2Timothy 1

1I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus.G3972G652G2424G5547G1223G2307G2316G2596G1860G2222G3588G1722G5547G24242I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours!G5095G27G5043G5485G1656G1515G575G2316G3962G2532G5547G2424G2257G2962

To Be Bold with God’s Gifts

3Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors.G2192G5485G2316G3739G3000G575G4269G1722G2513G4893G5613G88G2192G3417G4012G4675G1722G3450G1162G3571G2532G22504I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.G1971G1492G4571G3415G4675G1144G2443G4137G54795That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you!G2983G5280G505G4102G1722G4671G3748G1774G4412G1722G4675G3125G3090G2532G4675G3384G2131G1161G3982G3754G1722G4671G25326And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze!G1223G3739G156G363G4571G363G329G5486G2316G3739G2076G1722G4671G1223G1936G3450G54957God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.G1063G2316G1325G3756G1325G2254G4151G1167G235G1411G2532G26G2532G49958So don't be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God,G1870G3361G1870G3767G1870G3142G2257G2962G3366G1691G846G1198G235G4777G2098G2596G1411G23169who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it.G3588G4982G2248G2532G2564G40G2821G3756G2596G2257G2041G235G2596G2398G4286G2532G5485G3588G1325G2254G1722G5547G2424G4253G5550G16610But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.G1161G5319G3568G5319G1223G2015G2257G4990G2424G5547G3303G2673G2288G1161G5461G2222G2532G861G5461G1223G209811This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher.G1519G3739G1473G5087G2783G2532G652G2532G1320G148412It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end.G1223G3739G156G3958G2532G3958G5023G235G1870G3756G1870G1063G1492G3739G4100G2532G3982G3754G2076G1415G5442G3450G3866G1519G1565G225013So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me.G2192G5296G5198G3056G3739G191G3844G1700G1722G4102G2532G26G3588G1722G5547G242414Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.G2570G3872G5442G1223G40G4151G3588G1774G1722G225415I'm sure you know by now that everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes.G5124G1492G3754G3956G1722G773G654G3165G3739G2076G5436G2532G206116But God bless Onesiphorus and his family! Many's the time I've been refreshed in that house. And he wasn't embarrassed a bit that I was in jail.G2962G1325G1656G3624G3683G3754G404G4178G404G3165G2532G1870G3756G1870G3450G25417The first thing he did when he got to Rome was look me up.G235G1096G1722G4516G2212G3165G2212G4706G2532G214718May God on the Last Day treat him as well as he treated me. And then there was all the help he provided in Ephesus—but you know that better than I.G2962G1325G846G2147G1656G3844G2962G1722G1565G2250G2532G3745G1247G1722G2181G4771G1097G957