The Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy (New Testament Collection Book 16)

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO TIMOTHY

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The fact that Paul suffers for the faith attests that both he and his gospel are authentic. It was commonly thought in early Christianity that false teachers would not endure suffering. According to data within 2 Timothy, it was written by Paul while he was imprisoned at Rome 1: Luke is with Paul in Rome 4: More likely, however, this letter was written in Paul's name by an anonymous writer making it a pseudonymous work after the death of Paul. The author sought to impersonate Paul in a post-Pauline situation. Reasons cited for that view depend on an assessment of the Pastoral Epistles 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus as a group.

The reasons are as follows: This is literature that honors saints by telling of their deeds and virtues. Most distinctive of this letter among the three Pastoral Epistles is its warm and sympathetic picture of the Apostle Paul, who is portrayed as imprisoned and in danger 2 Timothy 1: To Timothy he says, "Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra" 3: Paul is portrayed here as an example in virtually all things that are related to the faith and life of the Christian.

There are places among the undisputed letters where Paul sets himself up as an example for example, 1 Corinthians Second Timothy is an early form of Christian hagiography one of the very first, if not the first , a literary piece written to praise a saint. Many hagiographies have been written since. One of the best known verses of 2 Timothy is at 3: Issues that typically arise in discussions of the verse are: These three books Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus--share much in common in terms of language, style, and theological themes.

Each is written to a pastor from a pastor. One cannot discuss the theology of one of them in isolation from its two companion pieces. At the same time, 2 Timothy differs from the other two Pastoral Epistles in that it has nothing to say about ecclesiastical offices and has a "thanksgiving" section at the outset. Although the issue of pseudonymity has to be dealt with in the case of each of the three Pastoral Epistles and some other writings in the New Testament, it is particularly acute with this letter.

Toward the close of it 2 Timothy 4: On the other hand, studies have shown that verisimilitude is one of the most important and most common features of pseudonymous writing in antiquity. If you are going to do it, do it well!

Four major christological titles appear in the Pastoral Epistles: There is an implicit affirmation of Christ's preexistence and incarnation 2 Timothy 1: He has been exalted to heaven and reigns in the present era 2 Timothy 1: Finally, he will appear at the end of time 2 Timothy 4: People commit "sins" 2 Timothy 3: When Paul addresses the subject of marriage, he notes that a man and his wife should not deprive each other of each other.

He then lays down general principles declaring that it is better for an unmarried person to remain unmarried and for a married person to remain married. In other words, do not seek to change the position that you are in. Yet if an unmarried person does become married, he has not committed a sin. Paul's main point is that Christians should be free from anxiety so that they can focus on the Lord. Paul also deals with Christian liberty. He says that it is not wrong for a person to eat food that has been sacrificed to idols because idols do not have a real existence. There is only one God, the father, and only one Lord, Jesus Christ.

The problem is that not every Christian has the conscience to eat food that has been sacrificed to idols; therefore, the Christians who do not have a problem eating food sacrificed to idols should take heed that their liberty does not become a stumbling block to the weaker brethren. Christians are to be careful that they do not destroy one of their own, one for whom Christ has died!

Paul then uses himself as an example that though he had every right to receive support from the Corinthians, he refrained from it in order that he would not be a stumbling block to them. Christians are to be careful that they do not stumble one of their brothers, and ultimately everything must be done to the glory of God.

The Epistles to the Corinthians

The order of the church is also a concern of the apostle. He tells the wives that they must wear head coverings and discusses the relation between God, Christ, husband, and wife. God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of God, and the husband is the head of his wife. When the church assembles they must partake of the Lord's supper in a correct manner. God has given spiritual gifts to the church so that the church members would complement each other and the whole body of Christ would function well. At this point the apostle reminds the church that spiritual gifts are worthless without true Christian love.

