Paul’s Greeting to Timothy

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, ² to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanksgiving and Encouragement

³ I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ⁴ I long to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

⁶ For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands! ⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

Do Not Be Ashamed of the Gospel

⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹ And of this gospel, I was appointed a herald, an apostle, and a teacher.

¹² That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

¹³ Follow the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Paul’s Personal Concerns

¹⁵ You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. ¹⁷ On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

Footnotes:

1.“Fan into flame” (verse 6) is from the Greek word anazopyrein, which means to rekindle or stir up. Paul encourages Timothy to actively nurture and exercise his spiritual gifts with passion.

2.“Spirit of fear” (verse 7) uses the Greek word deilia, which signifies timidity or cowardice. Instead, believers are filled with dynamis (power), agape (love), and sophronismos (self-discipline or sound mind).

3.“Holy life” (verse 9) reflects the Greek phrase kletēn hagian, indicating that the Christian calling is not based on merit but on God’s grace, which predestined believers for holiness before time began.

4.“Guard what I have entrusted” (verse 12) refers to the parathēkē, or deposit of faith, that Paul has committed to God’s safekeeping, a trust that every believer must preserve until Christ’s return.

5.“The good deposit” (verse 14) uses the term kalēn parathēkēn, pointing to the sound teachings of the gospel and the sacred responsibility Timothy has to guard these truths.

6.“Deserted me” (verse 15) refers to the abandonment Paul experienced from many companions in Asia, highlighting the loneliness and trials of his ministry. The Greek word apostrophē suggests a deliberate turning away.

7.“Onesiphorus” (verse 16) is praised for his loyalty and courage in seeking Paul during his imprisonment. His actions reflect deep Christian fellowship and bravery, not being ashamed of Paul’s chains.