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

INTRODUCTION

You can read about the pastoral letters in general and about Timothy in the introduction to the First Epistle for Timothy.

Structure of the Second Epistle to Timothy

The Basis of Salvation – 2 Tim 1
Life as God’s Own – 2 Tim 2
What is Life Like in the End Times? – 2 Tim 3
A Call to Endurance – 2 Tim 4

Farewell Letter

The Second Epistle to Timothy can rightly be called Paul's testament. It is his last letter. The death sentence is already near (2 Tim 4:6-8). Paul was a prisoner, but this time the imprisonment was more severe than the previous time (Acts 28:30-31). He was in chains (2 Tim. 2:9: "bound with chains as a criminal"), and it was not easy for his friends to find him (2 Tim. 1:17).

Paul was alone. Some of his friends and colleagues had left him (2 Tim 1:15, 4:10,16), some were spreading the gospel elsewhere (2 Tim 4:10). Only the physician Luke remained (2 Tim 4:11). Paul missed Timothy (2 Tim 1:4) and asked him to come to him and at the same time bring the scrolls of parchment left in Troas and Paul's cloak (2 Tim 4:9,13,21).

But loneliness was not the only reason for writing the letter. Paul mentions 23 people in the letter, half of whom are unknown to us. Even as his death approached, the apostle was concerned about the condition of the congregations and individual Christians. Also in this letter, Paul warns Timothy about heresies (2 Tim 2:23).

Bo Giertz describes the circumstances of the letter as follows:
After leaving Timothy in Ephesus, Paul traveled to Macedonia. From there he wrote the First Letter to Timothy. He then visited Crete, where he left Titus (it is possible that Paul had visited Crete before visiting Ephesus). From Crete he went again to Ephesus and met Timothy (compare 1 Tim 3:14). From there he went to Miletus, where the sick Trophimus stayed (2 Tim 4:20). From Miletus the journey apparently continued via Troas to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). Paul was on his way to Italy, but we do not know whether he went to Rome, where he was imprisoned, or whether he was already imprisoned in Greece and came to Rome as a prisoner.

In Rome, Paul was sentenced to death (2 Tim 4:6-7), which was carried out by the sword, as it was done for the citizens of Rome (compare Acts 22:25-29). This is what Clement, Bishop of Rome, tells us.

Church father Hieronymus says that the execution of both Peter and Paul took place in the 14th year of Emperor Nero's reign, i.e. 68 AD. That year was the last year of Emperor Nero's reign, as he was dismissed from the position of emperor on June 8, 1968 and committed suicide the next day.

The letter was written shortly before the death of the apostle Paul, because the court session had already been held (2 Tim 4:16). Apparently Paul was just waiting for it to be carried out (2 Tim 4:6-7).

The end of the letter: “Grace be with you!” is probably the last writing that has been preserved from Paul.