Chapter 2

¹But you must teach people the things that properly belong to wholesome teaching. ²Teach the older men to be temperate, serious, and sensible—men of vigorous faith, love, and steadfastness. ³Teach the older women, too, to be reverent in their behavior, and not to gossip or be slaves of drink, but to be teachers of what is right, ⁴so as to train the younger women to be loving wives and mothers, ⁵and to be sensible, pure-minded, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so as not to bring reproach on God’s message. ⁶Urge the younger men, too, to be sensible. ⁷In every way set them an example of good conduct yourself. Teach with sincerity and seriousness, ⁸and present a wholesome, unobjectionable message, so that your opponent may be put to shame at finding nothing bad to say about us. ⁹Tell slaves always to obey their masters and try to please them, not to oppose them ¹⁰or steal from them, but to show such perfect good faith as to do credit to the teaching about God our Savior, by everything they do.

¹¹For God’s mercy has appeared and brought salvation to all men, ¹²training us to renounce godless ways and worldly passions, and live serious, upright, and godly lives in this world, ¹³while we wait for the fulfilment of our blessed hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. ¹⁴He gave himself for us, to free us from all wickedness and purify for himself a people of his own, eager to do right.

¹⁵This is what you must teach and urge and insist upon with full authority. No one is to look down on you.