2 Timothy 3-4; Titus 1-2

1But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.

2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,

4traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

6They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions,

7who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.

9But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

10You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance,

11my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

12Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

13while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them.

15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:

2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.

3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

8From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

9Make every effort to come to me quickly,

10because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.

12Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus.

13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

15You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.

16At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.

17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

18And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

19Greet Prisca and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.

20Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.

21Make every effort to come to me before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

3In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.

4To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

5The reason I left you in Crete was that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

6An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.

7As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.

8Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

9He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.

10For many are rebellious and full of empty talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision,

11who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.

12As one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith

14and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of men who have rejected the truth.

15To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

16They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

1But as for you, speak the things that are consistent with sound doctrine.

2Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, and sound in faith, love, and perseverance.

3Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.

4In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children,

5to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.

6In the same way, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

7In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,

8and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

9Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

10not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.

11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.

12It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

13as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

14He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

15Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.