Aug. 12, 2026

Dear Friends,

I hope you can join us tonight for Bible study. We will study 2 Timothy 1:1-7. Notes are attached. 

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

AUGUST 12, 2026

2 Timothy 1:1-7

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ

Jesus,

2 To Timothy, my beloved child:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly

in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother

Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 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, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of

power and love and self-control.

______________________

Paul’s last letter—a very personal one, and an important one.

v 1 – “Paul, an apostle …”

This was Paul’s gift and calling. He often had to defend it. He did not deserve it—but it was his

will and calling. It was God’s will for him. And he was forthright about it.

We are also to be faithful and as forthright as we know how to be regarding our gifts and

callings. The devil can use false humility and “shyness” about as effectively as outright

rebellion or refusal; the outcome is the same.

“according to the promise of life. …”

The great theme of Christianity is life vs death (not ethics or morality or religious practices or

various rules).

We are saved so that we can live and not be destroyed.

Paul always keeps this theme foremost in his proclamation.

v 2 – “To Timothy …”

more lit. “beloved child”

Timothy seemed to have a unique relationship with Paul, the “son he never had,” but, in a way,

he did have

“Grace, mercy, and peace …”

This is not merely Paul’s desire for Tmothy—Paul is conveying a blessing, a greeting, “from

God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is a consistent blessing delivered by Paul—to individual and to churches

God’s word to us: grace, mercy, and peace.

v 3 – “I thank God, whom I serve …”

more lit. “Thankful I am to God …”

Even here, Paul’s letter begins to take on a tone of “final words”

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And this final words begin with thanksgiving to God—for his life, and for his ancestors, his

history, which all helped to bring him to this place.

“with a clear [pure] conscience …”

This is not about being sinless – having a spotless record; Paul certainly did not.

But Paul could say that he served God with no known duplicity. Nothing hidden or not

surrendered to God. And, we must assume, serving God with no sin against others. A clear

conscience.

v 4 – more lit. “As unceasingly I hold you in remembrance in my prayers, night and day, longing to see

you, being mindful of your tears, that I might be filled up with joy …”

This is about as personal as it gets

“longing” – epipotheó – a very strong word, “deeply yearning,” “groaning”

Paul—once Saul, persecutor of the Church—now a man who does not hide his emotions and his

love for churches and for individuals who are dear to him

v 5 – “I am reminded of your sincere faith …”

This is a continuation of the same thought

more lit. “… having taken remembrance of the sincere faith [that is] in you …”

Paul knew Timothy and his family well.

This is the only mention, by name, of Lois and Eunice.

“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of

a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.”—Acts 16:1

His father is never mentioned by name, and so it is hard to believe that he was a believer,

although we can hope that he came to be one.

Eunice is a Greek name—so Timothy’s mother, although a Jewess, went by a Greek name (Lois

is also Greek sounding)

Intermarriage was not common (or encouraged) in Judaism—but did occur (obviously). Probably

more in the Jewish diaspora than in, say, Judea.

But Timothy’s background was interesting: a Jewish mother, who was a believer, and a Greek

father.

Paul’s encouragement to Timothy about his faith is the beginning of an ongoing theme in the letter. We

have to be careful how much we “read into” a letter, but it could be inferred from some passages in the

letter that Timothy may have been discouraged and, consequently, have backed away somewhat, or was

being tempted to, from his calling.

v 6 – “For this reason …”

The “reason” is that Paul knows Timothy has a sincere faith; he believes in him!

“fan into flame” – anazópureó, to kindle anew, kindle afresh

What was Timothy’s gift?

It certainly included preaching, teaching, and church leadership, but it also included more. He

was Paul’s trusted partner and emissary.

He is listed as a (sometimes the) co-sender of six of Paul’s epistles (2 Corinthians, Philippians,

Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Philemon)

He is not referred to I Scripture as an apostle—although that term is not exclusively reserved for

the Twelve and Paul. (“But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their

garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out.”—Acts 14:14)

The gift that seems to be most in Paul’s mind is preaching and teaching (which, necessarily,

included church leadership—particularly in establishing doctrine and spiritual living).

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We note that it is possible to have a gift, but to neglect it, such that it needs to be kindled anew.

How was Timothy (or anyone) to “kindle anew” such a gift?

Timothy was reassured by Paul that he did indeed possess this gift.

Here: “which is in you through the laying on of my hands”

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously

made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare”—1 Timothy 1:18

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do

not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders

laid their hands on you. Practice [meletaóa] these things, immerse yourself [eimib] in them, so

that all may see your progress.”—1 Timothy 4:13-15

A tactic of the devil against Christians is to seek to cause doubt about their giftedness and

consequently discourage them in the use of it. (He often uses false modesty “I’m not talented

… I’m not worthy to be doing this … I’m not really helping anyone …”)

The main way to kindle the gift anew was for Timothy to pursue his calling, his giftedness, which

included both study and application—and which required faith and boldness on his part to pursue.

And Timothy could do so knowing:

v 7 – “For God gave us …”

more lit. “For God gave us not a spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

timidity – deilia, from a root word meaning dread; the servant of God cannot give into this—and

this spirit is not from God

power – dunamis, effectiveness

love – agapé

sound mind – sóphronismos, sound mind, discipline, self-control

“God gave” – aorist tense; it is a settled issue; God has done it.

a take care of, in meditation or in practice

b lit. be