GREETINGS

¹From Small Man (Paul), a message bearer of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. I was instructed to be a message bearer by the Great Spirit himself, our Sacred Deliverer, and by Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, our hope.

²To He Gives Honor (Timothy), my true spiritual son. I greet you with the gift of great kindness, mercy, and peace that comes from our Father the Great Spirit and from Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, our Honored Chief.

SMALL MAN’S WISE COUNSEL BEGINS

³When I left to travel to Land of Tall People (Macedonia), I urged you to remain at Village of Desire (Ephesus) to instruct certain people not to teach things that are not true ⁴and to turn away from stories with no meaning and from long ancestral histories. These things only cause arguments and confuse people instead of helping them to trust in the good road of the Great Spirit.

⁵My aim in telling you these things is that you would walk the path of love with a pure heart, being true to what you trust in and honest to who you are deep inside. ⁶For there are some who have wandered from this good path and turned aside to nothing but worthless talk. ⁷They want to be seen as teachers of our tribal law,1 but they do not understand the words they speak or the things they so boldly teach.

USING THE LAW IN THE RIGHT WAY

⁸We know that the law is good if it is used in the right way. ⁹For we understand that the law was not made for those who walk in a good way. The law was made for outlaws, rebels, and those who follow their bad hearts and have no respect for what is spiritual. It was made for the unholy ones who walk in worthless ways, and for the ones who kill their own fathers or mothers and take the lives of others. ¹⁰The law was made for men who sell their bodies for sex or abuse the sacred gift of sex with each other, for slave traders, forked-tongue talkers, those who tell lies about their fellow human beings, and for anything else that goes against the kind of teaching ¹¹found in the good story that shows the beauty of the Blessed One, our Creator. This is the teaching that was entrusted to me.

SMALL MAN TELLS ABOUT HIMSELF

¹²I give thanks to the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) our Honored Chief, for the strength he gives me to walk out this sacred task. ¹³He chose me even though I used to speak evil against him. I even hunted down and attacked his followers. But he took pity on me because I did not know what I was doing and did not yet believe who he was.

¹⁴The gift of Creator’s great kindness overflowed to me along with the trust and love found in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. ¹⁵Here is a saying that you can be sure of: Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One came into this world to set bad-hearted people free from their broken ways—and I am the worst one of all. ¹⁶But I was shown mercy so that in me Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One could show that he does not give up on even the worst bad-hearted person. In this way, I became an example of his patience that never runs dry for the ones who would put their trust in him for the life of the world to come that never fades away, full of beauty and harmony.

HONORING OUR GREAT CHIEF

¹⁷So let us honor the Great Chief of all the ages, the one whom death has no power over, who cannot be seen with human eyes. He is the only true and Great Spirit. All honor and shining-greatness belong to him to the time beyond the end of all days. Aho! May it be so!

MORE WISE COUNSEL

¹⁸Now, He Gives Honor (Timothy) my spiritual son, the instructions I give you are the same ones that were spoken over you as prophecies. Use these as weapons to keep fighting this spiritual battle in a good way. ¹⁹Keep your trust in the Chosen One strong and follow what you know deep inside to be true. Some have not listened to this inner voice, and their trust in the Chosen One has fallen to the ground. ²⁰This happened to Sings with a Glad Heart (Hymenaeus) and Man Fighter (Alexander). I had to hand them over to Accuser (Satan) that they might learn not to speak against the Great Spirit.

GUIDANCE FOR SENDING UP PRAYERS

¹First of all, I call on you to send your voice to the Great Spirit with many kinds of prayer. Give thanks as you ask him to bless all people everywhere with the things they need. ²Send up prayers for rulers and all governing authorities, so we may live our lives in a peaceful and sacred way, walking together with harmony and respect. ³This will make Creator’s heart glad and will be seen as a good thing by the one who sets us free and makes us whole.

CREATOR LONGS FOR ALL PEOPLE TO BE FREE

⁴Our Creator longs to set all people free and guide them into the full understanding of the truth. ⁵For there is only one Great Spirit, and only one who can bring the Great Spirit and human beings together in peace. That one is Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, who is himself human. ⁶He gave up his own life to set all people free, so that, when the time was right, this truth would be made clear to all humankind.

