¹From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

²To Timothy, my dear son.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

Paul Gives Thanks

³I serve God, as did our people of long ago, with a clear conscience, and I thank God as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.

⁴I recall your tears, and I long to see you so that I can be filled with joy.

⁵I’m reminded of your sincere faith, which was alive first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice. I’m certain that it’s also in you now.

Paul Encourages Timothy to Be Faithful

⁶That’s why I want to encourage you to fan into flame the gift that God gave you when I placed my hands on you.

⁷The Spirit that God has given us doesn’t make us weak and fearful. Instead, the Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.

⁸So don’t be ashamed of the message about our Lord, and don’t be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Instead, join with me as I suffer for the good news. God’s power will help us do that.

⁹God has saved us and called us to live a holy life. This isn’t because of anything we’ve done, but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus even before time began.

¹⁰It has now been made known through the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and brought never-ending life out into the light through the good news.

¹¹I was appointed to be a messenger, an apostle, and a teacher of the good news.

¹²That’s why I’m suffering the way I am. But I’m not ashamed, because I know the one I’ve believed in and I’m certain that he’s able to protect what I’ve given him. I can trust him with it until the day he returns.

¹³Follow what you’ve heard from me as the pattern for true teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴Guard what you have been trusted with—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Examples of Faithful and Unfaithful People

¹⁵You know that all the believers in the province of Asia have deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁶May the Lord show mercy to all who live in the house of Onesiphorus. He has often encouraged me. He wasn’t ashamed of me, even though I was being held in chains.

¹⁷It was just the opposite! When he was in Rome, he looked everywhere for me, and he finally found me.

¹⁸May he find mercy from the Lord on the day Jesus returns as judge! You know very well how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.