A   Thou therfore my sonne, be stronge thorow the grace which is in Christ Iesu. And what thinges thou hast herde of me by many witnesses, ^note the same commytte thou vnto faithfull men, which are apte to teach other. Thou therfore suffre affliccion as a good soudyer off Iesu Christ. No m&abar; that warreth, tangleth him selfe with wordly busynesses, ∧ that because he wolde please him, which hath chosen him to be a soudyer. And though a man stryue for a mastrye, yet is he not crowned, excepte he stryue laufully. ^noteThe hu&esset;bandman that laboureth, must first enioye the frutes. Consydre what I saye. The LORDE shal geue the vnderstondynge in all thinges.

Remembre that Iesus Christ, beynge ^note of the sede of Dauid, rose agayne fr&obar; the deed, acordynge to my Gospell, where in I suffre as an euell doer euen vnto bandes: but the worde of God is not bounde. ^noteTherfore suffre I all for the electes sakes, that they also mighte optayne the saluacion in Christ Iesu with eternall glory.

B   This is a true sayenge: ^note Yf we be deed &wt; him, we shal lyue with him also: ^note Yf we be pacient, we shal also raigne with him: ^note Yf we denye him, he also shal denye vs: ^note Yf we beleue not, yet abydeth he faithfull, he can not denye himselfe. Of these thinges put thou them in rem&ebar;braunce, and testifye before the LORDE, that they stryue not aboute wordes, which is to no profit, but to peruerte the hearers.

Study to shewe thy selfe vnto God a laudable workman, that nedeth not to be ashamed, deuydynge the worde of trueth iustly. ^noteAs for vngoostly and vayne talkynges, eschue them: for they helpe moch to vngodlynes, and their worde fretteth as doth a canker: Of whose nombre is ^note Hymeneos ∧ Philetus, which as concernynge the trueth haue erred, sayenge, that the resurreccion is past allready, and haue destroyed the faith of dyuerse personnes.

C   But þe; sure grounde of God stondeth fast, and hath this seale: ^note The LORDE knoweth them that are his, and let euery m&abar; that calleth vpon the name of Christ, departe from iniquyte. Not withstondynge ^note in a greate house are not onely vessels of golde and of syluer, but also of wod and of earth: some for honoure, and some to dishonoure. But yf a man pourge himselfe from soch felowes, he shalbe a vessell sanctified vnto honoure, mete for the LORDE, and prepared vnto all good workes. ^noteFle thou the lustes of youth, but folowe righteousnes, faith, loue, peace, with all them that call vpon the LORDE with pure hert. ^noteAs for folish questions and soch as teach not, put them fr&obar; the: for thou knowest that they do but g&ebar;der stryfe. The seruaunt of the LORDE ought not to stryue, but to be gentle vnto euery man: ^note apte to teach, one that can forbeare the euell, one þt; can ^note with mekenesse enfourme them þt; resist: yf God at eny tyme wyl geue them repentaunce for to knowe the trueth, and to turne agayne from the snare of the deuell, which are holden in preson of him at his will.

Previous section

Next section