Day 295

Jeremiah 39:1–41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalm 90:1–91:16; Proverbs 26:1-2

TODAY WE BEGAN Paul’s second personal (and pastoral) letter to Timothy. As discussed when we began the first letter, Timothy was the pastor of the church in Ephesus, and Paul considered him a true son in the faith. Second Timothy is the final of the three pastoral letters —and the final writing of Paul’s life.

Paul had been imprisoned in Rome but was able to experience a certain amount of freedom as he awaited trial. It appears that he was subsequently released from custody and had the opportunity to travel once again for a period of time. During those travels, Paul likely wrote 1 Timothy and Titus.

Around AD 66, Paul was again incarcerated under Emperor Nero, who savagely persecuted Christians. Paul was not permitted the same freedoms but rather, was thrown into a cold dungeon to await the sentencing that would likely end his life in martyrdom. During this imprisonment, Paul wrote his final hopeful and heartbreaking letter.

Because of the extreme marginalization and persecution of Christians, nearly everyone had deserted Paul when he was thrown into the dungeon. Only Luke the physician —who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts —remained in Rome with the apostle. Paul knew that escaping execution was unlikely —Christians had become scapegoats for society’s woes, and the bigotry flowed outward from Rome.

With the length of his life uncertain, Paul had hoped to see Timothy one last time face-to-face —which is the heartbreaking scenario that provides the backdrop for the tone of this letter. Paul had final counsel for his son in the faith, but if circumstances hastened Paul’s sentencing and they could not see each other in person, he wanted to be sure to encourage Timothy and, in his own way, tell him goodbye.

In this final letter, Paul told Timothy to be vigilant about his faith and to stay true no matter what happened. It is in this letter that Paul declared that he had “fought the good fight” of faith and “finished the race” (2 Timothy 4:7).

The apostle Paul influenced the Christian faith profoundly. He is responsible for major portions of the New Testament and, to this day, is regarded as one of the greatest heroes of the faith. In fact, faith as we know it would be entirely different without the apostle Paul.

If we consider who the apostle Paul was and the context from which he wrote this final letter, we, too, will be encouraged to fight on and endure to the end with honor and faithfulness.

MEDITATION:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.