For this is what the promise declared: ¹  “About a year from now ²  I will return and Sarah will have a son.” ³ 

And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. ¹ 

and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.

But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”

by truthful ¹  teaching, ²  by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, ³ 

And even if I am unskilled ¹  in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, ¹  namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” ² 

I do not say this because I am seeking a gift. ¹  Rather, I seek the credit that abounds to your account.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, ¹  stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. ² 

Elders who provide effective leadership ¹  must be counted worthy ²  of double honor, ³  especially those who work hard in speaking ⁴  and teaching.

Hold to the standard ¹  of sound words that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ² 

for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment ¹  as a criminal, but God’s message ²  is not imprisoned! ³ 

Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately. ¹ 

and their message will spread its infection ¹  like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are in this group. ² 

Preach the message, ¹  be ready ²  whether it is convenient or not, ³  reprove, rebuke, exhort ⁴  with complete patience and instruction.

to be self-controlled, ¹  pure, fulfilling their duties at home, ²  kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message ³  of God may not be discredited. ⁴ 

and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, ¹  because he has nothing evil to say about us.

For if the message spoken through angels ¹  proved to be so firm that every violation ²  or disobedience received its just penalty,

On this topic we have much to say ¹  and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish ²  in hearing.