⁷The reason I was given the sacred task of a truth teller and a message bearer is to tell others this good story. I am not speaking with a forked tongue! Creator has sent me to be a faithful and true wisdomkeeper to the Outside Nations.

GUIDANCE FOR MEN AND WOMEN

⁸So in every place you gather as a sacred family, I want the men who pray to lift up their hands in a sacred manner, putting away all anger and disagreement.

⁹In the same way, I want the women who pray in the sacred family gathering to wear clothes that represent them well. They should dress in a modest and respectful manner. There is no need to try to look better than others with fancy hair, or with gold, pearls, or clothes that cost too much. ¹⁰It is only right that a woman who represents herself as walking in a sacred manner should show her beauty in the good things she does for others.

¹¹At our sacred family gatherings, a woman should remain quiet while learning from those who teach and humbly follow their instructions. ¹²I do not permit a woman to teach or take over for a man, but to listen quietly. ¹³For Red Clay (Adam) was formed first and then Life Bearer (Eve). ¹⁴Also, Red Clay (Adam) was not fooled by the evil trickster. It was the woman who was fooled and walked where she should not. ¹⁵But since being set free and made whole came through a woman giving birth to a child,  women will be kept safe through the pain and labor of childbirth if they keep walking a sacred path of trust, love, and self-control.

GUIDELINES FOR SPIRITUAL LEADERS

¹It is a true saying that anyone who desires the solemn task of watching over the sacred family desires a good thing. ²Elders like this must be free from accusation, faithful in marriage,2 clear-minded, self-controlled, honorable, welcoming to strangers, and able to teach others. ³They must not be heavy drinkers, nor given to violence, but gentle peacemakers who are free from the love of possessions.

⁴These elders must guide their own families in a good way, having children who are respectful and well-behaved. ⁵For if they cannot guide their own families, how will they take care of Creator’s sacred family? ⁶They also should not be new followers of Creator Sets Free (Jesus), or they might get a big head and give the evil trickster the right to accuse them.

⁷And last of all, they must have a good reputation with those who are outside the sacred family, so they will not be shamed and fall into the trap set by the evil trickster.

GUIDELINES FOR SACRED SERVANTS

⁸In the same way, those who have the sacred task of helping others must walk in an honorable way, not be double-tongued, nor heavy drinkers, and not greedy for possessions. ⁹From deep within they must hold firm to the mystery of our spiritual ways.3 ¹⁰They must first prove themselves. Then if they are found to be free from blame, let them walk true to the sacred task of serving others. ¹¹Their wives4 must walk with dignity, never speak evil of others, and be clear-minded and faithful in every way.

¹²These sacred servants must also be faithful in marriage5 and guide their own families in a good way. ¹³The ones who have served well as helpers gain the respect of others, and their trust in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One will grow strong.

¹⁴I hope to come to you soon. But I am writing this letter to you ¹⁵so that, if I am held back, you will know how to live together in Creator’s household. This household is the sacred family of the Living Great Spirit, the family that holds high the truth.

A GREAT MYSTERY MADE KNOWN

¹⁶The mystery of this great and sacred truth has now been made known. He who appeared as a human being was shown to be in the right by the Spirit. He was seen by spirit-messengers, made known among the nations, trusted in by people in the world, and taken up to be honored in the spirit-world above.

WARNINGS ABOUT THE LAST TIMES

¹The Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will turn away from their trust in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and listen to lying spirits and their evil teachings. ²It is through people with forked tongues and false faces that these lies will be spoken. The truth inside them has been burned away until they no longer know right from wrong. ³They stop people from getting married and tell people to stay away from eating certain kinds of foods. These foods were created by the Great Spirit to be received with grateful hearts by those who trust in and know the truth. ⁴For all of his creation is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with a grateful heart. ⁵For it is made holy and good to eat by Creator’s word and prayer.

SERVING THE SACRED FAMILY

⁶If you make these things clear to the members of the sacred family, you will be a good servant of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. This shows that the trust you have in the message of our spiritual ways and the good teaching you have been following has helped you to grow spiritually strong.

