Letters to the Churches

But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us.

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you,

nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.

For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”

Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies.

We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.

But as for you, brothers, do not grow weary in well-doing.

Take note of anyone who does not obey the instructions we have given in this letter. Do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.

Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. This is my mark in every letter; it is the way I write.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines

or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith.

The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

Some have strayed from these ways and turned aside to empty talk.

They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert.

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately.

We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers,