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1 # See 1 Pet. 2:18 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants#6:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, #Isa. 52:5; Rom. 2:24; Titus 2:5so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are #See Philem. 16 brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.
False Teachers and True Contentment
# ch. 4:11, 13; 5:7 Teach and urge these things. 3If anyone #ch. 1:3 teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with #See ch. 1:10 the sound#6:3 Or healthy words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching #Titus 1:1that accords with godliness, 4#ch. 3:6; 2 Tim. 3:4 he is puffed up with conceit and #1 Cor. 8:2; [ch. 1:7] understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for #ch. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:23; Titus 3:9 controversy and for #2 Tim. 2:14; [Acts 18:15]quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people #2 Tim. 3:8; [Eph. 4:22; Titus 1:15] who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, #Titus 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:3imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6But #[ch. 4:8] godliness #Ps. 37:16; Prov. 15:16; 16:8; Phil. 4:11; Heb. 13:5with contentment is great gain, 7for #Job 1:21; Ps. 49:17; Eccles. 5:15we brought nothing into the world, and#6:7 Greek for; some manuscripts insert [it is] certain [that] we cannot take anything out of the world. 8But #Gen. 28:20; Prov. 30:8if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9But #Prov. 15:27; 23:4; 28:20; Matt. 13:22 those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, #[ch. 3:7] into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that #[ch. 1:19]plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of #[Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19]all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Fight the Good Fight of Faith
11But as for you, #2 Tim. 3:17 O man of God, #2 Tim. 2:22 flee these things. #See Prov. 15:9Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12#[ch. 1:18]; See 1 Cor. 9:25 Fight the good fight of the faith. #[Phil. 3:12] Take hold of the eternal life #1 Pet. 5:10 to which you were called and about which you made #See 2 Cor. 9:13the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13#See ch. 5:21 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, #[Matt. 27:11; John 18:37; Rev. 1:5; 3:14] who in his testimony before#6:13 Or in the time of Pontius Pilate made #[See ver. 12 above]the good confession, 14to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until #See 2 Thess. 2:8the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which he will display #See ch. 2:6 at the proper time—he who is #ch. 1:11 the blessed and only Sovereign, #See Rev. 17:14the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16#See ch. 1:17 who alone has immortality, #[Ps. 104:2] who dwells in #Job 37:23 unapproachable light, #See John 1:18whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
17As for the rich in #2 Tim. 4:10; Titus 2:12 this present age, charge them #Rom. 11:20; 12:3, 16 not to be haughty, nor #See Mark 10:24 to set their hopes on #Prov. 23:5; [Matt. 13:22] the uncertainty of riches, but on God, #See Acts 14:17who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18They are to do good, #Luke 12:21; Titus 3:8, 14 to be rich in good works, to be generous and #See Rom. 12:13ready to share, 19thus #See Matt. 6:19, 20 storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may #ver. 12 take hold of #[2 Tim. 1:1]that which is truly life.
20O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. #2 Tim. 3:5; [Col. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14] Avoid the #2 Tim. 2:16irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
# See Col. 4:18 Grace be with you.#6:21 The Greek for you is plural
