Home Faith and Prayer Bible Resources 10 Favorite Bible Verses by St. 10 Favorite Bible Verses by St. Fourteen of the 27 books in the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to the Apostle Paul. Here are some favorite verses from his epistles. Nov 18, 2016 Paul’s last letters were mostly personal but no less brilliant than their predecessors. Titus, the recipient of this letter, was one of Paul’s assistants whom he trusted to lead a church in the island of Crete. The letter contained his instructions to Titus on how to properly lead a church and reminded him to promote the right teachings.
The following is a letter written by Bill Bright, co-founder of Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ), to a student. It illustrates many thought-provoking concepts about decision-making:
Mr. Paul V. Brown*
The Graduate House
University of California
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Re: How to Know the Will of God in Your Life According to the “Sound-Mind Principle” of Scripture.
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your recent letter sharing some of the exciting experiences you are having in your new and adventuresome life with Christ.
When I read that part of your letter in which you expressed the desire to invest your life fully for Christ, I paused to give thanks to the Lord: first, for His great love and faithful direction of the lives of all who will trust Him; and second, for your response to His love and your willingness to trust Him with every detail of your life.
It is at this crucial point that many Christians deprive themselves of the full, abundant and purposed life which the Lord Jesus promised in John 10:10. Failing to comprehend the true character and nature of God, His absolute love, grace, wisdom, power and holiness, many Christians have foolishly chosen to live according to their own plans rather than consider and do the will of God. Some have such a distorted view of God that they think of Him as a tyrant whom one must either appease or experience His wrath as those who worship a pagan god. Since they are afraid of Him, they cannot love and trust Him. This is sometimes true of individuals who have transferred to God their fear of an earthly father who may have been overly strict, unduly demanding or even tyrannical.
In all fairness, I should say that there are many sincere Christians who want to do the will of God but do not know how to go about discovering His will for their lives.
A choice young college graduate came recently for counsel concerning God’s will for his life. “How can I know what God wants me to do?” he asked. Briefly, I explained the safest approach to knowing the will of God — to follow what I have chosen to call the “Sound-Mind Principle” of Scripture. In less than an hour, by following the suggestions contained in this letter, this young man discovered what he had been seeking for years. He knew not only the work which God wanted him to do but the very organization with which he was to be affiliated.
Now you may ask, “What is the ‘Sound-Mind Principle’ of Scripture?” In 2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version), we are told that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The sound mind referred to in this verse means a well-balanced mind: a mind that is under the control of the Holy Spirit — “remade' according to Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore, my brothers, I implore you by God’s mercies to offer your very selves to Him, a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for His acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of the present world, but let your minds be remade and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God and to know it is good, acceptable, and perfect. (New English Bible)
There is a vast difference between the inclination of the natural or carnal man to use “common sense” and that of the spiritual man to follow the Sound-Mind Principle. One, for understanding, depends upon the wisdom of man without benefit of God’s wisdom and power; the latter, having the mind of Christ, receives wisdom and guidance from God moment by moment through faith.
Are your decisions as a Christian based on unpredictable emotions and chance circumstances — the “common sense” of the natural man? Or do you make your decisions according to the Sound-Mind Principle of Scripture?
Through the years, as I have counseled with many Christians, the question most frequently asked has been, “How can I know the will of God for my life?” Inevitably, the majority of Christians who come for counsel are looking for some dramatic or cataclysmic revelation from God by which they will know God’s plan. Without minimizing the importance of feelings, which Jesus promised in John 14:21 as a result of obedience, more emphasis needs to be placed upon the importance of the sound mind which God has given. Multitudes of sincere Christians are wasting their lives, immobile and impotent, as they wait for some unusual or dramatic word from God.
The Scripture assures us that “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” Thus, a Christian who has yielded his life fully to Christ can be assured of sanctified reasoning and a balanced, disciplined mind. Also, God has promised to give His children wisdom according to James 1:5-7. Further, we can know with “settled and absolute assurance” that when we pray according to the will of God, He will always hear and grant our petitions (1 John 5:14-15). Since the Christian is to live by faith, and faith comes through an understanding of the Word of God, it is impossible to overemphasize the importance of the Scripture in the lives of those who would know and do the will of God.
