2 Timothy

1:6-14

1. Introduction

ii] An exhortation to boldness and faithfulness

It seems that Timothy is a person who is easily overwhelmed by circumstance; someone easily debilitated by fear. Certainly that was how Paul saw him and so in the opening section of this his second letter to Timothy, Paul does his best to bolster him up so that he will no longer be debilitated by fear. Paul chooses to strengthen him with objective reality, with truth.

Given that we are dealing with a personal letter, the argument in this section is by no means formally presented. In general terms, Paul summarizes the gospel and encourages its preservation and presentation. Because of Timothy's sincere faith Paul encourages him to stoke up his ministry gifts, v6-7. Paul then encourages him not to be ashamed of either the gospel or his imprisonment, but rather to join with him in struggling for the gospel, v8. Paul then summarizes the gospel, v9-10, noting his own gospel ministry for which his is anything but ashamed, v11-12. Paul then encourages Timothy to keep hold of the gospel truths taught him by Paul, v13, and to guard them in the power of the Holy Spirit, v14.

di "for [this reason]" - because of, on account of [which cause, reason]. "Because of the inheritance of faith into which Timothy has entered", v5, Barrett, although better "on the basis of", Knight.

anazwpurein (anazwpurew) pres. inf. "to fan into flame" - to ignite, rekindle. Hapax legomenon, once only use in the NT. The present tense is best taken as durative. The infinitive forms a dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing the content of Paul's reminder to Timothy. On the one hand spiritual gifts are given as a gift of God, but on the other hand, they must be exercised, fanned into flame (better than "rekindled").

to carisma tou qeou "the gift of God" - Certainly "gift" in the sense of a "spiritual endowment for ministry", but this cannot be separated from the primary gift of the indwelling Spirit of Christ.

en + dat. "in [you]" - in, by. Here local, "within".

dia + gen. "through" - through, by means of. Instrumental, although a causal sense may be intended. Barrett suggests that here the preposition is used to indicate an attendant circumstance, ie. the "imposition of hands was an attendant .... act", the act being an accompaniment to the gift. Most commentators opt for an instrumental sense, eg. Mounce, Marshall. Yet, as Marshall notes, the instrumental sense "through" does not necessarily imply that "it was the act of laying on of hands which conveyed the Spirit."

gar "for" - for. Expressing cause/reason.

pneuma (a atoV) "a spirit" - a spirit. "Spirit" here may refer to the Holy Spirit; "for when God gave us his Spirit, it was not timidity that we received, but power, love and self-discipline", Fee, so also Marshall, cf. CEV. None-the-less, most commentators "view all four qualities as relating to Timothy's spirit ("spirit" in the sense of a person's attitude or disposition, or probably better "the human spirit as endowed by the Holy Spirit with the qualities proper for service", Bernard) recognizing that the gifts God gives to Timothy and all believers are given through the Holy Spirit", Mounce. "God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible", Peterson.

deiliaV (a) gen. "of timidity" - of cowardice, timidity, fearfulness. As usual, the genitive prompts numerous translations. Probably best taken as adjectival, attributive, limiting/describing "spirit"; a "timid spirit"; "for the spirit that God gave us is no cowardly spirit, but one to inspire power, love and self-discipline", REB.

swfronismou (oV) gen. "of self-discipline" - self-control, temperance, moderation, sobriety. The three genitive nouns, "power", "love" and "moderation", are best treated adjectivally, as with "spirit of timidity" = "a cowardly spirit"; "a powerful, loving, prudent spirit."

