2 Timothy
Book Outhne
Key theme: Preparation for the ministry in the last days
Key verses: ,
I. The Pastoral Appeal ()
A. Courageous enthusiasm ()
B. Shameless suffering ()
C. Spiritual loyalty ()
II. The Practical Appeal ()
A. The steward (, )
B. The soldier (, , )
C. The athlete ()
D. The farmer (, )
E. The workman ()
F. The vessel ()
G. The servant ()
III. The Prophetic Appeal ()
A. Turn away from the false ()
B. Follow those who are true ()
C. Continue in God’s Word ()
IV. The Personal Appeal ()
A. Preach the Word ()
B. Fulfill your ministry ()
C. Be diligent and faithful ()
Book Overview
When Paul wrote the letter we know as 2 Timothy, his situation had changed drastically. He was now a prisoner in Rome and was facing certain death (). For one reason or another, almost all of Paul’s associates in the ministry were gone, and only Luke was at the apostle’s side to assist him (). It was a dark hour indeed.
But Paul’s great concern was not for himself; it was for Timothy and the success of the gospel ministry. As in his first letter to Timothy, Paul encouraged his beloved colleague to be faithful. As we have learned, Timothy was timid, suffered from physical ailments, and was tempted to let other people take advantage of him and not assert his authority as a pastor.
Paul sent Tychicus to replace Timothy at Ephesus so that Timothy might join Paul at Rome (, ). God would soon move Paul off the scene, and Timothy would take his place and continue to give spiritual leadership to the churches. It would not be an easy task, but Timothy could succeed with the Lord’s help.
The ministry of the gospel is no place for a “timid soul” who lacks enthusiasm. In fact, courageous enthusiasm is essential for success in any kind of work. Paul compared this attitude to stirring up a fire into full flames (). We must not conclude that Timothy was backslidden or lacked spiritual fire. Rather, Paul was encouraging his associate to keep the fire burning brightly so that it might generate spiritual power in his life.
Timothy had every reason to be encouraged and to have spiritual enthusiasm in his ministry. Paul loved him and prayed for him. His experiences in life had been preparation for his ministry, and Paul was confident of the genuineness of Timothy’s faith. The Spirit within him would provide all the power needed for ministry.
The essentials for a successful ministry have not changed: courageous enthusiasm, shameless suffering, and spiritual loyalty.
“Be Transformed”
The person that Christ transforms takes on a “long view” of events and experiences. Life is no longer simply a moment-by-moment sequence of events but is instead a continuously amazing discovery of God’s faithfulness and the ongoing challenges of service. Life becomes a preparation for eternal life. A transformed life seeks to end well. When Paul considered the last things he wanted to tell his younger apprentice, he wrote, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (, ).
Paul summarized his life for Timothy, who knew best the truth of his words. Timothy had been with Paul through thick and thin, and he had watched his mentor invest his life for Christ. Each of Paul’s five phrases above captures a key life lesson. First, our lives are a gift best lived as an offering to God. Second, unless the Lord returns, death is always on the schedule at some point, and sometimes there are reminders of how nearby the end of the race may be. Third, Christ will help us face the “fights” and challenges of life so we learn to fight well. Fourth, the race may seem long, but there is a finish. And fifth, we, like Paul, are called to be faithful. Come delight, difficulty, or disaster, we are called to follow Jesus. These long-term realities are a significant guide for living each day well and to its fullest. The transformed life looks forward to that final phase of transformation that will occur when we meet Christ face to face ().
Greeting
1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2To Timothy, a beloved son:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Timothy’s Faith and Heritage
3I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,
7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
10but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
11to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
Be Loyal to the Faith
14That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
15This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
17but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.
18The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.
Be Strong in Grace
1You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
3You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
7Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
9for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
12If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
Approved and Disapproved Workers
16But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
17And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
18who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
22Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
24And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Perilous Times and Perilous Men
1But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
9but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
The Man of God and the Word of God
10But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,
11persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
14But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Preach the Word
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Paul’s Valedictory
6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
The Abandoned Apostle
10for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.
11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
12And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
13Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.
14Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.
15You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.
16At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.
The Lord Is Faithful
17But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
Come Before Winter
19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
20Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.
21Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.
Farewell
22The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
Annotations for 2 Timothy
Paul did not think that Timothy’s tears were evidence of failure or insincerity. Paul was sure that Timothy’s faith was genuine, and that this faith would see him through in spite of the troubles he was facing. Paul had watched Timothy’s life and service during those years they were together. He was certain that Timothy’s faith was genuine. In fact, Timothy’s heritage was a great one, for he was reared in a godly home, trained by a wonderful apostle, and given marvelous opportunities for serving the Lord.
Apparently Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, was the first one in the family won to Christ; then his mother, Eunice, was converted. Timothy’s father was a Greek (), so Eunice had not practiced the orthodox Jewish faith. However, Timothy’s mother and grandmother had seen to it that he was taught the Scriptures (), and this was great preparation for the hearing of the gospel.
