INTRODUCTION

Second Timothy was most likely written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.
(See 2Tim. 1:6, 16-17)
In Chapter 4:6, Paul seems to believe his death is imminent.
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith;
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."

Timothy was probably in Ephesus at the time, because Paul told him to salute
the household of Onesiphorus, and Onesiphorus was an Ephesian (2Tim. 4:19).

THEME: This letter, and 1Timothy and Titus are called the "pastoral
letters." That's because they are written specifically to young men who
had been charged with being pastor of a church.
At this time, Paul had left Timothy at the church in Ephesus to work
on several problems with which the church was struggling.

CHAPTER 1
Vss 1-2
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise
of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those two verses almost read like the "from," "to," heading of an e-mail!

The word "apostle" (Greek: apos'tolos) literally means
an ambassador of the Gospel, or one who is sent to carry the good news
of Jesus to others.

The "will of God" is for ALL who surrender to Jesus to have "life!"
That life is eternal; and expectant of speaking to others of salvation
through Jesus.

Timothy was saved during Paul's time in Lystra, and became a companion
in Paul's mission travels.
Later, He was asked to reside in, and care for the church in Epehsus.

Paul refers to Timothy as "my dearly beloved son."
In 1Tim. 1:2, Paul refers to Timothy as "my own son in the faith."

Later, in Chapter 2, we will see how Paul put great emphasis on STUDY
of the Bible.
STUDY is a word that brings to mind, meditate!
Meditate is akin to masticate.
CHEW the WORD for fullness of meaning!

3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that
without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled
with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt
first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that
in thee also.

The words "call to remembrance" imports the meaning of causing
the mind to remember.
First, Paul called his mind to remember to PRAY for Timothy!
Second, Paul called his mind to remember how much JOY he would have
if he were able to visit with Timothy.
Third, Paul recalled HOW Timothy first learned of faith from his mother
and grandmother.

Recently, a young lady sent me a picture of when I baptized her.
My mind immediately recalled the JOY of leading her and her husband
to Jesus in their living room, and later the JOY of baptizing them both!

Similarly, we remember great joy when we STUDY the Word of God!
Meditating on the Word is like digging in the flower garden.
The fruit of the labor is JOY when the garden blossoms with beauty.

We need to remember, and God's Holy Spirit HELPS us to do so!
(John 14:26)

6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God,
which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

Now, in 1Tim. 4:14, the "laying on of the hands" was by the
"presbytery."
In other words, Paul was ONE of those who placed their hands on
Timothy at his ordination.

The laying on of hands does NOT produce the "gift of God" of
preaching/teaching the Word of God!!
It is the SPIRIT of God that does that!
And, the laying on of hands at ordination is RECOGNITION of the
fact that the gift of teaching/preaching the Gospel is already being
EXHIBITED IN the person!

There is a REASON for this gift!

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.

The POWER of God is in the teaching/preaching of the WORD!
It is THERE whether the Word is preached/taught DYNAMICALLY or NOT!

I have preached many dynamic (I thought) sermons from which I expected
the invitation to bring many decisions - but DID NOT!
I have preached many sermons in which I felt to have failed terribly, and
received several decisions during the invitation!

Preaching is not about how great an ORATOR one is, but it is more
how well one USES God's Word.
God promises to bless His WORD! (Is. 40:31)

Preach/teach the Word with LOVE, and the power will BE there!

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his
prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God;

I like to analyze things.
For instance, let's go a little BACKWARD with that verse:
"Be thou PARTAKER of the afflictions of the gospel according to
the POWER of God!"
THEN, "You WON'T be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord!!"

YES! If you ALWAYS look for opportunities to share the Gospel, you
will SEE MANY!
However, some come with "afflictions!"

So BE a PARTAKER!
Get in there and DO it!
The POWER will come by the Holy Spirit - not your oration!

Allow failure to be a stepping stone to VICTORY!

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began,

The power of God's Holy Spirit CALLED us while we were SINNERS!
(Rom. 5:8)
THEN, He SAVED us when we repented and asked Him to forgive us.

God saved us for a PURPOSE!
That purpose is the SHARE the good news of ETERNAL salvation through
Jesus Christ, and Him ALONE!

BEFORE God created the universe and this world, He ALREADY decided
to come in the Person of Jesus as "the LAMB of GOD that taketh away
the sin of the world!" (John 1:29, See also 1Pet. 1:20, Rev. 13:8)

10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel:

Jesus came through the "seed" of a woman!
In His life, He lived PERFECT and fulfilled over 300 Old Tesatment prophecies
of the MESSIAH - Who is GOD! (Is. 43:11)
In His vicarious death He CARRIED AWAY the offenses of SIN!
In His victorious resurrection, he ABOLISHED death and GIVES LIFE to
ANY who believe (trust in, yield to, cling to) in Him. (John 3:16)

Jesus IS "manifest" - made known!
He is made known as the ONLY means of receiving eternal life! (John 14:6)

11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the
Gentiles.

READ that as a letter to YOU, Christian!
YOU are an AMBASSADOR of Jesus Christ! (2Cor. 5:17-21)

I, YOU, US, WE are APPOINTED to be CARRIERS of the Gospel of Jesus!

12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed:
for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I have committed unto him against that day.

YES! We DO suffer!
Because of our OWN sin, and because of OTHER'S sins!
God had ONE Son without sin; but,
He has NO sons without SUFFERING!

HOWEVER: "... I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to
keep that which I have committed unto him against that day!!!

SO THEN:

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love
which is in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which
dwelleth in us.

"HOLD FAST" -- cling to, trust in, make a foundation!
What? "..sound words.."

The only REAL SOLID FOUNDATIONAL words are found in the BIBLE!
Those words express the FAITH and LOVE that is IN Christ Jesus!

Both FAITH and LOVE are COMMITTED to Christians by the Holy Ghost!

Though that is easy to believe, it is more difficult to PRACTICE!
We must be like the man who came to Jesus and said, "LORD, I BELIEVE,
HELP Thou my UNbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

Christian, remember: " KEEP that good thing which was committed unto thee!"
That gift of believing, clinging to Christ as the END of your salvation rests in HIM!

15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of
whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

NOTHING is known of those two men mentioned.
It is really sad when a person who claims to be a Christian has "turned away"
from LIVING the Christian life!!

We are ALL sinners, by choice and by design.
Yet, to those who sincerely GIVE themselves to Christ (Luke 9:23), Jesus says,
"I will NEVER leave thee nor forsake thee!!"

He doesn't leave when we sin; He chastises, corrects, and guides!

A person may say, "I'm saved by faith in Jesus, I don't NEED to study my Bible!"
No, my friend, a person is saved by GRACE!
FAITH is only given when true surrender to Jesus as LORD is made!
(See Eph. 2:8-9)
And, WITHOUT faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Jesus!! (Heb. 11:6)

16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me,
and was not ashamed of my chain:
17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in
how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

Onesiphorus was a Christian friend who "oft refreshed" Paul by
ministering to him physically and spiritually.
Often he visited Paul as a chained prisoner!
He did so at his own peril, for Nero had begun vehemently to persecute all
Christians!

But Onesiphorus "sought" Paul "diligently!"

So, Paul desired (and probably prayed) that this man would be granted mercy
in "that day" (judgment day).

Christian, how many people will pray that YOU receive mercy on judgment day?