Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options

2 Timothy 1-2
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)

Chapter 2

Timothy’s Conduct. 1 [m]So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well. 3 Bear your share of hardship along with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.(P) 4 To satisfy the one who recruited him, a soldier does not become entangled in the business affairs of life.(Q) 5 Similarly, an athlete cannot receive the winner’s crown except by competing according to the rules.(R) 6 The hardworking farmer ought to have the first share of the crop.(S) 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.(T)

8 [n]Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel,(U) 9 for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.(V) 10 Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory.(W) 11 This saying is trustworthy:

If we have died with him
    we shall also live with him;(X)
12 if we persevere
    we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him
    he will deny us.(Y)
13 If we are unfaithful
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot deny himself.(Z)

III. Instructions Concerning False Teaching

Warning Against Useless Disputes. 14 [o]Remind people of these things and charge them before God[p] to stop disputing about words. This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.(AA) 15 Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation.(AB) 16 Avoid profane, idle talk, for such people will become more and more godless,(AC) 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,(AD) 18 who have deviated from the truth by saying that [the] resurrection has already taken place and are upsetting the faith of some.(AE) 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands, bearing this inscription, “The Lord knows those who are his”; and, “Let everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord avoid evil.”(AF)

20 In a large household there are vessels not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for lofty and others for humble use. 21 If anyone cleanses himself of these things, he will be a vessel for lofty use, dedicated, beneficial to the master of the house, ready for every good work.(AG) 22 So turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord[q] with purity of heart.(AH) 23 Avoid foolish and ignorant debates, for you know that they breed quarrels.(AI) 24 A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant,(AJ) 25 correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth,(AK) 26 [r]and that they may return to their senses out of the devil’s snare,(AL) where they are entrapped by him, for his will.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1–2 For the formula of address and greeting, see note on Rom 1:1–7.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 1:8 Do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord: i.e., of preaching and suffering for the sake of the gospel.
  7. 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.
  8. 1:11 Teacher: the overwhelming majority of manuscripts and Fathers read “teacher of the nations,” undoubtedly a harmonization with 1 Tm 2:7.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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).
  12. 1:18 Lord…Lord: the first “Lord” here seems to refer to Christ, the second “Lord” to the Father.
  13. 2:1–7 This passage manifests a characteristic deep concern for safeguarding the faith and faithfully transmitting it through trustworthy people (2 Tm 2:1–2; cf. 2 Tm 1:14; 1 Tm 6:20; Ti 1:9). Comparisons to the soldier’s detachment, the athlete’s sportsmanship, and the farmer’s arduous work as the price of recompense (2 Tm 2:4–6) emphasize the need of singleness of purpose in preaching the word, even at the cost of hardship, for the sake of Christ (2 Tm 2:3).
  14. 2:8–13 The section begins with a sloganlike summary of Paul’s gospel about Christ (2 Tm 2:8) and concludes with what may be part of an early Christian hymn (2 Tm 2:11b–12a; most exegetes include the rest of 2 Tm 2:12 and all of 2 Tm 2:13 as part of the quotation). The poetic lines suggest that through baptism Christians die spiritually with Christ and hope to live with him and reign with him forever, but the Christian life includes endurance, witness, and even suffering, as the final judgment will show and as Paul’s own case makes clear; while he is imprisoned for preaching the gospel (2 Tm 2:9), his sufferings are helpful to the elect for obtaining the salvation and glory available in Christ (2 Tm 2:10), who will be true to those who are faithful and will disown those who deny him (2 Tm 2:12–13).
  15. 2:14–19 For those who dispute about mere words (cf. 2 Tm 2:23–24) and indulge in irreligious talk to the detriment of their listeners (2 Tm 2:16–19), see notes on 1 Tm 1:3–7; 6:20–21. Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tm 2:17), while accepting the Christian’s mystical death and resurrection in Christ through baptism, claimed that baptized Christians are already risen with Christ in this life and thus that there is no future bodily resurrection or eternal glory to come. The first quotation in 2 Tm 2:19 is from Nm 16:5; the other quotation is from some unidentified Jewish or Christian writing.
  16. 2:14 Before God: many ancient manuscripts read “before the Lord.”
  17. 2:22 Those who call on the Lord: those who believe in Christ and worship him as Lord, i.e., Christians (Acts 9:14–16, 20–21; Rom 10:12–13; cf. 2 Tm 2:19, literally, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord”).
  18. 2:26 Some interpreters would render this passage, “Thus they may come to their senses and, forced to do his (i.e., God’s) will, may escape the devil’s trap.” This interpretation of the Greek is possible, but the one accepted in the text seems more likely.
Next
1 Timothy 6
2 Timothy 3
Next
dropdown
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.