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Following the True Teaching

¹ But you must tell everyone what to do to follow the true teaching. ² Teach older men to be self-controlled, serious, wise, strong in faith, in love, and in patience.

³ In the same way, teach older women to be holy in their behavior, not speaking against others or enslaved to too much wine, but teaching what is good. ⁴ Then they can teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be wise and pure, to be good workers at home, to be kind, and to yield to their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us.

⁶ In the same way, encourage young men to be wise. ⁷ In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with honesty and seriousness. ⁸ Speak the truth so that you cannot be criticized. Then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad to say about us.

⁹ Slaves should yield to their own masters at all times, trying to please them and not arguing with them. ¹⁰ They should not steal from them but should show their masters they can be fully trusted so that in everything they do they will make the teaching of God our Savior attractive.

¹¹ That is the way we should live, because God's grace that can save everyone has come. ¹² It teaches us not to live against God nor to do the evil things the world wants to do. Instead, that grace teaches us to live in the present age in a wise and right way and in a way that shows we serve God. ¹³ We should live like that while we wait for our great hope and the coming of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ He gave himself for us so he might pay the price to free us from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to him—people who are always wanting to do good deeds.

¹⁵ Say these things and encourage the people and tell them what is wrong in their lives, with all authority. Do not let anyone treat you as if you were unimportant.