The macarthur study bibl.., p.628
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, page 628
6:9 desire to be rich fall into temptation. “Desire” refers to a settled wish born of reason, and clearly describes those guilty of greed. The form of the Gr. verb for “fall” indicates that those who have such a desire are continually falling into temptation. Greedy people are compulsive—they are continually trapped in sins by their consuming desire to acquire more. destruction and perdition. Such greed may lead these people to suffer the tragic end of destruction and hell. These terms refer to the eternal punishment of the wicked.
6:10 love of money. Lit. “affection for silver.” In the context, this sin applies to false teachers specifically, but the principle is true universally. Money itself is not evil since it is a gift from God (Deut. 8:18); Paul condemns only the love of it (cf. Matt. 6:24) which is so characteristic of false teachers (see notes on 1 Pet. 5:2; 2 Pet. 2:1–3, 15). strayed from the faith. From the body of Christian truth. Gold has replaced God for these apostates, who have turned away from pursuing the things of God in favor of money.
6:11 O man of God. Cf. 2 Tim. 3:17. This is a term used in the NT only for Timothy; as a technical term it is used about 70 times in the OT, always to refer to a man who officially spoke for God (see note on Deut. 33:1). This, along with 1:2; 2:1, indicates that the letter is primarily directed to Timothy, exhorting him to be faithful and strong in light of persecution and difficulty—and particularly with Paul’s death near (see Introduction to 2 Timothy: Background and Setting). The man of God is known by what he: 1) flees from (v. 11); 2) follows after (v. 11); 3) fights for (v. 12); and 4) is faithful to (vv. 13, 14). The key to his success in all these endeavors is the perfection produced in him by the Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). these things. Love of money and all that goes with it (vv. 6–10), along with the other proud obsessions of false teachers (vv. 3–5). righteousness, godliness. “Righteousness” means to do what is right, in relation to both God and man, and it emphasizes outward behavior. “Godliness” (see note on 2:2) refers to one’s reverence for God, and could be translated “God-likeness.”
6:12 Fight the good fight of faith. The Gr. word for “fight” gives us the Eng. word “agonize,” and was used in both military and athletic endeavors to describe the concentration, discipline, and extreme effort needed to win. The “good fight of faith” is the spiritual conflict with Satan’s kingdom of darkness in which all men of God are necessarily involved. See notes on 2 Cor. 10:3–5; 2 Tim. 4:2. lay hold on eternal life. Paul is here admonishing Timothy to “get a grip” on the reality of the matters associated with eternal life, so that he would live and minister with a heavenly and eternal perspective (cf. Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:2). to which you were also called. Refers to God’s effectual, sovereign call of Timothy to salvation (see note on Rom. 1:7). good confession. Timothy’s public confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which likely occurred at his baptism and again when he was ordained to the ministry (4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6).
6:13 urge…God…Christ. Cf. 5:21; see note on 2 Tim. 4:1. the good confession before Pontius Pilate. Knowing that such a confession would cost Him His life, Jesus nevertheless confessed that He was truly the King and Messiah (John 18:33–37). He rarely evaded danger (cf. John 7:1); He boldly and trustfully committed Himself to God who raises the dead (cf. Col. 2:12).
6:14 this commandment. The entire revealed Word of God, which Paul charged Timothy to preach (2 Tim. 4:2). Paul also repeatedly encouraged Timothy to guard it (v. 20; 1:18, 19; 4:6, 16; 2 Tim. 1:13, 14; 2:15–18). appearing. When the Lord returns to earth in glory (cf. 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13) to judge and to establish His kingdom (Matt. 24:27, 29, 30; 25:31). Because Christ’s return is imminent, that ought to be motivation enough for the man of God to remain faithful to his calling until he dies or the Lord returns (cf. Acts 1:8–11; 1 Cor. 4:5; Rev. 22:12).
