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Inscription and greeting (1–2). Gratitude, prayer and exhortation of the apostle (3-7). We should not be ashamed of witnessing for Christ (8–12). On the preservation of the teaching entrusted to Timothy (13–14). Example of Onesiphorus (15–18). 2Tim.1:1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, 2Tim.1:2. To Timothy, beloved son: grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. The apostle was in prison while writing the epistle. Nevertheless, he did not lose heart at all and continued to consider himself “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.” Expressing this conviction, he has in mind those of his opponents who, pointing to his cramped position, said: “What kind of apostle is this? The apostle must always be free to preach the will of Him who sent him...”, the apostle responds to this in advance by indicating “the will of God,” which obviously leads Paul along special paths, even through constraint, to achieve the goal indicated for him. On the other hand, the apostle points out that he has “the promise of life in Christ Jesus,” that is, he hopes that Christ, at His second coming to earth, will grant him eternal blessed life (Col. 3:3–4; Gal. 6:8). That is why he, without losing heart, endures all kinds of suffering and hardship. 2Tim.1:3. I thank God, Whom I serve from my ancestors with a clear conscience, that I constantly remember you in my prayers day and night, 2 Timothy 1:4. and I wish to see you, remembering your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, 2Tim.1:5. bringing to mind your unfeigned faith, which formerly dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice; I'm sure it's in you too. It is better to translate these verses as follows: “I have gratitude to God - Whom I serve from my ancestors - in a clear conscience (i.e., not hypocritical, genuine gratitude), since (ώς incorrectly translated by the conjunction: that) I constantly remember you in my prayers, wishing to see you day and night,” and further - according to the Russian text. With these words, the apostle encourages Timothy, who, being separated from his teacher and leader, probably sometimes fell into doubt about the success of his activities in Ephesus. The Apostle remembers the tears that Timothy shed when parting with him, remembers his unfeigned faith, which constitutes, so to speak, the hereditary treasure in Timothy’s soul, and sincerely thanks God for his beloved disciple. 2 Timothy 1:6. For this reason, I remind you to kindle the gift of God that is in you through my ordination; 2 Timothy 1:7. for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control. “For this reason” - that is, because you have unfeigned faith. The “gift of grace”—that is, the ability to perform one’s high hierarchical service—first of all, the firmness of faith, then wisdom, courage, humility and love. All this is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is sometimes represented in Holy Scripture as fire (cf. Rom 12:11; Acts 2:3). Timothy must not extinguish this fire - otherwise he will betray the trust of the apostle who ordained him. “Gave it to us,” that is, to the ministers of the Word of God par excellence. "Don't be afraid." A man as strong as a lion has nothing to fear. 2 Timothy 1:8. So, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor of me, His prisoner; but suffer with the gospel of Christ by the power of God, The Apostle urges Timothy to drive away cowardly shame before the proclamation of the Gospel. “Testimony of the Lord,” that is, the Gospel that Christ brought to people and the preaching of which the apostles continued. According to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, here is an indication of the death of Christ, with which Christ confirmed the truth of His preaching. "Not me, the prisoner." They usually do not support acquaintances with the criminal; they even try to forget about him, so as not to fall under suspicion of unreliability. “Suffer with the gospel” - suffer for the benefit of the gospel (Gospel). “According to the power of God” - that is, in accordance with the power or using the power of God, which lies in the Gospel itself. 2 Timothy 1:9. who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began, In addition to the power found in the Gospel itself, Timothy will be helped by the grace of God and the love of God, remembering which Timothy can be freed from any hesitation when deciding whether he should work to proclaim the Gospel. "The title of saint". The call of God is holy, significantly different from human invitations (cf. Matthew 22:3, 14, 11:28). "Before the Ages of Times". Saying that grace “was given before the ages,” the apostle obviously does not mean a pre-temporal existence (δοθίσα ν - indicates a historical fact), but the most ancient prophecy about the salvation of people from sin, i.e. Gen. 3:15. Christ, according to the apostle, is the promised Seed, about whom Adam and Eve were told as the Savior of mankind. However, He was given only as hope (cf. Isaiah 9:6). 