2 Timothy 1:1-7

Background of 2 Timothy:
2 Timothy is believed to be Paul’s last letter. His missionary ministry was over, as he was in prison on account of the Gospel of Christ. Paul knew that his death was certain and near at hand. Paul writes this letter as a second letter to Timothy, a leader in the early church. Timothy’s father was Greek and an unbeliever while his mother was Jewish and a Christian (see Acts 16:1). Because of Timothy being from mixed ethnicities, he was very likely subject to mistreatment from both Jews and Gentiles, as Acts 16:1-5 attests to. Timothy was a very young, timid, and very sickly person; seemingly not a likely candidate to lead the church through the severe persecution that had arisen that was only getting worse. Paul writes this letter to Timothy as a type of “last will and testament” and uses his last writing to bring some encouraging words to give this follower of Christ courage for the future ahead of both Timothy and the church.

Chapter 1:1-7

Verses 1 & 2: Introduction

Verses 3-5: Remember where you came from.
1. We have a family of believers. Other believers serve as:
a. A source of encouragement.
b. A source of joy
i. Not a joy in themselves but a joy in that they show us that God is at work in our midst.

2. We have a legacy of faith.
a. God has always had a people to carry out his plan.
b. We are connected to a story larger than ourselves.
i. We are in some sense connected to all believers who ever lived or will live. God uses people to make the Gospel known. This connects us together because we heard about Christ from other people and people will know about Christ because other people tell them.

Verses 5-7: Remember what you have.
1. If we are born again having the Holy Spirit inside of us,
a. We have faith.
i. Having faith means that we “believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)
b. We have the power to persevere to overcome fear. (Revelation 12: 7-11)
c. We have the ability to respond in love. (1 John 2:7-10; 4:7-21)
d. We have the ability to base decisions on the character of God and on truth rather than on something that is fleeting or has no stability like our emotions. (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16)

Note: see Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:3-4 for this topic as well.