1Ovo je pismo od Pavla, apostola Krista Isusa Božjom voljom, poslanoga da navješćuje život koji je Bog obećao po vjeri u Krista Isusa.
2Mojemu ljubljenom sinu Timoteju.
Neka ti je milost, milosrđe i mir od našega Boga Oca i Gospodina Isusa Krista.
Poticaj na vjernost
3Timoteju, zahvaljujem za tebe Bogu, kojemu služim čiste savjesti kao i moji preci, dok se bez prestanka, danonoćno, molim za tebe. 4Kad se sjetim tvojih suza, obuzme me čežnja da te opet vidim i da se razveselim.
5Znam kakvu iskrenu vjeru u Boga imaš—kao najprije tvoja baka Loida, a zatim i tvoja mati Eunika. 6Zato te molim: raspiruj duhovni dar koji ti je Bog dao kad sam na tebe položio ruke. 7Jer Bog nam nije dao duha bojažljivosti, već Duha snage, ljubavi i razboritosti. 8Ne srami se govoriti o našemu Gospodinu niti o meni, iako sam u zatvoru! Budi spreman sa mnom trpjeti zaradi navješćivanja Radosne vijesti. Bog će ti za to dati snage.
9On nas je spasio i pozvao nas da živimo svetim životom—ne zato što smo to svojim djelima zaslužili, nego zato što je to bio njegov naum još od vječnosti: da nam daruje svoju milost u Isusu Kristu. 10Sada nam je sve to objavio dolaskom našega Spasitelja Isusa Krista, koji je skršio moć smrti i učinio da kroz Radosnu vijest zasja život i besmrtnost. 11Bog me je postavio da budem propovjednik, apostol i učitelj te Radosne vijesti.
12Zato i trpim ovdje u tamnici. Ali ne stidim se toga jer poznajem onoga u koga se pouzdajem i siguran sam da je on kadar sačuvati povjereno do dana svojega dolaska.
13Uzor neka ti bude zdravo učenje koje si od mene čuo u vjeri i ljubavi u Kristu Isusu. 14Dobro čuvaj blago koje ti je povjereno s pomoću Svetoga Duha koji prebiva u nama.
15Kao što znaš, svi kršćani u Maloj Aziji su me napustili—među njima i Figel i Hermogen. 16Neka Gospodin milosrđem daruje Oneziforov dom jer me je često znao osvježiti svojim posjetom. Nije se sramio što sam u zatvoru. 17Naprotiv, kad je došao u Rim, brižno me potražio i pronašao. 18Neka mu Gospodin daruje milosrđe na dan Kristova dolaska. Znaš koliko mi je puta pomogao u Efezu.
1Paul, 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:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving
3I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel
6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Examples of Disloyalty and Loyalty
15You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
