Study of 2 Timothy 1:1&2 by Pastor Brent Sheridan
“Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” - 2 Timothy 1:1-2, ESV
The first 5 minutes of a movie are one of the most important parts of the film. They lay the groundwork and give insight into the story that follows. They establish tone, characters, motivations, and themes. Take Raiders of the Lost Ark as an example. The film establishes Indiana Jones as a rough, but a kind adventurer. He is skilled with a whip, is deliberate, and takes his time. His careful traversal of the cave in the beginning demonstrates a respect for those whose artifacts he now hunts. We know from the first 5 minutes who Indiana Jones is, what he can do, and the tone of the film. Another example is The Dark Knight. The movie opens on a sweeping shot of the city as the camera slowly zooms in on one of the buildings. A glass window in one of the buildings is blown out, and we follow a group of men wearing clown masks as they rob a bank. As the robbery progresses we learn that the man who hired them is called the “Joker,” and he has given each of them orders to kill one of the other men on the job. Eventually only one man is left, and it is revealed the man is the Joker himself. He uses a school bus to disappear into the traffic of the city, and vanishes. This introduction shows the setting is a city, the intelligence of our main antagonist and the chaos in his anarchic views, and establishes the obstacle our hero will eventually have to overcome. We understand the tone, characters, motivations, and themes of the story. The beginning of any story is very important. This is equally true of the Bible and the many writings contained within. Whether it’s the “In the Beginning,” section of Genesis or the “In the first book, O Theophilus,” section of Acts, the introduction gives vital information that will help us on the rest of the journey.
However, the movie The Dark Knight spends its opening with a focus on the villain, giving insight into him as a character, and setting the tone for the movie. It does nothing to tell you about the hero. Why is that? Because The Dark Knight is the second film in a trilogy. The hero has already been established in the first movie, Batman Begins. We have had an entire movie dedicated to our hero. We know who he is and where he’s at in the beginning of The Dark Knight, because we watched the previous film. 2 Timothy is in the same place as The Dark Knight. It is the 2nd letter we have that Paul is writing to Timothy, and because of that we need to get a little back story on exactly who Paul is, who he’s writing too, and what his purpose is for writing.
Who is Paul? Paul, also called Saul, is a later addition to the ranks of the Apostles. Paul is a Jewish man, born as a Roman citizen in the city of Tarsus. He is a very educated man, and was trained in Jewish law by a man named Gamaliel. Paul was a strict follower of the Jewish faith, calling himself “zealous” even (Acts 22:3). He is first introduced to us in scripture in the book of Acts where he is seen to be a harsh persecutor of Christianity, which was then known as “the Way” (Acts 22:4). Paul was converted to Christianity by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul became the main Apostle to the gentiles, or those who aren’t a part of the Jewish faith. Paul made 3 missionary journeys that took him all around the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, stretched across many cities from Jerusalem to Rome, and possibly even took him to Spain. On his journeys Paul faced many beatings, humiliation, and imprisonment, all for the sake of getting the gospel to the Gentiles. At the time of writing 2 Timothy, Paul is again imprisoned in Rome (1:16-17 & 2:9), and believes that his life is about to come to a close (4:6-8). This letter is written then as what Paul believes is quite possibly his final letter to Timothy, his beloved child.
Who is Timothy? Timothy was most likely born in the city of Lystra to a Greek father, and Jewish mother (Acts 16:1). Timothy’s father’s name is not known, but his mother’s name is Eunice. Timothy’s conversion to Christianity took place sometime during or between Paul’s first and second missionary journeys. We know that Timothy’s grandmother Lois was converted to Christianity first, then his mother, Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy traveled with Paul and was circumcised for his own protection because many Jews knew his father was a Greek (Acts 16:3). At the time of our letter, Timothy has been appointed to the church in Ephesus to act as Paul’s delegate, and leader of the church Paul planted there.
Why is Paul writing to Timothy? In 1 Timothy Paul wrote to encourage Timothy and establish him as the leader of the Church in Ephesus. 1 Timothy deals heavily with false teachers who had found a way into the church, and Paul’s attempt at commanding the church to only pay attention to the teachings that Paul firmly taught to Timothy. 2 Timothy is less about the false teachers; even though they are addressed in this letter, they are not the main focus. According to Gordon D. Fee the two main purposes of this letter are “Paul’s lifelong concern — the gospel and its ministry…[and to] call Timothy to his side” (Fee 13).