Given that through the power of the indwelling Spirit Timothy's own spirit/being is "bold, loving and sensible", there is no reason why he should be ashamed of ministering the gospel.

oun "so" - therefore. Drawing a logical conclusion.

mh ... epaiscunqhV (epaiscunomai) aor. pas. subj. "do not be ashamed" - be not ashamed of. A subjunctive of prohibition.

to marturion (on) "to testify" - the witness, testimony. The first object (acc.) of the shame is "the witness of the Lord", "witness" in the sense of "something that serves as evidence", Johnson, cf. Plato, so "the gospel". It is possible that "the witness" is the act of "bearing witness", as NIV.

tou koriou (oV) gen. "about [our] Lord" - of the Lord [of us]. Again the genitive prompts numerous translations, but it is best to assume an adjectival sense, attributive, limiting "witness", so "witness which concerns / concerning the Lord" = "the gospel", before opting for a verbal genitive, either subjective, "the witness made by Jesus himself", or objective, "the witness/testimony made to Jesus".

mhde "or ashamed of" - neither, nor [me the prisoner of him]. The second object (acc.) of the shame is Paul himself, his status as a criminal.

alla "but" - but, and. Here adversative.

sugkakopaqhson (sugkadapaqew) aor. imp. "join with me in suffering" - share suffering / hard-times together with. Clearly Paul is of the view that both the gospel and his imprisonment will cause Timothy difficulties. Certainly honor and dishonor are central to Roman ethics, but it seems more likely that the false teachers in the Ephesian congregation are the ones likely to cause Timothy some difficulties when it comes to proclaiming a gospel of grace, as opposed to law, and affirming the apostleship of a man who by his imprisonment is presumably under God's curse, rather than blessing. "Be brave and join me in taking your share of suffering for the gospel."

tw/ euaggeliw/ (on) dat. "for the gospel" - to/in/for the gospel. Dative of interest, advantage; "take your share of suffering for the sake of the gospel", Marshall. The word "gospel" simply means "important news."

kata + acc. "by [the power of God]" - according to [power of God]. "As God strengthens you to do", Marshall.

Paul now gives a summary of the gospel and his part in its administration, v9-12. These four verses, along with v8, consist of one sentence in the Gk. "The gospel / important news" concerns what God has done. This is described initially with two parallel adjectival participial phrases, "having saved ..." and "having called .....". These phrases, particularly the lead phrase "having saved", is qualified by two prepositional phrases, "not according to our works" and "but according to his purpose and grace." The second prepositional phrase is itself qualified by two participial phrases, "having been given ...." and "having been revealed ....." which identify two separate periods in which God's sovereign grace has been active. Both periods are dependent on the person and work of Jesus Christ. The gospel statement concludes with two adjectival participial phrases which describe the work of Christ, "having put to death" and "having brought to life", and this through "the gospel" / "gospel proclamation".

tou swsantoV (swzw) gen. aor. part. "who has saved [us]" - having saved. The participial is adjectival, attributive, describing "God", v8, as NIV. Genitive in agreement with "God". Given that "saved" is placed before "called", the sense is most likely "God's redemptive act in Christ", Barrett.

kalesantoV (kalew) gen. aor. part. "called us" - having called. The participial is adjectival, attributive. This word comes with quite a bit of baggage such that Paul may be referring to an "effectual call", a sovereign determination by God of those who are privileged to appropriate salvation, or simply "call" in the sense of "invited". So, called/invited "to repent and be saved in response to the good news", Johnson.

klhsei aJgia/ dat. "to a holy life" - to/in/with/by a holy calling. The dative is probably instrumental, "with / by"; "through the call to his side", Cassirer. "Holy" modifies "calling", ie. the calling is holy in that it proceeds from God.

ou kata "not because [of anything we have done]" - not according to [the works]. Even if this letter wasn't written by Paul it would be hard to believe that anything other than "the works of the law" is the intended sense of "the works". Our participation in the salvation wrought by Christ rests, not on our righteousness, but the grace of God made effective in the righteousness of Christ.

proqesin kai carin "[his own] purpose and grace" - It seems likely that we have a hendiadys here, a single idea expressed by two words joined by kai, so "God's sovereign grace", ie. his divine favor / covenant mercy, where forgiveness is bestowed on members of the covenant when a just condemnation would be more appropriate.

thn doqeisan (didwmi) aor. pas. part. "this grace was given [us]" - the one having been given [to us]. The participle is adjectival, limiting "sovereign grace" "which was given to us." "Grace is given in the sense that God shows favor to his people and grants them salvation", Marshall.

