Introduction to Second Timothy-Place of Origin, Destination, Occasion and Purpose
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday January 27, 2015
Second Timothy: Introduction-Place of Origin, Destination, Occasion and Purpose
Lesson # 2
The apostle Paul wrote Second Timothy during his second Roman imprisonment in approximately 67 or 68 A.D. during the reign of Nero.
He was probably arrested in Troas since Paul requests that Timothy bring his cloak which he left in that city when he was arrested (2 Timothy 4:13).
Throughout this epistle Paul mentions he is imprisoned (2 Timothy 1:8, 16, 2:9 twice).
In 2 Timothy 4:16-18, the apostle informs Timothy he had already endured a preliminary hearing and was awaiting his final trial.
He stated that all deserted him during this period and that Alexander the coppersmith had done him much harm.
In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, he expects to be executed.
In 2 Timothy 4:10-12, Paul reveals that he was abandoned by Demas and that only Luke was still with him.
Paul had two Roman imprisonments: (1) A.D. 60-62: Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon (2) A.D. 68: 2 Timothy.
The apostle Paul wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon during his first Roman imprisonment while he was awaiting his appeal before Caesar and he was actually permitted to have his own rented quarters in Rome with a Roman soldier guarding him (See Acts 28).
However, Paul wrote Second Timothy during his second Roman imprisonment while languishing in the infamous Mamertine dungeon in the city of Rome which was a subterranean building consisting of two vaulted chambers.
There was one chamber above the other and connected by a small hole.
There are some who believe the lower chamber originally served as a cistern.
When it was converted into a prison, prisoners were lowered through the hole and held in the lower chamber until their execution.
The apostle Paul may have been placed there just prior to his execution but not likely before his final sentencing.
It would have been almost impossible to receive visitors like Timothy if he had been placed in the lower chamber.
Unlike his first Roman imprisonment between 60-62 A.D., he did not receive preferential treatment by the Roman authorities during his second Roman imprisonment (See Acts 28:30-31).
Therefore, it was during these terrible circumstances that Paul wrote Second Timothy.
Second Timothy does not explicitly mentioned where Timothy was located when he received this epistle from Paul.
However, Timothy must not have been a great distance from Rome since he requests that his delegate come to him quickly (2 Timothy 4:9) and “before winter” (2 Timothy 4:21).
He even requests that Timothy bring his cloak which he left at Troas with Carpus (2 Timothy 4:13).
Paul’s concern for warm clothing would appear to indicate a period in the early fall.
Travel by water in the Mediterranean would be dangerous between October and May.
All of this indicates Timothy’s location was not a great distance from Rome where Paul was imprisoned.
Now, in Philippians 1:25-26 and 2:24 Paul expresses his confidence that he would be released from what would have been his first Roman imprisonment.
In Romans 15:24, he also expresses confidence at being released so as to meet the Roman church face to face.
In Romans 15:32 he expresses his desire to visit them and makes two requests of them in Romans 15:31, namely that when he enters into the company of the Roman believers he will find rest for himself in their company.
So for these reasons, Paul probably undertook a fourth missionary journey, namely Spain by way of Rome after being released from his first Roman imprisonment.
During this fourth missionary journey, he left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3-4), and continued to Rome where he was imprisoned for a second time.
The apostle Paul more than likely traveled to Crete accompanied by Titus and Timothy.
The apostle then left Titus behind to deal with opposition by the Judaizers and to set things in order.
Paul and Timothy then decided to make their way to Macedonia.
In route, they stopped in Ephesus to find false teachers causing problems in the church there.
Consequently, Paul left Timothy to deal with that situation and proceeded to continue on to Macedonia.
It was from this province that he wrote the letters of 1 Timothy and Titus.
In 1 Timothy 1:3, he directs Timothy to remain at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3) while telling Titus to meet him in Nicopolis for the winter (Titus 3:12).
Then, as he was traveling back to Ephesus, he was arrested, which may have resulted from the conflict with Alexander (2 Tim. 4:13-15).
The apostle Paul was then taken to Rome to stand before a tribunal (2 Tim 4:16-18).
While in prison, Paul sent Tychicus to Ephesus with the second letter to Timothy imploring him to come to Rome before winter disrupted the shipping routes on the Mediterranean.
Therefore, Timothy was more than likely in Ephesus functioning as Paul’s delegate to the church in that city.
Paul sent Tychicus to replace Timothy at Ephesus so that Timothy might join Paul at Rome (2 Timothy 4:9, 12).
One of the purposes for which Paul wrote Second Timothy was that he was lonely and wanted Timothy to come to Rome (1:4; 4:9, 21), even though Luke is with him (4:11).
In Philippians 2:20, Paul stated that no other person could minister to him like Timothy.
Another purpose for this letter is that Paul’s death was imminent and he wanted to say goodbye to his young delegate and friend and to encourage him to continue in the work of the ministry.
So this is the theme of this epistle in that Paul was preparing Timothy to carry on the work of the gospel.
The apostle Paul is concerned about Timothy persevering in the work of the gospel and not quitting as so many had done at that time.
Mounce writes “Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy for several reasons: (1) He wanted Timothy to finish up a few details in Ephesus and come to see him in Rome before he died. (2) In light of the fierceness of the opposition in Ephesus, he encouraged Timothy to remain true to him and to the gospel message, to willingly suffer for the gospel. (3) Paul also wanted to bring Timothy up to date on the activities and whereabouts of his coworkers.”