Salutation
Very similar to 1 Timothy
Paul identifies himself as an “apostle of Christ Jesus”
This is possibly an indication that he expected their loyalty as he passed the mantle on to Timothy
He is an apostle “by the will of God”
Addresses Timothy as “my dear son”
Paul shows much affection for Timothy

II -- 1:3-2:13 – Recollections and Personal Encouragement

Thanksgiving
This resembles the format of thanksgiving that Paul used in other letters
Paul thanks God for Timothy and prays for him “night and day”
He is also reminded of their last parting – and Timothy’s tears
Paul longs to see him so that he may be “filled with joy”
This is another indication of Paul’s real affection for Timothy
Paul remembers his sincere faith – and thanks God for it
He reminds Timothy of his Christian heritage
It came through his grandmother, Lois, and then his mother, Eunice
Their faith now lives in him
Paul is leading up to a charge for Timothy to remain faithful
Paul asks him to “fan into flame” the gift of God
This is a metaphor for rekindling a waning fire, but does not mean Timothy’s own faith was dying out
Special grace was given to Timothy through the laying on of hands
He is not to be timid, but to have a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline
(These verses suggest that Timothy is still a young man in need of Paul’s mentoring, which would be unlikely if Paul is writing this at the end of his ministry.  By this time Timothy would be a seasoned worker.)

1:8           Paul urges Timothy to never be ashamed to testify about
                 the Lord
                 This was meant as encouragement, not as a rebuke
                 The giving of the spirit would not lead to cowardice
                 He also urged Timothy never to be ashamed of Paul, the
                 Lord’s prisoner
                 (It is also likely that Paul was imprisoned while writing                  this letter)
                 Instead Timothy is to join with Paul in “suffering for the                  gospel”
                 Such suffering is to be expected in his association with                  the gospel
                 He does not have to do all this on his own, however
                 He will be given the power of God, divine help

1:9-12     Paul’s confession of faith
                 The God who gives power is the God who called them to
                 a holy life
                 This was God’s gracious act; they had not earned this
                 This was all planned before the beginning of time but
                 only now revealed
                 It was revealed in Christ who has “destroyed death” and
                 “brought immortality”
                 This is all meant to encourage Timothy to be steadfast                  when times are tough
                 Through God’s purpose and grace, they are among
                 those who have overcome death through Christ
                 This is the gospel message
                 Paul, then, repeats that this was his appointed task
                 He identifies himself as a herald, apostle, and a teacher
                 His authority is not at issue here, just the content of the
                 message
                 He is now suffering because he fulfilled this commission
                 It is Paul’s supreme hope that under similar                 
                 circumstances, Timothy will remain strong and accept
                 his share of whatever sufferings come his way
                 Paul sees this and has no “shame” (regret) regarding
                 his imprisonment
                 He is clear about the one in whom he believes
                 And he trusts that

1:13-14   Another appeal to Timothy
                 Timothy is to keep Paul’s words as “the pattern of sound
                 teaching”
                 He is to remember what Paul taught and he is to teach
                 the same
                 (Possible reference to other false teachers)
                 As always, this is to be done in faith and love in Christ
                 Jesus
                 Again, Timothy is to “guard the deposit” that was
                 entrusted to him
                 (This is hard to translate; it could refer to the gospel itself)
                 He is not out on his own to do this, but is empowered by
                 the Holy Spirit

1:15-16   The departure of others
                 Many others have already departed from his teachings
                 They have “deserted” Paul; two are mentioned by name
                 (This might have happened when he was arrested and
                 sent to Rome)

1:17-18   The support of one
                 One shining exception to the above was the household
                 of Onesiphorus
                 Paul prays for him, asks the Lord to show him mercy
                 Not only was Onesiphorus not ashamed of Paul’s
                 chains, but he also “refreshed” Paul
                 (The term generally refers to “cheering up”)
                 He searched for Paul in Rome and visited him regularly
                 (Timothy should be more like Onesiphorus, not the
                 deserters)
                 Paul prays that Onesiphorus will have mercy on the final
                 day
                 He reminds Timothy how helpful he was in Ephesus
                 (The implication is that Timothy was present during this
                 time)