If you would like to know the will of God for your life according to the Sound-Mind Principle of Scripture, may I suggest that you follow this bit of logic?
First, consider these questions: “Why did Jesus come?” He came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10, NKJV). Then, “What is the greatest thing you can do to help others?” The answer is again obvious, “Introducing them to Christ.”
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and every Christian is under divine orders to be a faithful witness for Christ. Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8, King James Version). It logically follows that the most important thing I can possibly do as a Christian is to allow the Lord Jesus Christ in all of His Resurrection power to have complete, unhindered control of my life, otherwise, He cannot continue seeking and saving the lost through me.
Thus, every sincere Christian will want to make his God-given time, talents and treasure available to Christ so that his fullest potential will be realized for Him. For one Christian, this talent that God has given him may be prophetic preaching, evangelism or teaching; for another, it may be business; for another, the ministry of missions; for another, homemaking, as expressed in Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14, Ephesians 4, and other Scriptures.
As you evaluate the talents that God has given you in relation to your training, personality and other qualities, may I suggest that you take a sheet of paper and make a list of the most logical ways through which your life can be used to accomplish the most for the glory of God? With the desire to put His will above all else, list the pros and cons of each opportunity.
Where or how, according to the Sound-Mind Principle, can the Lord Jesus Christ through your yielded life accomplish the most in continuing His great ministry of “seeking and saving the lost”? Like my young friend, you will find that such a procedure will inevitably result in positive actions leading to God’s perfect will for your life. But note a word of caution: The Sound-Mind Principle is not valid unless certain factors exist.
There must be no unconfessed sin in your life; following 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) takes care of that: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Your life must be fully dedicated to Christ according to Romans 12:1-2, and you must be filled with the Holy Spirit in obedience to the command of Ephesians 5:18. As in the case of our salvation, we are filled and controlled by the Spirit through faith.
In order to know the will of God, you must walk in the Spirit (abiding in Christ) moment by moment. You place your faith in the trustworthiness of God with the confidence that the Lord is directing and will continue to direct your life according to His promise that the “steps of a [righteous] man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23, NKJV). For “as you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6, NKJV). How? By faith, by placing your complete trust in Him. Now, you must go on walking by faith. Remember “whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23, NKJV) and “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, NKJV), and “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV). Faith is the catalyst for all our Christian relationships.
The counsel of others should be prayerfully considered, especially that of mature, dedicated Christians who know the Word of God and are able to relate the proper use of Scripture to your need. However, care should be taken not to make the counsel of others a “crutch.” Although God often speaks to us through other Christians, we are admonished to place our trust in Him. In Psalm 37, we are told to delight ourselves in the Lord, and He will give us the desires of our hearts, to commit our ways unto the Lord, to trust Him and He will bring it to pass. Also, in Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV), we are told, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
God never contradicts Himself. He never leads us to do anything contrary to the commands of His Word; for according to Philippians 2:13, “It is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve His purpose” (Phillips).
Through the centuries, sincere religious men have suggested spiritual formulas for discovering the will of God. Some are valid; others are unscriptural and misleading. For example, a young seminary graduate came to see me. He was investigating various possibilities of Christian service and had come to discuss the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.
Applying the Sound-Mind Principle approach to his quest, I asked him, “In what way do you expect God to reveal His place of service to you?' He replied, “I am following the ‘closed door’ policy. A few months ago, I began to investigate several opportunities for Christian service. The Lord has now closed the door on all but two, one of which is CCC. If the door to accept a call to a particular church closes, I shall know that God wants me in CCC.” Many sincere Christians follow this illogical and unscriptural method, often with most unsatisfactory and frustrating consequences. Don’t misunderstand: God may and often closes doors in the life of every active, Spirit-controlled Christian. This was true in the experience of the apostle Paul. As recorded in Acts 16:6-11, he was forbidden by the Spirit to go into Bithynia because God wanted him in Macedonia. My reference to “closed door” policies does not preclude such experiences but refers to a careless “hit or miss” attitude without the careful evaluation of all the issues.
