Instructions for the Church

1 ^dDo ^enot rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

3 ^fHonor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is ^gpleasing in the sight of God. 5 ^hShe who is truly a widow, left all alone, ⁱhas set her hope on God and ^jcontinues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 ^kCommand these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has ^ldenied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been ^mthe wife of one husband,¹ 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has ⁿwashed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and ^obusybodies, saying what they should not. 14 ^pSo I would have younger widows marry, ^qbear children, ^rmanage their households, and ^sgive the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already ^tstrayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.

17 ^uLet the ^velders who ^wrule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 ^xFor the Scripture says, ^y“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, ^z“The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except ^aon the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, ^brebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 ^cIn the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, ^ddoing nothing from partiality. 22 ^eDo not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and ^feven those that are not cannot remain hidden.

1 ^gLet all who are under a yoke as bondservants² regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, ^hso that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are ⁱbrothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

False Teachers and True Contentment

Teach and urge ^jthese things. 3 If anyone ^kteaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the ^lsound³ words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching ^mthat accords with godliness, 4 he is ⁿpuffed up with conceit and ^ounderstands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for ^pcontroversy and for ^qquarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are ^rdepraved in mind and deprived of the truth, ^simagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But ^tgodliness with ^ucontentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and⁴ we ^vcannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But ^wthose who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a ^xsnare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^yplunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

11 But as for you, O ^zman of God, ^aflee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the ^bgood fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good ^cconfession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I ^dcharge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his ^etestimony before⁵ Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the ^fappearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display ^gat the proper time—he who is the ^hblessed and only Sovereign, the ⁱKing of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, ^jwho dwells in unapproachable light, ^kwhom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in ^lthis present age, charge them not to be ^mhaughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, ⁿbut on God, ^owho richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be ^prich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus ^qstoring up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit ^rentrusted to you. Avoid the ^sirreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have ^tswerved from the faith.

^uGrace be with you.⁶

The King Rejoices in the Lord’s Strength

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.