Paul resumes his appeal to Timothy
Paul again invites Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”
Timothy should allow God to strengthen him during his ministry
He is to remember Paul’s teachings, and teach it to reliable men
They, in turn, will teach it to others
Paul uses the metaphor of being a good soldier
Soldiers don’t get sidetracked; they follow their commanding officers
Next is the metaphor of an athlete
Athletes must follow the rules (either of training or of the game)
Then, if they win, they receive the “victor’s crown”
Lastly, is the metaphor of a hard working farmer who gets the crops
Timothy is to think deeply about all these things

Paul urges Timothy to keep remembering the truth
He is to remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead
Jesus was also a descendant of David
(This is possibly creedal material affirming the humanity of Jesus)
This was the gospel message entrusted to Paul
For this, Paul is suffering in chains, like a common criminal
(This was more than humiliating for a Roman citizen and an innocent man)
Though he is distraught at his own chains, he affirms the gospel is not chained
(They can kill the messenger, but they can’t kill the message!)
Just from knowing that, Paul finds he can endure anything        
(By implication, of course, Timothy should too)
The whole purpose of his ministry was to lead people to Christ
This he has done
Paul cites a trustworthy saying
Believers’ actions (whether + or -) lead to results in Christ
“If” we die with him, we all live with him
(May be a reference to persecution)
“If” we endure, we will also reign with him
“Endure” generally means “holding one’s ground”
Reign is a reference to eternal glory
“If” we disown him, he will disown us
This is a negative result; if we reject Christ, he rejects us
“If” we are faithless, he will still remain faithful
(Scholars disagree if this is good or bad – faithful to us or to judgment?)
God will respond to our faithlessness with grace

Problems with false teachers
Paul urges Timothy to keep reminding people of the truth
Others will quarrel over words; it is a waste of time
Timothy should warn them, and then continue to fulfill his requirements of his ministry
Timothy should present himself as one approved, a workman of God
He has been tested and approved and need not be ashamed of the gospel
He handles the truth correctly
In contrast, false teaching will spread like “gangrene”
This means, of course, that it should be avoided at all costs
Two teachers are identified – Paul had mentioned Hymenaeus in 1 Tim 1:20
In their teaching, they have wandered from the truth
The point of error was to state that the resurrection had already taken place
(Believers were already in a heavenly state – quite Gnostic)
Followers either tend towards libertinism or asceticism
God will have the final word, however
God’s foundation stands firm
What God is doing cannot be thwarted by false teachers
Those who confess God must turn away from
wickedness                                 

Two kinds of vessels
There are vessels (gold and silver) used for noble purposes
Other vessels (clay and wood) are used for ignoble purposes
The person who dissociates himself from what is ignoble will be a vessel for noble purposes
Such vessels are at hand for the service of their master (Christ)

Timothy’s responsibilities
Though still a young man, he is to “flee the evil desires of youth”
(This might be less a reference to sensual passions than to youthful stubbornness – like besting others in quarrels, but see note above on Timothy’s relative age)
In contrast he is to pursue “righteousness, faith, love, and peace”
Along with God’s people, he is to call on the Lord
Again, he is admonished to have nothing to do with “stupid arguments”
Instead of quarreling, God’s servant must be kind to everyone
This is not to suggest that evil is to be ignored
He must teach gently in hopes that God will change their hearts
(It is not clear whether this relates to the opponents or to those they mislead)
Either way, he is an instrument of God
If God grants them repentance, they will come to their senses, know the truth
They will “escape from the devil” who is holding them captive

Lovers of money and pleasure
“In those days” will be a terrible time
Paul gives a theological perspective on the false teachers
How will people know when the “end of time” has begun?
He lists eighteen vices that will be evident in people
One-third of list only occurs here
List reflects issues prevalent in pagan society
People will be lovers of themselves/money, boastful/proud
Most characteristics involve an enhanced sense of self at expense of others
Paul concludes with an attack against the false teachers
They have a form of godliness but deny its power
They liked the outward trappings of religion, but they lack its “heart”
Timothy is to have nothing to do with them

Depravity of false teachers
They are religious charlatans
They seem to be particularly effective with women
Women might have been reaching out to them for instruction
But they were being led down the wrong path
Paul compares both teachers and women to sorcerers
Two ancient magicians (Jannes and Jambres – unknown in OT) are mentioned
Paul describes them as “men of depraved minds”
“Depraved” means corrupted
Ultimately, they will not get very far
People will find them out and they will not prevail

