1.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
Verse 1
The promise of life; of eternal life and salvation.
2.
To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
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;
Verse 3
From my forefathers; as his forefathers had done. The God whom he was serving was the same God that the patriarchs had worshipped in ancient times.
4.
Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
Verse 4
Of thy tears; referring, perhaps, to the occasion when he bade farewell to the elders at Ephesus, as narrated Acts 20:37,Acts 20:38, where Timothy, it in not improbable, had taken leave of him.
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.
Verse 5
Eunice. She was a Jewess, as is stated Acts 16:1.
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.
Verse 6
Stir up the gift of God; be diligent and active in the exercise of the gift, that is, the office of the ministry.--The putting on of my hands. His ordination to the work of the ministry was stated, in 1 Timothy 4:14, to be by the presbytery, that is, the elders. But the ceremony of laying on of hands was often performed in token of any special consecration, as well as in cases of original induction to the ministerial office. For an example, see Acts 13:2,Acts 13:3. So Paul appears to have consecrated Timothy for the particular work to which he called him.
7.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Verse 7
The spirit of fear; meaning, perhaps, fear of difficulty or danger, by which they might be deterred from activity and faithfulness in their work.
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;
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,
Verse 9
Not according to; not in consequence of.--Given us; designed for us, appropriated to us.
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:
Verse 10
Hath abolished death; hath taken away its power and sting.
11.
Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
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.
Verse 12
These things; the hardships of his imprisonment.
13.
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Verse 13
Of sound words; of sound doctrine.
14.
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
Verse 14
That good thing; the sacred trust of the ministry.
15.
This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
16.
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
Verse 16
The house; the family. It would seem that this family resided in Ephesus, as a salutation is sent to the members of it at the close of the Epistle, (2 Timothy 4:19,) and there Onesiphorus had himself shown Paul kindness. (2 Timothy 1:16.) He had, however, now been at Rome. From the message being only to his family, it would seem that Onesiphorus was still absent from Ephesus, or dead.
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.