Study

20 Days in 2 Timothy

Ben Stuart
20 Days
Introduction
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20

The Gospel in Miniature

Day 1

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

To Timothy, my beloved child:

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

2 Timothy 1:1-2

Summary

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

-In Flanders Fields

BY John McCrae

—

Perhaps you’ve asked yourself recently, how do I live, and certainly how do I lead, in days like these? With the currents of culture flowing swiftly in ever-changing directions, the path towards a life lived well for the sake of the Gospel seems less clear than ever. And yet, out of the tumult speaks the Word of God through the Apostle Paul in what many consider the last letter he ever wrote.

Paul knew that his death was imminent as he wrote his second letter to encourage Timothy in Ephesus. Imprisoned in a hole in the ground in Rome, Paul penned this passionate letter to his son in the faith. By this time, it was clear that Paul’s life would soon end, and though he longed to see Timothy again, he knew that might never be possible.

So what did Paul have to say with his final writing, and what lessons can we learn from it all these years later?

Read 2 Timothy 1:1-2.

First and foremost, Paul calls himself an Apostle. Originally, the word apostle referred to a cargo ship that carried things from place to place. Later, the word became a reference to an emissary from another kingdom carrying a message from one king to another. While Paul held a unique 'apostolic' office in the early church, he views himself as an emissary carrying a message from Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One.

While we don’t hold the same office as Paul, we, too, are carriers of the Gospel. Everywhere we go, our schools, our offices, grocery markets, and family vacations, the Gospel goes with us. But do we see ourselves the way that Paul saw himself? Do we put the same amount of intentionality into our every action and word, knowing that when the world looks at us, they see a reflection of the larger Church body?

As we’ll see in Paul’s letter to Timothy, this kind of discipline in word and deed is critical to the mission at hand: spreading the message of the promise according to the life of Jesus Christ—the promise of life in Jesus.

One more note for today: while Timothy wasn’t Paul’s biological child, they shared a very special and close relationship, where Paul took on a fatherly role. In his letters contained within Scripture, Paul always greets with grace and peace, but here, he adds mercy to the greeting for Timothy.

Why? Because mercy is help provided for the one who needs it, and Timothy was in need. The culture of his day was one of apostasy, meaning that the people were rejecting God, turning away from Him and towards sinful behavior. Imagine trying to follow Jesus against the current culture and, even more, trying to spread the Gospel in a day and age like that one. Paul knew what his prodigy was up against, and the Holy Spirit knows what we are up against in our own time. The good news for each of us is that just as mercy arrived for Timothy in the form of a letter from Paul, wisdom can arrive for us through the same teaching today.

What's next?

Each of us are defined by the titles we give ourselves, and the ones other people place on us. Take the next few minutes to reflect on or discuss the implications of these titles using a few focused questions:

  1. What titles do you use to describe yourself? What titles does the world use to identify you?
  2. How would you rank those titles in terms of importance?
  3. How SHOULD those titles influence the way you lead, the way you speak, the way you interact with others in person or even online?
  4. How DO those titles influence the way you lead, the way you speak, the way you interact with others in person or even online?
  5. What changes (if any) do you need to make based on the previous two questions?

Scripture References

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2To Timothy, my dear son:

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

3I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
5I 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.
6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
8So 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.
9He 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,
10but 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.
11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.
12That 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.
13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
15You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
17On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.
18May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
18Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

3Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
5Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.
6The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
7Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,
9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
11Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,

we will also live with him;

12if we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,

he will also disown us;

13if we are faithless,

he remains faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
14Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
17Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.
19Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.
21Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
22Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
23Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
25Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.