2 Timothy Simplified

Author & Audience

Author: Apostle Paul

Audience: Timothy

We Talked About Who Timothy is Last Time

You can Listen to Last Week’s Lesson to Learn More Information About Him

One Thing to Remember Though is:

Timothy is a Young Preaching Companion of Paul Whom Paul Left in Ephesus

According to Tradition, Paul Wrote 1 Timothy While in His 1st Roman Imprisonment

This was the Imprisonment We Read About at the End of Acts

Then He was Released and Did Some More Traveling

But Then He was Arrested Again When Nero Caesar…

Began His Ruthless Persecution Against Christians

And this Arrest Would Lead to His Death

Paul Wrote this 2nd Letter to Timothy While in this Final Roman Imprisonment

He Wrote it from the Loneliness of a Cold, Dark Dungeon

This is Likely Paul’s Final Writing

Purpose

Paul is Lonely, Beaten Down, and at the End of His Life

The Persecution of the Church has Really Ramped Up…

And Christians are Starting to Fall Away and Desert Paul in His Time of Need

His Only Comfort is Knowing that He has Been Faithful…

And that Jesus will Reward Him for it

But He Also Sees a Great Need for Mutual Encouragement with Timothy

He Writes this Letter to Encourage Timothy to Stay Strong

He Must Keep Preaching/Living the Truth of the Gospel and Expect Persecution

He Ends the Letter By Urging Timothy to Come to Him Quickly

Themes

There are Several Themes I Would Like to Talk About…

But I’ll Stick to the Primary One

Paul is Entrusting Timothy with the Gospel

He Knows His Time is Limited…

And He Wants to Encourage Timothy to Stay Faithful to the Gospel of Jesus

“Even if that Gospel Brings Persecution (And it Will)…

Guard it as a Treasure that I Am Entrusting to You”

2 Timothy 1:8–14 (NASB95)

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

As Paul is Coming Close to the End of His Life…

He is Entrusting His Eternal Life to Jesus…

And the Gospel to Timothy

His Hope is that Jesus will Guard His Salvation

And He Commands Timothy to Guard the Gospel

Then His Goal for Timothy is to Continue Entrusting the Gospel to Other Faithful Men

2 Timothy 2:2 (NASB95)

2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Paul’s Mission for Many Years was to Take the Gospel to the World

But Now His Time is Drawing to a Close…

And He Wants to Ensure that the Gospel Mission Continues

Outline

Chapter 1

Paul is Thankful for Timothy and the Faith that was Instilled in Him By His (Grand)Mother

He Encourages Timothy to Use His Spiritual Gift and Not Be Timid

Timothy Shouldn’t Be Ashamed of the Gospel or Paul’s Imprisonment…

But He Should Join Paul in Suffering for the Gospel of Salvation

Jesus Defeated Death and has Brought Life and Immortality Through the Gospel

Preaching this Gospel is Why Paul Suffers

But He isn’t Ashamed Because He Knows Jesus will Take Care of Him in the Resurrection

Paul Encourages Timothy to Keep Preaching this Same Gospel

Many People are Deserting Paul in His Imprisonment…

Except for a Man Named Onesiphorus

He Wasn’t Ashamed of Paul But Worked Hard to Help Paul

Chapter 2

Paul Tells Timothy to Stick with the Truth of the Gospel…

And Teach Other Faithful People Who can Teach it to Others

Timothy Needs to Be Willing to Suffer Like a Good Soldier for Jesus

Soldiers Don’t Get Caught Up in the Things of Everyday Life

He is Only Concerned with Pleasing His Commander

Timothy Needs to Be Like an Athlete Who Plays By the Rules so He can Win His Reward

Timothy Needs to Be Like a Hard-Working Farmer Who will Enjoy His Future Harvest

Paul Urges Timothy to Remember the Gospel of the Resurrected Jesus

They can Lock Paul Away for Preaching it…

But They Can’t Lock it Away

2 Timothy 2:11–13 (NASB95)

11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

These are the Things Timothy Needs to Remind the Ephesians of

He Needs to Teach the Gospel Accurately

This is What Makes Someone a Genuine Worker of God

There are Those in God’s House Who are Not Useful to Him

They Participate in Worthless Discussions…

Teach Falsehoods…

And Practice Wickedness

But Those Who Keep Away From Those Things are Useful to God

Timothy Must Flee From Youthful Lusts and…

Pursue Righteousness, Faith, Love, and Peace

This is What will Lead to the Repentance and Salvation of Others

Chapter 3

Difficult Times are Coming for Christians

People will Be Wicked and Seek to Deceive Many

Timothy Should Avoid These People

Instead, He Should Follow the Teachings, Conduct, and Persecutions of Paul

All Who Seek to Live Godly Lives in Christ will Be Persecuted

Evil People will Always Exist and Will Always Tend to Get Worse

But Timothy Should Continue in the Truth of Jesus that Leads to Salvation…

And is Revealed in the Scriptures

The Scriptures can Be Trusted Because They Come From the Spirit of God

And They are Beneficial for Equipping Us for Every Good Work

Chapter 4

Paul Urges Timothy to Preach the Gospel

Preach it When People Like it and When They Don’t

People will Not Always Want the Gospel

But Timothy Needs to Keep Up His Evangelistic Ministry, Regardless

Paul Recognizes that His Death is Soon to Come

He has Kept the Faith and He is Confident in the Hope that Lies Before Him

The Crown Righteousness that will Be Given to Him at Jesus’ Return

Paul Ends the Letter with Some Personal Concerns

Key Passage

As with Any Book of the Bible, There are Several Key Passages

But One Passage that Gets to the Heart of How Paul Felt at the Time is:

2 Timothy 4:6–8 (NASB95)

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul Compared Himself to a Drink Offering Being Poured Out

His Life was a Sacrifice to Jesus and that Sacrifice is Almost Complete

It is Almost Time for His Departure (Death)

He Told Timothy Twice in His First Letter to “Fight the Good Fight”

That is: Remain Faithful to Jesus and His Gospel Message…

Despite the Growing Opposition

Paul has Done this

He has Finished the Course He was Set to Run

He Didn’t Give Up

He Kept on Running

And Now the Finish Line is in Sight

He has Kept the Faith

He Lived in Obedience to the Gospel

He was a True Disciple of King Jesus

And Now He has a Hope Laid Up for Him in the Future

It May Look Like His Future is Bleak Because He’s About to Be Brutally Executed

His Death Look Like Defeat…

Like Sin and Wickedness has Won

But Paul Knows the Truth

In the Future, There is a Crown of Victory Waiting for Him

A Crown that Makes it Clear to All the Universe:

Paul is Victorious

Because of His Enduring Faith in Jesus, Paul is Righteous

And on the Day of Jesus’ Return…

Paul is Going to Be Awarded with Resurrection Life that Never Ends

But Here’s the Best Part

Paul Says, “And Not Only to Me, But Also to All Who Have Loved His Appearing”

Do You Love Jesus’ Future Appearance/Return?

Is that Where Your Hope is Set?