2 Timothy 1
Lexham English Bible
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Timothy’s Spiritual Heritage
3 I am thankful[a] to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience as my ancestors did[b], when I remember you constantly[c] in my prayers night and day, 4 longing to see you as I[d] remember your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, 5 remembering the[e] sincere faith in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that is in you also, 6 for which reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and love and self-discipline.
Exhortation to Share Paul’s Suffering
8 Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor me his prisoner, but suffer along with me for the gospel, according to the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began[f], 10 but has now been disclosed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,[g] who has abolished death and brought to light life and immortality through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a proclaimer and an apostle and a teacher, 12 for which reason also I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know in whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted until that day. 13 Hold fast to the pattern of sound words which you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
15 You know this, that all those in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he refreshed me many times, and was not ashamed of my imprisonment, 17 but when he[h] was in Rome, he diligently sought me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day! And how much he served me in Ephesus you know very well.
Footnotes
- 2 Timothy 1:3 Literally “I have thankfulness”
- 2 Timothy 1:3 Literally “from ancestors”
- 2 Timothy 1:3 Literally “I have remembrance concerning you constantly”
- 2 Timothy 1:4 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“remember”) which is understood as temporal
- 2 Timothy 1:5 Literally “receiving a remembrance of the”
- 2 Timothy 1:9 Literally “before times eternal”
- 2 Timothy 1:10 Some manuscripts have “our Savior Christ Jesus”
- 2 Timothy 1:17 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as temporal
2 Timothy 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. Address
Chapter 1
Greeting.[a] 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God(A) for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,[b] 2 to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving. 3 (B)I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,[c] as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. 4 [d]I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, 5 as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you.(C)
II. Exhortations to Timothy
The Gifts Timothy Has Received. 6 For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God[e] that you have through the imposition of my hands.(D) 7 For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.(E) 8 So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,[f] nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.(F)
9 [g]He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,(G) 10 but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,(H) 11 [h]for which I was appointed preacher and apostle(I) and teacher. 12 [i]On this account I am suffering these things; but I am not ashamed,(J) for I know him in whom I have believed and am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day. 13 Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.(K) 14 Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us.(L)
Paul’s Suffering. 15 [j](M)You know that everyone in Asia deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 [k]May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus(N) because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 But when he came to Rome, he promptly searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord[l] on that day. And you know very well the services he rendered in Ephesus.(O)
Footnotes
- 1:1–2 For the formula of address and greeting, see note on Rom 1:1–7.
- 1:1 The promise of life in Christ Jesus: that God grants through union with Christ in faith and love; cf. Col 3:4; 1 Tm 4:8.
- 1:3 As my ancestors did: this emphasizes the continuity of Judaism and Christianity; for a similar view, see Rom 9:3–5; Phil 3:4–6.
- 1:4–5 Purportedly written from prison in Rome (2 Tm 1:8, 17; 4:6–8) shortly before the writer’s death, the letter recalls the earlier sorrowful parting from Timothy, commending him for his faith and expressing the longing to see him again.
- 1:6 The gift of God: the grace resulting from the conferral of an ecclesiastical office. The imposition of my hands: see note on 1 Tm 4:14.
- 1:8 Do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord: i.e., of preaching and suffering for the sake of the gospel.
- 1:9–10 Redemption from sin and the call to holiness of life are not won by personal deeds but are freely and graciously bestowed according to God’s eternal plan; cf. Eph 1:4.
- 1:11 Teacher: the overwhelming majority of manuscripts and Fathers read “teacher of the nations,” undoubtedly a harmonization with 1 Tm 2:7.
- 1:12 He is able to guard…until that day: the intervening words can also be translated “what I have entrusted to him” (i.e., the fruit of his ministry) as well as “what has been entrusted to me” (i.e., the faith). The same difficult term occurs in 2 Tm 1:14, where it is modified by the adjective “rich” and used without a possessive.
- 1:15 Keen disappointment is expressed, here and later (2 Tm 4:16), that the Christians of the province of Asia, especially Phygelus and Hermogenes, should have abandoned the writer and done nothing to defend his case in court.
- 1:16–18 The family of Onesiphorus because he…of my chains: Onesiphorus seems to have died before this letter was written. His family is mentioned twice (here and in 2 Tm 4:19), though it was Onesiphorus himself who was helpful to Paul in prison and rendered much service to the community of Ephesus. Because the apostle complains of abandonment by all in Asia during his second imprisonment and trial, the assistance of Onesiphorus seems to have been given to Paul during his first Roman imprisonment (A.D. 61–63).
- 1:18 Lord…Lord: the first “Lord” here seems to refer to Christ, the second “Lord” to the Father.
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