< 2 Timothy 1 >

In his second letter, Paul expressed his care for Timothy vs.1-5Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:1-5 and exhorted him to use to the full the Spirit gift he received by the laying on of Paul’s hands.v.6Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:6 The disciples had to preach the gospel in times of great difficulty and persecution vs.7-9Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:7-9 but their salvation in Christ had been in God’s purpose from the very beginning.v.9Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:9 If these words were taken literally they would mean that the disciples existed “before the world began” but this form of language is common in the Bible by which God, who knows everything in advance, speaks of things that are not yet as though they were. The word “world” here is “aion”, referring to the Mosaic age before which God spoke of the saints who would live in the future, e.g. the multitudinous seed of Abraham who would inherit the land with him. Unfortunately, when this form of speech is used concerning Jesus people take it to mean that he literally existed “before the world began”, whereas he was simply spoken of by God long before he was born of Mary and before he existed.

Jesus has “abolished death” in that when his disciples die they simply fall into a sleep from which they will awake at the resurrection. The good news is that life and immortality can be obtained through Jesus.v.10Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:10 But, this is conditional, and one of the conditions is that disciples “hold fast the form of sound words”, learned through the apostles, “in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus”.v.13Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:13 Unfortunately, many of the disciples did not do this, as Paul said: “all they which are in Asia [the Roman province where Paul did much of his preaching] be turned away from me”.v.15Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:15 However, there were some faithful individuals, including Onesiphorus and his family,v.16Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:16 and Paul prayed that such will “find mercy of the Lord in that day”,v.18Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 1:18 i.e. the day when Jesus returns to reward every man according to his works.