en Cristw/ "in Christ" - Always a difficult term in that the preposition may be instrumental, "by/through Christ", or local, "in union with Christ." Local seems best.

pro + gen. "before [the beginning of time]" - before [time of ages]. Usually recognized as a Semitism = "before the ages", ie. before creation, as NIV; "even before time began", CEV.

de "but" - but, and. Adversative, as NIV.

nun "now" - The manifestation of God's sovereign grace, planned then, even before the creation of time, is realized "now" in the appearing of Christ.

fanerwqeisan (fanerow) aor. pas. part. "it has [now] been revealed" - having been manifested, revealed, made visible. As with "having been given", the participle is adjectival, limiting "sovereign grace", a grace "which has been revealed."

dia + gen. "through" - through, by means of. Instrumental.

thV epifaneiaV (a) "the appearing" - Obviously not Christ's second coming, although the word is most often used of his appearing in the last day / before the Ancient of Days, rather here it refers to the incarnation of Christ. "God's grace was made visible in the earthly ministry of Jesus, in which this Jesus appeared in his capacity as Christ, the anointed one", Knight.

men ...... de - "...... and ....." - on the one hand ...... but on the other. Forming a comparative / contrasting clause between two adjectival participial phrases describing "Christ Jesus", in particular, his work as "savior"; "who on the one hand broke the power of death, but on the other hand ...."

katarghsantoV (katargew) aor. part. "who has destroyed" - having nullified, abolished, cancelled, neutralized. The participle is adjectival, attributive, describing "Christ Jesus". As Towner notes, the neutralizing of death is usually pared with Christ's resurrection, but here it seems to be pared with his death. Yet, as with the bringing to light of life, the defeat of death is not pared specifically with Christ's death and resurrection, but with his "appearing", ie. the incarnation. In the incarnate Christ the believer finds both the defeat of death and eternal life. Death, both spiritual (a death to God) and physical (eternal death), is nullified. "Christ Jesus, who has broken the power of death", Cassirer.

fwtisantoV (fwtizw) aor. part. "has brought [life and immortality] to light" - having brought to light. The participle is adjectival, as with "having destroyed." "Brought to light" in the sense of "manifested / revealed"; Jesus has "illuminated" the darkness in which humanity resides with the revelation of God's grace, and this dia "through" the gospel.

zwhn kai afqarsian "life and immortality" - life and incorruptibility. It is likely we have another hendiadys here, such that "life and incorruptibility" produce the single idea "immortality" = "eternal life". The point being made is that "only the gospel clearly shows the eternal life that comes through Christ from God, which is the only true eternal life", Mounce.

eiV o} "and for this gospel" - to, for which. The preposition probably expresses advantage, "for which gospel", "gospel" understood; "for the service of the good news I was appointed", Barclay.

khrux (ux ukoV) "a herald" - preacher. One who proclaims. Note the unlikely variant (cf. 1Tim.2:7), "a preacher, apostle and teacher of the Gentiles." Yet, possessing such authority does not spare Paul from suffering, and this Timothy needs to understand.

dia + acc. "that is why" - because of, on account of [which cause]. "This is the reason for my present plight", NEB.

pascw pres. "I am suffering" - I suffer.

kai tauta "as I am" - also these things.

alla "yet" - but. Here adversative, as NIV. "But I am not ashamed of it", NEB.

gar "because" - for [I know in whom I have believed. Expressing cause/reason. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because he knows the person to/in whom he has entrusted his life. The object of his confidence may be personalized in Jesus, although the drift of the argument has had "God" as the agent, cf. v8. "I know whom I have trusted", REB.

oJti "[convinced] that" - [I have been persuaded, convinced] that. Here forming a dependent statement of perception expressing what Paul knows to be true, namely that in the face of life's difficulties his eternal security is safe in the hands of Jesus; "I am convinced that he is able to keep safely and securely all that I have put on deposit with Him, against the day that I will need it!", Junkins.

