2 Timothy
1
{From} Paul, a man who represents Jesus the Messiah because this is what God wants {me to do}. I tell others that God has promised that we can live {forever} with the Messiah Jesus. 2 To Timothy. I love you as if you were my own son. May God our Father and the Messiah Jesus our Lord act kindly and mercifully to you, and keep you peaceful.3 I serve God just as my ancestors did, because I truly want to do what he wants. I thank God when I pray for you. I always mention you in my prayers at all times. 4 As I remember how you cried {when we separated}, I really want to see you {again}. Then I will rejoice greatly. 5 I also remember how you truly believe {in Jesus}. Your grandmother Lois first believed, and then your mother Eunice believed as well. I know that you also truly believe like they do!
6 Because you strongly believe in Jesus, I remind you to start using again the {spiritual} gift that God gave you. You received this gift {that enables you to do the work that God has chosen you to do} when I put my hands on you {and prayed for you}. 7 {Use this gift confidently,} because God did not give us his Spirit to cause us to be afraid. Instead, his Spirit causes us to be powerful {as we work for God}, to love {him and others}, and to control ourselves.
8 So do not be ashamed to tell people about our Lord. Do not be ashamed of me, even though I am a prisoner because I preach about him. Instead, be willing to suffer hardship along with me as you {also} tell others about the good news, because God will empower you {to endure these hardships}. 9 {He will do this because} he saved us and called us to be a people that he sets apart {as his own}. God did not save us because of any good works that we did. Instead, he saved us because it was his plan to be kind to us even though we did not deserve it. He planned this for us before the world began through what Jesus the Messiah would do for us. 10 Now Jesus the Messiah, the one who saves us, has come. As a result, everyone can know {God’s gracious plan to save us}. {Specifically}, Jesus has declared the good news that we will not remain dead after we die. Instead, we will live forever in bodies that will not decay! 11 God assigned me to go as his representative to people in order to preach and to teach this good news. 12 This is the reason that I am suffering here {in this prison}, but I am not ashamed {of being here}, because I know the Messiah Jesus and I trust him. I am convinced that he is able to keep me faithful to him until the day {when he returns}.
13 Be sure that you tell others the same accurate message that you heard from me. {As you tell it,} keep trusting in the Messiah Jesus and keep loving others as the Messiah Jesus enables you to do so. 14 Protect this good message that God has entrusted to you {for his people}. The Holy Spirit who lives in us will help you {to do that}.
15 You know that almost all the believers in {the province of} Asia {Minor} have left me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 {But} I pray that the Lord will be kind to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often helped me, and he was not ashamed that I am in prison. 17 On the contrary, when he came {here} to Rome, he kept searching for me until he found me. 18 You also remember very well how much he helped {me when I was} in {the city of} Ephesus. {So} I pray that the Lord will be merciful to Onesiphorus on the {final} day {when the Lord will judge everyone}.