6:15 in His own time. The time, known only to Him, that God established in eternity past for Christ to return (Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7). Potentate. This word comes from a Gr. word group that basically means “power,” but here it is best translated “Sovereign.” God is absolutely sovereign and omnipotently rules everything everywhere. King of kings and Lord of lords. A title used of Christ (Rev. 17:14; 19:16) is here used of God the Father. Paul probably used this title for God to confront the cult of emperor worship, intending to communicate that only God is sovereign and worthy of worship.
6:16 whom no man has seen or can see. God in spirit is invisible (cf. 1:17; Job 23:8, 9; John 1:18; 5:37; Col. 1:15) and, therefore, unapproachable in the sense that sinful man has never seen nor can he ever see His full glory (cf. Ex. 33:20; Is. 6:1–5).
6:17–19 Paul counsels Timothy what to teach those who are rich in material possessions, those who have more than the mere essentials of food, clothing, and shelter. Paul does not condemn such people, nor command them to get rid of their wealth. He does call them to be good stewards of their God-given resources (cf. Deut. 8:18; 1 Sam. 2:7; 1 Chr. 29:12).
6:17 haughty. “To have an exalted opinion of oneself.” Those who have an abundance are constantly tempted to look down on others and act superior. Riches and pride often go together, and the wealthier a person is, the more he is tempted to be proud (Prov. 18:23; 28:11; James 2:1–4). uncertain riches…gives us richly. Those who have much tend to trust in their wealth (cf. Prov. 23:4, 5). But God provides far more security than any earthly investment can ever give (Eccl. 5:18–20; Matt. 6:19–21).
6:18 ready to give. The Gr. word means “liberal,” or “bountiful.” Those believers who have money must use it in meeting the needs of others, unselfishly and generously (see notes on Acts 4:32–37; 2 Cor. 8:1–4).
6:19 storing up…a good foundation. “Storing up” can be translated “amassing a treasure,” while “foundation” can refer to a fund. The idea is that the rich in this world should not be concerned with receiving a return on their earthly investment. Those who make eternal investments will be content to receive their dividends in heaven. See notes on Luke 16:1–13. lay hold on eternal life. See note on v. 12.
6:20, 21 The church’s main responsibility is to guard and proclaim the truths of Scripture, so Paul here instructs Timothy on how to guard and protect the Word of God.
6:20 what was committed to your trust. This translates one Gr. word, which means “deposit.” The deposit Timothy was to guard is the truth—the divine revelation that God committed to his care. Every Christian, especially if he is in ministry, has that sacred trust to guard the revelation of God (cf. 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:3, 4). what is falsely called knowledge. False doctrine—anything claiming to be the truth that is in fact a lie. False teachers typically claim to have the superior knowledge (as in gnosticism). They claim to know the transcendent secrets, but actually are ignorant and infantile in their understanding (see notes on Col. 2:8).
6:21 Grace be with you. Paul’s closing salutation is plural, i.e., “you all”—it goes beyond Timothy to the entire congregation at Ephesus. All believers require the grace of God to preserve the truth and pass it on to the next generation.
