Προς Τιμοθεον Β΄ 2
1 Σὺ οὖν, τέκνον μου, ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐν χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
You [are like a] son to me. So I urge also that you [let God] empower you [spiritually] as a result of Christ Jesus acting kindly toward you.
2 καὶ ἃ ἤκουσας παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διὰ πολλῶν μαρτύρων, ταῦτα παράθου πιστοῖς ἀνθρώποις, οἵτινες ἱκανοὶ ἔσονται καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαι.
[As you do that], remembering that [the message] that you heard from me is the same message that other people have affirmed/declared to you, you must entrust/give that message to people whom you can trust, people who will be competent/able/qualified to teach others.
3 συγκακοπάθησον, ὡς καλὸς στρατιώτης χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
Endure as I do what we suffer for Christ Jesus, like a good soldier [endures what he suffers].
4 οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ.
[You know that] soldiers, in order to please their captain, do not (become involved in civilian affairs/spend time doing other kinds of work) [MET]. [So, like soldiers, do not let other matters (distract you as you serve/hinder you from serving]) [Christ Jesus]!
5 ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἀθλῇ τις, οὐ στεφανοῦται ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ.
[Similarly, you know that] athletes who do not obey the rules of the contest will not be given {not win} the prize [MET]. [So, like athletes, do all that Christ Jesus has commanded so that God will reward you]!
6 τὸν κοπιῶντα γεωργὸν δεῖ πρῶτον τῶν καρπῶν μεταλαμβάνειν·
[You also know that] a hard-working farmer should be the first to receive some of the harvest [MET]. [So, like farmers, work hard for Christ Jesus and expect that God will reward you]!
7 νόει ὃ λέγω· δώσει γάρ σοι ὁ κύριος σύνεσιν ἐν πᾶσιν.
Think about what I have just written, because, [if you do], the Lord will enable you to understand everything [that you need to understand].
8 μνημόνευε Ἰησοῦν χριστὸν ἐγηγερμένον ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυείδ, κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου·
[Endure everything by] remembering how Jesus Christ [endured it when he suffered]. Remember that he came back to life {God raised him from the dead} and [God affirmed/declared him to be king as] his ancestor [King] David was. Those are things that I tell to people when I tell them the message [about Christ].
9 ἐν ᾧ κακοπαθῶ μέχρι δεσμῶν, ὡς κακοῦργος, ἀλλὰ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται.
I am suffering [here in prison] because [some people oppose] the good message [that I tell]. They have even put me in chains as if I were a criminal. Nevertheless, the message from God is not chained {nothing is preventing [MET] [others from proclaiming] the message from God}.
10 διὰ τοῦτο πάντα ὑπομένω διὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ σωτηρίας τύχωσιν τῆς ἐν χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ μετὰ δόξης αἰωνίου. (aiōnios g166)
Therefore I [willingly] endure all [that I am suffering] for the sake of those [whom God has] chosen. [I do this] in order that Christ Jesus will save them, too, and that they will be forever with [him in the] glorious [place where he is]. (aiōnios g166)
11 πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· εἰ γὰρ συναπεθάνομεν, καὶ συνζήσομεν·
[Endure everything as you remember] that these words [that we all say/sing] (OR, [that we teach people]) [are trustworthy]: Since we have stopped behaving as we did in the past, as though we died when he died, we shall also live with him.
12 εἰ ὑπομένομεν, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν· εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα, κἀκεῖνος ἀρνήσεται ἡμᾶς·
Since we are also patiently enduring what we suffer, we shall also rule with him. But if we say that we do not know him, he also will say that he does not know us.
13 εἰ ἀπιστοῦμεν, ἐκεῖνος πιστὸς μένει· ἀρνήσασθαι γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται.
If we (are unfaithful/stop doing what he tells us to do), he will treat us just like he promised to do, because he (can never be untrue to himself/always does what he says that he will do).
14 Ταῦτα ὑπομίμνησκε, διαμαρτυρόμενος ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ μὴ λογομαχεῖν ἐπ᾽ οὐδὲν χρήσιμον, ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων.
[Those whom you appointed to teach others] God’s truth, keep reminding them about these things that [I have told you]. Tell them strongly that, since God knows what they are doing (OR, that God [will judge them for everything that is wrong that they do, and therefore]) they must not quarrel (about words/about matters that are not important), [because, when teachers quarrel, it helps] no one, [and because, when they quarrel, they spiritually] destroy those who hear them (OR, they cause those who hear [them to] quit (being committed [to Christ]/believing [in Christ]).)
