The next few articles are from the book of 2 Timothy. As we begin studying any new book of the Bible, it’s good to get some context. After all, if we tried to read the gospel of Luke like we read Leviticus, or if we tried to interpret Genesis and James with the same historical context, or if we treated the letter of Philemon like the hymn-book of Psalms, we would probably miss out…or at least be terribly confused!
As you might imagine, the book of 2 Timothy involves a guy named Timothy. The first two verses of this book address it as a letter from the apostle Paul to Timothy. (Having said that, the study guide points out that the last verse of this letter, 2 Timothy 4:22, uses a plural “you”, suggesting that it was also intended for a larger group to read or hear.) While Paul refers to Timothy as his son, this appears to be more of a mentoring relationship than a biological family relationship.
At the time of writing 2 Timothy (per the study guide), Paul was a prisoner, in chains, suffering (see 2 Timothy 1:8, 16; 2:9). This was probably literal imprisonment and suffering in literal chains.
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
2 Timothy 1:8 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2ti.1.8.NIV
The NIV introduction to the book connects some dots, and it places Timothy in Ephesus, where Paul had left him to deal with some problems in church leadership there. Apparently, when Paul came back to help Timothy with some challenging issues there, Paul was arrested in Ephesus and taken to Rome (again). (There are other theories on where Paul was in prison and how he got there, but I don’t think that they impact our understanding of this letter.)
It’s interesting how we find elsewhere (like in Berea, for instance) that apparently Timothy has both the authority and the ability to continue the good work of God when Paul gets driven out of a place by those who oppose the gospel. Somehow, Timothy manages to stay under the radar better than Paul (although not always), so that Timothy can keep ministering after Paul’s exit.
Since Paul can’t leave prison, Paul would like to see his dear friend Timothy and, near the end of this letter (see 2 Timothy 4:9), Paul asks Timothy to come visit him. If Paul is writing from Rome, that’s over 1000 miles from Ephesus, so this is not a small “ask”. Multiple sources [NIV Introduction; study guide] suggest that Paul didn’t expect to be released from this imprisonment (that is, he would be executed this time, rather than freed). And, tradition says that Paul was indeed executed within 1-2 years of writing this letter.
With more context, we also find that Timothy was a pastor or evangelist (like Paul was, although their roles in the church weren’t exactly the same), and that Paul was a mentor to him. I suspect that many of you have had others within the church that were as close to you as biological or adopted family members, and can appreciate what this was like.
We also learn from Acts 16:1 that Timothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother, and that his mother was a believer (i.e., a follower of Jesus).
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek.
Acts 16:1 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/act.16.1.NIV
2 Timothy 1:5 further indicates that his grandmother was also a believer. So, for any grandmas and great-grandmas reading this, don’t think that you can’t have a positive influence on successive generations!
It looks like Timothy traveled around during his ministry, sometimes with Paul and sometimes separately. We spot him in (or traveling to or from) various locations, including:
- Lystra, where Paul met Timothy (see Acts 16:1). Here, Paul got Timothy circumcised, not because Timothy needed to follow Jewish practices to be saved (since Jesus took care of that), but rather for what appear to be practical reasons. Others would know that Timothy had a non-Jewish dad, and those who knew that – especially those who were Jewish – might not listen to Paul’s and Timothy’s message about the gospel of Jesus if they were turned off by what they perceived as a heathen influence.
- Berea, where Timothy remained with Silas (Acts 17:14). This was where those who heard the gospel double-checked it against Scripture, to confirm that it was true (see Acts 17:11-12). Apparently, Timothy and Silas had a chance to keep serving those in Berea after Paul had been sent out of town when troublemakers from Thessalonica (who hadn’t accepted the gospel) visited Berea.
- Athens, where Paul asked Silas and Timothy to join him (and they did), at some point after the trouble in Berea (see Acts 17:15, 18:5).
- Macedonia, where Paul sent Timothy and Erastus (see Acts 19:22).
- Troas, where Timothy was sent on (with some other guys) ahead of Paul (see Acts 20:1-6).
- Corinth, where Paul sent Timothy (possibly with a letter).
- Maybe Philippi, where Paul mentioned he hoped to send Timothy (see Philippians 2:19).
- Thessalonica, where Timothy visited and brought back news about the church there to Paul (see 1 Thessalonians 3:1-6).
And, Hebrews 13:23 indicates that Timothy also was imprisoned at least once. That makes sense, I guess: if you’re going to hang out with Paul long enough, you’re probably going to find yourself in prison at least once or twice.
In that context, let’s get into the first chapter of this letter to Timothy in the next article. I encourage you to just go ahead and read the whole book over the next couple of days, to get ready for some discussion on it.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 16, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 2 Timothy, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 Timothy & Titus, by C. Michael Moss. © 1994 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 