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20 Days in 2 Timothy

Ben Stuart

20 Days

Fan Into Flame

Day 2

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I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 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, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:3-7

Summary

In 2 Timothy 1:3-7, Paul opens with heartfelt words. "I thank God for you." The apostle, who is being held as a prisoner in Rome, wants his protégé Timothy to know, see, and feel this expression of gratitude and love from his mentor. It was customary for Jewish men of the day to both open and close their days in prayer (something we should consider), and here, Paul is letting Timothy know that each and every time he does so, he thinks about him and thanks God for him. In the last session, we found it easy to relate to Timothy as men and women who are following Jesus amidst difficult cultural days. So, what would it feel like today for you to receive such a loving letter from a trusted mentor? Would you feel encouraged, buoyed in your journey, or even spurred to keep going? Have you ever taken the time to encourage someone else with kind and genuine words such as these?

Paul and Timothy had traveled many miles and hours together; they had formed the kind of bond that happens between two people who have wrung themselves out shoulder to shoulder for the sake of the Gospel. So when the time came for Timothy to stay in Ephesus and Paul to continue on, they cried. Their friendship is a sweet story, but what can we learn from it?

The family of God brings with it deep and meaningful relationships. So many of us walk through life, even as members of a church, with a sense of fear, skepticism, or self-induced loneliness because of past experiences with friends, family trauma, or memories of mistreatment within the church itself. But we were never meant to walk through life alone; we were created to be in community.

Maybe surface-level friendships are easy for you, but you avoid growing deep roots within the community, or maybe all friendships feel uncomfortable, and you prefer life alone because it feels safer. Either way, it's going to take a step of bravery and a commitment to outlasting the awkwardness in order for you to move past your inhibitions and be known and loved by your community. But it's worth it, and here's why: a life spent faithfully following Jesus is difficult, and you will need the encouragement of friends and family who can challenge you, cry with you, and celebrate alongside you.

Watch how Paul encourages Timothy in his genuine and legitimate faith.

Paul knows Timothy; in fact, he knows him so well that he celebrates the faith of Timothy's mother and grandmother and the fact that they were the ones who passed on their faith to him. Then, Paul gives his mentee a command: fan into flame the gift of God that is in you. He reminds Timothy of the time of ordination when the leaders of the Church laid their hands on him and conferred leadership upon him. Paul does this not to inflate Timothy's ego but to remind him that he has been there since the very beginning and has never stopped believing in him. Encouragement among believers is like that: looking backward at what God has done to encourage each other today to have hope for tomorrow.

Reading Paul's letter there is a sense that Timothy wants to shrink back, but Paul takes the road of kindness to propel him. Paul calls him forward with a bold reminder: the Spirit of God is in you, Timothy, not a spirit of fear: you have the power to overcome obstacles, to love God and others no matter what comes, and self-control that gives the power to say no to wayward impulses.

Maybe you need that reminder today—that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the living God, dwells within you. You have been given (2 Peter 1:3) everything you need for life and Godliness, including community! Whether you choose to lean in or shrink back is up to you, but it might just be one of the most impactful choices of your life.

What's next?

Deep, Christ-centered relationships can be some of the most rewarding and affirming friendships we can have, and yet they can also be difficult to find and require careful attention. The pain of past failures, trauma from specific experiences, and even wounds from our families can make it so we believe the lie that isolation is the best path towards safety. But we know that we were created by God for community, and that a well-lived life will require encouragement, accountability, and affirmation.

Take the next few minutes to be honest about your relationships and then slowly and with an open heart, bring your realizations to God who, like a good father, longs to bless you with what you need.

Are you carrying anything from your past that makes it difficult for you to commit to friendships or relationships? If so, you're not alone, most of us are. Have you started the process towards healing, and what next steps can you take in that journey?
Do you have any friendships where you can openly admit your struggles in times of weakness? Who in your life would you be most encouraged by if they were to send you a letter like the one Paul wrote to Timothy? This is a perfect opportunity to ask God to bring people into your life if you are in need of them.
Conversely, who should you encourage with kind and genuine words today? If you're open to the idea, ask God to bring that person to mind, and if He does, be obedient to reach out in this moment.

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.

“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 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.