Day 77 of 90

¹I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: ²preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. ³For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, ⁴and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. ⁵But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry. ⁶For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. ⁸From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing. ⁹Be diligent to come to me soon, ¹⁰for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; and Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. ¹²But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵Beware of him, for he greatly opposed our words. ¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear. So I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ¹⁸And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. ¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus. ²⁰Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick. ²¹Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers. ²²The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

^1:1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, ^1:2in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began; ^1:3but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, ^1:4to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. ^1:5I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you— ^1:6if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. ^1:7For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; ^1:8but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, ^1:9holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him. ^1:10For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ^1:11whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. ^1:12One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.” ^1:13This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ^1:14not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. ^1:15To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. ^1:16They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. ^2:1But say the things which fit sound doctrine, ^2:2that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in perseverance, ^2:3and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good, ^2:4that they may train the young wives to love their husbands, to love their children, ^2:5to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God’s word may not be blasphemed. ^2:6Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober minded. ^2:7In all things show yourself an example of good works. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility, ^2:8and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us. ^2:9Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters and to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting, ^2:10not stealing, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things. ^2:11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ^2:12instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; ^2:13looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ^2:14who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works. ^2:15Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one despise you. ^3:1Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ^3:2to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men. ^3:3For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. ^3:4But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, ^3:5not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ^3:6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior; ^3:7that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ^3:8This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you insist confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men; ^3:9but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. ^3:10Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning, ^3:11knowing that such a one is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned. ^3:12When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there. ^3:13Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey speedily, that nothing may be lacking for them. ^3:14Let our people also learn to maintain good works to meet necessary needs, that they may not be unfruitful. ^3:15All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker, ²to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house: ³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, ⁵hearing of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus. ⁷For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. ⁸Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate, ⁹yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have become the father of in my chains, ¹¹who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me. ¹²I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, ¹³whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News. ¹⁴But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will. ¹⁵For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while that you would have him forever, ¹⁶no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. ¹⁷If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. ¹⁸But if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, put that to my account. ¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides). ²⁰Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord. ²¹Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say. ²²Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you. ²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, ²⁴as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. ²⁵The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.