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Instructions to Those Who Minister

¹ All ^(C1)who are under the yoke as bond-servants (slaves) are to regard their own masters as worthy of honor and respect so ^(C2)that the name of God and the teaching about Him will not be spoken against.² Those who have believing masters are not to be disrespectful toward them because they are ^(C1)brothers in Christ, but they should serve them even better, because those who benefit from their kindly service are believers and beloved. ^(C2)Teach and urge these duties and principles.

³ If anyone ^(C1)teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the ^(C2)sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine and teaching which is in ^(C3)agreement with godliness (personal integrity, upright behavior),⁴ he is ^(C1)conceited and woefully ignorant understanding nothing. He has a morbid interest in ^(C2)controversial questions and ^(C3)disputes about words, which produces envy, quarrels, verbal abuse, evil suspicions,⁵ and perpetual friction between ^(C1)men who are corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who ^(C2)think that godliness is a source of profit a lucrative, money-making business—withdraw from them.^6 (C1)But godliness actually is a source of ^(C2)great gain when accompanied by ^(C3)contentment that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God.⁷ For ^(C1)we have brought nothing into the world, so it is clear that we cannot take anything out of it, either.⁸ But if we ^(C1)have food and clothing, with these we will be content.^9 (C1)But those who are not financially ethical and crave to get rich with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth fall into temptation and ^(C2)a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction leading to personal misery.¹⁰ For ^(C1)the love of money that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have ^(C2)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves through and through with many sorrows.

¹¹ But as for you, ^(F1)O ^(C1)man of God, ^(C2)flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God, godliness the fear of God, ^(C3)faith, ^(C4)love, steadfastness, and gentleness. ^{(VR1)12 (C1)}Fight the good fight of the ^(C2)faith in the conflict with evil; ^(C3)take hold of the eternal life ^(C4)to which you were called, and for which you made the good ^(C5)confession of faith in the presence of ^(C6)many witnesses.^13 (C1)I solemnly charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and in the presence of ^(C2)Christ Jesus, who made the ^(C3)good confession in His testimony ^(C4)before Pontius Pilate,¹⁴ to keep all His precepts without stain or reproach until the ^(C1)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,¹⁵ which He will bring about in ^(C1)His own time—He who is ^(C2)the blessed and ^(C3)only Sovereign the absolute Ruler, ^(C4)the King of those who reign as kings and ^(C5)Lord of those who rule as lords,^16 (C1)He alone possesses immortality absolute exemption from death and ^(C2)lives in unapproachable light, ^(C3)whom no man has ever seen or can see. ^(C1)To Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ As for the rich in ^(C1)this present world, instruct them ^(C2)not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to ^(C3)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(C4)who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in ^(C1)good works, ^(C2)to be generous, willing to share with others.^19 (C1)In this way storing up for themselves the enduring riches of a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(C2)take hold of that which is truly life.

²⁰ O ^(C1)Timothy, guard and keep safe ^(C2)the deposit of godly truth entrusted to you, turn away from ^(C3)worldly and godless chatter with its profane, empty words, and the contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge"—

²¹ which some have professed and by doing so have ^(C1)erred (missed the mark) and strayed from ^(C2)the faith. ^(C3)Grace be with you.