Chapter 2

Take strength, my own son, from the grace which dwells in Christ Jesus.

Thou hast learned, from many who can witness to it, the doctrine which I hand down; give it into the keeping of men thou canst trust, men who will know how to teach it to others besides themselves.

Then, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus, take thy share of hardship.

Thou art God’s soldier, and the soldier on service, if he would please the captain who enlisted him, will refuse to be entangled in the business of daily life;

the athlete will win no crown, if he does not observe the rules of the contest;

the first share in the harvest goes to the labourer who has toiled for it.

Grasp the sense of what I am saying; the Lord will give thee quick insight wherever it is needed.

Fix thy mind on Jesus Christ, sprung from the race of David, who has risen from the dead; that is the gospel I preach,

and in its service I suffer hardship like a criminal, yes, even imprisonment; but there is no imprisoning the word of God.

For its sake I am ready to undergo anything; for love of the elect, that they, like us, may win salvation in Christ Jesus, and eternal glory with it.

It is well said, We are to share his life, because we have shared his death;

if we endure, we shall reign with him, if we disown him, he in his turn will disown us.

If we play him false, he remains true to his word; he cannot disown himself.

Bring this back to men’s thoughts, pleading with them earnestly in the Lord’s name; there must be no wordy disputes, such as can only unsettle the minds of those who are listening.

Aim first at winning God’s approval, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed of his work, one who knows how to handle the claims of the truth like a master.

Keep thy distance from those who are bringing in a fashion of meaningless talk; they will go far to establish neglect of God,

and their influence eats in like a cancer. Such are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

who have missed the true mark, by contending that the resurrection has come about already, to the overthrow of the faith in some minds.

But God’s foundation-stone stands firm, and this is the legend on it, The Lord acknowledges none but his own; and again, Let everyone who names the Lord’s name keep far from iniquity.

A great house, besides its plate of gold and silver, contains other objects made of wood and earthenware; those for noble, these for ignoble uses;

it is by keeping himself separate from these that a man will prove the object of his Lord’s regard, hallowed, and serviceable, and fit for all honourable employment.

Shun these youthful ardours I speak of; aim at right living, faith, and hope, and love, and fellowship with all those who call on the name of the Lord with a pure heart.

Leave these foolish, ill-conceived disputes alone; be very sure, they breed nothing but quarrels.

A servant of the Lord has no business with quarrelling; he must be kindly towards all men, persuasive and tolerant,

with a gentle hand for correcting those who are obstinate in their errors. It may be that God will enable them to repent, and acknowledge the truth;

so they will recover their senses, and shake off the snare by which the devil, till now, has held them prisoners to his will.