This approach is illogical because it allows elements of chance to influence a decision rather than a careful, intelligent evaluation of all the factors involved. It is unscriptural in that it fails to employ the God-given faculties of reason that are controlled by the Holy Spirit. Further, the “closed door policy” is in error because it seeks God’s will through the process of elimination rather than seeking God’s best first. It should be understood that true faith is established on the basis of fact.
Therefore, vital faith in God is emphasized rather than minimized through employing Spirit-controlled reason. In making decisions, some sincere Christians rely almost entirely upon impressions, or hunches, fearful that if they use their mental facilities they will not exercise adequate faith and thus will grieve the Holy Spirit.
Letter Of Paul To The Laodiceansrejected Scriptures Verse
There are those who assume that a door has been closed simply because of difficulties that have been encountered. Yet experience has taught, and Scripture confirms, that God’s richest blessings often follow periods of greatest testing. This might include financial needs, loss of health, objection of loved ones and criticism of fellow Christians. God’s blessing is promised, however, only to those who are obedient, who keep on trying, who demonstrate their faith in God’s faithfulness.
The apparent defeat of the Cross was followed by the victory of the Resurrection.
An acceptable consideration for discussing God’s will contains four basic factors somewhat similar to the Sound-Mind Principle. God’s will is revealed in (1) the authority of Scripture; (2) providential circumstances; (3) conviction based upon reason; (4) impressions of the Holy Spirit upon our minds. However, such an appraisal is safer with a mature Christian than with a new or carnal Christian, and there is always danger of misunderstanding impressions.
You must know the source of “leading” before responding to it. To the inexperienced, what appears to be the leading of God may not be from Him at all but from “the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV). Satan and his helpers often disguise themselves as “angels of light” by performing “miracles, signs, forgetting events,” etc. The enemy of our souls is a master counterfeiter.
Remember, just as the turning of the steering wheel of an automobile does not alter its direction unless it is moving, so God cannot direct our lives unless we are moving for Him. I challenge you to begin employing the Sound-Mind Principle today in all your relationships. Apply it to the investment of your time, your talents and your treasure; for this principle applies to everything you do in this life. Every Christian should take spiritual inventory regularly by asking himself these questions: Is my time being invested in such a way that the largest possible number of people are being introduced to Christ? Are my talents being invested to the full, to the end that the largest possible number of people are being introduced to Christ? Is my money, my treasure, being invested in such a way as to introduce the greatest number of people to Christ?
Every Christian is admonished to be a good steward of his God-given time, talents and treasure. Therefore, these investments must not be dictated by tradition, habit or by emotions. Every investment of time, talent, and treasure, unless otherwise directed by the Holy Spirit, should be determined by the Sound-Mind Principle of Scripture according to 2 Timothy 1:7.
Regarding the questions asked by your girlfriend, the same principle applies to her. How does the Sound-Mind Principle apply in the case of a secretary, homemaker, an invalid or one who, because of circumstances beyond her control, does not have direct contact with men and women who are in need of Christ?
First, each Christian must be a witness for Christ; this is simply an act of obedience for which one need not possess the gift of evangelism. If normal day-to-day contacts do not provide opportunities to witness for Christ, an obedient Christian will make opportunities through personal contacts, church calling, letter writing, etc. Two of the most radiant, effective and fruitful Christians whom I have known were both bed-ridden invalids who, though in constant pain, bore a powerful witness for Christ to all — stranger and friend alike. “That which is most on our hearts will be most on our lips” was demonstrated in their lives. Second, a careful evaluation should be made to determine if God may not have a better position for one. Again, the Sound-Mind Principle applies. For example, a secretary in a secular organization may have less opportunity to make her life count for the Lord. It may be that God wants to use one’s talents in a Christian organization. One should be very careful, however, not to run from what appears to be a difficult assignment. A careful appraisal of one’s present responsibilities, with this new understanding of God’s leading, may well reveal a great potential for Christ.
