2 Timothy, chapter 1
interpretation - meaning - commentary - explanation
2 Timothy chapter 1 "[1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, [2] To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. [3] I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; [4] Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; [5] When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
[6] Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. [7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. [8] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; [9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, [10] But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: [11] Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. [12] For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. [13] Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. [14] That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. [15] This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. [16] The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: [17] But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. [18] The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well."
It is estimated that Paul's Second Epistle to Timothy was written in the Mamertine Prison in Rome, shortly before the apostle was sentenced to death. A terrible place, full of sorrow and evil, where Paul spent the last days of his life. For a Christian, it's a huge challenge, a discouragement that can very easily defeat faith.
Who would want to serve God when He, seeing His servant in prison, does not save him from death? In the pages of Scripture we read how God, earlier saved Paul from prison, why doesn't He do it now? That's a discussion for another topic, in one sentence I'll just say that the faithfulness of God's servant, despite all the misfortunes, was needed by the other believers as well as the angels. They saw that it is possible to be faithful to God until the end of life, that spiritual life is more important than earthly life. The main value is that God is trusted above all else. Paul's death meant that he no longer had to suffer. We don't know God's decisions, but we know they are right. Faith does not guarantee us physical security, but spiritual security, God comforts us internally.
Would you, dear reader, if you found yourself in prison, but not the prison of today, but an ancient, dark, rotten, smelly and cruel one, knowing that you already had a signed death sentence, would you still worship God? A rather unanswerable question.
Peter during the Lord's Supper pledged to be faithful to Jesus and not to deny Him. We know from the Bible that when they captured Christ it was Peter who denied Him as many as 3 times.
If you think you would be faithful, would you have the strength and joy to still give thanks for this fate, to sustain others knowing that others have abandoned you? Today, if you were in Paul's place in prison, would you dare to answer a firm YES? Do you know yourself well enough to be so sure? Many "strong" Christians have fallen in such a difficult situation. Self-confidence has lost many. Should you find yourself in a similar situation as Paul in his misfortune, remember not to base your strength on yourself, but to seek it from the Lord.
You can read about how to persevere in prison despite terrible conditions in books:
- I Will Die Free - Nobel Alexander
- Chains In China - Bradley Booth
Paul's faithfulness despite being in prison
Paul abandoned by almost everyone (1.15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.) persevered in the faith. How quickly we abandon others when misfortune may befall us. Rome at the time was hunting Christians. Should those who turned away be condemned and placed above them? Definitely not! We do not know their motivations and reasons, but we can be sure that they feared for their lives. They heard about the terrible torture those who were caught went through. It is God who judges human hearts, not man.
However, he found a friend, Onesiphorus (1:16-18), and as we read in the following verses, also Luke (4:11). But we see that despite such tragic moments, God helped Paul endure his suffering. We should follow the example of such people, disregarding adversity to always be faithful to God's truth.
Verses 3, 4, 5 and 16, 17, 18 indicate that moments spent with Christians can be useful in the difficult times of our lives. Even the memories themselves help Paul, for which he is grateful to the Lord. He does not forget his friends and faithfully persists in his prayers, making requests to the Creator.
The apostle, aware of the death sentence, wholeheartedly praises God, gives thanks that he serves with a clear conscience. His faith is not shaken. Moreover, he knows that he suffers for the sake of the Gospel and fully trusts the Lord Jesus having the Holy Spirit within him. An attitude worthy of emulation.