Persecution of Christians
Paul urges Timothy to be different from false teachers
He is to rely upon Paul as his model
Paul lists the virtues he has expressed including the challenges he has faced
His “way of life” included “love, patience, endurance, suffering…”
Through it all the Lord was with him, rescuing and caring for him
Paul reminds Timothy of the time when Paul was stoned
Timothy could see for himself the dangers involved as well as the healing of it
Paul encourages Timothy not to bail out when trials come his way
Paul says everyone who lives a godly life will have these experiences
In contrast “evil men” will go from bad to worse

Remain faithful to the Holy Scripture
Paul repeatedly warns Timothy not to be led astray by these imposters
He is to continue in what he knows – he learned it from his mother and grandmother
The truths they taught him from his infancy are enduring
The truths of the Holy Scripture point to salvation through faith in Christ
All Scripture is “God-breathed” – inspired by God
It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, training in righteousness
Teaching is Timothy’s prime task
Rebuking is needed to expose false teachers
Correcting will restore them to their proper understanding
Training in righteousness means proper instruction
The point of all this is so “the man of God will be equipped for every good work”
This would certainly include Timothy’s work with the gospel

Timothy is to preach the word
Paul charges Timothy in the presence of God and Christ:  Preach the word
This has the impact of a legal decree
The “charge” is a series of five imperatives
Be prepared – be on duty constantly
Correct, rebuke, encourage – all are to be done with great patience
Paul warns that the time will come when people will not listen to him
Instead, they will hear only what their “itching ears” want to hear
“Itching ears” is generally used for curiosity, spicy information
Their ears will turn from the truth and turn toward lies, false teachings
Paul tells Timothy to “keep your head in all situations…do your duty”
Timothy is to keep control of himself, continue to fight the good fight

Paul’s final testimony
Paul reveals for the first time that he expects to be killed
He will be “poured out like a drink offering”
Everything he has said up to this point takes on a new light
Paul is expecting to leave the scene – Timothy has to take over
In reflecting on his life, Paul is satisfied
He has “fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith”
He has completed the race and has not been disqualified
His work is over even though more needs to be done
He uses an athletic metaphor for his reward – the crown of righteousness
“Crown” refers to the laurel wreath given to victors
This same reward is available to all who run in this race

Paul’s personal invitation to Timothy
Paul invites Timothy to come to him quickly
He has been deserted by three others – fellow workers
We know little about these men or why they left his side
“Only Luke” remains with Paul
Paul asks Timothy to bring “Mark” (John Mark) – because he is “helpful to me”
This might be the same Mark that caused the rift between Barnabas and Paul
(See Acts 13:5; 15:36-41.  Paul also speaks of Mark in Col 4:10)
If this is the same Mark, then he obviously redeemed himself later in his life
Paul sent Tychicus with the letter to Ephesus
No doubt he would be the one to replace Timothy in Ephesus
Paul asks Timothy to pick up some personal items – a cloak and his scrolls
This meant that Timothy could not sail directly to Rome                    
It is not known what scrolls Paul was referring to here

Opponents and supporters
Someone named Alexander opposed Paul and Timothy should be wary of him
He greatly opposed “our message”
Paul is confident that the Lord will “reward” him appropriately
In fact, everyone has deserted Paul; he has no supporters
(There is no mention here of Luke or Tychicus)
He prays that they all will be forgiven
In contrast to human support, however, the Lord remained at his side and strengthened him
He was able to speak the gospel to the Gentiles
The Lord also delivered him from “the lion’s mouth”
(There is debate over which particular event is referenced here.  Options include his first trial, Nero, Satan, etc.)
Just as he was once rescued, he will always be rescued
But for Paul, this no longer means he will be released from jail
He will be saved into the heavenly kingdom
He ends with a doxology – To him be glory for ever and ever

Closing greetings
Timothy is to greet old friends, Priscilla and Aquila, Onesiphorus, etc…
It suggests that these folks are all back in Ephesus
He also shares information about Erastus and Trophimus
He hopes Timothy will arrive before winter
(Sailing was halted between November and March)
Paul also sends greetings from several people
These are members of the church in Rome, but they are not “with him”
He ends this letter with a benediction and a prayer for grace
“May the Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”
“Your” is singular; “you” is plural
This is both a personal greeting to Timothy as well as for others