2 Timothy

Second Timothy is the apostle Paul's final letter, written from a Roman prison during his second imprisonment, around AD 66-67. Addressed to Timothy — his beloved protege and spiritual son — it carries the weight of a father's last words. Paul knows his execution is imminent; he writes, "I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come" (2 Timothy 4:6). Yet the letter is not despairing but urgent: Paul charges Timothy to remain faithful, guard the gospel entrusted to him, endure suffering without shame, and come to Rome before winter (2 Timothy 4:21). Of all Paul's letters, this is the most personal — marked by tender affection, vivid memories, and the raw honesty of a man facing death with unshaken confidence in his Lord.

The letter's central concern is the preservation and proclamation of sound doctrine in a time of increasing opposition. Paul warns that the last days will bring people who have "a form of godliness but deny its power" (2 Timothy 3:5), and he urges Timothy to counter this by faithfully handling "the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). The letter contains one of Scripture's most important statements on its own nature: "All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16), using the Greek word θεόπνευστος — a term found nowhere else in the Bible. Paul's closing testimony, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7), has echoed through the centuries as the model of a life lived and ended well. Key themes woven throughout the letter include faithfulness in suffering, the guarding of sound doctrine, the power and sufficiency of Scripture, the cost of discipleship, and the certainty of God's faithfulness even when His servants falter (2 Timothy 2:13).

Structure

Second Timothy can be divided into four major sections, corresponding to its four chapters:

• Greeting and Encouragement to Faithfulness (chapter 1): Paul opens with thanksgiving for Timothy's sincere faith — a faith passed down from his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice — and urges him not to be ashamed of the gospel or of Paul's imprisonment. He exhorts Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God and to guard the good deposit entrusted to him by the Holy Spirit.
• Endurance and Faithful Service (chapter 2): Paul uses a series of vivid metaphors — soldier, athlete, farmer — to illustrate the kind of single-minded endurance Timothy must practice. He calls Timothy to be a workman approved by God, to avoid foolish controversies, and to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
• Warning Against Apostasy and the Authority of Scripture (chapter 3): Paul warns of the moral and spiritual corruption that will characterize the last days, contrasts it with his own example of persecuted faithfulness that Timothy has witnessed, and grounds Timothy's confidence in the God-breathed Scriptures that are sufficient for every good work.
• Final Charge and Farewell (chapter 4): Paul delivers his solemn charge to preach the word in season and out of season, offers his own life as a completed sacrifice, shares personal news and requests, and closes with greetings and a benediction.

Chapters

1. 1Paul greets Timothy with thanksgiving for his faith heritage, urges him to fan into flame the gift of God, and exhorts him to guard the gospel without shame, even in the face of suffering.
2. 2Paul encourages Timothy to be strong in grace, endure hardship like a good soldier, and present himself as an approved workman who rightly handles the word of truth.
3. 3Paul warns that terrible times will come in the last days, points to his own example of persecuted faithfulness, and affirms that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for equipping the servant of God.
4. 4Paul solemnly charges Timothy to preach the word, declares that he has fought the good fight and finished the race, shares personal requests and greetings, and expresses confidence that the Lord will bring him safely to His heavenly kingdom.