We now have the background knowledge necessary to enter into the text of 2 Timothy. We’ve seen the first film, we know the players, and we can enter into the sequel fully aware of what is going on, so let’s take a look at the first five minutes of 2 Timothy.
2 Timothy 1:1
“Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,”
When reading this introduction it is important to notice the shift in tone from 1 Timothy’s introduction to this one. In 1 Timothy Paul is not only defending his ministry from the attack of the false teachers who have infiltrated the church at Ephesus, but he is also lending credibility and authority to Timothy as the leader of that church. You can tell the tonal shift due to Paul’s use of “according to” in 2 Timothy 1:1, as opposed to “command” which is used in 1 Timothy’s introduction. In 2 Timothy Paul is writing to a close companion, and a “true child in the faith.” With this as in mind it does seem odd that Paul is writing in such a formal way. He certainly doesn’t need to remind Timothy of who he is, if they were so close, so why do it? Some have argued that this formal tone to such a close friend challenges the Pauline authorship of this letter (Guthrie 134). When looking at Paul’s purposes for writing the letter however, the purpose of this tone becomes clear. Paul is writing his formal greeting here to remind Timothy not who Paul is, but to remind Timothy that Paul’s message, and his life are tied to Jesus. Paul is reminding Timothy that what he has heard is in fact the one and only Gospel message. The introduction is a means of encouragement for Timothy that he is in fact teaching, living, and believing the right things. Paul anchors this fact not in a present active command of God, but on a future promise of eternal life. Paul is saying that his message and teachings are of eternal significance. Paul does not want Timothy to forget that.
2 Timothy 1:2
"To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This verse is an almost direct parallel to 1 Timothy 1:2. The only difference is the way Paul addresses Timothy. In the first letter Paul refers to Timothy as “my true child in the faith” (ESV) whereas here he is called “my beloved child.” This is yet another example of the shift in tone from 1 Timothy to 2 Timothy. Paul is writing a more intimate letter to a beloved son, and not worried about defending Timothy before the church. Rather he goes back to the more personal way of speaking to Timothy (see 1 Corinthians 4:17). Paul is writing as a father to a child. He is writing his final will and testament in regards to the work he has done. He is asking for Timothy to remain devoted to the teachings, to take up the mantle, and run the race as an approved workman for God who need not be ashamed. Paul is passing his ministerial baton to Timothy.
When we look at 2 Timothy we need to keep in our minds Paul’s purpose for writing. He is a father writing to his son in the faith, and he has chosen him to carry on. With these lenses on we can now move forward into 2 Timothy, but before we do, I believe there are some lessons we can take away.
1: Who is influencing your faith?
In Ephesus false teachers caused many a headache for Paul and Timothy, but that problem is not limited to the early years after Christ’s death. Many false teachers have existed since then, still exist today, and will exist in the future. The introduction to 2 Timothy challenges us to stay true to the one true Gospel and not let other teachers, or various ideologies of the day, influence what is good, right and true. We need to take great care to read scripture and ensure that those we choose to follow or listen to are also taking great care to walk in the ways of Christ.
2: Who is training you?
While we should take great care to ensure we are not led astray, it is also very important that we are trained. All around us are senior saints who have lived faithfully for many years. It is unwise to not look for someone at whose feet you can sit. Learning never has an expiration date, and we should always seek to know more about God and the life He longs for us to lead. We should look to those who are further on the path of faith to give us advice and help us ascend further into a head and heart knowledge of God.
3: Who are you training?
In his Letters to Lucilius Seneca the Younger writes “Homines dum docent discunt,” which means “Men learn while they teach.” It is important for our betterment to not only be trained but to be training the next generation as well. Teaching is not just something someone with more experience does to someone with lesser experience. It is something that occurs on both ends. Many things about God can be learned when we try to teach the ways of the faith to those who are younger in the faith. Training someone else in the faith also ensures the continuation of the line of good true, perfect faith that we have so carefully followed with our lives. If you don’t have someone now, I recommend you find someone that you can mentor. Allow the time you spend training them to teach and train you, too.
