2 Timothy
2 Timothy 2:1–13
The servants of God, strengthened by God’s grace and entrusting the work of God to faithful people of God, face potential suffering, but seek only to please their faithful God and to further his cause—undistracted, upright, and industrious—thus gaining great eternal rewards.
This passage continues Paul’s appeal to Timothy that he be willing to suffer for God and for the gospel.
What Timothy has “heard” publicly from Paul, “in the presence of many witnesses”
2 Timothy 1:1–18
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
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.