Read or listen Second Epistle to Timothy online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

My beloved son Timothy – 1:1-2

The opening greeting of the letter is very similar to the opening greetings of the First Letter to Timothy and the First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:1-3).

Paul knew that this life was coming to an end for him (2 Tim 4:6-7), but it meant a transition to the life to come, eternal life (verse 1, see also 2 Cor 5:1-10).

Timothy was to Paul like his own son in Christ (verse 2, 1 Cor 4:14-15). Apparently Timothy had become a Christian during Paul’s first visit to Lystra (Acts 14:6-7), for when Paul returned to Lystra on his second missionary journey, Timothy was already a Christian (Acts 16:1-3).

Heritage – 1:3-5

Timothy's mother and grandmother were Jewish. Judaism is inherited through the mother.

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.
(Acts 16:1)

Timothy's father was a Gentile. It was apparently only after his death that Timothy could be circumcised (Acts 16:3).

Those who consider the Pastoral Letters to have been written only after Paul's death, see the mention of Timothy's mother and grandmother as evidence of the late date of writing: there are already third-generation Christians. It is worth noting that in verse 3 Paul speaks of his own ancestors as believers. Paul believes that true Judaism believed quite correctly: it awaited the Messiah sent by God (compare Acts 24:14 and 26:6). Even today, when a Jew becomes a Christian, he does not abandon his roots but, on the contrary, returns to them.

In addition to this letter, in many other letters, Paul thanks God for the faith of the recipients (verse 3, Romans 1:8, 1 Corinthians 1:4, Philippians 1:3-4, Col. 1:3, 1 Thess. 1:2, 2 Thess. 1:3).

In verse 3, Paul says that he prays constantly. He also urged the Thessalonian Christians to pray without ceasing:

"Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances..."
(1 Thess 5:16-18)

The tears (verse 4) must have been shed at the moment of separation when Paul left Timothy in Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3, compare Acts 20:37-38, 21:13). Timothy needed Paul's encouragement (verse 5), which is no wonder - he had to lead a church that had heretics and other problems within it.

A link in the chain of salvation history – 1:6-14

We do not know what gift Timothy received when he was ordained to the ministry of the gospel (verse 6, 1 Tim 4:14). It may be that it is the ministry itself, for Paul considers the ministries of the church to be gifts of grace (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5).

Timothy seems to have been timid (v. 7). Paul urged the Corinthian Christians not to despise him (1 Cor. 16:10-11, cf. 1 Tim. 4:12).

In verse 8 it seems as if Paul was afraid that Timothy (compare verse 15) would also abandon him (see also John 6:67). Perhaps the heretics were popular, while Paul and the true doctrine were unpopular. There have been periods in church history when almost the entire church was wrong and only a small minority held the true faith (e.g. Arianism in the 4th century and the Roman Catholic Church before the Reformation).

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel (verse 8, Rom 1:16, cf. 1 Cor 2:1-10). Timothy also suffered for the gospel (verse 8). The Epistle to the Hebrews also records his imprisonment (Heb 13:23). Paul saw that imprisonment was part of the destiny of a witness for Christ (Eph 3:1, 4:1, Phil 1:9). But even that suffering can be endured with God's help (verse 8) - and only with His help.

Verses 9 and 10 may be part of the baptismal liturgy of that time, as they speak of calling to the kingdom of God and salvation. Salvation is a gift from God alone, and our works have no role in it:

"...God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace..."
(verse 9)

We have been called to be children of God and to participate in salvation solely by God's grace (Romans 3:28: "one is justified by faith apart from works of the law"; Eph 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). The same can also be seen from the fact that God had already decided about salvation in Jesus before the beginning of time (verse 9), i.e. before any human had done any work (Eph 1:4, 1 Peter 1:20). God’s choice ("because of his own purpose") is too difficult for human reason, but it is a clear biblical teaching. Luther wrestles with this question in his book “On the Bondage of the Will,” inspired by Erasmus of Rotterdam’s book “On Free Will.”

For God, the fall into sin (Genesis 3:1-19) did not come as a surprise, he had already prepared for it. Its destructive power was reversed on the cross of Calvary when Christ died for the sins of all people (1 John 2:2). Jesus is our Savior (verse 10, Titus 1:4, 2:13, 3:6) from the power of sin and our Deliverer from darkness into light (1 Timothy 1:1, 2:3, 4:10, Titus 1:3, 2:10, 3:4).

"The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1-2), but Christ has made us alive by his victory over Satan. Death can no longer defeat Christ's own (Romans 8:38-39). Although a Christian dies physically - unless he is in the world at the second coming of Christ - he does not die eternally (John 11:25-26), he does not experience the second death (Revelation 2:11).

Paul had been called to be a preacher of the gospel (verse 11). Now his work was coming to an end and he commissioned Timothy to continue it (verses 13-14). Every Christian is called to be a preacher of the gospel, not tied to a position in the church. Luther spoke of "a universal priesthood of Christians".

Paul was not ashamed of his imprisonment (verse 12). On the contrary, unfaithfulness to God’s call would have been a cause for shame. Paul urged Timothy to have similar loyalty (verse 14, 1 Tim 6:20).

We could summarize Paul's description of salvation history into five stages (verses 9-10):
1. God's decision before the beginning of time
2. Christ's coming into the world as the atoning sacrifice for sins
3. God's call must be proclaimed to sinners
4. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in Christians
5. The complete, final victory over the power of sin and death in heaven.

Faithful and unfaithful friends – 1:15-18

Ephesus was the capital of the province of Asia. Paul was therefore speaking of the church situation of the recipients - not his own. "All who are in Asia" (verse 15) is an exaggerated expression. After all, at least the family of Onesiphorus (verse 16, 2 Tim 4:19) and Timothy remained faithful to Paul in Ephesus.

Note that even at that time information was being transmitted from Ephesus to Rome. Of course, it took much more time than it does today, but for a society of that time, the Roman Empire was quite advanced and efficient.

Phygelus and Hermogenes (verse 15) are unknown to us. Perhaps Paul mentions them because he would have expected them to at least remain loyal to Paul. The apostasy of the Ephesians from their apostle was a bitter disappointment, for the whole province of Asia (Acts 19:10) had heard the gospel preached by Paul. The apostasy predicted by Paul on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:28-29) had unfortunately come true.

Onesiphorus (verse 16) may have been an Ephesian businessman who, on his way to Rome, sought out Paul's prison. Paul's imprisonment was harsh: he was in chains (verse 16, compare 2 Tim 2:9, Acts 28:20, Eph 6:20).

It is unclear whether Onesiphorus was already dead. The Roman Catholic Church justifies praying for the dead (mass for souls) with, among other things, verse 18: if Onesiphorus was dead - as verse 16 can be interpreted - Paul seems to pray for the deceased. When Luther was asked whether one can pray for the dead, he replied: "You can pray once or twice, then leave the deceased to the Lord!"

Onesiphorus' service (verse 18) occurred either during Paul's third missionary journey or only when Paul visited Ephesus after his release from captivity (1 Tim 1:3).

The gospel may be persecuted in this world, but God will not allow it to be completely destroyed (compare with Luke 18:8). Satan will do everything he can to deceive even those who have begun to follow Christ (2 Cor. 11:14, 1 Pet. 5:8). We should not underestimate God’s adversary but ask God for help in the fight against him (verse 14).