, The Holy Spirit gives us love. If we have love for lost souls and for the people of God, we will be able to endure suffering and accomplish the work of God. Selfishness leads to fear because, if we are selfish, we are interested only in what we will get out of serving God, and we will be afraid of losing prestige, power, or money. True Christian love, energized by the Spirit (), enables us to sacrifice for others and not be afraid. The Spirit produces love ().
Suffering may well be a part of a faithful Christian life. Christians should not suffer because they have done wrong (; ); rather, they sometimes suffer because they have done right and served God. When we suffer for doing good, then we are sharing Christ’s sufferings () and suffering on behalf of the whole church ().
We are part of a great eternal plan that God determined “before time began.” God knows the end from the beginning. He has purposes for His people to accomplish for His glory. Suffering is a part of His plan. Jesus Christ suffered in the will of God here on earth, and all those who trust in Him will also suffer. It is His purposes that we are to fulfill, and if these purposes include suffering, then we can accept it by faith and know that God’s will is best. This is not fatalism. It is confidence in the wise plan of our gracious heavenly Father.
On difficult days, it is important that we stand true to Christ and be willing to suffer for Him and not be ashamed. We may not be put into prison, as was Paul; but we suffer in other ways: the loss of friends, being bypassed for a promotion, loss of customers, being snubbed by people, and so forth. It is also important that we stand by God’s servants who are suffering for righteousness’ sake.
The word “pattern” means “an architect’s sketch.” There was a definite outhne of doctrine in the early church, a standard by which teaching was tested. If Timothy changed this outhne or abandoned it, then he would have nothing by which to test other teachers and preachers. We today need to hold fast to what Paul taught for the same reason.
Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul’s chains. The apostle was manacled to a Roman soldier twenty-four hours a day. Onesiphorus could have invented many excuses for staying in Ephesus. But instead he made the dangerous journey to Rome and ministered to Paul. Were it not for Paul’s letter, we would never know that Onesiphorus served Paul and the church. But the Lord knows and will reward him “in that Day,” at the time of Christ’s return.
It is important that we get our original treasure from the Word of God, and not from the ideas and philosophies of men. We do not test modern teachers by their popularity, education, or skill. We test them by the Word of God, and particularly the doctrines of grace as given by Paul. It is not we who examine Paul to see if he is right; it is Paul who examines us!
The ministry is not something we get for ourselves and keep to ourselves. We are stewards of the spiritual treasure God has given us. It is our responsibility to guard the deposit and then invest it in the lives of others. They, in turn, are to share the Word with the next generation of believers.
A person who strives as an athlete to win a game and get a crown must be careful to obey all the rules of the game. In the Greek games in particular, the judges were most careful about enforcing the rules. Each competitor had to be a citizen of his nation, with a good reputation. In his preparations for the event, he had to follow specific standards. If an athlete was found defective in any matter, he was disqualified from competing. If, after he had competed and won, he was found to have broken some rule, he then lost his crown.
, The spiritual leaders who share the Word with the people are the first ones to enjoy its blessings. The preacher and the teacher always get more out of the sermon or lesson than do the hearers because they put much more into it. They also get great joy out of seeing planted seeds bear fruit in the lives of others. Farming is hard work, and it can have many disappointments; but the rewards are worth it.
Paul kept the rules laid down in the Word of God, and one day he would get his reward from Jesus Christ. Paul was saying to young Timothy, “The important thing is that you obey the Word of God, no matter what people may say. You are not running the race to please people or to get fame. You are running to please Jesus Christ.”
This “faithful saying” is probably part of an early statement of faith recited by believers. It is faith in Jesus Christ that gives us victory (). We do not fear the enemies, for Jesus has already conquered them. Through our identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection, we have won the victory (see ).
The Word is a treasure that the steward must guard and invest. It is the soldier’s sword and the farmer’s seed. But it is also the workman’s tool for building, measuring, and repairing God’s people. The preacher and teacher who use the Word correctly will build their church the way God wants it to be built. But a careless worker will handle God’s Word deceitfully in order to make it say what he wants it to say (). When God tests our ministries in His local churches, some of it, sad to say, will become ashes (.).
Each of us as God’s workman will be either approved or ashamed. The word “approved” means “one who has been tested and found acceptable.” The word was used for testing and approving metals. Each trial that we go through forces us to study the Word to find God’s will. As we rightly use the Word, we succeed in overcoming our trials, and we are approved by God. We cannot be approved unless we are tested.
What does it mean to be “ashamed”? Certainly it means that such a workman’s work is below standard and cannot be accepted. It means loss of reward. In fact, in Paul’s day, a builder was fined if he failed to follow the specifications. When the Lord judges our works, it will be revealed whether we as workmen have handled the Word of God honestly and carefully. Some who are now first will end up last!
False teachers are not valuable; they are like wood and clay utensils. They are the ones “for dishonor,” common and unimportant, no matter how popular they may be today. Wood and clay will not survive the test of fire. It is worth noting that the name “Timothy” comes from two Greek words which together mean “God-honoring.” Paul was encouraging Timothy to live up to his name!
