Poul, apostle of Jhesu Crist, bi the wille of God, vp the biheeste of lyf that is in Crist Jhesu, to Tymothe, his mooste dereworthe sone, grace, mercy, and pees of God oure fadir, and Jhesu Crist, oure Lord. I do thankyngis to my God, to whom I serue fro my progenitours in clene conscience, for withouten ceessyng I haue mynde of thee in my preieris, nyȝt and day, desyringe for to se thee; I myndeful of thi teeris, that I be with ioye fulfillid; takinge recordinge, or mynde, of that feith, that is in thee not feyned, the whiche and dwellide first in thin aunte Loyde, and in thi modir Ennyce. Sothli I am certeyn, that and in thee. For which cause I moneste, that thou reyse aȝen the grace of God, that is in thee bi the on puttinge of myne hondis. Sothli God ȝaf not to vs the spirit of drede, but of vertu, and of loue, and sobrenesse. And so nyle thou schame the witnessing of oure Lord Jhesu, nether me, the boundyn of him; but trauele with me in the gospel vp the vertu of God; that delyuerede vs, and clepide with his hooli clepyng, not aftir oure workis, but vp his purpos and grace, that is ȝouyn to vs in Crist Jhesu bifore worldli tymes; now forsoth it is opyn bi the liȝtnyng of oure sauyour Jhesu Crist, the which sothli distruyede deeth, forsothe liȝtnede lyf and vncorupcioun bi the gospel. In the which I am sett a prechour and apostle, and maistir of hethen men. For which cause also I suffre thes thingis; but I am not confoundid. Forsoth I woot to whom I haue bileuyd, and I am certeyn for he is myȝti for to kepe my depoost, or thing putt in keping, into that day. Haue thou the foorme of hool wordis, the whiche thou herdist of me in feith and loue in Crist Jhesu. Kepe thou a good depoost, or a thing takyn to thi keping, bi the Hooly Gost, that dwellith in vs. Sothli thou woost, that alle that ben in Asye ben turned fro me, of whiche is Figelus and Ermogenes. The Lord ȝyue mercy to the hous of Onozepherus, for ofte he refreischide me, and schamyde not my chayne. But whanne he cam to Rome, he souȝte me bisyli, and fond. The Lord ȝyue to him for to fynde mercy of God in that day. And how grete thingis he mynistride to me at Ephecy, thou hast betere knowe.
Therfore thou, my sone, be comfortid in grace that is in Crist Jhesu. And what thingis thou hast herd of me by many witnessis, bitake thou these to feithful men, the whiche schulen be able and for to teche othere men. Trauele thou as a good knyȝt of Crist Jhesu. No man holdinge knyȝthod to God, inwlappith him silf with worldli nedis, that he plese to him, to whom he hath prouyd him silf. Forwhi and he that stryueth, or fiȝtith, in batel, schal not be crowned, no but he schal fiȝt lawfully. It bihoueth an erthe tilier for to resceyue first of the fruytis. Vndirstond thou what thingis I seie. Sothli the Lord schal ȝyue to thee in alle thingis vndirstondyng. Be thou myndeful the Lord Jhesu Crist for to haue risyn aȝen fro deede men, of the seed of Dauid, vp my gospel, in which I trauele til to boondis, as yuel worchinge, but the word of God is not boundyn. Therfore I susteyne alle thingis for the chosene, that and thei gete the heelthe, that is in Crist Jhesu, with heuenly glorie. A trewe word, forwhi if we ben to gidere deede, and we schulen lyue to gidere; if we schulen susteyne, and we schulen regne to gidere; if we schulen denye, and he schal denye vs; if we bileuen not, he dwellith feithful, he may not denye him silf. Forsoth thes thingis I moneste, witnessinge bifore God. Nyle thou stryue in wordis; forsoth to no thing it is profitable, no but to the subuertyng of men heeringe. Forsothe bisyli cure, or kepe, for to ȝyue thi self prouable, or able, werk man to God, vnschamyd, or worthi not for to be schamed, riȝtli tretinge the word of treuthe. Forsoth schonye thou vnhooli and veyn spechis, sothli thei profiten moche to vnpite, and the word of hem crepith as a kankir. Of the which Philete is, and Imeneus, the whiche felden doun fro the treuthe, seyinge risynge aȝen now don, and subuertiden the feith of sum men. But the sad foundement of God stondith, hauynge this litil marke, The Lord hath knowyn whiche ben hise, and, Ech man that nameth the name of the Lord, departith fro wickidnesse. Forsoth in the greet hows ben not oonli goldyn vessels and silueren, but and treene and brutil, or ertheli; and sothli summe in to honour, summe forsoth into dispit. Therfore if ony man schal clense him silf fro these, he schal be a vessel halwid into honour, and profytable to the Lord, redy to al good work. Forsothe fle thou the desyris of ȝouthe; sothli sue thou riȝtwisnesse, feith, charite, pees, with hem that inclepen the Lord of a clene herte. Forsoth schonye thou foltische questiouns, and withoute disciplyne, witynge for thei gendren chidingis. Forsoth it bihoueth the seruaunt of the Lord for to not chyde; but for to be mylde to alle men, able for to teche, pacient, with temperaunce reprouynge hem that aȝenstonden the treuthe, that sum tyme God ȝyue hem penaunce for to knowe the treuthe, and thei ryse aȝen fro snaris of the deuyl, of whom thei ben holdyn caytif at his wille.
