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17 Praise God, the King who rules for ever! He can never die. He lives where we cannot see him. He is the only God. So praise him and say how great he is! That is true always and for ever! Amen! This is true.

Timothy should be a good leader in the church

18 Timothy, you are like my own child. So now I am telling you to serve God well. Remember the words from God that people spoke about you, when you became a servant of God.[a] Those words will help you to be strong, like a soldier who fights well.[b] 19 You must continue to trust God. Always do what you know to be right. Some people have refused to do what is right, even when they know what they should do. As a result, they no longer believe God's true message.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:18 Some Christian leaders had prayed for Timothy before Paul wrote this letter. See 1 Timothy 4:14. They had spoken words from God to Timothy. Perhaps God had said that he would make Timothy strong. Timothy needed to be strong so that he could be a Christian leader.
  2. 1:18 Timothy did not have to fight anyone. Paul did not mean that. He meant that Timothy had to be strong and brave, like a soldier. Then he could teach the true Christian message.