1 Timothy 1
1:2 a Acts 16:1, 2; Rom. 1:7; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4
1:2 b Gal. 1:3
1:3 c Acts 20:1, 3
1:3 d Rom. 16:17; 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6, 7; 1 Tim. 6:3
1:3 1 command
1:4 e 1 Tim. 6:3, 4, 20; Titus 1:14
1:5 f Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:14
1:5 g Eph. 6:24
1:5 2 Lit. unhypocritical
1:6 h 1 Tim. 6:4, 20
1:8 i Rom. 7:12, 16
1:10 3 opposed
1:11 j 1 Tim. 6:15
1:11 k 1 Cor. 9:17
1:12 l 1 Cor. 15:10
1:12 m 1 Cor. 7:25
1:12 n Col. 1:25
1:13 o Acts 8:3; 1 Cor. 15:9
1:13 p John 4:21
1:13 4 violently arrogant
1:14 q Rom. 5:20; 1 Cor. 3:10; 2 Cor. 4:15; Gal. 1:13–16
1:14 r 1 Thess. 1:3; 1 Tim. 2:15; 4:12; 6:11; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2:22; Titus 2:2
1:15 s 1 Tim. 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:11; Titus 3:8
1:15 t Is. 53:5; 61:1; Hos. 6:1–3; Matt. 1:21; 9:13
1:17 u Ps. 10:16
1:17 v Rom. 1:23
1:17 w Heb. 11:27
1:17 x Rom. 16:27
1:17 y 1 Chr. 29:11
1:17 5 NU the only God,
1:18 6 command
1:20 z 2 Tim. 2:17, 18
1:20 a 2 Tim. 4:14
1:20 b Acts 13:45
1 Timothy 2
2:1 1 encourage
2:2 a Ezra 6:10
2:2 b (Rom. 13:1)
2:2 2 a prominent place
2:2 3 dignity
2:3 c Rom. 12:2
2:3 d 2 Tim. 1:9
2:4 e Ezek. 18:23, 32; John 3:17; 1 Tim. 4:10; Titus 2:11; 2 Pet. 3:9
2:4 f (John 17:3)
2:5 g 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 3:20
2:5 h (Heb. 9:15)
2:6 i Mark 10:45
2:7 j Eph. 3:7, 8; 1 Tim. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:11
2:7 k (Gal. 1:15, 16)
2:7 4 NU omits in Christ
2:8 l Luke 23:34
2:8 m Ps. 134:2
2:9 n 1 Pet. 3:3
2:9 5 discretion
2:10 o 1 Pet. 3:4
2:12 p 1 Cor. 14:34; Titus 2:5
1 Timothy 3
3:1 1 Lit. overseer
3:3 2 addicted
3:3 3 NU omits not greedy for money
3:3 4 loving money
3:6 5 new convert
3:7 a 1 Tim. 6:9; 2 Tim. 2:26
3:8 b Ezek. 44:21
3:9 6 hidden truth
3:11 7 malicious gossips
3:13 c Matt. 25:21
3:15 8 foundation, mainstay
3:16 d (John 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:20; 1 John 1:2; 3:5, 8)
3:16 e (Matt. 3:16; Rom. 1:4)
3:16 f Matt. 28:2
3:16 g Acts 10:34; Rom. 10:18
3:16 h Rom. 16:26; 2 Cor. 1:19; Col. 1:6, 23
3:16 i Luke 24:51
3:16 9 hidden truth
3:16 10 NU Who
1 Timothy 4
4:1 a 2 Tim. 3:13; Rev. 16:14
4:1 1 explicitly
4:2 b Matt. 7:15
4:2 c Eph. 4:19
4:5 2 set apart
4:6 d 2 Tim. 3:14
4:7 e 2 Tim. 2:16; Titus 1:14
4:7 f Heb. 5:14
4:8 g 1 Cor. 8:8
4:8 h Ps. 37:9
4:10 i Ps. 36:6
4:10 3 NU we labor and strive,
4:12 j Phil. 3:17; Titus 2:7; 1 Pet. 5:3
4:12 4 look down on your youthfulness
4:12 5 NU omits in spirit
4:13 6 teaching
4:14 k 2 Tim. 1:6
4:14 l Acts 6:6; 1 Tim. 5:22
1 Timothy 5
5:4 a Gen. 45:10
5:4 1 NU, M omit good and
5:5 b Acts 26:7
5:6 2 indulgence
5:8 c Is. 58:7; 2 Cor. 12:14
5:8 d 2 Tim. 3:5
5:8 e Matt. 18:17
5:11 3 Refuse to enroll
5:12 4 Or solemn promise
5:16 5 NU omits man or
5:16 6 give aid to
5:18 f Deut. 25:4; 1 Cor. 9:7–9
5:18 g Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15; Matt. 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Cor. 9:14
5:19 h Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:16
5:21 i Deut. 1:17
5:21 7 chosen
5:22 j Eph. 5:6, 7; 2 John 11
5:23 8 illnesses
5:24 k Gal. 5:19–21
1 Timothy 6
6:1 a Eph. 6:5; Titus 2:9; 1 Pet. 2:18
6:3 b 2 Tim. 1:13
6:3 c Titus 1:1
6:3 1 teaching
6:5 d 2 Tim. 3:5
6:5 2 NU, M constant friction
6:5 3 NU omits the rest of v. 5.
