of these dangers you will
be a good and faithful servant of Christ Jesus, inwardly feeding on the
lessons of the faith and of the sound teaching of which you have been,
and are, so close a follower. 004:007 But worldly stories, fit only for
credulous old women, have nothing to do with. 004:008 Train yourself
in godliness. Exercise for the body is not useless, but godliness is
useful in every respect, possessing, as it does, the promise of Life now
and of the Life which is soon coming. 004:009 Faithful is this saying
and deserving of universal acceptance: 004:010 and here is the motive
of our toiling and wrestling, because we have our hopes fixed on the
ever-living God, who is the Saviour of all mankind, and especially of
believers. 004:011 Command this and teach this. 004:012 Let no one
think slightingly of you because you are a young man; but in speech,
conduct, love, faith and purity, be an example for your fellow
Christians to imitate. 004:013 Till I come, bestow your attention on
reading, exhortation and teaching. 004:014 Do not be careless about the
gifts with which you are endowed, which were conferred on you
through a divine revelation when the hands of the elders were placed
upon you. 004:015 Habitually practise these duties, and be absorbed in
them; so that your growing proficiency in them may be evident to all.
004:016 Be on your guard as to yourself and your teaching. Persevere
in these things; for by doing this you will make certain your own
salvation and that of your hearers. 005:001 Never administer a sharp
reprimand to a man older than yourself; but entreat him as if he were
your father, and the younger men as brothers; 005:002 the elder women
too as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, with perfect modesty.
005:003 Honour widows who are really in need. 005:004 But if a
widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to show piety
towards their own homes and to prove their gratitude to their parents;
for this is well pleasing in the sight of God. 005:005 A widow who is
really in need, friendless and desolate, has her hopes fixed on God, and
continues at her supplications and prayers, night and day; 005:006 but a
pleasure-loving widow is dead even while still alive. 005:007 Press
these facts upon them, so that they may live lives free from reproach.
005:008 But if a man makes no provision for those dependent on him,
and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is
behaving worse than an unbeliever. 005:009 No widow is to be put on
the roll who is under sixty years of age. 005:010 She must have been
true to her one husband, and well reported of for good deeds, as having
brought up children, received strangers hospitably, washed the feet of
God's people, given relief to the distressed, and devoted herself to good
works of every kind. 005:011 But the younger widows you must not
enrol; for as soon as they begin to chafe against the yoke of Christ, they
want to marry, 005:012 and they incur disapproval for having broken
their original vow. 005:013 And at the same time they also learn to be
idle as they go round from house to house; and they are not only idle,
but are gossips also and busybodies, speaking of things that ought not
to be spoken of. 005:014 I would therefore have the younger women
marry, bear children, rule in domestic matters, and furnish the
Adversary with no excuse for slander. 005:015 For already some of
them have gone astray, following Satan. 005:016 If a believing woman
has widows dependent on her, she should relieve their wants, and save
the Church from being burdened-- so that the Church may relieve the
widows who are really in need. 005:017 Let the Elders who perform
their duties wisely and well be held worthy of double honour,
especially those who labour in preaching and teaching. 005:018 For the
Scripture says, "You are not to muzzle the ox while it is treading out
the grain;" and the workman deserves his pay. 005:019 Never entertain
an accusation against an Elder except on the evidence of two of three
witnesses. 005:020 Those who persist in sin reprove in the presence of
all, so that it may also be a warning to the rest. 005:021 I solemnly call
upon you, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect
angels, to carry out these instructions of mine without prejudice, and to
do nothing from partiality. 005:022 Do not ordain any one hastily; and
do not be a partaker in the sins of others; keep *yourself* pure. 005:023
(No longer be a water-drinker; but
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