2 Timothy – Part 1

Introduction

Well, we are on the home stretch.

2 Timothy is the last published letter written by Sha’ul preserved. Although no Biblical record sheds light on the matter, it appears that Sha’ul may have been arrested in either Nicopolis or Troas and returned to Rome under a death sentence. This letter was written perhaps in 64-67 CE, as Sha’ul refers to himself as a prisoner and mentions having made what was apparently a legal defense.

The tone of this last known letter indicates that Sha’ul knows his time is short. He wants Timothy to come see him as soon as possible. He also warns him about the coming of opposition and encourages him to defend the faith. ^[1]

Salutation

¹ From: Sha’ul, an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua by God’s will, which holds forth a promise of life through being united with Messiah Yeshua

Sha’ul’s greetings often look forward to a significant topic in his letter; see examples at the beginning of Romans, Galatians, Philippians, and Titus. An error not dealt with in 1 Timothy has surfaced: it is being taught that the resurrection of Believers has already happened (2:18; compare 2 Thessalonians 2:2 3). In anticipation of the discussion, Sha’ul hints that God’s will still holds forth a promise of an unrealized life.

² To: Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy, and shalom from God the Father and the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.

Exhortations to Timothy

Concern for Timothy

³ I give thanks to God, whom, like my forbears, I worship with a clean conscience, as I regularly remember you in my prayers night and day. ⁴ I am reminded of your tears, and I long to see you, so that I might be filled with joy. ⁵ I recall your sincere trust, the same trust that your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice had first; and I am convinced that you too now have this trust.

Lois and Eunice were Jewish, but Timothy’s father was not. Because Jewishness is transmitted through the mother, not the father, Sha’ul circumcised Timothy (see Acts 16:1–3).

⁶ For this reason, I am reminding you to fan the flame of God’s gift, which you received through s’mikhah (see Glossary) from me. ⁷ For God gave us a Spirit who produces not timidity, but power, love, and self-discipline.

Compare Romans 8:15, 1 Timothy 4:12, 1 Yochanan 4:18. It is easy not to fan the flame of God’s gift but to wait passively for it to flash forth by itself. Such apathy and fear must be overcome by the Ruach HaKodesh, who produces not timidity, but the means of conquering it—power, love, and self-discipline.

Encouragement for Ministry

⁸ So don’t be ashamed of bearing testimony to our Lord or to me, His prisoner. On the contrary, accept your share in suffering disgrace for the sake of the Good News. God will give you the strength for it,

We should not be ashamed of bearing testimony to Yeshua (Romans 1:16, 10:8b–10) or associating with his workers, even if they happen to be in prison, suffering disgracefully. Onesiphorus (v. 16) is our model; Sha’ul adds more on the subject at 2:3–7. This verse is relevant for Messianic Jews, since we often find ourselves regarded with contempt or suspicion by unbelievers. We should accept our share of this, knowing that God will give us the strength for it, since He has given us everything worthwhile that is ours (vv. 9–10).

⁹ since He delivered us and called us to a life of holiness as His people. It was not because of our deeds, but because of His own purpose and the grace which he gave to us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He did this before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but made it public only now through the appearing of our Deliverer, the Messiah Yeshua, who abolished death and revealed life and immortality through the Good News.

Here is the Gospel in miniature. God delivered us (see 1 Timothy 1:1) from the penalty of eternal death due us for our sins; this is past. For the present, He has called us to live a life of holiness, not libertinism (3:2–5). This salvation is not because of our deeds; we did not earn it, we have no claim on God (Romans 1:16–8:39, Ephesians 2:8–10). Instead, it stems from His own purpose; this is what produced the grace which He gave to us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. God’s purpose existed, and His grace was assigned before the beginning of time, but it was a secret to humanity. Only now, at the time of His own choosing, has He made it public through the appearing of Yeshua the Messiah, our deliverer (this is God’s role), who abolished death and revealed the life and immortality which will be ours in the future. This is the Good News, the Gospel, which anyone can appropriate for themselves by trust, love, and following its teaching.

¹¹ It was for this Good News that I was appointed a proclaimer, emissary, and teacher of the Goyim;

As he often does, Sha’ul reaffirms his credentials as emissary to the Gentiles—provided the phrase, “of the Goyim,” lacking in some manuscripts, is not an adaptation from the parallel passage in 1 Ti 2:7.

¹² and this is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know him in whom I have put my trust, and I am persuaded that he can keep safe until that Day what He has entrusted to me. ^[2]

A significant resource of Believers in times of persecution is confidence, not that we can hold out, but that Yeshua the Messiah can keep safe what He has entrusted to me. That Day, when Yeshua appears in glory to reward the faithful and execute judgment on

In our next post, we will continue to examine ‘Sha’ul’s Second Letter to Timothy.

Click here for the PDF version.

^[1] The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order by F. LaGard Smith

^[2] 2 Timothy 1:1-12