Forsothe wite thou this thing, that in the laste dayes perelouse tymes schulen stonde nyȝ, and men schulen be louynge hem silf, coueitous, hiȝ of beringe, proude, blasfemes, not obedient to fadir and modir, vnkynde, cursid, withoute affeccioun, or good wille, withoute pees, fals blameris, vncontynent, vnmylde, withoute benygnyte, traitours, proterue, or ouerthwert, bollun with proude thouȝtis, loueris of lustis more than of God, hauynge sothli the spice, or licnesse, of pite, forsothe denyinge the vertu of it. And eschewe thou these. Of these sothli thei ben that peersen housis, and leeden litle wymmen caytifs chargid with synnes, the whiche ben ledd with diuerse desyris, euermore lernynge, and neuere perfitly comyng to science of treuthe. Forsoth as Jannes and Mambre aȝen stooden Moyses, so and these aȝen stonden treuthe, men corupt in soule, or vndirstondynge, reproued aboute the feith. But ferther thei schulen not profyte, sothli the vnwysdom of hem schal be knowen to alle men, as and hern was. Forsoth thou hast getyn my teching, and ordynaunce, purposyng, feith, longe abidyng, loue, pacience, persecuciouns, passiouns, what maner ben maad to me at Antyoche, at Iconye, at Listris, what maner persecuciouns I suffride, and the Lord hath delyuered me of alle. And alle men that wolen lyue piteuously in Crist Jhesu, schulen suffre persecucioun. Forsoth yuel men and disceyueris schulen profyte into worse, errynge, and sendyng into errour. But dwelle thou in these thingis that thou hast lerd, and ben bitakun to thee, witynge of whom thou hast lerud; and for thou hast knowun hooly lettris fro thi ȝongthe, or childhod, the whiche mouwn lerne thee to heelth, by feith that is in Crist Jhesu. Forsoth al scripture of God ynspyrid is profitable to teche, to arguwe, or proue, to reproue, for to lerne in riȝtwysnesse, that the man of God be perfyt, lerud to al good werk.
I witnesse, or preie, or coniure, bifore God and Crist Jhesu, that is to demynge the quyk and deed, by the comynge of hym, and the kyngdom of him, preche the word, be thou bisy couenably with oute reste, arguwe, or proue, biseche, blame in al pacience and doctryn. Forsoth tyme schal be, whanne men schulen not susteyne, or suffre, hool, or holsum, teching, but at her desyris thei schulen gadere to gidere maistris ȝitchinge, or plesynge, to the eeris. And treuly thei schulen turne awey the heeringe fro treuthe, but to fablis thei schulen turne to gidere. Forsothe wake thou, in alle thingis trauele thou, do the work of euangelist, fulfille thi seruyse, or office, be thou sobre. Forsoth I am sacrifysid now, and the tyme of my resolucioun, or deeth, is nyȝ. I haue stryuyn a good stryf, I haue endid the cours, I haue kept the feith. In the tothir tyme a crowne of riȝtwysnesse is kept to me, the which the Lord schal ȝelde to me in that day, iust domesman; forsoth not oonly to me, but and to these that louen his comyng. Hiȝe for to come to me soone. Forsoth Demas hath forsakyn me, louynge this world, and wente to Tessalonyk, Cressens into Galathie, Tyte into Dalmatichy; Luk aloone is with me. Taak Mark, and lede to with thee; forsoth he is profitable to me into seruyse. Titicus sotheli I sente to Ephesi. Penulam, that is, cloth of Romayns, or book, which I lefte at Troade at Carpe, thou comyng bryng with thee, and the bookis, moost forsothe parchemynus. Alisaundre, the tresorer, schewide to me manye yuele thingis; the Lord schal ȝelde to hym vp his workis. Whom and thou eschewe; ful greetli forsoth he aȝenstood my wordis. In my firste defence no man was to me, but alle forsoken me; be it not rettid to hem. Forsoth the Lord stood nyȝ to me, and comfortide me, that the preching be fulfillid by me, and that alle folkis heere, and I am delyuered fro mouth of the lyoun. Forsoth the Lord delyuerede me fro al yuel werk, and schal make saaf into his heuenli kingdom, to whom glorie into worldis of worldis. Amen. Greete wel Prisca, and Aquyla, and the hows of Onosephorus. Forsoth Erastus dwelte, or lefte, at Corynthi. Forsoth I lefte Trophymus syk at Mylete. Sothli hiȝe thou for to come bifore wynter. Embolus, and Prudent, and Lynus, and Claudia, and alle britheren, greeten thee wel. Oure Lord Jhesu Crist with thi spirit. The grace of God with ȝou. Amen.
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