Chapter 1
Salutation[a]
Address. 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, whose promise of life is fulfilled in Christ Jesus, 2 to Timothy, my beloved child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving and Prayer. 3 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clean conscience as did my ancestors—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I recall your tears,[b] I long to see you again so that my joy may be complete. 5 I also remember your sincere faith, a faith that first came to life in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced also dwells in you.[c]
The Endurance of a Man of God[d]
Revive the Gift of God. For this reason, I remind you to stir up the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands.[e] 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but rather a spirit of power and of love and of wisdom. 8 Therefore, you should never be ashamed of bearing witness to our Lord, nor of me because I am imprisoned for his sake. Rather, you should utilize the strength that comes from God to share in my hardships for the sake of the gospel.9 God saved us and called us to a life of holiness, not because of our works but according to his own purpose and the grace that has been bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.[f] 10 That grace has now been revealed by the appearance[g] of our Savior Jesus Christ. He has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I have been appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.[h]
12 Guard the Treasure Entrusted to Us. That is the reason why I am undergoing my present sufferings. However, I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have placed my trust, and I am confident that he is able to guard until that Day[i] what he has entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of sound teaching that you heard from me, with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 With the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, guard the treasure that has been entrusted to us.
15 Comfort Those in Suffering. As you are well aware, everyone in Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.[j] 16 May the Lord be merciful to the household of Onesiphorus,[k] because he has often been a comfort to me in my troubles, and he has never been ashamed of my chains. 17 When he arrived in Rome, he concentrated on searching for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord[l] on that Day. He also helped me in many ways at Ephesus, as you are well aware.
Footnotes
- 2 Timothy 1:1 Paul begins his Letter with a salutation that is similar to the one found in 1 Timothy, adding to it the words “whose promise of life is fulfilled in Christ Jesus.” He calls Timothy his “beloved child,” and the actual greeting is the same as that of 1 Timothy, showing that everything we have comes to us from God through Christ. As in most of his Letters (the exceptions are Gal, 1 Tim, and Tit), Paul then follows his salutation with a section thanking God for the recipients of the Letter. He focuses on his relationship with Timothy and his confidence in Timothy’s faith.
- 2 Timothy 1:4 Your tears: those shed by Timothy when Paul was leaving Ephesus (see 1 Tim 1:3).
- 2 Timothy 1:5 According to Acts 16:1, Timothy’s mother (Eunice) was a Jewish Christian while his father was a Greek and apparently an unbeliever. Here we learn that his grandmother (Lois) was also a Christian.
- 2 Timothy 1:6 Paul warns that self-interest and discouragement must not get the best of the apostle’s ardor and determination. Rather, he must rely upon the graces that were given him when he received the ministry and was gripped by the Spirit at his missionary sending forth (see 1 Tim 4:14). He must once again place himself at the service of the Gospel, which is the announcement of the coming of Christ and the salvation that he gives. There is no missionary life without spiritual renewal.
6
The last seven verses go on to give examples of men of God who have endured: Paul and Onesiphorus. - 2 Timothy 1:6 Laying on of . . . hands: see note on 1 Tim 4:14.
- 2 Timothy 1:9 Paul insists that redemption from sin and the call to holiness are freely given to human beings in accord with God’s plan (see Eph 1:4).
- 2 Timothy 1:10 Appearance: the reference here is to the Incarnation.
- 2 Timothy 1:11 Teacher: most manuscripts read: “teacher of the nations,” which scholars regard as a gloss based on 1 Tim 2:7.
- 2 Timothy 1:12 That Day: the day of judgment and crowning. What he has entrusted to me: i.e., the deposit of faith (see 1 Tim 6:20). Another possible translation is: “what I have entrusted to him,” i.e., the fruits of his ministry.
- 2 Timothy 1:15 Paul is deeply disappointed that he has been deserted by Christians from Asia, including two upon whom he was counting—Phygelus and Hermogenes. Some scholars believe that Phygelus was the leader of lapsed Christians in Rome (see Phil 1:15f).
- 2 Timothy 1:16 Onesiphorus: a helper of Paul—probably during his first Roman imprisonment (see v. 8)—whose household was in Ephesus and who is not mentioned elsewhere (see 2 Tim 4:19).
- 2 Timothy 1:18 Lord . . . Lord: the first “Lord” doubtless refers to Christ and the second to the Father.