Greeting

Paul,(A) an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,(B) for the promise of life(C) in Christ Jesus:

To Timothy, my dearly loved son.

Grace, mercy, and peace(D) from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanksgiving

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience(E) as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.(F) Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy, clearly recalling your sincere faith(G) that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice,(H) and that I am convinced is in you also.

Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze[a] the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.(I) For God has not given us a spirit[b] of fearfulness,(J) but one of power,(K) love,(L) and sound judgment.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

So don’t be ashamed(M) of the testimony about our Lord,(N) or of me His prisoner.(O) Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power(P) of God.

He has saved us and called us
with a holy calling,(Q)
not according to our works,(R)
but according to His own purpose(S) and grace,
which was given to us in Christ Jesus
before time began.
10 This has now been made evident
through the appearing(T) of our Savior Christ Jesus,
who has abolished death(U)
and has brought life(V) and immortality to light
through the gospel.

11 For this gospel I was appointed(W) a herald, apostle, and teacher,[c] 12 and that is why I suffer(X) these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me[d](Y) until that day.(Z)

Be Loyal to the Faith

13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching(AA) that you have heard from me,(AB) in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you. 15 This you know: All those in Asia(AC) have turned away from me,(AD) including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy(AE) to the household of Onesiphorus,(AF) because he often refreshed me(AG) and was not ashamed of my chains.(AH) 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome,(AI) he diligently searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy(AJ) from Him on that day. And you know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 1:6 Or to rekindle
  2. 2 Timothy 1:7 Or us the Spirit
  3. 2 Timothy 1:11 Other mss add of the Gentiles
  4. 2 Timothy 1:12 Or guard what I have entrusted to Him, or guard my deposit

Greeting

Paul, (A)an apostle of Christ Jesus (B)by the will of God according to (C)the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, (D)my beloved child:

(E)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You

(F)I thank God (G)whom I serve, as did my ancestors, (H)with a clear conscience, as I remember you (I)constantly in my prayers night and day. (J)As I remember your tears, (K)I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of (L)your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and (M)your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you (N)to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us (O)a spirit not of fear but (P)of power and love and self-control.

Therefore (Q)do not be ashamed of (R)the testimony about our Lord, nor of (S)me his prisoner, but (T)share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, (U)who saved us and (V)called us to[a] a holy calling, (W)not because of our works but because of (X)his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus (Y)before the ages began,[b] 10 and which now has (Z)been manifested through (AA)the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, (AB)who abolished death and (AC)brought life and (AD)immortality to light through the gospel, 11 (AE)for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 (AF)which is why I suffer as I do. But (AG)I am not ashamed, for (AH)I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until (AI)that day (AJ)what has been entrusted to me.[c] 13 (AK)Follow (AL)the pattern of (AM)the sound[d] words (AN)that you have heard from me, in (AO)the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit (AP)who dwells within us, guard (AQ)the good deposit entrusted to you.

15 You are aware that (AR)all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to (AS)the household of Onesiphorus, for he often (AT)refreshed me and was not ashamed of (AU)my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome (AV)he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on (AW)that day!—and you well know all the service he (AX)rendered at Ephesus.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 1:9 Or with
  2. 2 Timothy 1:9 Greek before times eternal
  3. 2 Timothy 1:12 Or what I have entrusted to him; Greek my deposit
  4. 2 Timothy 1:13 Or healthy

1-2 I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God’s plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours!

To Be Bold with God’s Gifts

3-4 Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.

5-7 That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.

8-10 So don’t be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.

11-12 This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end.

13-14 So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It’s as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.

15-18 I’m sure you know by now that everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes. But God bless Onesiphorus and his family! Many’s the time I’ve been refreshed in that house. And he wasn’t embarrassed a bit that I was in jail. The first thing he did when he got to Rome was look me up. May God on the Last Day treat him as well as he treated me. And then there was all the help he provided in Ephesus—but you know that better than I.