Letters to the Churches

no one serving as a soldier did entangle himself with the affairs of life, that him who did enlist him he may please;

and if also any one may strive, he is not crowned, except he may strive lawfully;

the labouring husbandman it behoveth first of the fruits to partake;

be considering what things I say, for the Lord give to thee understanding in all things.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised out of the dead, of the seed of David, according to my good news,

in which I suffer evil--unto bonds, as an evil-doer, but the word of God hath not been bound;

because of this all things do I endure, because of the choice ones, that they also salvation may obtain that is in Christ Jesus, with glory age-during.

Stedfast is the word: For if we died together--we also shall live together;

if we do endure together--we shall also reign together; if we deny him , he also shall deny us;

if we are not stedfast, he remaineth stedfast; to deny himself he is not able.

These things remind them of, testifying fully before the Lord--not to strive about words to nothing profitable, but to the subversion of those hearing;

be diligent to present thyself approved to God--a workman irreproachable, rightly dividing the word of the truth;

and the profane vain talkings stand aloof from, for to more impiety they will advance,

and their word as a gangrene will have pasture, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,

who concerning the truth did swerve, saying the rising again to have already been, and do overthrow the faith of some;

sure, nevertheless, hath the foundation of God stood, having this seal, `The Lord hath known those who are His,' and `Let him depart from unrighteousness--every one who is naming the name of Christ.'

And in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour, and some to dishonour:

if, then, any one may cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified and profitable to the master--to every good work having been prepared,

and the youthful lusts flee thou, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those calling upon the Lord out of a pure heart;

and the foolish and uninstructed questions be avoiding, having known that they beget strife,

and a servant of the Lord it behoveth not to strive, but to be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient under evil,

in meekness instructing those opposing--if perhaps God may give to them repentance to an acknowledging of the truth,

and they may awake out of the devil's snare, having been caught by him at his will.

And this know thou, that in the last days there shall come perilous times,

for men shall be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, evil-speakers, to parents disobedient, unthankful, unkind,