[Chapter
1 Synopsis: Encouragement for Timothy through Paul praying
for him, and an exhortation to stir up his gift and hold onto
the gospel.]
v.1-2
Greetings
v.1
(Paul the apostle called
by God) Paul, an apostle of
Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of
life that is in Christ Jesus,
v.2
(to his young protégé
Timothy) To Timothy, my dear
son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus
our Lord.
v.3-5
Paul praying for Timothy
[Passage
Synopsis: Praying for Timothy is a joyful experience
as he remembers him and his family.]
v.3
(he thanks God for Timothy
whenever he prays) 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.
v.4
(he remembers all about
him joyfully) Recalling your
tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
v.5
(he remembers his godly
family) 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.
v.6-14
Appeal to Adhere to his Calling
[Passage
Synopsis: Boldly fire up God's gift in you, even though
suffering, that's the gospel from the beginning of creation, so
hold on to the gospel, guard it with the Spirit's help.]
v.6
(so stir up God's gift
in you) 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.
v.7
(the Spirit wants you
bold) For the Spirit God gave
us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
v.8
( … and not ashamed)
So do not be ashamed of the testimony
about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in
suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
v.9,10
(according to His own
plan from before the world began, now revealed in Jesus, we are
called to holy living) 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, but
it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour,
Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel.
v.11
(this is the gospel I
was given) And of this gospel
I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.
v.12
(which is why I'm suffering
as I am but He will keep me) That
is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame,
because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he
is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
v.13
(so what I shared with
you, hold on to) What you heard
from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and
love in Christ Jesus.
v.14
(hold on to it with the
help of the Spirit) Guard the
good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help
of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
v.15-18
Contrasting Examples of Disloyalty and Loyalty
[Passage
Synopsis: Most left me in Asia, but not Onesiphorus.]
v.15
(you know I was abandoned)
You know that everyone in the province
of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
v.16-18 (though
not by all) May the Lord show
mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed
me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he
was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 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.
Continue
to Chapter 2