©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2. Adversary Against God 1 Pet. 5:8 3. Ancient serpent Deceiver in garden Rev. 12:9; 20:2 4. Beelzebul Lord of the fly Matt. 12:24 5. Belial Worthless 2 Cor. 6:15 6. Devil Slanderer Matt. 4:1 7. Dragon Destructive Rev. 12:3, 7, 9 8. Enemy Opponent Matt. 13:28 9. Evil one Intrinsically evil John 17:15 10. God of this world Influences thinking of world 2 Cor. 4:4 11. Liar Perverts the truth John 8:44 12. Murderer Leads people to eternal death John 8:44 13. Prince of demons Leader of fallen angels Mark 3:22 14. Prince of the power of the air Control of unbelievers Eph. 2:2 15. Roaring lion One who destroys 1 Pet. 5:8 16. Ruler of this world Rules in world system John 12:31 17. Satan Adversary 1 Tim. 5:15 18. Tempter Solicits people to sin 1 Thess. 3:5 ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:8 have food and clothing . . . be content. The basic necessities of life are what ought to make Christians content. Paul does not condemn having possessions, as long as God graciously provides them (v. 17). He does, however, condemn a self-indulgent desire for money, which results from discontentment. See note on Matt. 6:33.
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:9 those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. Greedy people are compulsive—they are continually trapped in sins by their consuming desire to acquire more. ruin and destruction. Such greed may lead these people to suffer the tragic end of destruction and hell. These terms refer to the eternal punishment of the wicked.
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:10 love of money. Lit., "affection for silver." In the context, this sin applies to false teachers specifically, but the principle is true universally. Money itself is not evil since it is a gift from God (Deut. 8:18); Paul condemns only the love of it (cf. Matt. 6:24), which is so characteristic of false teachers (see notes on 1 Pet. 5:2; 2 Pet. 2:1–3, 15). wandered away from the faith. From the body of Christian truth. Gold has replaced God for these apostates, who have turned away from pursuing the things of God in favor of money.
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:11 these things. Love of money and all that goes with it (vv. 6–10), along with the other proud obsessions of false teachers (vv. 3–5). man of God. Cf. 2 Tim. 3:17. This is a term used in the NT only for Timothy; as a technical term it is used about 70 times in the OT, always to refer to a man who officially spoke for God (see note on Deut. 33:1). This, along with 1 Tim. 1:2 and 2:1, indicates that the letter is primarily directed to Timothy, exhorting him to be faithful and strong in light of persecution and difficulty—and particularly with Paul's death near (see Introduction to 2 Timothy: Background and Setting). The man of God is known by what he: 1) flees from (1 Tim. 6:11); 2) follows after (v. 11); 3) fights for (v. 12); and 4) is faithful to (vv. 13–14). The key to his success in all these endeavors is the perfection produced in him by the Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16–17). righteousness, godliness. "Righteousness" means to do what is right, in relation to both God and man, and it emphasizes outward behavior. "Godliness" (see note on 1 Tim. 2:2) refers to one's reverence for God, and could be translated "Godlikeness."
