2 Timothy 1:1-18
Lesson 407
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
"The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy"
"Godliness and pastoral care."
Authorship:
Second Timothy is one of the thirteen epistles (letters) written by Paul (1:1) and the second addressed to Timothy (1:2). Written during his second imprisonment in Rome, shortly before his execution, it is one of only four epistles written to specific individuals (along with 1 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon). The rest of Paul's epistles were written to churches. Second Timothy was Paul's last letter.
Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28) in the small but wealthy city of Tarsus, Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3) in modern-day Turkey. Born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth, Paul/Saul was from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) and was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. At the tender age of thirteen, Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), a high honor. Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a strict Pharisee himself (Acts 26:5). Paul was a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). Going city to city, he hunted down believers, beat them, forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11), and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (Acts 22:4). After converting to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life teaching the word of God throughout the vast Roman empire. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours and wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured decades of hardships as he spread the Gospel, all the time supporting himself with donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was driven out of Antioch (Acts 13:50), forced to flee Berea (Acts 17:13-14), and his enemies put him on trial in Achaia (Acts 18:12). Paul was whipped five times and beaten with rods three times. They tried to stone in in Iconium (Acts 14:5). They did stone him in Lystra and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). In Philippi, he was arrested, whipped, and placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). Paul was mobbed in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5). They would have killed him in Jerusalem if not for Roman soldiers (Acts 22). As a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and washed up on an island (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was reviled (1 Corinthians 4:12), and in constant danger from thieves he passed on the lonely stretches of road and brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, beaten, and homeless (1 Corinthians 4:11). He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), called "the filth of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:13), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years while he waited for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
Timothy
Timothy (one who honors God) was also called Timotheus. He was a disciple of Christ, a minister, an evangelist, Paul's protégé, and a prominent leader in the early church from the city of Lystra (in modern-day Turkey). Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother (Eunice) and a Gentile father (Acts 16:1-3). He studied The Old Testament as a child (2 Timothy 3:15) but converted to Christianity with his mother and grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5) during Paul's first visit to Lystra. Shy by nature and plagued by illness (1 Timothy 5:23), Timothy was well thought of by believers (Acts 16:2). He was like a son to Paul (Philippians 2:22; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1) and accompanied him on the second (Acts 16:3-4) and third missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 16:10). Timothy helped Paul write 2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:1), Philippians (Philippians 1:1), Colossians (Colossians 1:1), and Philemon (Philemon 1:1), and assisted him in starting the church in Philippi (Acts 16:11-12). Acts 19:22, 1 Thessalonians 3:1-10, and 1 Corinthians 4:17 report that Paul sent Timothy to Macedonia, Thessalonica, and Corinth to stabilize their struggling churches. Later, the aging Paul addressed the epistles 1 Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2) and 2 Timothy (2 Timothy 1:2) to him, and Timothy traveled to Rome to visit the imprisoned Paul (Philemon 1:1). Timothy himself was imprisoned and then released (Hebrews 13:23). He was devoted to Jesus, committed to the welfare of others (Philippians 2:20), and spent his life spreading the word of God.
Purpose and Theme:
Paul wrote Second Timothy around AD 67 while languishing in a Roman prison for the second and last time. It was written approximately four years after 1 Timothy. By now, Timothy had been ministering for fifteen years, and Paul is an old man sensing his death at the hands of the Romans (2 Timothy 4:6). His foreboding was right, Paul was executed shortly after completing 2 Timothy. Paul longed to see Timothy one last time. This was his last letter to his old friend, and he asked Timothy to visit him in prison.
Many of the problems Paul addressed in 1 Timothy still plagued Ephesus. So, Paul reinforced his advice from 1 Timothy, instructed Timothy how to preach, and predicted the end of times. Second Timothy are the last words written
by a great man of God waiting to die. Many Bible scholars consider 2 Timothy Paul's most moving work. It is meant to encourage and inspire faith. Paul urged Timothy to keep up "the good fight, " spread the word of God, and prepare
others to minister. Second Timothy is referred to as one of the three Pastoral Epistles (along with 1 Timothy and Titus).
Second Timothy is one of the thirteen epistles (letters) written by Paul (1:1) and the second addressed to Timothy (1:2). Written during his second imprisonment in Rome, shortly before his execution, it is one of only four epistles written to specific individuals (along with 1 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon). The rest of Paul's epistles were written to churches. Second Timothy was Paul's last letter.
Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28) in the small but wealthy city of Tarsus, Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3) in modern-day Turkey. Born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth, Paul/Saul was from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) and was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. At the tender age of thirteen, Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), a high honor. Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a strict Pharisee himself (Acts 26:5). Paul was a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). Going city to city, he hunted down believers, beat them, forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11), and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (Acts 22:4). After converting to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life teaching the word of God throughout the vast Roman empire. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours and wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured decades of hardships as he spread the Gospel, all the time supporting himself with donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was driven out of Antioch (Acts 13:50), forced to flee Berea (Acts 17:13-14), and his enemies put him on trial in Achaia (Acts 18:12). Paul was whipped five times and beaten with rods three times. They tried to stone in in Iconium (Acts 14:5). They did stone him in Lystra and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). In Philippi, he was arrested, whipped, and placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). Paul was mobbed in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5). They would have killed him in Jerusalem if not for Roman soldiers (Acts 22). As a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and washed up on an island (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was reviled (1 Corinthians 4:12), and in constant danger from thieves he passed on the lonely stretches of road and brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, beaten, and homeless (1 Corinthians 4:11). He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), called "the filth of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:13), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years while he waited for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
Timothy
Timothy (one who honors God) was also called Timotheus. He was a disciple of Christ, a minister, an evangelist, Paul's protégé, and a prominent leader in the early church from the city of Lystra (in modern-day Turkey). Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother (Eunice) and a Gentile father (Acts 16:1-3). He studied The Old Testament as a child (2 Timothy 3:15) but converted to Christianity with his mother and grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5) during Paul's first visit to Lystra. Shy by nature and plagued by illness (1 Timothy 5:23), Timothy was well thought of by believers (Acts 16:2). He was like a son to Paul (Philippians 2:22; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1) and accompanied him on the second (Acts 16:3-4) and third missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 16:10). Timothy helped Paul write 2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:1), Philippians (Philippians 1:1), Colossians (Colossians 1:1), and Philemon (Philemon 1:1), and assisted him in starting the church in Philippi (Acts 16:11-12). Acts 19:22, 1 Thessalonians 3:1-10, and 1 Corinthians 4:17 report that Paul sent Timothy to Macedonia, Thessalonica, and Corinth to stabilize their struggling churches. Later, the aging Paul addressed the epistles 1 Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2) and 2 Timothy (2 Timothy 1:2) to him, and Timothy traveled to Rome to visit the imprisoned Paul (Philemon 1:1). Timothy himself was imprisoned and then released (Hebrews 13:23). He was devoted to Jesus, committed to the welfare of others (Philippians 2:20), and spent his life spreading the word of God.
Purpose and Theme:
Paul wrote Second Timothy around AD 67 while languishing in a Roman prison for the second and last time. It was written approximately four years after 1 Timothy. By now, Timothy had been ministering for fifteen years, and Paul is an old man sensing his death at the hands of the Romans (2 Timothy 4:6). His foreboding was right, Paul was executed shortly after completing 2 Timothy. Paul longed to see Timothy one last time. This was his last letter to his old friend, and he asked Timothy to visit him in prison.
Many of the problems Paul addressed in 1 Timothy still plagued Ephesus. So, Paul reinforced his advice from 1 Timothy, instructed Timothy how to preach, and predicted the end of times. Second Timothy are the last words written
by a great man of God waiting to die. Many Bible scholars consider 2 Timothy Paul's most moving work. It is meant to encourage and inspire faith. Paul urged Timothy to keep up "the good fight, " spread the word of God, and prepare
others to minister. Second Timothy is referred to as one of the three Pastoral Epistles (along with 1 Timothy and Titus).
2 Timothy is broken down into four main segments:
1) Verses 1:1- 18 - Salutation (1:1-2); Prayers for Timothy (1:3-5); Foundations of Christian service, use your gifts (1:6-12); and don't abandon the truth (1:13-18).
2) Verses 2:1-26 - Fighting for Christ; Endurance (2:3-7); Stay pure (2:20-26).
3) Verses 3:1-17 - Dangerous times for Christians; Sins (3:1-9); Accept persecution (3:10-12); Strength in the Word of God (3:14-17).
4) Verses 4:1-22 - Keep preaching (4:1-4); Paul is abandoned in prison; Farewell and final benediction (4:1-22).
1) Verses 1:1- 18 - Salutation (1:1-2); Prayers for Timothy (1:3-5); Foundations of Christian service, use your gifts (1:6-12); and don't abandon the truth (1:13-18).
2) Verses 2:1-26 - Fighting for Christ; Endurance (2:3-7); Stay pure (2:20-26).
3) Verses 3:1-17 - Dangerous times for Christians; Sins (3:1-9); Accept persecution (3:10-12); Strength in the Word of God (3:14-17).
4) Verses 4:1-22 - Keep preaching (4:1-4); Paul is abandoned in prison; Farewell and final benediction (4:1-22).
Study Tip:
As you read, look for lessons to apply in your life.
As you read, look for lessons to apply in your life.
