¶ Lyke as in the fyrste Chapter, so here he exhorteth hym to be constant in trouble, to suffre manly, and to abyde faste in the wholsome doctryne of our Lorde Iesus Christ.
CAPI. II.
THou therfore my sōne, be strong in the [unspec A] grace (that is thorow Christ Iesu) & in the thynges that thou haste herde of me by many wytnesses. The same commytte thou * 1.1 to faythful men, which shalbe apt to teach other also. Thou therfore suffre afflyccyons as a good soudier of Iesu Christ. No man that warreth, entāglith him self with world¦ly busynes, and that because he maye please him, which hath chosen him to be a soudier. And though a man stryne for a mastery, yet is he not crowned, except he stryue lawfully * 1.2 The husband man that laboureth, muste fyrst receyue of the frutes. Consider what I say. The Lorde gyue the vnderstandyng in all thynges. ⊢
Remembre that Iesus Christ * 1.3 of the sede [unspec B] of Dauid, rose agayne frō death accordyng to my gospel, wherin I suffre trouble as an euyll doer, euē vnto bondes. But the worde of God was not bounde. Therfore * 1.4 I suffre all thynges, for the electes sakes, that they myght also obtayne that saluacion, whiche is in Christ Iesu, with eternal glory.
It is a true sayinge * 1.5 for yf we be dead wt hym, we shall also lyue with hym. * 1.6 If we be paciente, we shal also raygne wyth hym. * 1.7 If we denye hym, he also shall denye vs If we beleue not, ‡ 1.8 yet abydeth he faythful. He cannot denye him selfe. Of these thinges [unspec C] put them in remembraunce, and testyfie be∣fore the Lorde, that they folowe no contenci¦ous wordes: which are to no pfet, but to the peruertyng of the hearers.
Study to shewe thy selfe laudable vnto god, a workman y• nedeth not to be ashamed distributing the word of trueth iustly. * 1.9 As for vnghostly vanityes of voices, passe y• o∣uer them. For they wyl encreace vnto grea∣ter vngodlynes, and their wordes shall fret euen as doth the disease of a cancre: of whose nōbre is. * 1.10 Hymeneus & Philetus, whiche (as concernynge the trueth) haue exced, say∣inge, that the resurreccyon is past all redy, and do destroye the fayth of some.
But the sure groūde of god standeth styl, and hath this seale* 1.11 : the Lord knoweth thē that are his. And let euery man that calleth [unspec D] on the name of Christ, depart from iniquite. Notwithstanding * 1.12 in a great house are not onely vessels of golde and of syluer: but al∣so of wood and of earth: some for honour, & some vnto dishonour. Yf a mā therfore pour ge hī selfe from such men, he shalbe a vessell sāctified vnto honour, mete for the vses of y• Lord, & prepared vnto al good workes.
Lustes of youth auoyde, but folow righ tuousnes, fayth, loue & peace, wyth thē that cal on the Lorde with a pure herte. ‡ 1.13 Folysh and vnlearned questiōs put from the, know¦yng, that they do but gendre stryfe. The ser∣uaunt of the Lorde muste not stryue: but be gentle vnto al men ‡ 1.14 apte to teach, & one that can suffre the euyl with mekenes, and can ‡ 1.15 infourme thē that resyst {fleur-de-lys} (the trueth) if that God at any tyme wyll gyue thē repentaūce, for to knowe the trueth: and that they maye come to them selues agayne out of the snare of the deuyll, whiche are holden captyue of hym at his wyll.