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. The Greek word for "fight" gives us the English word "agonize," and was used in both military and athletic endeavors to describe the concentration, discipline, and extreme effort needed to win. The "good fight of the faith" is the spiritual conflict with Satan's kingdom of darkness in which all men of God are necessarily involved. See notes on 2 Cor. 10:3–5 and 2 Tim. 4:2. Take hold of the eternal life. Paul is here admonishing Timothy to "get a grip" on the reality of the matters associated with eternal life, so that he would live and minister with a heavenly and eternal perspective (cf. Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:2). to which you were called. Refers to God's effectual, sovereign call of Timothy to salvation (see note on Rom. 1:7). good confession. Timothy's public confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which likely occurred at his baptism and again when he was ordained to the ministry (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:13 charge . . . God . . . Christ Jesus. Cf. 5:21; see note on 2 Tim. 4:1. before Pontius Pilate made the good confession. Knowing that such a confession would cost him his life, Jesus nevertheless confessed that he was truly the King and Messiah (John 18:33–37). He rarely evaded danger (cf. John 7:1); he boldly and trustfully committed himself to God who raises the dead (cf. Col. 2:12).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:14 the commandment. The entire revealed word of God, which Paul charged Timothy to preach (2 Tim. 4:2). Paul also repeatedly
encouraged Timothy to guard it (1 Tim. 6:20; 1:18–19; 4:6, 16; 2 Tim. 1:13–14; 2:15–18). appearing. When the Lord returns to earth in glory (cf. 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13) to judge and to establish his kingdom (Matt. 24:27, 29–30; 25:31). Because Christ's return is imminent, that ought to be motivation enough for the man of God to remain faithful to his calling until he dies or the Lord returns (cf. Acts 1:8–11; 1 Cor. 4:5; Rev. 22:12).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:15 at the proper time. The time, known only to him, that God established in eternity past for Christ to return (Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7). Sovereign. This word comes from a Greek word group that basically means "power." God is absolutely sovereign and omnipotently rules everything everywhere. King of kings and Lord of lords. A title used of Christ (Rev. 17:14; 19:16) is here used of God the Father. Paul probably used this title for God to confront the cult of emperor worship, intending to communicate that only God is sovereign and worthy of worship.
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:16 whom no one has ever seen or can see. God in spirit is invisible (cf. 1:17; Job 23:8–9; John 1:18; 5:37; Col. 1:15) and, therefore, unapproachable in the sense that sinful man has never seen nor can he ever see his full glory (cf. Ex. 33:20; Isa. 6:1–5).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:17–19 Paul counsels Timothy what to teach those who are rich in material possessions, those who have more than the mere essentials of food, clothing, and shelter. Paul does not condemn such people, nor command them to get rid of their wealth. He does call them to be good stewards of their God-given resources (cf. Deut. 8:18; 1 Sam. 2:7; 1 Chron. 29:12).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:17 haughty. "To have an exalted opinion of oneself." Those who have an abundance are constantly tempted to look down on others and act superior. Riches and pride often go together, and the wealthier a person is, the more he is tempted to be proud (Prov. 18:23; 28:11; James 2:1–4). uncertainty of riches . . . richly provides us. Those who have much tend to trust in their wealth (cf. Prov. 23:4–5). But God provides far more security than any earthly investment can ever give (Eccles. 5:18–20; Matt. 6:19–21).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:18 ready to share. The Greek word means "liberal," or "bountiful." Those believers who have money must use it in meeting the needs of others, unselfishly and generously (see notes on Acts 4:32–37; 2 Cor. 8:1–4).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:19 storing up . . . a good foundation. "Storing up" can be translated "amassing a treasure," while "foundation" can refer to a fund. The idea is that the rich in this world should not be concerned with receiving a return on their earthly investment. Those who make eternal investments will be content to receive their dividends in heaven. See notes on Luke 16:1–13. take hold of . . . truly life. See note on 1 Tim. 6:12.
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:20–21 The church's main responsibility is to guard and proclaim the truths of Scripture, so Paul here instructs Timothy on how to guard and protect the word of God.
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:20 deposit entrusted to you. The deposit Timothy was to guard is the truth—the divine revelation that God committed to his care. Every Christian, especially if he is in ministry, has that sacred trust to guard the revelation of God (cf. 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:3–4). what is falsely called "knowledge." False doctrine—anything claiming to be the truth that is in fact a lie. False teachers typically claim to have the superior knowledge (as in Gnosticism). They claim to know the transcendent secrets, but actually are ignorant and infantile in their understanding (see notes on Col. 2:8).
1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 6:21 Grace be with you. Paul's closing salutation is plural, i.e., "you all"—it goes beyond Timothy to the entire congregation at Ephesus. All believers require the grace of God to preserve the truth and pass it on to the next generation.
