For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.
Hebrew / JewishChristianity
The Bible (Old and New Testaments)
2 Timothy
Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God;
who 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 us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,
but hath now been manifested by the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
whereunto I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher.
For which cause I suffer also 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 unto him against that day.
Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
That good thing which was committed unto [thee] guard through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us.
This thou knowest, that all that are in Asia turned away from me; of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.
The Lord grant mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
but, when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me
(the Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day); and in how many things he ministered at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Suffer hardship with [me], as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.
And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully.
The husbandman that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits.
Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel:
wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Faithful is the saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him:
if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us:
if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging [them] in the sight of the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear.
Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.
But shun profane babblings: for they will proceed further in ungodliness,
and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus;
men who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some.
Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work.
But flee youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
But foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing that they gender strifes.
And the Lord’s servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,
in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth,
and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.
But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away.
For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts,
ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth; men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be evident unto all men, as theirs also came to be.
But thou didst follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience,
persecutions, sufferings; what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness:
that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.
I charge [thee] in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.
But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry.
For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.
Give diligence to come shortly unto me:
for Demas forsook me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering.
But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus.
The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord will render to him according to his works:
of whom do thou also beware; for he greatly withstood our words.
At my first defence no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account.
But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus.
Erastus remained at Corinth: but Trophimus I left at Miletus sick.
Give diligence to come before winter. Eubulus saluteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
The Lord be with thy spirit. Grace be with you.
Titus
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;
holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.
For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,
whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.
This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:
that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience:
that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
[to be] sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed:
the younger men likewise exhort to be sober-minded:
in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works; in thy doctrine [showing] uncorruptness, gravity,