1 Timothy 4

₁The Spirit says clearly that in the last days of the world, many people will stop believing in God. This will happen because they will listen to evil_spirits who will deceive them, and they will listen to demons who will teach them things that are wrong. ₂The people who teach those things to the believers are hypocrites who tell lies. They do not know what is right and what is wrong. ₃These people say that men and women must not get married and they say that there are some foods that people may not eat. But it is God who made all the food so that people may eat any food and thank Him for it. People who believe in Christ know that the message of Christ is true. ₄Everything that God has made is good. If we thank God for the food that He gives, then we may eat any food. ₅Yes, all the things that God has made are good, and we may eat any food because God said so and because we pray before we eat it.

₆You must keep telling the believers these things that I write to you. Then you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will also be a good servant because you always listen to the message of faith in Christ, and because you have started to obey the good things that you have learned. ₇There are people who know nothing of God and who tell their own stories that are worthless. You must not listen to their stories but you must prepare yourself to serve God better every day. ₈Some people make their bodies stronger and prepare them for sport. They say this is good. But when you prepare yourself to serve God better, that is far better and it will help you in every way. It is good for your life here on earth and God will give you eternal_life. ₉What I tell you is true, and you can believe it. ₁₀We work very hard and we suffer so that people will know that the living God will help them as He has promised. Because God is love, He helps everyone, but most of all He helps and saves those people who believe in Him.

₁₁You must keep on telling these things to the people and keep on teaching them. ₁₂You are young, but people must not think that they know better than you just because they are older than you. No, you must show the believers how they must live. Show them by what you say, by what you do, how you love other people, how you believe in God and how you always do only what is right. ₁₃You must keep on reading from the Bible to the believers in the congregation. You must keep on telling them how they must live and you must keep on teaching them until I come to you.

₁₄You must use the gift that God gave you when the elders put their hands on you and prophesied about you. ₁₅You must keep on doing these things, and you must give yourself to God so that everyone can see that your faith is growing more and more. ₁₆You must think carefully and be careful about how you live and what you teach people. Keep on doing this because, if you do these things, you will save yourself and the people who listen to you.