Delve Into Luke-Acts & Paul's LettersSample

DAY 20 – 2 TIMOTHY

Paul left his coworker Timothy in the city of Ephesus to deal with some renegade leaders in the community of Jesus’ followers. Timothy was unable to do this, and Paul needed to go back to Ephesus himself. (He may have been able to make a trip to the western part of the empire first.) Back in Ephesus Paul suffered “a great deal of harm” from a man named Alexander, and he was once again imprisoned and taken to Rome. He expected that this time he would not be released. Instead, he would be tried and executed. Since most of his other coworkers were either on other assignments or had unfortunately deserted him, he wrote to Timothy to ask him to come to Rome quickly. Paul was concerned that winter might prevent travel, or that his trial might reach its conclusion, before he could see one of his most dependable coworkers one last time. Paul wanted to enjoy Timothy’s company and have his assistance, and he also wanted to challenge and encourage him about the uncertain future.

Things in Ephesus hadn’t gone as Paul and Timothy expected. Paul had ordered both Alexander and another leader named Hymenaeus to step down. But both men were continuing to oppose Paul actively, and their influence was growing. Others had joined their ranks, including Phygelus, Hermogenes, and Philetus. They were still misdirecting people into a corrupted version of the faith that stressed debate and dissension rather than purity and obedience. All of this made Paul suspect that Timothy was feeling discouraged and intimidated. And so in his letter Paul interweaves challenges to stay faithful to the true message—even if this means suffering or death—with warnings against the dangers of the false teaching. He points out that the sacred writings Timothy has known since he was a child are “God-breathed” and will make him “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Since Paul testifies to Timothy’s “sincere faith,” we can be confident that Paul’s letter helped this longtime protégé to be able to say at the end of his own life, as Paul himself did here, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

PRAYER: Equip me for every good work, Lord, with Your Word.