2 Timothy 1:1–18

January 7th, 2025| Topic: 1 Timothy, aBeLOG | 0

God’s call on his people involves a faithful, unashamed endurance of inevitable suffering as they undertake their divine commission, empowered graciously by God’s Spirit, confident of his seeing their work through, and anticipating rewards.

A single sentence makes up 1:3–5: Paul begins with his thanks to God in 1:3, but the reason for his gratitude is given only in 1:5. This sentence is bookended by the mention of ancestors: “forefathers” shows up in 1:3, and Timothy’s grandmother and mother in 1:5. Paul’s faithfulness, in concord with the godly legacy left for him by the “forefathers,” is thus to be reflected in Timothy’s own faithfulness, consistent with the spiritual heritage he acquired through his own ancestors. As Paul’s ministry is imminently concluding, this makes for a poignant exhortation to Timothy. Paul is the model that Timothy—and, indeed, all God’s people—must follow in their devotion to God and their dedication to his service. And Timothy is not to be “ashamed” (1:8a) of the situation, of his ministry, or of Paul. Instead he is to “co-suffer affliction” with Paul and Jesus (1:8b).

So 1:8–12 is bracketed by the twin motifs of the “shame” and “suffering” undergone by Paul and Jesus who gave his “testimony” (1:8b, 10c–12a). If suffering happened to Paul and to Jesus, then it should come as no surprise that Timothy, too, would have to face suffering. But the good news is that this suffering is not to be endured on one’s own strength, but “according to the power of God” (1:7–8). And the magnificent outworking of this “power of God” is depicted in the content of the gospel in 1:9–10. Divine power was clearly operating in the lives of those called to suffer for and with Christ.

Paul’s faith in God’s is settled (“I have believed”—who God is) and his confidence is unshakeable (“I am convinced”—what God is doing; 1:11). And so he can suffer unashamed (1:12). Since God is the one who empowers his people to undertake their divine commissioning/appointment (1:12), Paul is confident that God will “guard” (i.e., carry through, implement) what he has entrusted to his people (1:9, 11).

“You know” and “you are well aware” bracket 1:15–18. The abandonment of Paul by practically “all in Asia” in his hour of crisis—his arrest and trial in Rome—is mentioned here in 1:15. The contrast between the abandonment of Paul by Asian believers (1:15) and the commitment to Paul by Onesiphorus (1:16–18) is the thrust of 1:15–18. And so the modeling undertaken by Paul now shifts to the modeling by Onesiphorus for Timothy. The double plea that God would grant Onesiphorus and his household mercy (1:16, 18) suggests that he, too, suffered in some fashion as a result of his faithfulness. Paul’s prayer here is that the one who “found” Paul (1:17) may, in turn, “find” mercy from the Lord (1:18). All of this echoes themes and motifs previously seen, a strong incentive for believers to follow in the footsteps of this relatively unknown servant (1:18). With the request that Timothy hasten to come to Paul in Rome (4:9, 21), the former is thereby being asked to follow in the footsteps of Onesiphorus who did exactly that, unashamed and suffering (unlike the deserters who abandoned Paul: 1:15; also 4:10, 14–16). No wonder the very next words from the quill of the apostle in this Epistle are “You therefore, my son …” (2:1). Without a doubt, faithfulness to God entails faithfulness to God’s gospel mission (direct involvement of the people of God in the mission) and to all who conduct it (indirect involvement of the people of God in the mission, through “missionaries”).

[For more details, see my commentary on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus.]