디모데전서 6

Slaves and their masters

¹All who are under the yoke of slavery should count their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching are not spoken against. ²Those whose masters are believers must not look down on them because they are brothers and sisters. Instead, they should serve them all the more, because those who benefit from their good service are fellow believers and dear to them.

False teaching and the love of money

Teach these things and urge them on people. ³Anyone who teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with teaching that leads to godliness ⁴is puffed up with pride and understands nothing. Such people have an unhealthy appetite for controversy and arguments about words. These lead to envy, quarreling, slander and evil suspicions, ⁵and to constant friction between people whose minds are corrupted and who have lost hold of the truth. They think godliness is a way to make money. ⁶Godliness is indeed great gain, when it comes with contentment. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and into many foolish and harmful desires that drag people down into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.^a

Man of God, compete well

¹¹But you, man of God, run from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Compete well in the good contest of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in front of many witnesses. ¹³In the presence of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession when he testified before Pontius Pilate, I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command without fault or blame until our Lord Jesus Christ appears. ¹⁵God will bring this about at the right time: the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal, who lives in light no one can approach, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Instructions for the rich

¹⁷Tell those who are rich in this present world not to be proud and not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but in God, who richly gives us everything to enjoy. ¹⁸Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to give generously and to share. ¹⁹In this way they will store up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the age to come, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Guard what has been entrusted to you

²⁰Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from godless, empty chatter and the contradictions of what is wrongly called knowledge. ²¹Some have claimed it, and in doing so have strayed from the faith.

Grace be with you all.