2 Timothy 1
Expanded Bible
1 From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus by the will of God. ·God sent me to tell about [L …according to] the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.
2 To Timothy [Acts 16:1–5; 1 Cor. 16:10–11; Phil. 2:19–24], a ·dear [beloved] child to me [1 Tim. 1:2]:
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Encouragement for Timothy
3 I thank God as I always ·mention [remember] you in my prayers, day and night. I serve him, ·doing what I know is right [with a clear conscience] as my ancestors did. 4 Remembering your tears [C probably at Paul’s departure], I ·want very much [long] to see you so I can be filled with joy. 5 I remember your ·true [sincere] faith. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I ·know [am sure/persuaded] you now have that same faith. 6 This is why I remind you to ·keep using [rekindle; fan into flames] the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you [C a way of dedicating someone to Christian service; 1 Tim. 4:14]. 7 [L For] God did not give us ·a spirit [or the Spirit] that makes us ·afraid [timid] but ·a spirit [or the Spirit] of power and love and ·self-control [self-discipline; or good judgment].
8 So do not be ashamed to ·tell people [testify; bear witness] about our Lord, and do not be ashamed of me, ·in prison for the Lord [L his prisoner; C Paul was in prison in Rome for a second time and would soon be executed]. But suffer with me for the ·Good News [Gospel]. God, who gives us the strength to do that, 9 saved us and ·made us his holy people [L called us to a holy calling]. That was not because of anything we did ourselves but because of ·God’s [L his own] purpose and grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before ·time began [L eternal times], 10 but it is now ·shown [revealed; manifested] to us by the ·coming [appearing; manifestation] of our Savior Christ Jesus. He ·destroyed [broke the power of; abolished] death, and through the ·Good News [Gospel] he ·showed us the way to have [L illuminated; brought to light] ·life that cannot be destroyed [immortal life; L life and immortality]. 11 I was ·chosen [appointed] ·to tell that Good News [L a preacher/herald] and to be an apostle and a teacher. 12 I am suffering now ·because I tell the Good News [L for this reason], but I am not ashamed, because I know the One in whom I have ·believed [put my trust/faith]. And I am ·sure [convinced; confident] he is able to ·protect [guard; keep safe] what ·he has trusted me with [or I have entrusted with him; L my deposit/entrustment] until that day [C the final day of judgment and reward]. 13 ·Follow the pattern [or Hold to the standard/norm] of true teachings that you heard from me ·in [or accompanied by the] faith and love, which are ·available in [L in] Christ Jesus. 14 ·Protect [Guard] the ·truth that you were given [L the good deposit entrusted to you]; ·protect [guard] it ·with the help of [by the power of; L through; by] the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
15 You know that everyone in Asia [C a Roman province in present-day western Turkey] has left me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord show ·mercy [kindness] to the family of Onesiphorus [4:20; C the reference to the “family” rather than the man may indicate that Onesiphorus has since died], who has often ·helped [encouraged; refreshed] me and was not ashamed ·that I was in prison [L of my chains]. 17 When he came to Rome, he ·looked eagerly [searched diligently] for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord ·allow him to find [grant/give him] mercy from the Lord on that day [C the final day of judgment and reward]. You know very well how many ways he ·helped [served] me in Ephesus [C a major port city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; Acts 19].
2 Timothy 1
New English Translation
Salutation
1 From Paul,[a] an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to further the promise[b] of life in Christ Jesus, 2 to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!
Thanksgiving and Charge to Timothy
3 I am thankful to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,[c] when I remember you in my prayers as I do constantly night and day.[d] 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you,[e] so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I recall[f] your sincere faith[g] that was alive first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I am sure[h] is in you.
