15 Work hard so that God will see you as someone he approves of—not ashamed of the good message but straight-talking the truth. 16 Avoid chatter about unimportant or crude topics because it will eventually led to godlessness. 17 Those kinds of talk are like rot that spreads, as happened when Hymenaeus and Philetus 18 deviated from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already happened and have drawn some away from the faith. 19 However God’s solid foundation has stood with this inscription on it: ‘The master knew his own ones,’[ref] and ‘Let everyone who claims to follow the master avoid disobedience.’

20 An expensive home doesn’t just have gold and silver bowls, but there are wooden and pottery bowls as well. Some will contain valuable things, but others contain dishonourable things that we prefer not to display. 21 So those people who rid themselves of dishonourable thoughts and actions will become a container for honourable things, being reserved to do the special work that the master has prepared for them. 22 And run far from youthful lusts—chase instead after obedience, faith, love, and peace like all the others who follow the master with a pure heart. 23 Refuse to enter foolish and uneducated debates because they’ll just end in an argument. 24 It’s not fitting one of the master’s slaves to be argumentative, but rather to be polite to everyone and to be teaching the truth yet be tolerant of other people’s bad behaviour. 25 We should politely point out the wrongs of those opposing us and perhaps God might bring them to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. 26 After being caught in the devil’s trap just as he wanted, maybe they’ll escape and come to their senses.