seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 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. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 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.
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 the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 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. 9 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, 10 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. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 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.
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Here's where I got the commentary.The Bible doesn’t tell us the details, but it seems that after Paul was released from the Roman imprisonment mentioned at the end of the book of Acts, he enjoyed a few more years of liberty until he was re-arrested and imprisoned in Rome again.
One can go to Rome today and see the place where they say Paul was imprisoned. It is really just a cold dungeon, a cave in the ground, with bare walls and a little hole in the ceiling where food was dropped down. There were no windows; it was just a cold, little cell that would have been especially uncomfortable in winter.
Paul wrote this letter from his second Roman imprisonment, and soon after he wrote this letter he was condemned and executed in Rome at the command of Nero. Paul sensed this; therefore 2 Timothy is not only the last letter we have from Paul, there is also a note of urgency and passion we might expect from a man who knew he would soon be executed.
To Timothy, a beloved son: Paul thought much about his spiritual family — about Timothy, a beloved son; and about his true forefathers, those Jews before Paul’s time that genuinely followed God with a pure heart, not in the self-righteousness of the Pharisees.
Grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began: God directed His gracious work towards us when we only existed as a fact in God’s knowledge. Just as a couple lovingly plans for a baby before the baby is born, so God planned for us.
Before time began reminds us that time is something God created to give order and arrangement to our present world; time is not essential to God’s existence. He existed before time was created and will remain when time ends, and we live on in eternity with Him.
Let's not forget who's writing this letter. This is one of the men who called themselves the "Sanhedrin". This is one of the men who "voted" to arrest and murder Jesus. Let's not forget this man "claims Jesus knocked him down on the road". Even though he was with men with like mind, on route to arrest and murder Christians when this "alleged" assault took place, and no one saw a thing. Let's just remember this is a human who worshipped God in the Temple and followed Greek and Roman law because of his bloodline.
On the other hand, Timothy was also from a mixed home. His dad was a Jew. He followed the Jewish Traditions. To Timothy's dad, all this ranting about a Jew who got up and walked out of the tomb was [or at least bordered on] heresy. Meanwhile, Timothy's mom and grandmom were both professed Christians.
Check out verse 12. Paul was a circumcised Jew, who served on the Sanhedrin, and complied with dietary restrictions. No doubt Paul, at one time, bought an ox or at least a few pigeons, for the purpose of sacrifice. It was what Jews did in his day. So, I ask you, was Paul following the traditions of God or God's Son?
Were Paul and Timothy teaching "convenient Jesus"? Is that why Paul was imprisoned? Is that why Timothy was timid?
People are saying the current Pope is not a Catholic. Has the Pope been entertaining transvestites? Is the Pope accused of teaching "convenient Jesus"?
There are only two Commandments. Were Paul and Timothy living by the New Commandments Jesus taught? Or... was Paul still following the Jewish Calendar and "claiming" to be raising money for the Messianic Christians in Jerusalem?
Apparently, we won't know until we get there. So, I would suggest....
Read Paul but follow Jesus.
