Let as many as are slaves count their own masters worthy of all respect, that God’s Name and his teaching not be blasphemed. 2Those who have believing masters must not show less respect to them because they are brothers. Instead, they should serve them well because those who benefit from their service are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
3If anyone teaches otherwise, and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our LORD ‘ISA1 AL-MASIH2 and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with arguments and disputes over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such people.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything out. 8But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts that drown men in ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, when you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. 13I charge you before God3, who gives life to all things, and before AL-MASIH ‘ISA, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, 14that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our LORD ‘ISA AL-MASIH; 15which in his own time God will bring about, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and eternal power. Amen.
17Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on uncertain riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be ready to give, willing to share; 19laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.
20Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, and turn away from the empty chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; 21which some professing have strayed from the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
- 6:3 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 6:3 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 6:13 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