1All who are forced to serve as slaves should consider their masters worthy of full respect. Then people will not speak evil things against God’s name and against what we teach. 2Some slaves have masters who are believers. They shouldn’t show their masters disrespect just because they are also believers. Instead, they should serve them even better. That’s because their masters are loved by them as believers. These masters are committed to caring for their slaves.
People Who Teach Lies or Love Money
These are the things you are to teach. Try hard to get the believers to do them. 3Suppose someone teaches something different than I have taught. Suppose that person doesn’t agree with the true teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. Suppose they don’t agree with godly teaching. 4Then that person is proud and doesn’t understand anything. They like to argue more than they should. They can’t agree about what words mean. All of this results in wanting what others have. It causes fighting, harmful talk, and evil distrust. 5It stirs up trouble all the time among people whose minds are twisted by sin. The truth they once had has been taken away from them. They think they can get rich by being godly.
6You gain a lot when you live a godly life. But you must be happy with what you have. 7We didn’t bring anything into the world. We can’t take anything out of it. 8If we have food and clothing, we will be happy with that. 9People who want to get rich are tempted. They fall into a trap. They are tripped up by wanting many foolish and harmful things. Those who live like that are dragged down by what they do. They are destroyed and die. 10Love for money causes all kinds of evil. Some people want to get rich. They have wandered away from the faith. They have wounded themselves with many sorrows.
Paul Gives a Final Command to Timothy
11But you are a man of God. Run away from all these things. Try hard to do what is right and godly. Have faith, love and gentleness. Hold on to what you believe. 12Fight the good fight along with all other believers. Take hold of eternal life. You were chosen for it when you openly told others what you believe. Many witnesses heard you. 13God gives life to everything. Christ Jesus told the truth when he was a witness in front of Pontius Pilate. In the sight of God and Christ, I give you a command. 14Obey it until our Lord Jesus Christ appears. Obey it completely. Then no one can find fault with it or you. 15God will bring Jesus back at a time that pleases him. God is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the greatest King of all. He is the most powerful Lord of all. 16God is the only one who can’t die. He lives in light that no one can get close to. No one has seen him. No one can see him. Honor and power belong to him forever. Amen.
17Command people who are rich in this world not to be proud. Tell them not to put their hope in riches. Wealth is so uncertain. Command those who are rich to put their hope in God. He richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18Command the rich to do what is good. Tell them to be rich in doing good things. They must give freely. They must be willing to share. 19In this way, they will store up true riches for themselves. It will provide a firm basis for the next life. Then they will take hold of the life that really is life.
20Timothy, guard what God has trusted you with. Turn away from godless chatter. Stay away from opposing ideas that are falsely called knowledge. 21Some people believe them. By doing that they have turned away from the faith.
May God’s grace be with you all.
1Sa mga alipin na mananampalataya, dapat igalang nila nang lubos ang mga amo nila para walang masabi ang mga tao laban sa Dios at sa itinuturo natin. 2At kung mga mananampalataya rin ang amo nila, hindi sila dapat mawalan ng paggalang dahil lang sa magkakapatid sila sa pananampalataya. Sa halip, lalo pa nga nilang dapat pagbutihin ang paglilingkod nila dahil kapwa mananampalataya ang nakikinabang sa paglilingkod nila, at mahal din ng Dios.
Mga Maling Aral at ang Pag-ibig sa Salapi
Ituro mo ang mga bagay na ito at hikayatin silang sundin ito. 3Kung may nagtuturo man nang salungat dito at hindi naaayon sa tamang turo ng ating Panginoong Jesu-Cristo, at mga turo tungkol sa pagsunod sa Dios, 4ang taong itoʼy mayabang pero wala namang nalalaman. Gusto lang niyang makipagtalo na nauuwi lang naman sa inggitan, alitan, paninira, pambibintang, 5at walang tigil na awayan. Ito ang ugali ng taong baluktot ang pag-iisip at hindi na nakakaalam ng katotohanan. Inaakala nilang ang kabanalan ay paraan ng pagpapayaman. 6Kung sabagay, daig pa ng taong namumuhay nang banal at kontento na sa kalagayan ang mayaman. 7Ang totoo, wala tayong dinala sa mundong ito, at wala rin tayong madadala pag-alis dito. 8Kaya kung mayroon na tayong pagkain at pananamit, dapat na tayong makontento. 9Ang mga taong naghahangad yumaman ay nahuhulog sa tukso, sa isang bitag ng mapanira at walang kabuluhang mga hangarin na nagdadala sa kanila sa kapahamakan. 10Sapagkat ang pag-ibig sa salapi ang siyang ugat ng lahat ng kasamaan. Ang sobrang paghahangad ng salapi ang nagtulak sa iba na tumalikod sa pananampalataya at nagdulot ng maraming paghihinagpis sa buhay nila.
11Ngunit ikaw, bilang lingkod ng Dios, iwasan mo ang mga bagay na iyan. Sikapin mong mamuhay nang matuwid, banal, may matibay na pananampalataya, mapagmahal, mapagtiis at mabait sa kapwa. 12Ipaglaban mong mabuti ang pananampalataya. Panghawakan mong mabuti ang buhay na walang hanggan, dahil tinawag ka ng Dios para sa buhay na ito nang ipahayag mo ang pananampalataya mo sa harap ng maraming saksi. 13Sa presensya ng Dios na nagbibigay-buhay sa lahat, at sa presensya ni Cristo Jesus na nagpatotoo sa harap ni Poncio Pilato, inuutusan kitang 14sundin mong mabuti ang mga iniutos sa iyo para walang masabi laban sa iyo. Gawin mo ito hanggang sa pagdating ng ating Panginoong Jesu-Cristo. 15Sa takdang panahon, ihahayag siya ng dakila at makapangyarihang Dios, ang Hari ng mga hari, at Panginoon ng mga panginoon. 16Siya lang ang walang kamatayan, at nananahan sa di-malapit-lapitang liwanag. Hindi siya nakita o maaaring makita ninuman. Sa kanya ang karangalan at walang hanggang kapangyarihan. Amen.
17Sabihin mo sa mga mayayaman sa mundong ito na huwag silang maging mayabang o umasa sa kayamanan nilang madaling mawala. Sa halip, umasa sila sa Dios na nagkakaloob sa atin ng lahat ng bagay na ikasisiya natin. 18Turuan mo silang gumawa ng mabuti, maging mayaman sa mabubuting gawa, at mapagbigay at matulungin sa kapwa. 19Sa ganoon, makapag-iipon sila ng kayamanan sa langit na hindi mawawala, at matatamo nila ang tunay na buhay.
20Timoteo, ingatan mo ang mga aral na ipinagkatiwala sa iyo. Iwasan mo ang mga walang kabuluhang usap-usapan na ipinapalagay ng iba na karunungan, pero sumasalungat sa itinuturo natin. 21Dahil sa ganyang pagmamarunong ng ilan, naligaw tuloy sila sa pananampalataya.
Pagpalain ka nawa ng Dios.
