A Worker Approved by God
14 Remind them of these things, and dcharge them before God1 not to equarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to fpresent yourself to God as one approved,2 a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the gword of truth. 16 But havoid iirreverent babble, for it will lead people into jmore and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are kHymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have lswerved from the truth, msaying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: n“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who onames the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant vcontroversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant1 must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 wcorrecting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the xsnare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Preach the Word
1 I tcharge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, uwho is to judge the living and the dead, and by his vappearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; wreprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 xFor the time is coming when people will not endure ysound1 teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and zwander off into amyths. 5 But as for you, always be sober-minded, bendure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, cfulfill your ministry.