The gifts of prophecy and tongues must be administered appropriately. All things should be done decently and in order since God is not the God of confusion but of peace. The resurrection is essential to the Christian faith. One must not doubt Christ's physical resurrection; it is unreasonable to do so because there are hundreds of eye witnesses that affirm this. The resurrection of Christ is an essential tenet of the gospel-without it Christians would remain dead in sin and the faith is in vain.

Christ is not the only one to be raised, but the saints, as well, shall be raised from the dead or changed to take on an imperishable inheritance. Death did not have victory over Christ and it shall not have victory over those with who are children of God. The book of 2 Corinthians is structured quite differently than 1 Corinthians.

Half of 2 Corinthians is a defense letter wherein Paul defends himself and then the ministry of the new covenant. Then he tells them of the news that he has received from Titus and prepares the church for the collection and his third visit. The motif of suffering and affliction occurs much in 2 Corinthians. In his introductory statements, Paul wanted the Corinthian believers to be well aware of the affliction that they experienced in Asia. It is uncertain as to what this affliction may be, but because of it the apostle and his company despaired of life itself and felt that they had received the sentence of death 2 Cor.

When Paul wrote the letter, he was experiencing affliction as well as anguish because of his love for the believers in Corinth. Now the apostle makes an observation. Though they were afflicted in every way, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, it was never too much for them to handle 2 Cor.

Paul also records many events and generalizations of difficulties, "afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger" 2 Cor. Not only did the Pauline entourage endure suffering in Asia, but even when they came to Macedonia they were "afflicted at every turn-fighting without and fear within" 2 Cor. Paul himself was afflicted with a thorn in the flesh, to keep him from being puffed up. In the midst of severe affliction, the Macedonian churches gave generously 2 Cor.

Yet, there is relief while one is in the middle of suffering. The apostle knew that the affliction he received here on earth is merely preparation for the eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison, and that is why it is better not to look at the things of this life because they will not last. Therefore one must look at the things which are eternal for they will outlive the earthly things 2 Cor 4: The afflictions reveal weaknesses on man's part, but sufficiency on God's-"My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Cor. In the midst of these afflictions, it is God who comforts the downcast 2 Cor.

In the letter, Paul vehemently defends his ministry and apostolic authority.

He begins the letter by reaffirming the fact that he is an apostle of Christ by the will of God 2 Cor. Paul claims that they are men of sincerity, commissioned by God, and in the sight of God they speak in Christ. Paul and his fellow ministers do not need commendation letters because the Corinthian believers are their very epistles of recommendation 2 Cor.

God is the one that has made them sufficient as ministers, not themselves 2 Cor. He asks the Corinthians to make room in their hearts for them because they have not wronged anyone 2 Cor. In chapters of 2 Corinthians, the apostle goes into hyper-drive trying to defend his ministry. Paul was accused of being weak in presence but bold in his letters.

The approved minister is not the one that commends himself, but the one who is commended by the Lord. Paul compares himself to the "super-apostles" and states that he is not in the least inferior to them. He claims that he may be unskilled in speaking but he is not lacking in knowledge. When he was in Corinth he did not take money from them, though he had right cf. In doing this, the Paul lowered himself in order that they would be elevated.

For some reason the Corinthians viewed Paul's apostleship as suspect because he would not take their money. Paul did not fit the mold of an ancient teacher. The sophists thought of receiving money for teaching as a good thing, because if it was given freely it was worth nothing. Because of their low view of his apostleship, he shows how it is actually the super-apostles that have not met the requirement of apostleship.

He goes down to the level of the super-apostles and boasts according to the flesh, though it is admittedly foolish of him to do so 2 Cor. Yet Paul advances over them when he asks if they are servants of Christ because he has endured far greater labors, and much more affliction 2 Cor. The apostle continues by boasting in his weakness, because it is when he is weak that Christ is strong 2 Cor. All in all, Paul demonstrates his superiority over the super-apostles and that he has performed the true signs of an apostle 2 Cor.

