Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 252
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IMMERSE
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MESSIAH
5:21–6:10
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the
highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing
favoritism to anyone.
Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the
sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your
stomach because you are sick so often.
Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain
judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later.
In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good
deeds done in secret will someday come to light.
All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring
shame on the name of God and his teaching. If the masters are believers,
that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the
harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved.
Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. Some
people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding.
Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of
words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and
evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of
godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we
brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take
anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing,
let us be content.
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by
many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people,
craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves
with many sorrows.