⁷Have nothing to do with made-up stories and worn-out tales that have been passed on from long ago. Instead, learn to walk in a sacred manner. ⁸Physical discipline is good for the life we now live, but spiritual discipline is good in every way, since it holds promise not only for this life but also for the life of the world to come. ⁹This saying is honorable and should be fully welcomed by all.

THE ONE WHO SETS ALL PEOPLE FREE

¹⁰This is the reason we struggle and work so hard, for we have put our hope in the Living Great Spirit. He is the one who sets free and makes whole all of humankind, but first and foremost those who put their trust in him.

¹¹Teach and instruct others in all these things. ¹²Let no one look down on you because you are young. Lead the way for others in all that you say and do, and also by trusting, loving, and walking with a pure heart. ¹³Until I come to see you, make sure you read the Sacred Teachings out loud at our sacred family gatherings, and teach with words that lift people’s spirits high.

DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT

¹⁴Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you. This gift came to you through a word of prophecy that was given when the council of elders laid their hands on you to set you in place as a spiritual leader. ¹⁵Meditate on these things. Give all your time and energy to doing them. In this way, everyone will see how far down the good road you have traveled. ¹⁶Keep a close watch on yourself and on what you are teaching. Keep doing all that I have told you. In this way, you will set free and make whole not only yourself but all who listen to you.

HONORING THE ELDERS

¹Never speak sharp words to a man who is your elder. Instead, speak respectfully to him as to a father. Speak to the younger men as brothers, ²to the women elders as mothers, and to the young women as sisters, keeping your thoughts pure.

THE CARE OF WIDOWS

³Honor and take care of the women whose husbands have walked on, if they truly need help. ⁴But if any among them have children or grandchildren, they should take care of her with respect as she once did for them, for this is what Creator wants them to do. ⁵The sacred family should take care of women who have no one to care for them as long as they are looking to Creator for their help and continue to send up prayers night and day. ⁶But the ones who live only to please themselves are spiritually dead even while they live.

⁷Instruct the sacred family members about these things, so no one will have a reason to accuse or look down on them. ⁸For all who fail to care for the members of their own family have denied the truth of our spiritual ways6 and are worse than an outsider who does not trust as we do.

WIDOWS WHO ARE ELDERLY

⁹To be counted as a widow to be taken care of by the sacred family, a woman must be an elder of sixty winters or older who was faithful to her husband.7 ¹⁰She must also have a reputation for doing good. Has she raised her children in a good way? Has she welcomed travelers into her home? Has she washed the feet of Creator’s holy ones?8 Has she offered help to people during hard times? Has she always been willing to do good for others?

WIDOWS WHO ARE YOUNG

¹¹Do not include the younger widows for this kind of care. For when their natural human desires draw them away from their devotion to the Chosen One, they will want to get married. ¹²Then they will be found guilty of breaking the sacred promise they made to remain unmarried. ¹³They make a habit of going around from home to home doing nothing and helping no one. Not only that, they talk about people behind their backs, stick their noses into places they do not belong, and say things that should not be said.

¹⁴That is why I want the younger widows to get married, have children, and take good care of their own families. Then the enemy will have nothing to say against them. ¹⁵For some of the younger widows have already wandered away to follow Accuser (Satan) the evil trickster snake.

¹⁶If sacred family members have a widow in the family, let them take her in and care for her. This will lift the burden from the sacred family so the widows who have no family will be cared for.

HONORING THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS

¹⁷The elders who are spiritual leaders are to be given double honor—most of all, the ones who work hard at instructing and teaching others. ¹⁸For our Sacred Teachings tell us, “When an ox is used to harvest corn, do not cover its mouth and keep it from eating,”9 and “Those who work hard should be given the honor and goods they have worked hard for.”10

¹⁹If someone accuses an elder who is a spiritual leader with wrongdoing, do not listen unless two or three others say the same thing. ²⁰Even so, a spiritual leader who continues in wrongdoing must be brought before all of the council of elders for correction as a warning to others.

