Summary of 2 Timothy, Chapter 1

Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God for the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, wishes grace, mercy, and peace from the Father and from Jesus to Timothy his beloved son.

Paul gives thanks to God, whom he serves as his ancestors did, when he remembers Timothy in his prayers night and day, wanting to see him, remembering his tears so that Paul might be filled with joy, recalling Timothy's sincere faith, which was first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, and surely is also in Timothy.

Paul urges Timothy to reenkindle the grace which he received by the imposition of Paul's hands. God has not given a spirit of fear but of power, love and prudence. So Timothy must not be ashamed to bear witness to the Lord, nor be ashamed of Paul, the prisoner. Rather he should join Paul in suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God who saved all, and has called them in a holy calling, not because of their good works, but because of His own design and grace, given in Christ Jesus, before eternal ages, but made manifest now, through the manifestation of the Savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death, brought life and incorruption to light through His Gospel. Paul was appointed herald, apostle and teacher of it. For that reason Paul suffers as he does. Paul is not ashamed, for he knows who it is that he has put his faith in, and is convinced He has the power to keep his deposit until the final day. He urges Timothy to keep the standard of sound teaching which he has heard from Paul in faith and love in Christ. May Timothy keep the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who dwells in them.

Timothy knows that all those in Asia deserted Paul, among them Phygelus and Hermogenes. He asks the Lord to have mercy on the house of Onesiphorus, who many times refreshed Paul and was not ashamed of Paul's chains. Rather, when he was in Rome, he earnestly sought Paul out and found him. So Paul prays that the Lord will grant mercy to Onesiphorus on that day. Timothy knows better than others how much he ministered to Paul in Ephesus.

Comments on Chapter 1

Paul remembers Timothy's tears -- probably at their final parting, when both knew they would never see each other again in this world. Timothy was taught the faith by his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice -- Eunice is mentioned, not by name, in Acts 16:1, where we see his mother was Jewish.

Just as in First Timothy, and in Titus, Paul urges them to reenkindle the grace of their ordination and to be brave. For God has not given them the spirit of fearfulness but of power, love, and prudence. Paul encourages Timothy to be prepared to suffer too for the Gospel. Jesus called them to their mission of preaching by an eternal decree. This was because of His own will, not because of good works they did. (This is not referring to justification by faith, but to the gift of apostleship).

The deposit which Paul is sure Jesus will keep for him was, according to the Latin Fathers, the merit of his good works, according to the Greek Fathers, the deposit of the Gospel entrusted to Paul.

At Paul's first hearing in the Roman province of Asia, nearly all deserted him, especially Phrygelus and Hermogenes.(We know only their names. They probably did not give up the faith, but were afraid). But Onesiphorus has proved faithful and managed to hunt up Paul in prison in Rome.