TO TIMOTHY, MY BELOVED CHILD

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I unceasingly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, having remembered your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, being reminded of the unhypocritical faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that it is in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:1-5)

The first five verses of this epistle make up a greeting. When we read New Testament epistles it is quite common for us to skip over the greetings as if they bear no importance. However, this is never the case as every single word of scripture is God breathed and should be considered with the utmost care. That being said I will not be going into such depth simply because I do not have the necessary skills or knowledge to do so. This will very much be a layman’s look at this epistle.

Paul begins his address by stating himself as being the author. He refers to himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” He did this to reassert his authority to Timothy. Not authority given to him by man but “by the will of God.” This gives him the ultimate authority on earth concerning spiritual and theological matters. This should be remembered by all; we have no right to disagree with anything the apostles have said in their New Testament writings. Their words and God’s words are the same, they speak for Him. As we will find out later in this epistle, Timothy was a young man at this time in need of guidance and encouragement. By reminding Timothy of his office as an apostle of Christ, Paul gives Timothy the greatest of reasons to trust and follow what he has to say.

Paul then states the person to whom he is writing the letter, “to Timothy, my beloved child; Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul had such love for Timothy, and had spent so much time discipling him, that he considered him to be his son in the faith. This serves as a great model for any authority figure looking to disciple a younger individual. It must be done with intimate care and love if one wishes to truly have a positive effect on the person’s life. The words grace, mercy, and peace are not written because they sound nice. Paul genuinely has a desire for Timothy to receive grace, mercy, and peace from the Lord. Grace, the Lord’s unmerited favour, mercy that delivers Timothy from the misery that sin brings into the world, and a genuine peace felt in the heart of his young friend.

Paul then tells us that he serves God with a “clear conscience.” For the Christian the conscience, lead by the Holy Spirit, is the great indicator of whether we are living according to our calling or not. However, the conscience can be influenced; whether it is drowned under the weight of continuous sin, or is given life and made to grow by the believer dedication to the scriptures. The conscience taught by scripture will not let a believer rest until sin has been repented of and washed clean by the blood of Christ. Paul here also ensures Timothy that he is not suffering in prison because of any wrongdoing on his part. After self-examination, Paul determines that, though not perfect, he is living a life according to his calling as a saint.

Paul unceasingly prays for Timothy. What a great encouragement this must have been for the young pastor! To know that the great apostle prays for him “night and day,” which is a way of saying all the time. For those of us in a role of authority or who are discipling young Christians, we must not cease to pray for them. Paul also records that he longed to see Timothy, so that he “may be filled with joy.” How wonderful their relationship must have been! May me develop such relationships with our brethren.

Finally, Paul tells Timothy that he is grateful to the Lord for the faith that is within him. This paints a wonderful picture of what a Christian leader should truly be like. Awaiting his death, and yet without bitterness or anger, he thanks the Lord for the faith of another. How thankful are we when we see the faith of those among us? Are we grateful to the Lord, can we find comfort and joy in seeing the Lord work in those around us? May we learn to do so, for it is among the most unselfish attitudes a person can have, and one that is sure to do the most good for the kingdom of God and his children.