4. A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not spend any time on activities that are not a part of his duty.
5. Athletes in a race must obey all the rules to win.
6. The farmer who works hard deserves the first part of the harvest.
7. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand it all.
8. Remember Jesus Christ. He is from the family of David. After Jesus died, he was raised from death. This is the Good News that I tell people.
9. And because I tell that message, I am suffering. I am even bound with chains like someone who has really done wrong. But God’s message is not bound.
10. So I patiently accept all these troubles. I do this to help the people God has chosen so that they can have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With this salvation comes glory that never ends.
11. Here is a true statement: If we died with him, we will also live with him.
12. If we remain faithful even in suffering, we will also rule with him. If we refuse to say we know him, he will refuse to say he knows us.
13. If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he cannot be false to himself.
14. Keep on telling everyone these truths. And warn them before God not to argue about words. Such arguments don’t help anyone, and they ruin those who listen to them.
15. Do your best to be the kind of person God will accept, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who has no reason to be ashamed of his work, one who applies the true teaching in the right way.
16. Stay away from people who talk about useless things that are not from God. That kind of talk will lead a person more and more against God.