| 14 Ταῦτα ὑπομίμνῃσκε, διαμαρτυρόμενος ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ μὴ λογομαχεῖν, ἐπ' οὐδὲν χρήσιμον, ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων. 15 σπούδασον σεαυτὸν δόκιμον παραστῆσαι τῷ θεῷ, ἐργάτην ἀνεπαίσχυντον, ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας. 16 τὰς δὲ βεβήλους κενοφωνίας περιΐστασο: ἐπὶ πλεῖον γὰρ προκόψουσιν ἀσεβείας, 17 καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν ὡς γάγγραινα νομὴν ἕξει: ὧν ἐστιν Ὑμέναιος καὶ Φίλητος, 18 οἵτινες περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἠστόχησαν, λέγοντες [τὴν] ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι, καὶ ἀνατρέπουσιν τήν τινων πίστιν. 19 ὁ μέντοι στερεὸς θεμέλιος τοῦ θεοῦ ἕστηκεν, ἔχων τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην: ἔγνω κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ, καί, ἀποστήτω ἀπὸ ἀδικίας πᾶς ὁ ὀνομάζων τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου. 20 ἐν μεγάλῃ δὲ οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔστιν μόνον σκεύη χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλινα καὶ ὀστράκινα, καὶ ἃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν ἃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν: 21 ἐὰν οὖν τις ἐκκαθάρῃ ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τούτων, ἔσται σκεῦος εἰς τιμήν, ἡγιασμένον, εὔχρηστον τῷ δεσπότῃ, εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἡτοιμασμένον. 22 τὰς δὲ νεωτερικὰς ἐπιθυμίας φεῦγε, δίωκε δὲ δικαιοσύνην, πίστιν, ἀγάπην, εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων τὸν κύριον ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας. 23 τὰς δὲ μωρὰς καὶ ἀπαιδεύτους ζητήσεις παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι γεννῶσιν μάχας: 24 δοῦλον δὲ κυρίου οὐ δεῖ μάχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ἤπιον εἶναι πρὸς πάντας, διδακτικόν, ἀνεξίκακον, 25 ἐν πραΰτητι παιδεύοντα τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους, μήποτε δώῃ αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς μετάνοιαν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας, 26 καὶ ἀνανήψωσιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος, ἐζωγρημένοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα. |
14 Bring this back to men’s thoughts, pleading with them earnestly in the Lord’s name; there must be no wordy disputes, such as can only unsettle the minds of those who are listening. 15 Aim first at winning God’s approval, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed of his work, one who knows how to handle the claims of the truth like a master. 16 Keep thy distance from those who are bringing in a fashion of meaningless talk; they will go far to establish neglect of God, 17 and their influence eats in like a cancer. Such are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have missed the true mark, by contending that the resurrection has come about already, to the overthrow of the faith in some minds. 19 But God’s foundation-stone stands firm, and this is the legend on it, The Lord acknowledges none but his own; and again, Let everyone who names the Lord’s name keep far from iniquity.[3] 20 A great house, besides its plate of gold and silver, contains other objects made of wood and earthenware; those for noble, these for ignoble uses; 21 it is by keeping himself separate from these that a man will prove the object of his Lord’s regard, hallowed, and serviceable, and fit for all honourable employment. 22 Shun these youthful ardours I speak of; aim at right living, faith, and hope, and love, and fellowship with all those who call on the name of the Lord with a pure heart. 23 Leave these foolish, ill-conceived disputes alone; be very sure, they breed nothing but quarrels. 24 A servant of the Lord has no business with quarrelling; he must be kindly towards all men, persuasive and tolerant, 25 with a gentle hand for correcting those who are obstinate in their errors. It may be that God will enable them to repent, and acknowledge the truth; 26 so they will recover their senses, and shake off the snare by which the devil, till now, has held them prisoners to his will.[4] |
14 Hæc commone, testificans coram Domino. Noli contendere verbis: ad nihil enim utile est, nisi ad subversionem audientium. 15 Sollicite cura teipsum probabilem exhibere Deo, operarium inconfusibilem, recte tractantem verbum veritatis. 16 Profana autem et vaniloquia devita: multum enim proficiunt ad impietatem: 17 et sermo eorum ut cancer serpit: ex quibus est Hymenæus et Philetus, 18 qui a veritate exciderunt, dicentes resurrectionem esse jam factam, et subverterunt quorumdam fidem. 19 Sed firmum fundamentum Dei stat, habens signaculum hoc: cognovit Dominus qui sunt ejus, et discedat ab iniquitate omnis qui nominat nomen Domini. 20 In magna autem domo non solum sunt vasa aurea, et argentea, sed et lignea, et fictilia: et quædam quidem in honorem, quædam autem in contumeliam. 21 Si quis ergo emundaverit se ab istis, erit vas in honorem sanctificatum, et utile Domino ad omne opus bonum paratum. 22 Juvenilia autem desideria fuge, sectare vero justitiam, fidem, spem, caritatem, et pacem cum iis qui invocant Dominum de corde puro. 23 Stultas autem et sine disciplina quæstiones devita: sciens quia generant lites. 24 Servum autem Domini non oportet litigare: sed mansuetum esse ad omnes, docibilem, patientem, 25 cum modestia corripientem eos qui resistunt veritati, nequando Deus det illis pœnitentiam ad cognoscendam veritatem, 26 et resipiscant a diaboli laqueis, a quo captivi tenentur ad ipsius voluntatem. |