rection has already taken place, and they are overthrowing the faith of some. However, God's solid foundation stands, with this inscription, "The Lord knows his own," and, "Let every one who names the Lord's name turn from wickedness.'

In a great house there are not only utensils of gold and silver, but also of wood and earthenware, and some are for honorable and others for dishonorable uses. If any one keeps himself pure from these errors, he will be ready for honorable use, holy, fit for the master's service, prepared for every good work. But flee the passions of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, in the company of those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Avoid foolish disputes of the uneducated, knowing that they give rise to quarrels, and the servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be courteous to all, skillful in teaching, forbearing, instructing opponents with gentleness, for God may give them a change of heart which will lead them to knowledge of the truth, and they may return to soberness and escape the snare of the Devil when captured by the Lord's servant to do the Lord's will.

III

I WOULD have you know this, that in the last days trying times will come; for people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, haughty, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, profane, without family affection, relentless, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They will have a form of religion, but will cast off its power. Avoid such people. For of this class are those who make their way into houses and take captive weak women loaded with sins, led by varying passions, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men oppose the truth, depraved in mind, proved to be worthless as regards the faith. But they will go no further, for their folly will be manifest to all as that of Jannes and Jambres became. But you have kept track of my teaching, my course of life, my purpose, my faith, my slowness to anger, my love, my patience,

my persecutions, my sufferings - what happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, what persecutions I underwent. But the Lord delivered me out of all of them. And all who are determined to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Wicked men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

But you must stand by what you learned and were persuaded of, knowing from whom you learned it and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which can give you wisdom to gain salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is divinely inspired and is useful for teaching, for proof, for correction of error, for education in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

IV

I CHARGE you before God and Christ Jesus, who will soon judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: proclaim the message, be at it in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, encourage, with all patience in teaching. For there will be a time when they will not endure wholesome teaching, but following their own fancies and wishing to have their ears tickled, they will get a crowd of teachers. They will turn their ears away from the truth and give attention to myths.

But you must be calm in all circumstances, suffer hardships, do the work of a bringer of the good news, carry out fully all the duties of your office. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is near. I have played the grand hard game, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith. Now the crown of righteousness is awaiting me. The Lord the righteous judge will give it to me on that day, and not only to me but to all those who have loved his appearing.

Make haste to come to me quickly. For Demas deserted me because he loved the present world and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me in service. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

When you come, bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, and particularly the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith showed much ill will toward me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on your guard against him, for he strongly opposed our teachings.

At my first defense no one came to my help; all deserted me. May it not be laid up against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me so that through me the proclamation might be fully published and all the Gentiles might hear it, and I was saved from the mouth of the lion. The Lord will rescue me from every wicked attack and will keep me safe for his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for the ages of the ages! Amen.

Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed at Corinth. Trophimus I left at Miletus, sick. Try to come before winter. Eubulus and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren send their greetings to you.

The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

PAUL'S LETTER TO TITUS

I

PAUL, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to promote the faith of God's chosen and their knowledge of the truths of religion, in hope of life eternal, which the God who never lies promised ages ago but in due time made known as his message through the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the commission of God our Savior, to Titus my true child in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God, the Father, and from Christ Jesus, our Savior.

For this reason I left you in Crete: to arrange the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, wherever there is a man of irreproachable character, true to one woman, with believing children who are not charged with dissolute conduct and not unruly. For a bishop, as God's steward, must be above reproach, not self-willed, not quicktempered, not given to wine, not given to blows, not eager for base gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, just, holy, temperate, holding to the trustworthy message which is according to the teaching, so that he may be able also to encourage others by wholesome teaching and to refute opposers.

For there are many insubordinate persons, foolish talkers and deceivers, especially those who are of the circumcision, who ought to be silenced, for they are upsetting whole households, teaching what they should not, merely for the sake of base gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, base brutes, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving attention to Jewish myths and rules laid down by men who are turning away from the truth. To the pure all things are pure; but to the polluted and unbelieving nothing is pure. Even their minds and con

sciences are polluted. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they disown him. They are detestable, disobedient, and worthless for any good work.

II

You must speak to them of the matters which should have a place in wholesome teaching. Tell the older men to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, in patience. Tell the older women, in the same way, to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of what is noble, that they may train the young women to be loving wives and loving mothers, self-controlled, pure, home-workers, kind, submissive to their own husbands, that God's message may not be slandered. Urge the younger men, in the same way, to practice self-control in everything. Make yourself an example of good works, sincerity in teaching, dignified behavior and wholesome talk that is above censure, that our opponents may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say about us. Tell slaves to be submissive to their own masters in all things and to try to please them, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all kindly fidelity, so as to make the teaching about God our Savior seem beautiful in all respects.

For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men, teaching us to renounce all irreligion and worldly passions and to live soberly, justly and piously in this present world, waiting for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and of our Savior Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all sin and purify us as his own people earnest in honorable work. Tell them these things, urge, convince with all authority; let no one slight you.

III

REMIND them to be submissive to ruling authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak abusively to no one, to be peaceable, to be fair, showing all gentleness toward all men. For we ourselves were once thoughtless, disobedient, astray, enslaved to passions and various pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.