Preaching: Paul’s Last Letter (1st Chapter)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
Keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus meaning the eternal life that we Christian are promised after our death.
To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Verse 2 allows you to see that Paul is actually a spiritual father of Timothy and writing a letter to encourage him.
I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
Paul is always looking at his conscience to make sure it is clear and keeping constantly day and night praying for Timothy.
Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
It sounds like Timothy tears easily.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Do you have someone who is always praying for you lie the grandmother and mother who is constantly praying and believe in God?
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
We are reminded that we will need to fan the flame in us where we have the gift of God. Sometimes we are so into life that we forgot our journey with God and not fully utilizing our gifts.
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Love this! Fear does not come from God and if it happens, it must be from the principalities. And God give us Power, Love and Self-Control to counter that!
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
Sounds like Timothy is ashamed of the gospel but do you know that during that time of Timothy, if you declare you are a Christian, you will be capture, torture, and even punish to death.
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Paul is reminding Timothy that do not fear death for the gospel as in the beginning of time, God already plan to send His precious son to take over our position so that we can be saved and called us to a holy life!
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Jesus has already conquered death through his resurrection and brought life to everyone who believes in Him!
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
And that’s the reason why Paul is suffering at the time where he wrote the letter. He wrote the letter in prison and it’s the last letter which he will be executed shortly after.
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
Asking Timothy to persevere with faith and love in our beloved Lord, Christ Jesus.
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Guard all the good thing that have been entrusted to us, and our gifts with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
He was deserted by everyone including the 2 person for unknown reason but he is alone.
May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
But there is this gentlemen who not only search for Paul high and low but also not ashamed of Paul and often refreshes him. So Paul prayed for him that he finds mercy from the Lord.