2 TIMOTEUS 2
Wees 'n goeie soldaat van Christus Jesus!
1 Timoteus, my kind, staan sterk in die genade wat God deur Christus Jesus aan jou bewys het.
2 Vertrou die waarhede wat jy voor baie getuies van my gehoor het, toe aan betroubare mense wat bekwaam is om dit aan ander deur te gee.
3 Verduur saam met my lyding soos 'n goeie soldaat van Christus Jesus.4 Geen soldaat raak verstrengeld in die beslommernisse van hierdie lewe nie, want dan kan hy die Een wat hom vir sy leër gewerf het, nie tevrede stel nie.5 'n Atleet word nie gekroon as hy nie volgens die reëls deelneem nie.6 Hardwerkende boere is die eerste wat die vrug van hulle arbeid geniet.
7 Dink na oor wat ek sê. Die Here sal jou help om al hierdie dinge beter te begryp.
8 Onthou voordurend dat Jesus Christus uit koning Dawid se nageslag gebore is en dat Hy uit die dood opgewek is. Dit is die Goeie Nuus wat ek verkondig.9 En omdat ek hierdie Goeie Nuus verkondig, ly ek en is ek soos 'n misdadiger in kettings geslaan. Maar die woord van God kan nie vasgeketting word nie.10 Ek is bereid om vir dié wat deur God gekies is, enigiets te verduur as dit vir hulle deur Christus Jesus verlossing en ewige heerlikheid sal bring.11 Hierdie woord is absoluut waar:
As ons saam met Hom sterf,
sal ons ook saam met Hom lewe.
12 As ons verdrukking ly,
sal ons saam met Hom regeer.
As ons Hom ontken,
sal Hy ons ook ontken.
13 Maar as ons ontrou is -
Hy bly getrou,
want Hy kan Homself
nie ontken nie.
Werk hard en verduidelik die woord van die waarheid reg
14 Herinner almal aan hierdie dinge, en vermaan hulle in God se Naam om op te hou met 'n bakleiery oor woorde. Sulke argumente is nutteloos en kan die mense ruïneer wat dit aanhoor.15 Werk hard sodat God jou kan goedkeur. Wees 'n goeie werker, een wat nie nodig het om hom te skaam nie; iemand wat die woord van die waarheid reg verduidelik.16 Vermy goddelose en dwase gepraat wat net tot verdere goddeloosheid lei.17 Hierdie soort praatjies versprei soos kanker. Himeneus en Filetus is voorbeelde hiervan.
18 Hulle het die pad van die waarheid verlaat met hulle bewering dat die opstanding van die dooies alreeds plaasgevind het. Daarmee het hulle die geloof van sommige ondermyn.
19 Maar God se waarheid staan vas soos 'n fondamentsteen met die volgende inskripsie: "Die Here ken dié wat aan Hom behoort," en: "Dié wat beweer dat hulle aan die Here behoort, moet wegdraai van alle boosheid."
20 In 'n rykmanshuis is sommige gebruiksartikels van goud en silwer, en ander weer van hout en klei. Die kosbare artikels word by spesiale geleenthede gebruik en die goedkoperes is vir gewone gebruik.
21 As jy jouself skoon hou van die verkeerde, sal jy 'n kosbare item wees, 'n spesiale besitting van die Huiseienaar, een wat Hy nuttig kan gebruik en wat gereed is vir enige goeie taak.
22 Vlug vir enigiets wat jeugdige drange aanwakker. Spits jou daarop toe om reg voor God te lewe. Streef na geregtigheid, geloof, liefde en vrede saam met dié wat die Here met rein harte aanroep.
23 Ek sê weer, moenie betrokke raak in dwase, onsinnige argumente wat net twis veroorsaak nie.
24 Die Here se diensknegte moenie twis nie, maar moet goedgesind teenoor almal wees. Hulle moet bekwaam wees om mense doeltreffend te onderrig en geduldig wees met moeilike mense.
25 Hulle moet dié wat die waarheid teenstaan, sagmoedig onderrig. Miskien sal God daardie mense se harte verander, en sal hulle die waarheid leer ken.
26 Dan sal hulle tot hulle sinne kom en uit die duiwel se strik ontsnap. Want hulle word deur hom gevange gehou om net te doen wat hy wil hê.
2 TIMOTHY 2
A Good Soldier of //Christ Jesus
1 Timothy, my child, you must let Christ Jesus make you strong by his gift of undeserved grace.
2 You have often heard me teach. Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be trusted to tell others.
3 As a good soldier of Christ Jesus you must endure your share of suffering. 4 Soldiers on duty don't work at outside jobs. They try only to please their commanding officer. 5 No one wins an athletic contest without obeying the rules. 6 And farmers who work hard are the first to eat what grows in their field.
7 If you keep in mind what I have told you, the Lord will help you understand completely.
8 Keep your mind on Jesus Christ! He was from the family of David and was raised from death, just as my good news says. 9 And because of this message, I am locked up in jail and treated like a criminal. But God's good news isn't locked in jail, 10 and so I am willing to put up with anything. Then God's special people will be saved and given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus.
11 Here is a true message:
“If we died with Christ,
we will live with him.
12 t If we don't give up,
we will rule with him.
If we deny
that we know him,
he will deny
that he knows us.
13 If we are not faithful,
he will still be faithful.
Christ cannot deny
who he is.”An Approved Worker
14 Don't let anyone forget these things. And with Godt as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about words. These arguments don't help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who listens to them.
15 Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message.
16 Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God. 17 That sort of talk is like a sore that won't heal. And Hymenaeus and Philetus have been talking this way
18 by teaching that the dead have already been raised to life. This is far from the truth, and it is destroying the faith of some people.
19 But the foundation God has laid is solid. On it is written, “The Lord knows who his people are. So everyone who worships the Lord must turn away from evil.”
20 In a large house some dishes are made of gold or silver, while others are made of wood or clay. Some of these are special, and others are not.
21 This is also how it is with people. The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure will become special. Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.
22 Run from temptations that capture young people. Always do the right thing. Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with. Worship with people whose hearts are pure. 23 Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments. These only lead to trouble,
24 and God's servants must not be troublemakers. They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient.
25 Be humble when you correct people who oppose you. Maybe God will lead them to turn to him and learn the truth. 26 They have been trapped by the devil, and he makes them obey him, but God may help them escape.