MORE WORDS OF WISDOM AND COUNSEL

²¹With the Great Spirit as my witness, along with Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One and his chief11 spirit-messengers, I call on you, He Gives Honor (Timothy), to follow my instructions by treating everyone the same and not taking the side of one over another. ²²Do not be in a hurry to lay your hands on others to choose them as spiritual leaders. Do not take part in the broken ways of others. Keep yourself pure.

²³No longer drink only water, and from now on use a little wine to purify the water. This will be good medicine for the times you have a bad stomach.

²⁴Some people’s broken ways are plain to see even before their guilt is decided. The guilt of others becomes clear later on. ²⁵In the same way, the good deeds of some are clearly seen, and even if they are not clear for all to see, they will not be hidden for long.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLAVES

¹Any sacred family members who are slaves should treat their earthly masters with respect. In this way Creator will not be given a bad reputation, and no one will speak against him or what we teach. ²Those who are slaves to masters who are sacred family members should not for that reason look down on them. Instead, they should serve them all the more, for the ones who benefit from their service are also much-loved sacred family members. Teach and urge others to walk in these ways.

A WARNING ABOUT TROUBLEMAKERS

³There are some who teach things that are not in agreement with the good words spoken by our Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, and with the teaching that keeps us walking in a sacred way. ⁴Teachers like this think they know it all, but they really understand nothing. There is a sickness in the way they think. They argue over the meaning of words, which takes people down a path of envy, fighting, name-calling, and evil mistrust of each other.

⁵They keep stirring up trouble between people whose minds have wandered away from the truth. They even think that walking in the ways of the Great Spirit is a path to getting more and more possessions. ⁶It is true that following the ways of the Great Spirit will lead to great possessions, but only when people are at peace with what they have. ⁷For we came into this world with nothing and can take nothing with us when we leave it. ⁸So, as long as we have food to eat and a roof over our heads, we should be at peace with what we have.

A WARNING TO THOSE WHO LONG TO BE RICH

⁹Those who long for more and more possessions stumble into temptation and are trapped by many foolish desires that drag them down and take them to a bad end. ¹⁰For the love of possessions is the root of many evil, thorny branches. Some, who have made possessions their aim in life, have walked away from the good road and have been pierced by thorns that bring them much pain and sorrow.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF TRUSTING

¹¹But you, O man who follows the Great Spirit, run away from these things and pursue doing what is right, living in a sacred way, trusting, loving, never giving up, and walking softly and in a humble manner. ¹²Fight the good fight of trusting Creator. Get a firm hold on the life of the world to come that never fades away, full of beauty and harmony. The Great Spirit called you to this life when you said yes to him and made it known before many people that you had chosen to walk the good road with Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One.

¹³As you stand before the Great Spirit who gives life to all things, and before Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, who told the truth in a good way when he stood before Spear of the Great Waters (Pilate), I call on you ¹⁴to follow through with this way of life to which he has called you. Keep walking a path that no one can find fault with until the day comes when our Honored Chief, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, will appear.

THE GRAND CHIEF ABOVE ALL CHIEFS

¹⁵That day will be revealed when the time is right by the Blessed One who alone rules above all others, the Grand Chief Above All Chiefs. ¹⁶He is the only one over whom death has no power. His life shines so bright no one can even come near him, and no human eye has ever been able to fully see him. To him belongs all honor and power to the time beyond the end of all days. Aho! May it be so!

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE MANY POSSESSIONS

¹⁷Instruct the ones who have many possessions in this present world not to see themselves as better than others. They must not put their hope in their many possessions, which cannot be depended on, but in the Great Spirit, who, from his great possessions, provides all we need to enjoy life. ¹⁸Instruct them to walk in a good way, to possess many good deeds, and to be willing and ready to share with those in need. ¹⁹In this way, they will be storing up and preparing themselves for the life of the world to come, the true life of beauty and harmony that never grows old or fades away.12

CLOSING WORDS

²⁰O He Gives Honor (Timothy), keep a close watch over the things that you have been entrusted with. Turn away from foolish and empty talk and arguments about what is falsely called knowledge. ²¹For there are some who, having held this “knowledge” to be true, have strayed away from the good road in which we trust.

May the gift of Creator’s great kindness walk with you on the road of life.