2:1 | Now you must tell them the sort of character which should from sound teaching. |
2:2 | The old men should be temperate, serious, wisespiritually healthy through their faith and love and patience. |
2:3 | Similarly the old women should be reverent in their behaviour, should not make unfounded complaints and should not be addicted to wine. They should be examples of the good life, |
2:4 | so that the younger women may learn to love their husbands and their children, |
2:5 | to be sensible and chaste, homelovers, kindhearted and willing to adapt themselves to their husbandsa good advertisement for the Christian faith. |
2:6 | The young men, too, you should urge to take life seriously, |
2:7 | letting your own life stand as a pattern of good living. In all your teaching show the strictest regard for truth, and show that you appreciate the seriousness of the matters you are dealing with. |
2:8 | Your speech should be unaffected and above criticism, so that your opponent may feel ashamed at finding nothing with which to discredit us. |
2:9 | Slaves should be told that it is their duty as Christians to obey their masters and to give them satisfactory service in every way. |
2:10 | They are not to answer back or to be lightfingered, but they are to show themselves utterly trustworthy, a shining testimonial to the teaching of God our saviour. |
2:11 | For the grace of God, which can save every man, has now been shown for all men, and it |
2:12 | teaches us to have no more to do with godlessness or the desires of this world but to live, here and now, responsible, honourable and Godfearing lives. |
2:13 | And while we live this life we hope and wait for the glorious denouement of the great God and of Christ Jesus our saviour. |
2:14 | For he gave himself for us, that he might set us free from all our evil ways and make for himself a people of his own, clean and pure, with our hearts set upon living a life that is good. |
2:15 | Tell men of these things. Plead with them, prove the truth to them with full authorityand let no one treat you with contempt. |