Day 76 of 90

¹Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed. ²Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. ³If anyone teaches a different doctrine and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, ⁴he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions, ⁵constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such. ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. ⁸But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. ¹¹But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. ¹³I command you before God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, ¹⁴that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which at the right time he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. ¹⁶He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen. ¹⁷Charge those who are rich in this present age that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; ¹⁸that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; ¹⁹laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life. ²⁰Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹which some profess, and thus have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

^1:1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, ^1:2to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ^1:3I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day ^1:4longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy; ^1:5having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, in you also. ^1:6For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ^1:7For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. ^1:8Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God, ^1:9who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, ^1:10but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News. ^1:11For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. ^1:12For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day. ^1:13Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ^1:14That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. ^1:15This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ^1:16May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain, ^1:17but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently and found me ^1:18(the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well. ^2:1You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ^2:2The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ^2:3You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ^2:4No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. ^2:5Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he isn’t crowned unless he has competed by the rules. ^2:6The farmer who labors must be the first to get a share of the crops. ^2:7Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. ^2:8Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the offspring of David, according to my Good News, ^2:9in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained. ^2:10Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ^2:11This saying is trustworthy: “For if we died with him, we will also live with him. ^2:12If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. ^2:13If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he can’t deny himself.” ^2:14Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord that they don’t argue about words to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear. ^2:15Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth. ^2:16But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, ^2:17and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus: ^2:18men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some. ^2:19However, God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” ^2:20Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor and some for dishonor. ^2:21If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work. ^2:22Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ^2:23But refuse foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing that they generate strife. ^2:24The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient, ^2:25in gentleness correcting those who oppose him. Perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, ^2:26and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to do his will. ^3:1But know this: that in the last days, grievous times will come. ^3:2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ^3:3without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good, ^3:4traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ^3:5holding a form of godliness but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. ^3:6For some of these are people who creep into houses and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ^3:7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ^3:8Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected. ^3:9But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be. ^3:10But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, ^3:11persecutions, and sufferings—those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all. ^3:12Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ^3:13But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. ^3:14But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. ^3:15From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ^3:16Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, ^3:17that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.