2 Timothy
2 Timothy 1 • 2 Timothy 2 • 2 Timothy 3 • 2 Timothy 4 Introduction to 2 Timothy
Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes
Introduction to 2 Timothy
Title
This epistle is the second of two inspired letters Paul the apostle wrote to his son in the faith, Timothy (1:2; 2:1). For biographical information on Timothy, see Introduction to 1 Timothy: Title. It is titled, as are the other personal letters of Paul to individuals (1 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon), with the name of the addressee (2 Tim. 1:2).
Author and Date
The issue of Paul's authorship of the Pastoral Epistles is discussed in the Introduction to 1 Timothy: Author and Date. Paul wrote 2 Timothy, the last of his inspired letters, shortly before his martyrdom (c. A.D. 67).
Background and Setting
Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment for a short period of ministry during which he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus. Second Timothy, however, finds Paul once again in a Roman prison (1:16; 2:9), apparently rearrested as part of Nero's persecution of Christians. Unlike Paul's confident hope of release during his first imprisonment (Phil. 1:19, 25–26; 2:24; Philem. 22), this time he had no such hopes (2 Tim. 4:6–8). In his first imprisonment in Rome (c. A.D. 60– 62), before Nero had begun the persecution of Christians (A.D. 64), he was only under house arrest and had opportunity for much interaction with people and ministry (Acts 28:16–31). At this time, however, five or six years later (c. A.D. 66–67), he was in a cold cell (2 Tim. 4:13), in chains (2:9), and with no hope of deliverance (4:6). Abandoned by virtually all of those close to him for fear of persecution (cf. 1:15; 4:9–12, 16) and facing imminent execution, Paul wrote to Timothy, urging him to hasten to Rome for one last visit with the apostle (4:9, 21). Whether Timothy made it to Rome before Paul's execution is not known. According to tradition, Paul was not released from this second Roman imprisonment, but suffered the martyrdom he had foreseen (4:6).
In this letter, Paul, aware the end was near, passed the non-apostolic mantle of
ministry to Timothy (cf. 2:2) and exhorted him to continue faithful in his duties (1:6), hold on to sound doctrine (1:13–14), avoid error (2:15–18), accept persecution for the gospel (2:3–4; 3:10–12), put his confidence in the Scripture, and preach it relentlessly (3:15–4:5).
Historical and Theological Themes
It seems that Paul may have had reason to fear that Timothy was in danger of weakening spiritually. This would have been a grave concern for Paul since Timothy needed to carry on Paul's work (cf. 2:2). While there are no historical indications elsewhere in the NT as to why Paul was so concerned, there is evidence in the epistle itself from what he wrote. This concern is evident, for example, in Paul's exhortation to "fan into flame" his gift (1:6); to replace fear with power, love, and a sound mind (1:7); to not be ashamed of Paul and the Lord, but willingly suffer for the gospel (1:8); and to hold on to the truth (1:13– 14). Summing up the potential problem of Timothy, who might be weakening under the pressure of the church and the persecution of the world, Paul calls him to 1) generally "be strengthened" (2:1), the key exhortation of the first part of the letter, and to 2) continue to "preach the word" (4:2), the main admonition of the last part. These final words to Timothy include few commendations but many admonitions, including about 25 imperatives.
Since Timothy was well versed in Paul's theology, the apostle did not instruct him further doctrinally. He did, however, allude to several important doctrines, including salvation by God's sovereign grace (1:9–10; 2:10), the person of Christ (2:8; 4:1, 8), and perseverance (2:11–13); plus Paul wrote the crucial text of the NT on the inspiration of Scripture (3:16–17).
Interpretive Challenges
There are no major challenges in this letter involving theological issues. There is limited data regarding several individuals named in the epistle; e.g., Phygelus and Hermogenes (1:15), Onesiphorus (1:16; cf. 4:19), Hymenaeus and Philetus (2:17–18), Jannes and Jambres (3:8), and Alexander (4:14).
Outline
I. Greeting and Thanksgiving (1:1–5)