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.
17 Their evil teaching will spread like a sickness inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are men like that.
18 They have left the true teaching. They say that the day when people will be raised from death has already come and gone. And they are destroying the faith of some people.
19 But God’s strong foundation never moves, and these words are written on it: “The Lord knows those who belong to him.” Also, these words are written there: “Everyone who says they believe in the Lord must stop doing wrong.”
20 In a large house there are things made of gold and silver. But there are also things made of wood and clay. Some of these are used for special purposes, others for ordinary jobs.
21 The Lord wants to use you for special purposes, so make yourself clean from all evil. Then you will be holy, and the Master can use you. You will be ready for any good work.