15 σπούδασον σεαυτὸν δόκιμον παραστῆσαι τῷ θεῷ, ἐργάτην ἀνεπαίσχυντον, ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας.
(Do your best/Try hard) to be the kind of person that God will approve of. [Be like a] good worker as you teach the true message accurately. If a worker works well, he will not need to be ashamed of (OR, will be pleased about) [what he does].
16 τὰς δὲ βεβήλους κενοφωνίας περιΐστασο· ἐπὶ πλεῖον γὰρ προκόψουσιν ἀσεβείας,
(Stay away from/Do not talk with) [those who talk foolishly and] ([godlessly/say things that displease God]), because [those who talk foolishly] will become even more (ungodly/displeasing to God),
17 καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν ὡς γάγγραινα νομὴν ἕξει· ὧν ἐστιν Ὑμέναιος καὶ Φιλητός,
and [because] their message will [harm people] [SIM] [like] gangrene/cancer does. [You know] Hymenaeus and Philetus. They are [two] such people [who talk in this manner].
18 οἵτινες περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἠστόχησαν, λέγοντες ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι, καὶ ἀνατρέπουσιν τήν τινων πίστιν.
[Specifically], they teach a wrong message; [that is], they say [wrongly that God will not cause dead people to live again because] he has already given us [spiritual] life. [They claim that our spiritual life is the only new life that we will receive. By saying that], they cause some people
19 ὁ μέν τοι στερεὸς θεμέλιος τοῦ θεοῦ ἕστηκεν, ἔχων τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην, Ἔγνω κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ, καί, Ἀποστήτω ἀπὸ ἀδικίας πᾶς ὁ ὀνομάζων τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου.
not to continue to believe [in Christ]. However, [the congregations of] God are strong [MET]. [They are like] a strong foundation on which is written: “The Lord knows the people who really belong to him,” and “Every person who calls Jesus [MTY] ‘Lord’ must stop doing wicked things”.
20 ἐν μεγάλῃ δὲ οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔστιν μόνον σκεύη χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλινα καὶ ὀστράκινα, καὶ ἃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν ἃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν.
In a wealthy person’s house there are not only utensils made of gold and of silver, but also utensils made of wood and of clay. The gold and silver [utensils are used] at special [occasions/events], and the others are used at ordinary [occasions. Similarly, in a congregation there are those who] ([are ready/desire]) [to do great things for the Lord Jesus, and there are those like the teachers of false doctrines/teachings who are not].
21 ἐὰν οὖν τις ἐκκαθάρῃ ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τούτων, ἔσται σκεῦος εἰς τιμὴν ἡγιασμένον, εὔχρηστον τῷ δεσπότῃ, εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἡτοιμασμένον.
Therefore, those who rid themselves of [what is evil in their lives] will be able to [work well for the Lord. They will be like] utensils [MET] used at special [occasions], set apart for and especially useful to the owner [of the big house. They will be like fine utensils] that have been prepared {are ready} to do any kind of good work.
22 τὰς δὲ νεωτερικὰς ἐπιθυμίας φεῦγε, δίωκε δὲ δικαιοσύνην, πίστιν, ἀγάπην, εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων τὸν κύριον ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας.
[Because of that], you [(sg)] must avoid doing the wrong actions that [many] young people desire to do. Instead, you must earnestly do right actions, believe [the true teaching], love [God and others, and you must continually be at] peace with those who ask the Lord [to help them and who are] pure in every way (OR, who serve [Jesus] faithfully).
23 τὰς δὲ μωρὰς καὶ ἀπαιδεύτους ζητήσεις παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι γεννῶσιν μάχας·
Do not talk [with anyone who] foolishly [wants] to argue about matters that are not important. [Do not talk with them], because you know that [when people talk about foolish things], they begin to quarrel.
24 δοῦλον δὲ κυρίου οὐ δεῖ μάχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ἤπιον εἶναι πρὸς πάντας, διδακτικόν, ἀνεξίκακον,
But those who serve the Lord must not quarrel. Instead, they should be kind to all people, they should be able to teach [God’s truth well], and they should be patient [with people].
25 ἐν πραΰτητι παιδεύοντα τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους, μήποτε δώῃ αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς μετάνοιαν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας,
[That is, they should] gently instruct/teach people who oppose [the true message. They should do that] in order that perhaps God will cause others to completely change what they think, so that they may acknowledge/believe the true [message].
26 καὶ ἀνανήψωσιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος, ἐζωγρημένοι ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα.
In that way they may get free from [what is like] [MET] a trap [set by] the devil. The devil has deceived them in order that [they might do] what he wants [them to do].