(I happen to know that there is a great scarcity of qualified secretarial help in many Christian organizations, including Campus Crusade for Christ.) Quite obviously, members of an office staff do not have much contact with men and women who are in need of our Savior as those who are actually working on the campus or conducting evangelistic meetings.
However, according to the Sound-Mind Principle, if their lives are fully dedicated to Christ, they can make a vital contribution to the effectiveness of any Christian ministry. By their relieving others who have the gift of evangelism without the talent for business or secretarial responsibilities, the overall ministry for Christ in such an organization is strengthened greatly. In this way, they can more fully utilize their talents on helping to seek and save the lost.
For example, a dedicated member of the secretarial staff of the worldwide ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is just as vital to the success of this campus strategy as those who are working on the campus. My own personal ministry has been greatly increased by the dedicated efforts of several secretaries, who are more concerned about winning students to Christ than their own personal pleasure.
One further word of explanation must be given. It is true that God still reveals His will to some men and women in dramatic ways, but this should be considered the exception rather than the rule. God still leads men today as He has through the centuries. Philip, the deacon, was holding a successful campaign in Samaria. The Sound-Mind Principle would have directed him to continue the campaign. However, God overruled by a special revelation, and Philip was lead by the Holy Spirit to preach for Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch. According to tradition, God used the Ethiopian eunuch to communicate the message of our living Lord to his own country.
Living according to the Sound-Mind Principle allows for such dramatic leadings of God. But, we are not to wait for such revelations before we start moving for Christ. Faith must have an object. A Christian faith is built upon the authority of God’s Word supported by historical fact and not upon any shallow emotional experience. However, a Christian’s trust in God’s will revealed in His Word will result in the decisions which are made by following the Sound-Mind Principle.
The confirmation may come in various ways according to many factors, including the personality of the individual involved. Usually, the confirmation is a quiet, peaceful assurance that you are doing what God wants you to do, with expectancy that God will use you to bear “much fruit.”
As any sincere Christian gives himself to a diligent study of the Scripture and allows a loving, all-wise, sovereign God and Father to control his life, feelings will inevitably result. Thus, the end result of a life that is lived according to the Sound-Mind Principle is the most joyful, abundant and fruitful life of all. Expect the Lord Jesus Christ to draw men to Himself through you. As you begin each day, acknowledge the fact that you belong to Him. Thank Him for the fact that He lives within you. Invite Him to use your mind to think His thoughts, your heart to express His love, your lips to speak His truth.
Ask Jesus to be at home in your life and to walk around in your body in order that He may continue seeking and saving souls through you.
It is my sincere prayer, Paul, that you may know this kind of life, and that you may fully appropriate all that God has given to you as your rightful heritage in Christ. I shall look forward to hearing more from you concerning your personal application of the Sound-Mind Principle.
Warmly in Christ,
Bill Bright
* The student’s name has been changed to protect his privacy.
I.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, according to the commandment of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope, 2to Timothy, a true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3As I besought thee to remain still in Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain ones not to teach other doctrine, 4nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which further disputes rather than God's dispensation, which is in faith, [so do.]
5Now the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned; 6from which some swerving turned aside to idle prattling; 7desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers; for man-slayers, 10for fornicators, for those who defile themselves with mankind, for enslavers of men, for liars, for false swearers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teachings; 11according to the glorious gospel of the blissful God, with which I was entrusted.
12And I thank him who gave me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, that he accounted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13who was formerly a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and overbearing. But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief; 14and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly, with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16But for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Christ Jesus might show forth all his long-suffering, for a pattern to those who should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
17Now to the King eternal, the imperishable, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
18This charge I commit to thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before concerning thee, that thou mayest wage in them the good warfare; 19having faith, and a good conscience, which some thrusting away made shipwreck concerning the faith. 20Of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered over to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.
II.
I exhort then, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; 2for kings, and all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and decorum. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God; 4who desires that all should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.
5For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time; 7whereunto I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle (I speak truth, I lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8I desire, therefore, that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing; 9in like manner also that women, in becoming apparel, adorn themselves with modesty and sobriety; not in braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly raiment; 10but, which becomes women professing godliness, by means of good works.
11Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection. 12But I permit not the woman to teach, nor to have authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived; but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into transgression. 15But she shall be saved through child-bearing, if they continue in faith, and love, and holiness, with sobriety.
III.
Faithful is the saying, if any one desires the office of overseer, he desires a good work. 2The overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, orderly, hospitable, apt in teaching; 3not given to wine, not a striker, but forbearing, averse to strife, not a lover of money; 4presiding well over his own house, having his children in subjection with all decorum; 5(but if one knows not how to preside over his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. 7But he must also have a good testimony from those without, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil.
8Deacons in like manner must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of gain; 9holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, being without reproach. 11[Their] wives in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12Let the deacons be husbands of one wife, presiding well over their children and their own houses. 13For they that have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee shortly; 15but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, was received up in glory.
IV.
Now the Spirit says expressly, that in after-times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and teachings of demons; 2of those who speak lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from food, which God created to be received with thanksgiving, for those3 who believe and know the truth. 4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; 5for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nurtured in the words of the faith and of the good teaching, which thou hast strictly followed. 7But the profane and silly fables avoid, and exercise thyself unto godliness. 8For bodily exercise is profitable for little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 9Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptance. 10For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have hoped in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
11These things command and teach. 12Let no one despise thy youth; but become an example of the believers, in word, in deportment, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. 14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee through prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest to all. 16Give heed to thyself, and to the teaching; continue in them; for in doing this thou wilt save both thyself, and those who hear thee.
V.
Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father; younger men as brethren; 2elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity. 3Honor as widows those who are widows indeed. 4But if any widow has children or grand-children, let these learn first to show piety to their own household, and to requite their parents, for this is acceptable before God.
5Now she that is a widow indeed, and left alone, has set her hope on God, and continues in supplications and prayers, night and day. 6But she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 7And these things command, that they may be blameless. 8But if any one provides not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.
9Let not one be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old, having been the wife of one husband; 10well reported of for good works; if she brought up children, if she lodged strangers, if she washed the feet of the saints, if she relieved the afflicted, if she diligently followed every good work.
11But younger widows refuse; for when they have become wanton against Christ, they desire to marry; 12having condemnation, because they broke their first faith. 13And at the same time they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busy-bodies, speaking things which they ought not.
14I desire therefore that younger widows marry, bear children, guide the house, give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15For already, some turned aside after Satan.
16If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be burdened; that it may relieve those who are widows indeed.
17Let elders who preside well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and teaching. 18For the Scripture says: Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out the grain; and, The laborer is worthy of his hire.
19Against an elder receive not an accusation, except before two or three witnesses.
20Those who sin rebuke before all, that the rest also may fear.
21I charge thee before God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudging, doing nothing with partiality.
22Lay hands hastily on no one, neither share in other men's sins. Keep thyself pure.
23No longer drink water only, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and for thy frequent infirmities.
Epistle To The Laodiceans Pdf
24The sins of some men are openly manifest, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. 25In like manner also the good works are openly manifest; and those that are otherwise can not be hidden.
VI.
Let as many as are servants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the teaching be not blasphemed. 2And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren; but the rather do them service, because they who receive the benefit are faithful and beloved. These things teach and exhort.
3If any one teaches otherwise, and assents not to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the teaching which is according to godliness, 4he is puffed up with pride, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5vain disputings of men corrupted in mind, and robbed of the truth, supposing that godliness is a means of gain. 6But godliness with contentment is a great means of gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world; it is certain we can also carry nothing out; 8and having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. 9But they who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which sink men into destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is a root of all evils; which some coveting after wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness of spirit. 12Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the eternal life, unto which thou wast called, and didst make the good profession before many witnesses.
13I charge thee in the sight of God, who preserves all alive, and of Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good profession, 14that thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; 15which in his own times he will show, who is the blissful and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16who only has immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable; whom no man has seen, or can see; to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.
17Charge those who are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor place their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who gives us all things richly for enjoyment; 18that they do good, be rich in good works, be free in imparting, willing to communicate; 19laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the true life.
20O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane babblings, and oppositions of that which is falsely called knowledge; 21which some professing erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee.