2 Timothy

What makes 2 Timothy special?

This second letter to Timothy is more personal than the first one. Timothy is like a “dear child” to Paul, who always remembers Timothy in his prayers (1.2,3). Timothy's mother and grandmother are mentioned by name in this letter, and Timothy is reminded how Paul placed his hands on him as a special sign that the Spirit was guiding Timothy's work.

Why was 2 Timothy written?

The situation of the early Christian church changed throughout the first century a.d. Eventually, the leaders of the church were in danger of being put in jail or punished by the Roman authorities. And within the church, people were coming up with new ideas that did not fit with the original message of the good news about Jesus' death on the cross and his being raised from death. The writer tells Timothy to be a “good soldier” of Christ Jesus and to learn to endure suffering (2.1,3). Some who claim to be followers of the Lord are already trapped by the devil, so the writer warns Timothy to run from those temptations that often catch young people (2.20-26; 3.1-9). He tells Timothy to keep preaching God's message, even if it is not the popular thing to do (4.2), and to be patient with the people in his care (4.3-5).

What's the story behind the scene?

In this letter, Paul is pictured as being in jail as he writes to Timothy (1.8,16,17), and as someone who expects to be put to death soon (4.6). Timothy was like a son to Paul (1 Tim 1.2), because they had traveled and worked closely together (Rom 16.21; 1 Cor 16.10; Phil 2.19; see also Acts 16.1-3).

Like 1 Timothy, this letter may have been written toward the end of Paul's life, or it may have been written in Paul's name by one of his followers perhaps as much as a generation or two after Paul's death. To write something in another person's name was not dishonest or unusual in the first century, but was considered to be a way of honoring that person and his work.

How is 2 Timothy constructed?

The letter can be outlined in the following way: