A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

¹You then, wmy child, xbe strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ²and ywhat you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses zentrust to faithful men,1 awho will be able to teach others also. ³bShare in suffering as ca good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No soldier dgets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. ⁵eAn athlete is not fcrowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶It is gthe hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. ⁷Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, hrisen from the dead, the ioffspring of David, jas preached in my gospel, ⁹kfor which I am suffering, lbound with chains as a criminal. But mthe word of God is not bound! ¹⁰Therefore nI endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain othe salvation that is in Christ Jesus with peternal glory. ¹¹The saying is qtrustworthy, for:

rIf we have died with him, we will also slive with him;

¹²tif we endure, we will also reign with him;

uif we deny him, he also will deny us;

¹³vif we are faithless, whe remains faithful—

for xhe cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

¹⁴Remind them of these things, and ycharge them before God2 znot to quarrel about words, awhich does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,3 a worker bwho has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶But cavoid dirreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are eHymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸who have swerved from the truth, fsaying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: g“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone hwho names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰Now in ia great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, jsome for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹Therefore, kif anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,4 he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, lready for every good work.

²²So mflee nyouthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with othose who call on the Lord pfrom a pure heart. ²³Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant qcontroversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴And rthe Lord's servant5 must not be quarrelsome but skind to everyone, table to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵correcting his opponents uwith gentleness. God vmay perhaps grant them repentance wleading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and they may come to their senses and escape from xthe snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

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