1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. He sent me to tell about the promise of life found in Christ Jesus.
2Timothy, I am sending you this letter. You are my dear son.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace.
Paul Gives Thanks
3I thank God, whom I serve as did our people of long ago. I serve God, knowing that what I have done is right. Night and day I thank God for you. Night and day I always remember you in my prayers. 4I remember your tears. I long to see you so that I can be filled with joy. 5I remember your honest and true faith. It was alive first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. And I am certain that it is now alive in you also.
Paul Encourages Timothy to Be Faithful
6This is why I remind you to help God’s gift grow, just as a small spark grows into a fire. God put his gift in you when I placed my hands on you. 7God gave us his Spirit. And the Spirit doesn’t make us weak and fearful. Instead, the Spirit gives us power and love. He helps us control ourselves. 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. He has chosen us to live a holy life. It wasn’t because of anything we have done. It was because of his own purpose and grace. Through Christ Jesus, God gave us this grace even before time began. 10It has now been made known through the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus. He has broken the power of death. Because of the good news, he has brought life out into the light. That life never dies. 11I was appointed to announce the good news. I was appointed to be an apostle and a teacher. 12That’s why I’m suffering the way I am. But this gives me no reason to be ashamed. That’s because I know who I have believed in. I am sure he is able to take care of what I have given him. I can trust him with it until the day he returns as judge.
13Follow what you heard from me as the pattern of true teaching. Follow it with faith and love because you belong to Christ Jesus. 14Guard the truth of the good news that you were 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 Asia Minor have deserted me. They include Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16May the Lord show mercy to all who live in the house of Onesiphorus. He often encouraged me. He was not ashamed that I was being held by chains. 17In fact, it was just the opposite. When he was in Rome, he looked everywhere for me. At last he found me. 18May Onesiphorus find mercy from the Lord on the day Jesus returns as judge! You know very well how many ways Onesiphorus helped me in Ephesus.
11:1 1Tim 6:19; Tit 1:2; 1Kor 1:1; Efe 3:6; Ebr 9:15Paulo mtume wa Kristo Yesu kwa mapenzi ya Mungu, kulingana na ile ahadi ya uzima uliomo ndani ya Kristo Yesu.
21:2 Mdo 16:1; 1Tim 1:2Kwa Timotheo, mwanangu mpendwa:
Neema, rehema na amani itokayo kwa Mungu Baba, na kwa Kristo Yesu Bwana wetu.
Shukrani Na Kutiwa Moyo
31:3 Rum 1:10; Efe 1:16; Mdo 22:3; 23:1; 24:14; 27:23; Gal 1:14Ninamshukuru Mungu, ninayemtumikia kwa dhamiri safi, kama walivyofanya baba zangu, ninapokukumbuka usiku na mchana katika maombi yangu. 41:4 Mdo 20:37; 2Tim 4:9; 4:21Nikiyakumbuka machozi yako, ninatamani sana kukuona ili nipate kujawa na furaha. 51:5 1Tim 1:5; 2Tim 3:15Nimekuwa nikiikumbuka imani yako ya kweli, waliokuwa nayo bibi yako Loisi na mama yako Eunike na ambayo mimi ninasadiki sasa wewe pia unayo. 61:6 Mdo 6:6; 1The 5:19; 1Tim 4:14Kwa sababu hii nakukumbusha uchochee ile karama ya Mungu, iliyowekwa ndani yako nilipokuwekea mikono yangu. 71:7 Yer 42:11; Rum 8:15; Lk 24:49; Mdo 1:8Maana Mungu hakutupa roho ya woga, bali roho ya nguvu, ya upendo na ya moyo wa kiasi.
81:8 Rum 1:16; Efe 3:1; 2Tim 2:3-9; 4:5Kwa hiyo usione haya kushuhudia kuhusu Bwana wetu, wala usinionee haya mimi niliye mfungwa kwa ajili yake. Bali uishiriki pamoja nami taabu ya Injili, kwa kadiri ya nguvu ya Mungu, 91:9 Rum 8:28; 1Tim 1:1; Tit 3:4; 1The 4:7; Ebr 3:1; Rum 3:20; 9:11; Tit 3:5ambaye alituokoa na kutuita katika mwito mtakatifu: si kwa kadiri ya matendo yetu mema bali kwa sababu ya kusudi lake mwenyewe na neema yake. Neema hii tulipewa katika Kristo Yesu tangu milele. 101:10 Efe 1:9; 1Kor 15:26, 54; Rum 16:26; Kol 1:26; Tit 1:3; 1Pet 1:20; Ebr 2:14Lakini sasa imefunuliwa kwa kudhihirishwa kwake Mwokozi wetu, Kristo Yesu, ambaye amebatilisha mauti na kuleta uzima na kutokufa kwa njia ya Injili. 111:11 1Tim 2:7; Mdo 9:15; Efe 3:7, 8; 2Tim 4:17Nami nimewekwa kuwa mhubiri, mtume na mwalimu wa Injili hii. 121:12 1Tim 6:20; 1Kor 1:8; Efe 3:1; 2Tim 2:9; 1Pet 4:19; 1Tim 6:20; 2Tim 4:8Hii ndiyo sababu ninateseka namna hii, lakini sioni haya kwa maana ninamjua yeye niliyemwamini, na kusadiki ya kuwa anaweza kukilinda kile nilichokiweka amana kwake hadi siku ile.
131:13 Tit 1:9; 1Tim 1:14Shika kwa uthabiti kielelezo cha mafundisho yenye uzima yale uliyoyasikia kwangu, pamoja na imani na upendo katika Kristo Yesu. 141:14 Rum 8:9; 1Tim 6:20; Rum 8:11Ilinde ile amana uliyokabidhiwa kwa Roho Mtakatifu akaaye ndani yetu.
151:15 2Tim 4:10-16, 19; Mdo 19:10Unajua ya kuwa watu wote katika Asia wameniacha, miongoni mwao wamo Filego na Hermogene.
161:16 Mt 5:7; 2Tim 4:19; Flm 7; Mdo 28:20Bwana akawahurumie watu wa nyumbani mwa Onesiforo, kwa sababu aliniburudisha mara kwa mara wala hakuionea aibu minyororo yangu. 17Badala yake, alipokuwa Rumi, alinitafuta kwa bidii mpaka akanipata. 181:18 Ebr 6:10; Mt 25:34-40; 2The 1:10; 1Tim 1:18Bwana na amjalie kupata rehema zake siku ile! Nawe unajua vyema jinsi alivyonisaidia huko Efeso.
