Verse 3 --

• Paul gives thanks for Timothy, but notably claims to serve God from my forefathers with a pure conscience.

  • It is often claimed that Paul abandoned his Judaism in favor of Christianity.

    • For example, the document "Christians and Jews" from the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany “The first Christian communities were initially considered one of several creedal groups within Judaism. Descriptions in the Acts of the Apostles and particularly the influence of St. Paul indicate developments, however, that soon went beyond the confines of the Jewish community."

      
      

  • Paul, however, consistently claimed to be true to his Judaism, and here, in his closing epistle, says he serves God from my forefathers. He made these same claims when the Jews when he defended himself against their charge of desecrating Judaism (see Acts 22).

  • Paul, the God-serving Jew, prays for Timothy night and day.

    
    

• Verse 4 --

  • Paul's desire is to see Timothy. It is believed that Paul is in Rome while Timothy is in Ephesus. The tears Paul mentions could be the same as his departure from Ephesus in Acts 20:37.

  • “humanity" of Paul. He desired fellowship, relationship, friendship.

    
    

• Verse 5 --

  • It seems almost certain that Paul refers to Timothy's Jewish faith, being first in his mother and grandmother. Since Paul considers himself as Timothy's spiritual father, the faith here, by logical necessity, be of Timothy's Jewish faith.

  • It is every parent and grandparents joy to see their children walking in the faith they were taught as a child. 2 Timothy 3:15 will add additional light to Timothy's faith from the time he was a child.

  2 Timothy 1:6-12 | Paul's Exhortation to Timothy

  
  

Verse 6 --

• Paul celebrates through remembrance in verse 5, now he wants Timothy to have a remembrance that will cause him to stir up the gift which came by Paul's hands.

  • This is likely the same event referred to in 1 Timothy 4:14.

    • As noted in that verse, the spiritual gifts are (in my evaluation) given to the Jewish believers living in the era of the Kingdom offer (from Acts 2 through 70 A.D.).

    • Today we are all equipped with the Word of God and establish our skills based on personal efforts, personality, culture, etc.

      
      

  • Timothy clearly had a spiritual gift that was given to him by the putting on of my hands. We are not given any more information.

  • “laying on of hands," it does not give any spiritual empowerment. 

    
    

• Verse 7 --

  • It is difficult to know whether us includes Paul and Timothy alone or a broader group, such as the body of Christ. It would seem that the spirit of fear is not given by God to anyone of faith, and that this verse could be at least indirectly applicable to every believer.

  • Therefore, if we do have a spirit of fear, it did not come from God. The Godly spirit given to Paul and Timothy (and to us) is one...

    • ... of power - the ability to live faithfully for God.

    • ...of love - the passion to love others with God's love.

    • ...of a sound mind - σωφρονισμός [sophronismos], literally wise thinking. Of all three characteristics, this is likely the one most missing from Christianity today.

      
      

• Verse 8 --

  • The verse should not be taken to imply that Timothy was ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, but rather that there was potential of such, and that Paul warned against this.

  • The word testimonyμαρτύριον [marturion], and though the word English martyr developed from this Greek root hundreds of years later, the idea is likely rooted here as well.

    • Remember that for the Jews the cross was a stumblingblock (1 Cor. 1:23).

    • Timothy, surrounded by Jews, could succumb to the temptation of not bringing it up.

    • Furthermore, Paul and his imprisonment was no issue among the Gentiles (recall how the Romans repeatedly wanted to release him but did not simply because of Jewish pressure). But for Timothy to stand by Paul would be costly. Indeed, for him to do so would almost certainly make him a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.

    • “**the Gospel** [which was] according to the power of God" but rather that the power of God is what enables Timothy to be a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel.

      
      

• Verse 9 --

  • There are two praises of God, and these must be kept separate for good interpretation.

    • God hath saved us. No qualifications are added by Paul. He simply gives this glorious observation.

    • God had called us.

      • This action on God's part is modified with the phrase not according to our own works....

      • It is important to recognize that grammatically Paul is not talking about salvation not of works (though he does in other places), but in the calling not of works.

      • This calling is the calling of the Jews, who were not called according to our works.

      • Recall that Jacob was chosen being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand. These words of Romans 9:11 are clearly about Jacob (Israel) and are almost exactly the words of 2 Timothy 1:9.

      • Furthermore, the calling of God on the Jews was before the world began, which is true for Jews but not for those individuals saved under the Mystery message.

      • Verse 10 -- stay tuned!