1 ¹² I thank him who has made me equal to the task, Christ Jesus our Lord; I thank him for judging me worthy of this trust and appointing me to his service— 1 ¹³ although in the past I had met him with abuse and persecution and outrage. But because I acted ignorantly in unbelief I was dealt with mercifully; 1 ¹⁴ the grace of our Lord was lavished upon me, with the faith and love which are ours in Christ Jesus.
1 ¹⁵ Here are words you may trust, words that merit full acceptance: 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'; and among them I stand first. 1 ¹⁶ But I was mercifully dealt with for this very purpose, that Jesus Christ might find in me the first occasion for displaying all his patience, and that I might be typical of all who were in future to have faith in him and gain eternal life. 1 ¹⁷ Now to the King of all worlds, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever! Amen.

1 ¹⁸ This charge, son Timothy, I lay upon you, following that prophetic utterance which first pointed you out to me. 1 ¹⁹ So fight gallantly, armed with faith and a good conscience. It was through spurning conscience that certain persons made shipwreck of their faith, 1 ²⁰ among them Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I consigned to Satan, in the hope that through this discipline they might learn not to be blasphemous.