2 Timothy 1:10. now revealed by the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ, who destroyed death and revealed life and incorruption through the gospel, The Apostle says that the promise of salvation has now been fulfilled through the appearance of the “Savior”, Who destroyed - more correctly: put death beyond the possibility of action, having done this, however, in principle; its final destruction must take place at the final judgment (1 Cor 15:26). “He who manifested” - who made it so that we clearly see life and incorruption. “Life” is eternal life in Christ. "Incorruptibility". – With this expression, the apostle more precisely defines the concept of “life and.” “Through the gospel.” – This expression refers to the beginning of the verse: “revealed...” The Apostle wants to say that grace was revealed through the preaching of salvation, which was carried throughout the world by the preachers appointed by Christ after His resurrection (John 20:21; Eph 2:17; Heb 2:3). 2 Timothy 1:11. for whom I am appointed preacher and apostle and teacher of the Gentiles. 2 Timothy 1:12. For this reason I suffer like this; but I'm not ashamed. For I know in whom I have believed, and I am confident that He is able to keep my pledge for that day. Pointing to Timothy as an example of himself as a strong preacher of the Gospel, the apostle says that “his pledge” (παραθήκην μου) is already kept with God in heaven. By this he expresses his confidence in the reward awaiting him in heaven: this reward already constitutes, as it were, the property of the apostle (cf. 1 Timothy 6:18; Matthew 5:12, 19:21). 2 Timothy 1:13. Hold fast to the pattern of sound teaching which you have heard from me, with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:14. Keep the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. It can be translated: “as a general outline of sound words, keep the outline that you received from me, remaining in faith in Christ - as in the Savior - and in love for Him” (faith and love for Christ will not allow Timothy to deviate from sound teaching and thereby grieve Christ). “Keep a good deposit,” that is, this is the most sound teaching. “By the Holy Spirit,” that is, by kindling in oneself the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are in Timothy, as in every good Christian. With such spiritual fervor, Timothy is in no danger of losing the precious treasures of sound words. 2 Timothy 1:15. You know that all the Asians have abandoned me; among them Figellus and Hermogenes. 2 Timothy 1:16. May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because they gave me rest many times and were not ashamed of my bonds, 2 Timothy 1:17. but, being in Rome, he looked for me with great diligence and found me. 2 Timothy 1:18. May the Lord grant him to find favor with the Lord on that day; and how long he served me in Ephesus, you know better. To further encourage Timothy to faithfully keep the teaching taught to him by Paul, the apostle expresses his grief, which all the Asian (most likely Ephesian) Christians caused him, leaving the apostle helpless in the hands of his enemies. Perhaps, in order for the apostle to be freed from Roman bonds, the intercession of influential Asia Minor Christians before the Roman authorities was required. These Christians should have come to Rome and testified in favor of the apostle, but they obviously hastened to distance themselves from him. Even the somewhat famous Figellus and Hermogenes did not help the apostle. Timothy should not imitate them. On the other hand, the apostle cannot, without a feeling of sincere gratitude, remember Onesiphorus, who, according to legend (Acts of Saint Thekla), had a house in Iconium and received the Apostle Paul there. This Onesiphorus found the Apostle Paul in Rome, obviously already at a time when the apostle was imprisoned in real prison, when access to him was completely cut off for Roman Christians. Here, as best he could, he served the apostle. And earlier, this Onesiphorus, while he was in Ephesus, provided many services to the Ephesian Church (the expression “me” is not found in a number of codes), which is better known to Timothy himself, as the bishop of the Ephesian Church. Since the apostle wishes the mercy of God not to Onesiphorus himself, but to his “house” or family, and to Onesiphorus himself he asks for mercy from the Lord “on that day,” that is, on the day of the Last Judgment, it is clear that Onesiphorus was no longer alive at the time of writing the epistle. "May the Lord give him." Not without reason, these words are seen as proof that the Apostle Paul believed in the effective meaning of prayer for the dead: the desire he expressed, since it is addressed to Christ, is nothing more than prayer. You might be interested in: