2 Timothy 1:1–18

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through God’s will according to the promise of the life that is in union with Christ Jesus,²to Timothy, a beloved child:

May there be undeserved kindness, mercy, peace from God [the] Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³I am grateful to God, to whom I am rendering sacred service as my forefathers did and with a clean conscience, that I never leave off remembering you in my supplications, night and day⁴longing to see you, as I remember your tears, that I may get filled with joy.⁵For I recollect the faith which is in you without any hypocrisy, and which dwelt first in your grandmother Lo′is and your mother Eu′nice, but which I am confident is also in you.

⁶For this very cause I remind you to stir up like a fire the gift of God which is in you through the laying of my hands upon you.⁷For God gave us not a spirit of cowardice, but that of power and of love and of soundness of mind.⁸Therefore do not become ashamed of the witness about our Lord, neither of me a prisoner for his sake, but take your part in suffering evil for the good news according to the power of God.⁹He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not by reason of our works, but by reason of his own purpose and undeserved kindness. This was given us in connection with Christ Jesus before times long lasting,¹⁰but now it has been made clearly evident through the manifestation of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death but has shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news,¹¹for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher.

¹²For this very cause I am also suffering these things, but I am not ashamed. For I know the one whom I have believed, and I am confident he is able to guard what I have laid up in trust with him until that day.¹³Keep holding the pattern of healthful words that you heard from me with the faith and love that are in connection with Christ Jesus.¹⁴This fine trust guard through the holy spirit which is dwelling in us.

¹⁵You know this, that all the men in the [district of] Asia have turned away from me. Phy‧gel′us and Her‧mog′e‧nes are of that number.¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the household of On‧e‧siph′o‧rus, because he often brought me refreshment, and he did not become ashamed of my chains.¹⁷On the contrary, when he happened to be in Rome, he diligently looked for me and found me.¹⁸May the Lord grant him to find mercy from Jehovah in that day. And all the services he rendered in Eph′e‧sus you know well enough.