II Timothy Chapter I

Author: by the 2nd C. the Church accepted II Timothy as canonical.

Date: The letter was written from Rome in A.D. 65-67 when Paul was suffering in Prison and most likely nearing his death and execution.

Background:
St. Paul was martyred under Nero on June 29 A.D. 67 perhaps along with Peter or one year earlier on the same day. Paul (a Roman Citizen) was decapitated and by law was not allowed to suffer the dishonorable death of crucifixion.

Major Themes:

  • Overcoming hardship in the ministry. 

  • The Living Tradition of the Church keeps the Church unchangeable.

  • Paul is bidding Timothy to come and visit him.

  • He urges Timothy to remain steadfast in the faith.

  • False Teachers – the Resurrection is past already (II Tim 2:17-18), Paul counters with the Resurrection being a present reality – the Kingdom has come!

Chrysostom: “What is the reason of his writing this second Epistle to Timothy? He had said, "I hope to come unto thee shortly" (1 Tim. iii. 14), and as this had not taken place, instead of coming to him, he consoles him by a letter, when he was grieving perhaps for his absence, and oppressed by the cares of the government, which he had now taken in hand... Nor does he only comfort him by letters, he invites him to come to him: "Do thy diligence," he says, "to come shortly unto me," and, "when thou comest, bring with thee the books, but especially the parchments." (2 Tim. iv. 9 and 2 Tim. iv. 13.) And he seems to have written this Epistle when his end was approaching. For he says, "I am now ready to be offered up"; and again, "At my first answer no man stood with me." (2 Tim. iv. 6 and 2 Tim. iv.16) To set all this right, he both offers consolation from his own trials, and also says…”

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

The hope of eternal life:
“With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Your servant where there is no pain, nor sorrow, nor suffering, but life everlasting (Kontakion of the Funeral Service).”

Chrysostom: “Tell me not, he says, of the dangers here. These obtain for us eternal life, where there is no peril, where grief and mourning flee away. For He has not made us Apostles only that we might encounter dangers, but that we might even suffer and die. . .he begins immediately with offering comfort, saying, ‘According to the promise of life which is in Jesus Christ.’ But if it is a "promise," seek it not here. For, "hope that is seen is not hope (Rom. 8:24.).”

Timothy the beloved child- a spiritual son in whom was abundant fruit
Chrysostom: “And he bears particular testimony to his virtue by calling him "beloved." For where love does not arise from nature, it must arise from the merit of the object. Those who are born of us, are loved not only on account of their virtue, but from the force of nature; but when those who are of the faith are beloved, it is on account of nothing but their merit, for what else can it be?”

3I have gratitude toward God, Whom I worship from my forefathers in a pure conscience,

A pure conscience:
Chrysostom: “And here he speaks of his blameless life, for he everywhere calls his life his conscience. Or because I never gave up any good that I purposed, for any human cause, not even when I was a persecutor. Wherefore he says, ‘I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (1 Tim. 1:13);’ all but saying, ‘Do not suspect that it was done of wickedness.’ He properly commends his own disposition, that his love may not appear insincere. For what he says is in fact, ‘I am not false, I do not think one thing and profess another.’”

There is only One God
Origin: “...there is one and the same God for Jews and Gentiles…”

…as without ceasing I have the remembrance of thee in mine entreaties night and day, 4longing to see thee, having been reminded of thy tears, in order that I might be filled full of joy,

Longing to see Timothy- this is NOT a detached love but a perfect love
Chrysostom: “In the same manner here, that he may not, as if he had been forgetful, have the character of one void of friendship and conscience, he justly praises himself, saying, that ‘without ceasing I have remembrance of thee,’ and not simply that, but ‘in my prayers.’ That is, it is the business of my prayers, that which I constantly continue to perform. . . Mark his fervent desire, the intensity of his love. . . ‘Being mindful of your tears.’ It was natural for Timothy, when parting from him, to mourn and weep, more than a child torn away from the milk and from the breast of its mother. ‘That I may be filled with joy; greatly desiring to see thee.’ I would not willingly have deprived myself of so great a pleasure, though I had been of an unfeeling and brutal nature, for those tears coming to my remembrance would have been enough to soften me but such is not my character. I am one of those who serve God purely so that many strong motives urged me to come to thee. So then he wept.”

5when I am put in remembrance of the unhypocritical faith in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois (Lo-ee-thee) and in thy mother Evnike (NOT Eunice, RSV), and I have been persuaded that it is in thee also.

A Pious Family- Timothy’s Father was a Greek, Mother a Jew (Acts 16:1,3)
Chrysostom: “This is another commendation that Timothy came not of Gentiles, nor of unbelievers, but of a family that served Christ from the first.”