The message of 2 Timothy is vastly different from the message of Paul’s previous letter to Timothy. In this second letter, Paul encourages Timothy to suffer with him and endure hardship that comes when preaching the gospel.

This year, as we examine and memorize the letter of 2 Timothy, keep in mind that Paul is nearing the time of his death, and is passing on the mantle of ministry to his young colleague.

We will begin with Paul’s salutation in 2 Timothy 1:1-2:

2 Timothy is the letter that follows 1 Timothy, but not necessarily immediately in time. There is some debate as to Paul being the author, but most scholars seem to accept this as the case.  Let’s take a look at some of the historical background and the salutation.

Background and Audience

2 Timothy finds Paul in a Roman prison. This is probably not the same imprisonment we see at the end of Acts, since both Timothy and Mark were with Paul at that time, when he wrote Colossians. In all likelihood, Paul was released from that imprisonment, continued in ministry, and was arrested again, possible at Troas.

Paul writes this letter to Timothy during this second jail term, anticipating his execution. Eusebius dates Paul’s execution to A.D. 67, placing this letter in either 66 or 67.

From several references in the letter, we can guess that Timothy was probably in Ephesus again, just as he was when he received 1 Timothy. And just as with the first letter, Paul writes to Timothy, but expects him to share the letter with the whole congregation.

1 Timothy is somewhat unusual in its ending. It lacks the usual benediction and final greeting that Paul typically puts in his letter. Instead, 1 Timothy is all business right up to the very end, and concludes with a final charge to Timothy.

You can see it in 1 Timothy 6:20-21:

Paul finishes off his letter to Timothy with a final charge, the third such charge he has given (1:18-19, 6:13-16). It might be the fourth charge, if you see 4:6-10 as a charge.

Paul has given Timothy many explicit instructions in this brief letter, but almost every one of them centers around the false teachers and their influence in the Ephesian church. That factor even is seen in Paul’s concluding remarks and final charge.

This final charge comes in two parts.

After Paul’s spontaneous break for a doxology in last week’s passage, he returns to the topic of verse 9, worldly wealth.

Take a look at this week’s passage in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

Some scholars believe that this passage doesn’t belong here. Either it should have come earlier in the letter and has been misplaced, or it has been added after the fact. More likely, after breaking into a bit of spontaneous worship, Paul returns to his point, and provides some insight for those who already have worldly wealth.

His instruction here carries the force of a command, and in fact, he conveys the authority to Timothy to make this a command to those who have wealth. Who is he speaking to? The implications are far-reaching, especially to America, who holds a significant portion of the world’s wealth. So we must take heed of these instructions.

In this section of Scripture, Paul gives some very specific instructions. he gives us two things to avoid, four things to do, and two things to gain.