Saint Paul's final letter to Timothy

English Translation follows:

Paul's Final Letter to Timothy

From Paul, your friend and fellow servant. My Timothy! What good
reports I hear of you! It is with great affection that I have this last
letter sent to you. This letter is not for all men, only those like
yourself that have a solid foundation in the Lord and can hear what
this letter contains. You, my dear son, have become the man I have
prayed for and hoped you would become. Your success and many
accomplishments make me very proud! Press on my fellow servant for your
cause is meaningful, much needed, and God ordained. Many times I have
found my spirit troubled by the lack of men such as yourself in this
world, even among our Christian brothers. They have not discovered the
secret that you and I have discussed on many an occasion. Let us,
Timothy, you and I, review the foundation of our faith as men together.
First, we must realize that God is completely sovereign and as our
Creator we are bound to serve Him with love. Remember, Timothy, pride
is a sin that requires daily attention. A real man cannot afford to
find himself boasting about his success when in reality all his
achievements are made possible by God. Second, we must daily meet our
Lord in prayer. Not fake prayer with smoke and noisy sacrifices as our
lost brothers conduct, but prayer that is from the heart and expresses
your concerns to Him who is loving and willing to help us. Third, we
must remain faithful servant-priests, as our Lord became the chief
example for this duty. To be a real man one must truly know and love
God and serve the Most High with all his might. You my dear Timothy are
a shining example of a real man, and I am much encouraged by your work
and faithfulness.

You will find the following information helpful in your ministry, and
I encourage you to teach it to other men of like faith. These are
further explanations of past letters and new guidance for Christian men
and you.

Marriage

As you know, marriage is a special gift from our Father, and I know you
want to follow in my footsteps, but do not deny your longing heart. The
young lady your heart desires is a true servant of Him who called her
to this faith. She will make a fine wife for you. Remember to love her
as Christ loved the Church. You are both equals in the eyes of God. Do
not make the same mistake as some of our Christian brothers and treat
your wife (or even other women) as if they were less than you are or
somehow subject to your bidding. Marriage is a union of two servants
who are equal in the sight of their God. For how can they become "one"
as the Lord commands if they are not equal in each other's eyes?

Church Organization

Deacons. You know the qualifications. Make certain they realize their
role is to serve and not be served. They are the caretakers of the
people. Teach them to minister, to pray, and to serve. Their work is
much needed today and their service will be greatly rewarded by our
Father who pays wages beyond imagining.

Worship. Brother Timothy of all your responsibilities as pastor you
must not neglect this one. You must ensure the people worship God in
spirit and in truth. The songs they sing, the clothes they wear and the
time of day are not important! Be wary of those who say, "We have
always done it that way!" For are they worshipping the God of heaven or
their own tradition? You, man of God, seek God's face daily to ensure
your messages are from the heart of your Father. Never let an
opportunity to pass without having instructed the brethren in the
mysteries of the gospel and the hope we have in Christ.

Women. Let the ladies of the Church serve as they are called of God.
Are we to tell a woman what she can or cannot do in service to the
Church? Is this not God's role? Encourage them as you do the men. Find
a woman full of God's spirit and appoint her over the ladies to teach
them the ways of a Christian lady.

Membership. Encourage all who come to join in the good work. They are
each given a gift that must be used to build God's Church. It is a sad
thing to waste a special gift from God. Have you noticed anyone there
with exceptional skills in the marketplace? Have you noticed honest men
and women with the ability to encourage, lead and love those around
them? These are no doubt talents provided by the Lord. Be bold Timothy
and with much prayer and love approach these ones and tell them of
God's Messiah. A gift wasted brings much sadness, but a soul lost is
unbearable for me to think upon. Press on my son. Be strong and
courageous. These men and women expect you to be bold because of your
message of love is without compare. They long to follow God and love
Him but they are without instruction.

Preaching. Keep your messages firmly grounded in the truth. Allow the
Spirit of God to speak to you and through you. I realize the Sabbath
Day, for you, is not restful but if you do not preach they will not
hear. Seek strength and rest from the Lord. On the Sabbath you must
rise early and seek the face of your God. Your words must be God's
words, your heart must be God's heart. Resist all distractions. Your
calling demands your focus on that appointed time before your Church.
Preach with boldness and in the power of God. Use parables as our Lord
taught us to communicate the doctrines of our faith.

Giving. Do not neglect to instruct the Church on giving to God. They
will be blessed beyond measure for their faithfulness. You must ensure
their gifts are well used for the cause of Christ. Feed the hungry,
clothe the needy, minister to the sick, and tell all the good news of
Jesus Christ. These are the ministries our Lord left us to continue.
Ensure they know that money is not the only form of giving. They are
expected to give of their talents as well, for God has blessed them
with all they are and possess and can put a man's talent to much use
for His Kingdom.

Men

Real Christian men are the bravest men in this world. For we serve a
God whose love and grace are counter to all the ways of this world.
From the outside we may appear weak and not worth consideration, but
what is unknown to many men is that the real battles of life are fought
and won on the battlefield of the heart. Our physical size, status, or
purse contents are trivial compared to the matters of the heart. God
directly relates a real man's value to his heart's possession. Does he
listen to the Voice gently speaking? Has he become stone hearted
because of selfish sin? Has he left the right path to follow down the
easy road that requires no trials, no faith, no purpose? Laziness of
the heart will kill a man as sure as a sword will. Real men fight the
battles of the heart because they know their King is beside them,
behind them and ever before them. Arise, Oh Man of God and hear your
King's heart call! We must do battle for our God, our families, and our
fellowman.

Women

What precious gift of God are women! Are they not the most beautiful
of God's creatures? How God has blessed them with such vast amounts of
love! May we never look past them or down upon them. Women must be
given every opportunity to fulfill God's call on their heart as our men
are given. The old law holds them back, but our Lord's ministry has
taught us the value of women and given us the new laws of love and
cooperation.

It has been my experience that many women have the ability to hear the
"heart call" of Christ more readily than men. They suffer little from
the sin of pride as men do. Encourage them, teach them, and build them
up in the faith. How eager they are to tell of the love of Jesus Christ
to all who will listen. Watch out my son lest one of these ladies in
the faith take over your position!

Last Words

I fear I may not see you again until we are reunited in glory. You
have been a joy to teach. May the God who made us, who loves us and
calls us to faithfulness continue to use you in His ministry in a
mighty way. Continue the race. My eyes swell with tears as the pride of
a father fills my heart. Do not mourn for me. As you know I long to see
my Lord again face to face. My only regret is not having more time with
you and all our faithful friends. Continue to live as a real man
should, with God's purpose and love singing in your heart. Grace be
with you.

Translator notes: This document has an authentic "feel;" however, no
other records contain such a personal style from Paul. If genuine, it
is evident that he loved young Timothy and had high hopes for him. Many
doctrines presented seem to counter earlier interpretations (especially
the equality of women and men). The author's humor regarding a woman
taking Timothy's position as Church leader is interesting and this
level of humor is new for a Pauline letter. These scrolls were easily
translated because of their location in Cave 19 and the near perfect
temperature and humidity conditions it affords. This modern translation
and design replicates in an English version this scroll's contents and
original appearance. The existence of Cave 19 and the scrolls it
contains must be kept a secret. The Jewish faith is the supreme faith
and this scroll will only serve the cause of the so called Christian
faith.