Paul also deals with the subject of giving 2 Corinthians In 1 Corinthians By the time of writing 2 Corinthians a year has passed, and the Macedonians have been faithful in generosity. Paul then tells the Corinthians that he is going to send Titus to them so that they too can excel in this act of grace. They are to follow Christ's example of humbling himself for the sake of others that their readiness their eagerness to take on such a task might be matched by their completion.

This is not intended to be a burden, but as it says in Exodus He makes sure that they knew that giving should be done willingly, not with reluctancy or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. They should not worry because they serve God, who is able to supply their every need and make all grace abound to them.

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Their generosity would prove to bring about enrichment and thankfulness to God. The two epistles of Paul to the church in Corinth reveal a lot about the apostle and Christian faith. It shows us the conflict between an apostle and a struggling church. In the end, it seems as though the parties were reconciled and restored to unity once again, for the apostle made his third visit to Corinth where he wrote the wonderful epistle to the Romans which does not suggest any further conflict in Corinth. Accent, , Introduction to the New Testament. Howard Clark Kee; Nashville: Abingdon, , Motyer; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, , An Introduction to the New Testament.

Doubleday, , A Survey of the New Testament. Zondervan, , Whenever we do this, we become poor temporally and spiritually. We give away some of our precious, priceless agency and put ourselves in self-imposed servitude. Money we could have used to care for ourselves and others must now be used to pay our debts.

What remains is often only enough to meet our most basic physical needs. Living at the subsistence level, we become depressed, our self-worth is affected, and our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and the Lord are weakened. We do not have the time, energy, or interest to seek spiritual things. Elsewhere in the New Testament we learn that man may see and approach God see Acts 7: Gnostics believed that salvation was obtained by being instructed in secret knowledge called gnosis.

Gnosticism was a major source of controversy in second-century Christianity. It contains the reason why Paul labored so diligently in his ministry: According to early Christian traditions, Paul was executed during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Nero.

Since Nero died in A. Paul spoke of the gift and power of God that is received through priesthood ordination.

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Paul used the imagery of a good soldier, a victorious athlete, and a hardworking farmer to illustrate the need for endurance to receive eternal glory. He contrasted true and false teachers, as well as honorable and dishonorable vessels.

He warned Timothy to avoid controversies and to patiently teach those who need repentance. Paul described the evil conditions of the last days and encouraged Timothy to use the scriptures in his role as a priesthood leader. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles pointed out: The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. Paul dictating the Epistle to the Ephesians.

Paul was imprisoned on several occasions, and even when in prison, he offered words of encouragement. Paul had been imprisoned and endured severe persecution himself, so he knew firsthand how persecution could cause followers of Christ to fear. This attitude is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. Turn away from youthful lusts. Stay away from drugs. They can absolutely destroy you. Avoid them as you would a terrible disease, for that is what they become. Avoid foul and filthy talk. It can lead to destruction. Dishonesty can corrupt and destroy. Observe the Word of Wisdom.

You cannot smoke; you must not smoke. You must not chew tobacco. You cannot drink liquor. Note that the footnotes for verses 1—7 are helpful in understanding the terms used in the verses. Packer — of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the key to gaining spiritual safety in the last days: These admonitions help us understand the importance of teaching the scriptures to our children. Bednar spoke about how scripture study brings divine direction and protection: He then used the metaphor of a victorious athlete to describe the completion of his mission: Wirthlin — of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about how Church members can faithfully finish their course: Those who endure are balanced, consistent, humble, constantly improving, and without guile.

Paul then pointed out that an eternal crown will be given to all Saints who righteously endure to the end and prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord.

The Books of the Bible

Paul did not specify his location when he wrote the Epistle to Titus. Titus was born to Greek parents Galatians 2: After his conversion, Titus labored with Paul to spread the gospel and organize the Church. Paul wrote to Titus to strengthen him in his assignment to lead and care for the branch of the Church in Crete in spite of opposition see Titus 1: The Epistle of Titus provides the earliest evidence that the Church had been established on the Greek island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. Titus had the responsibility of calling new bishops on the island.

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