6 Because of this I remind you to rekindle God’s gift that you possess[i] through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a Spirit[j] of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord[k] or of me, a prisoner for his sake, but by[l] God’s power accept your share of suffering[m] for the gospel. 9 He is the one who saved us[n] and called us with a holy calling, not based on[o] our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began,[p] 10 but now made visible through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. He[q] has broken the power of death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel! 11 For this gospel[r] I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher.[s] 12 Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do.[t] But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set[u] and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me[v] until that day.[w] 13 Hold to the standard[x] of sound words that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.[y] 14 Protect that good thing[z] entrusted to you, through the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia[aa] deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my imprisonment.[ab] 17 But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day![ac] And you know very well all the ways he served me in Ephesus.[ad]
Footnotes
- 2 Timothy 1:1 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
- 2 Timothy 1:1 tn Grk “for the promise…” or possibly “in accordance with the promise…”
- 2 Timothy 1:3 tn Grk “from my ancestors.”
- 2 Timothy 1:3 tn Or “as I do constantly. By night and day I long to see you…”
- 2 Timothy 1:4 tn Grk “longing to see you, remembering your tears” (as a continuation of the preceding clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 2 Timothy 1:5 tn Grk “recalling” (as a continuation of the preceding clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 2 Timothy 1:5 tn Grk “the sincere faith in you.”
- 2 Timothy 1:5 tn Or “convinced.”
- 2 Timothy 1:6 tn Grk “that is in you.”
- 2 Timothy 1:7 tn Or “a spirit,” denoting the human personality under the Spirit’s influence as in 1 Cor 4:21; Gal 6:1; 1 Pet 3:4. But the reference to the Holy Spirit at the end of this section (1:14) makes it likely that it begins this way also, so that the Holy Spirit is the referent.
- 2 Timothy 1:8 tn Grk “the testimony of our Lord.”
- 2 Timothy 1:8 tn Or “according to.”
- 2 Timothy 1:8 tn Grk “suffer hardship together,” implying “join with me in suffering.”
- 2 Timothy 1:9 tn More literally, “who saved us,” as a description of God in v. 8. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 2 Timothy 1:9 tn Or “according to,” or “by.”
- 2 Timothy 1:9 tn Grk “before eternal times.”
- 2 Timothy 1:10 tn Grk “having broken…and having brought…” (describing Christ). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here (and at the beginning of v. 11) in the translation.
- 2 Timothy 1:11 tn Grk “for which.”
- 2 Timothy 1:11 tc Most mss (א2 C D F G Ψ 1241 1505 1739 1881 M al latt sy co) have ἐθνῶν (ethnōn, “of the Gentiles”) after “teacher” (διδάσκαλος [didaskalos ]). The shorter reading has poorer external credentials (א* A I 1175), though codex 33 has a reading apparently generated from διδάσκαλος alone (διάκονος (diakonos, “servant”]). The “teacher” without adjunct is preferred both because ἐθνῶν probably represents a gloss added by scribes familiar with 1 Tim 2:7 and because there is no easy explanation for the omission of ἐθνῶν if it were original here.
- 2 Timothy 1:12 tn Grk “suffer these things.”
- 2 Timothy 1:12 tn Or “in whom I have believed.”
- 2 Timothy 1:12 sn What has been entrusted to me (Grk “my entrustment,” meaning either (1) “what I have entrusted to him” [his life, destiny, etc.] or (2) “what he has entrusted to me” [the truth of the gospel]). The parallel with v. 14 and use of similar words in the pastorals (1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 2:2) argue for the latter sense.
- 2 Timothy 1:12 sn That day is a reference to the day when Paul would stand before Christ to give account for his service (cf. 2 Tim 1:18; 1 Cor 3:13; 2 Cor 5:9-10).
- 2 Timothy 1:13 tn Or “pattern.”
- 2 Timothy 1:13 tn Grk “in faith and love in Christ Jesus.”sn With the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This describes the manner in which Timothy must hold to the standard (similar to Paul’s call for him to give attention to his life and his teaching in 1 Tim 4:11-16).
- 2 Timothy 1:14 sn That good thing (Grk “the good deposit”) refers to the truth of the gospel committed to Timothy (cf. 1 Tim 6:20).
- 2 Timothy 1:15 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
- 2 Timothy 1:16 tn Grk “my chain.”
- 2 Timothy 1:18 sn That day is a reference to the day when Onesiphorus (v. 16) stands before Christ to give account for his service (cf. v. 12; 1 Cor 3:13; 2 Cor 5:9-10).
- 2 Timothy 1:18 tn Grk “all the ways he served in Ephesus.”
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