fulaxai (fulassw) aor. inf. "[he is able] to guard" - [he is powerful] to guard, keep, protect. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verbal phrase "he is able".

thn paraqhkhn (h) "what [I have] entrusted to him" - the deposit [of me]. "Property entrusted to another", BAGD - that which is entrusted to one's care. The Gk., "deposit of me", is unclear. The pronoun is surely possessive such that it is Paul's deposit, but has he been entrusted with the deposit by God, or is he entrusting it to/with God? In 1Tim.6:20 and 2Tim.1:14, Timothy is encouraged to guard what has been entrusted to him ("the deposit"), probably the gospel, but possibly his gifts of ministry (note that the possessive pronoun mou is not present in these verses). So, is Paul entrusting God to guard the deposit he has put with him, namely his soul/life, his place in eternity, ...., as NIV, cf. NRSV, NASB, or is Paul entrusting God to guard the deposit God has put with Paul, namely the truth of the apostolic gospel, or the exercise of his gospel ministry, cf. NEB, RSV, CEV, "I am sure that he can guard until the last day what he has entrusted me with"? Although it is possible that Paul entrusts the deposit to God for Him to guard, so Towner, Knight, Mounce, Johnson (for Johnson the deposit is "the person relationship of trust between God and himself), it is probably better to read that the deposit, namely "the pure apostolic gospel", has been entrusted to Paul and that he is sure, despite the vagaries of life, that God will guard it for eternity, so Kelly, Guthrie, Conzelmann, Barrett. None-the-less, given that the possessive mou may well be read as identifying the depositor (ie. Paul makes the deposit, "my deposit"), Marshall suggests that the deposit is "what I, Paul, am entrusting to my successors; what is elsewhere called my gospel." Paul is sure that God will guard this deposit as it is passed on, and this to the end of time. Given v13, this seems the better interpretation.

eiV "for [that day]" - to [that day]. Obviously the day of judgment, 1:18, 4:8.

Paul now makes a direct appeal to Timothy. Given that Paul is sure that God will guard the gospel deposit as it is passed on to a new generation, so he encourages Timothy "to retain and guard the truth content of the gospel message in the face of the threats from false teachers", Knight, v13-14.

ece (ecw) pres. imp. "keep as" - have, keep, take hold of. The clause is surely dependent on this verb, rather than hkousaV, "you heard"; "hold/keep = preserve an outline of the sound teaching you heard from me", or possibly "keep before you as a model of sound teaching that which you heard from me", NEBmj.

uJpotupwsin (iV ewV) "as the pattern" - a pattern, model, norm, example, standard. Emphatic by position in the Gk. "An outline", NEB.

uJgiainontwn "of sound [teaching]" - being healthy, sound [words, teaching]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, forming a participial phrase limiting "the pattern", "a pattern which consists of sound teaching."

en + dat. "with [faith and love]" - in [faith and love]. The preposition is best treated adverbially here, modal, expressing manner; "keep / hold ........ with faith and love ....", as NIV.

en Cristw/ Ihsou "in Christ Jesus" - "He is the source and spring of both faith and love", Bernard.

fulaxon (fulassw) aor. imp. "guard [the good deposit]" - guard, keep. Paul is still directly encouraging Timothy, so as well as "keep" .... he is to "guard".

thn ... paraqhkhn (h) "the [good] deposit" - As above, either i] the gifts of ministry bestowed on Timothy, or ii] the truths of the gospel. The second option still works best; Timothy is to preserve the purity of the apostolic doctrine against the activities of the false teachers in his church.

"that was entrusted to you" - Obviously the imperative applies to Timothy, but the NIV assumes that the deposit is entrusted to him personally. Lit. "guard the good deposit" may mean "keep safe the treasure put into our charge", REB.

dia + gen. "with the help of" - through, by means of. Instrumental, so Timothy is to guard the integrity of the gospel entrusted to him and to do this with the aid of the indwelling Spirit of Christ.

2 Timothy Introduction

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