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Greeting

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, ² to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy's Spiritual Heritage

³ I am thankful^[a] to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience as my ancestors did^[b], when I remember you constantly^[c] in my prayers night and day, ⁴ longing to see you as I^[d] remember your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, ⁵ remembering the^[e] sincere faith in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that is in you also, ⁶ for which reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and love and self-discipline.

Exhortation to Share Paul's Suffering

⁸ Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor me his prisoner, but suffer along with me for the gospel, according to the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began^[f], ¹⁰ but has now been disclosed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,^[g] who has abolished death and brought to light life and immortality through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a proclaimer and an apostle and a teacher, ¹² for which reason also I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know in whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted until that day. ¹³ Hold fast to the pattern of sound words which you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

¹⁵ You know this, that all those in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he refreshed me many times, and was not ashamed of my imprisonment, ¹⁷ but when he^[h] was in Rome, he diligently sought me and found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day! And how much he served me in Ephesus you know very well.