For God to be able to use us as “vessels,” we must be clean and available. He will take us and use us for His glory. But if we are defiled by sin and disobedience, He will first have to purge us, and that might not be an enjoyable experience. In the “great house” of the professing church, there are true believers and false. We must exercise spiritual discernment and be careful that we are vessels “for honor.”
As you survey these aspects of the work of the ministry, you can see how important and how demanding a work it is. The ministry is no place for a loafer, because it demands discipline and work. It is no place for a shirker, because there are enemies to fight and tasks to be completed.
At least eighteen different characteristics are listed here, and Paul probably could have listed more. There is an emphasis on love: “lovers of themselves, lovers of money,” “unloving,” “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart. God commands us to love Him supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves (), but if we love ourselves supremely, we will not love God or our neighbor.
In this universe there is God, and there are people, and there are things. We should worship God, love people, and use things. But if we start worshiping ourselves, we will ignore God and start loving things and using people. This is the formula for a miserable life, yet it characterizes many people today. The worldwide craving for things is just one indicator that people’s hearts have turned away from God.
, These false religious leaders take advantage of the problems people have, and promise them quick and easy solutions. They “creep into” and soon control people’s lives. It is not long before these leaders grab their followers’ loyalty, money, and service. And their “converts” are worse off than they were before. They still have their problems, but they have been duped into thinking that all is well.
, Satan is an imitator; what God does, Satan counterfeits. The religious leaders in the last days will have a counterfeit faith, and their purpose is to promote a lie and resist the truth of God’s Word. They deny the authority of the Bible and substitute human wisdom and philosophy. In their attempt to be “modern,” they deny the reality of sin and people’s need for salvation.
Adults need the guidance of the Word just as children do, and adults face more temptations and make more decisions. Timothy’s grandmother and mother had faithfully taught him the Old Testament Scriptures. Timothy was to continue in what he had been taught. We never outgrow the need for the Word of God.
Catalyst
In , , Paul says that all Scripture is “given by inspiration of God” and that it is “profitable.” Biblical inspiration is the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on the Bible’s writers, which guaranteed that what they wrote was accurate and trustworthy. “Revelation” means the communicating of truth to man by God; “inspiration” has to do with the recording of this communication in a way that is dependable. Whatever the Bible says about itself, mankind, God, life, death, history, science, and every other subject is true. This does not mean that every statement in the Bible is true, because the Bible records the lies of men and of Satan. But the record is true.
The purpose of Bible study is not just to understand doctrines or to be able to defend the faith, as important as these things are. The ultimate usefulness is the equipping of the believers who read it. It is the Word of God that equips God’s people to do the work of God.
The effective equipping that God’s Word accomplishes can be seen in four ways in this passage: teaching what is true, making us realize what is wrong in our lives, correcting us, and teaching us to do what is right. Every passage in God’s Word has one or more of these effects on us. It is God’s gift to us so that we can do “every good work.”
Go to the
This was a serious hour, and Paul wanted Timothy to sense the importance of it. It was serious, not only because Paul was facing death, but even more because both Paul and Timothy would be judged one day when Jesus Christ appeared. It would do us all good to occasionally reflect on the fact that one day we will face God and our works will be judged. For one thing, this realization would encourage us to do our work carefully and faithfully. It would also deliver us from the fear of people; for, after all, our final Judge is God. Finally, the realization that God will one day judge our works encourages us to keep going even when we face difficulties. We are serving Him, not ourselves.
Paul related everything in his ministry to the Word of God. His calling and his preaching depended on faith in Christ. He wanted Timothy to grasp this fact and to make the Word of God a priority in his ministry. Throughout all three of the Pastoral Epistles there is an emphasis on teaching the Word of God. Local churches ought to be “Bible schools” where the Word of God is taught systematically and in a practical way.
God’s speaker must be patient in preaching the Word. We will not always see immediate results. We must be patient with those who oppose his preaching. Above all else, we must preach doctrine. We must not simply tell Bible stories, relate interesting illustrations, or read a verse and then forget it. True preaching is the explanation and application of Bible doctrine. Anything else is just religious speechmaking.
A Greek or Roman athlete who was a winner was rewarded and usually got a laurel wreath or a garland of oak leaves. The word for “crown” is stephanos—the victor’s crown; we get our name “Stephen” and “Stephanie” from this word. (The kingly crown is diadema, from which we get “diadem.”) However, Paul would not be given a fading crown of leaves; his would be a crown of righteousness that would never fade. We are not called to be apostles, yet we can win the same crown that Paul won. If we love Christ’s appearing, live in obedience to His will, and do the work He has called us to do, we will be crowned.
It is heartening to see how many people are named in the closing part of this last letter Paul wrote. There are numerous men and women named in Acts and Paul’s letters, as a part of his circle of friends and fellow laborers. Paul could not do the job by himself. It is a great man who enlists others to help get the job done, and who lets them share in the greatness of the work.
2 Timothy 1
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2 Timothy 2
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2 Timothy 4
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