Dual Panel1All who wear the yoke of slavery must consider their masters worthy of all respect, so that the name of God and the Christian teaching are not brought into disrepute.
2Slaves of Christian masters must not take liberties with them just because they are their brothers. Quite the contrary: they must do their work all the better because those who receive the benefit of their service are one with them in faith and love.
Final instructions
THIS is what you are to teach and preach.
3Anyone who teaches otherwise, and does not devote himself to sound precepts -- that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ -- and to good religious teaching,
4is a pompous ignoramus with a morbid enthusiasm for mere speculations and quibbles. These give rise to jealousy, quarrelling, slander, base suspicions,
5and endless wrangles -- all typical of those whose minds are corrupted and who have lost their grip of the truth. They think religion should yield dividends;
6and of course religion does yield high dividends, but only to those who are content with what they have.
7We brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out;
8if we have food and clothing let us rest content.
9Those who want to be rich fall into temptations and snares and into many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10The love of money is the root of all evil, and in pursuit of it some have wandered from the faith and spiked themselves on many a painful thorn.
11But you, man of God, must shun all that, and pursue justice, piety, integrity, love, fortitude, and gentleness.
12Run the great race of faith and take hold of eternal life, for to this you were called, when you confessed your faith nobly before many witnesses.
13Now in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Jesus Christ, who himself made that noble confession in his testimony before Pontius Pilate, I charge you
14to obey your orders without fault or failure until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
15which God will bring about in his own good time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords;
16he alone possesses immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; him no one has ever seen or can ever see; to him be honour and dominion for ever! Amen.
17Instruct those who are rich in this world's goods not to be proud, and to fix their hopes not on so uncertain a thing as money, but on God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.
18They are to do good and to be rich in well-doing, to be ready to give generously and to share with others,
19and so acquire a treasure which will form a good foundation for the future. Then they will grasp the life that is life indeed.
20Timothy, keep safe what has been entrusted to you. Turn a deaf ear to empty and irreligious chatter, and the contradictions of “knowledge” so-called,
21for by laying claim to it some have strayed far from the faith. Grace be with you all!