:15Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. ^3:16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all. ^3:17I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter. This is how I write. ^3:18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

^1:1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, ^1:2to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ^1:3As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine, ^1:4and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith. ^1:5But the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith, ^1:6from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking, ^1:7desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say nor about what they strongly affirm. ^1:8But we know that the law is good if a person uses it lawfully, ^1:9as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ^1:10for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine, ^1:11according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. ^1:12I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service, ^1:13although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ^1:14The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ^1:15The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. ^1:16However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life. ^1:17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. ^1:18I commit this instruction to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare, ^1:19holding faith and a good conscience, which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith, ^1:20of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme. ^2:1I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men, ^2:2for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence. ^2:3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ^2:4who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. ^2:5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ^2:6who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time, ^2:7to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. ^2:8I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting. ^2:9In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety, not with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing, ^2:10but with good works, which is appropriate for women professing godliness. ^2:11Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission. ^2:12But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness. ^2:13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ^2:14Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience; ^2:15but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with sobriety. ^3:1This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work. ^3:2The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; ^3:3not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; ^3:4one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; ^3:5(for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?) ^3:6not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. ^3:7Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil. ^3:8Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money, ^3:9holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. ^3:10Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless. ^3:11Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things. ^3:12Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ^3:13For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. ^3:14These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly, ^3:15but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ^3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.