6:6 e Phil. 4:11; Heb. 13:5
6:7 f Job 1:21; Ps. 49:17; Eccl. 5:15
6:7 4 NU omits and it is certain
6:8 g Prov. 30:8, 9
6:13 h Matt. 27:2; John 18:36, 37
6:15 5 Sovereign
6:16 i Dan. 2:22
6:16 j John 6:46
6:17 k Jer. 9:23; 48:7
6:17 l Eccl. 5:18, 19
6:19 m (Matt. 6:20, 21; 19:21)
6:20 n (2 Tim. 1:12, 14)
6:20 o Titus 1:14
6:20 6 empty chatter
Introduction to Second Timothy
Title
This epistle is the second of two inspired letters Paul the apostle wrote to his son in the faith, Timothy (1:2; 2:1). For biographical information on Timothy, see Introduction to 1 Timothy: Title. It is titled, as are the other personal letters of Paul to individuals (1 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon), with the name of the addressee (1:2).
Author and Date
The issue of Paul’s authorship of the Pastoral Epistles is discussed in the Introduction to 1 Timothy: Author and Date. Paul wrote 2 Timothy, the last of his inspired letters, shortly before his martyrdom (ca. A.D. 67).
Background and Setting
Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment for a short period of ministry during which he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus. Second Timothy, however, finds Paul once again in a Roman prison (1:16; 2:9), apparently rearrested as part of Nero’s persecution of Christians. Unlike Paul’s confident hope of release during his first imprisonment (Phil. 1:19, 25, 26; 2:24; Philem. 22), this time he had no such hopes (4:6–8). In his first imprisonment in Rome (ca. A.D. 60–62), before Nero had begun the persecution of Christians (A.D. 64), he was only under house arrest and had opportunity for much interaction with people and ministry (Acts 28:16–31). At this time, 5 or 6 years later (ca. A.D. 66–67), however, he was in a cold cell (4:13), in chains (2:9), and with no hope of deliverance (4:6). Abandoned by virtually all of those close to him for fear of persecution (cf. 1:15; 4:9–12, 16) and facing imminent execution, Paul wrote to Timothy, urging him to hasten to Rome for one last visit with the apostle (4:9, 21). Whether Timothy made it to Rome before Paul’s execution is not known. According to tradition, Paul was not released from this second Roman imprisonment, but suffered the martyrdom he had foreseen (4:6).
In this letter, Paul, aware the end was near, passed the non-apostolic mantle of ministry to Timothy (cf. 2:2) and exhorted him to continue faithful in his duties (1:6), hold on to sound doctrine (1:13, 14), avoid error (2:15-18), accept persecution for the gospel (2:3, 4; 3:10-12), put his confidence in the Scripture, and preach it relentlessly (3:15-4:5).
Historical and Theological Themes
It seems that Paul may have had reason to fear that Timothy was in danger of weakening spiritually. This would have been a grave concern for Paul since Timothy needed to carry on Paul’s work (cf. 2:2). While there are no historical indications elsewhere in the NT as to why Paul was so concerned, there is evidence in the epistle itself from what he wrote. This concern is evident, for example, in Paul’s exhortation to “stir up” his gift (1:6), to replace fear with power, love, and a sound mind (1:7), to not be ashamed of Paul and the Lord, but willingly suffer for the gospel (1:8), and to hold on to the truth (1:13, 14). Summing up the potential problem of Timothy, who might be weakening under the pressure of the church and the persecution of the world, Paul calls him to 1) generally “be strong” (2:1), the key exhortation of the first part of the letter, and to 2) continue to “preach the word” (4:2), the main admonition of the last part. These final words to Timothy include few commendations but many admonitions, including about 25 imperatives.
A Comparison of Paul’s Two Roman Imprisonments
First Imprisonment Second Imprisonment
Acts 28—Wrote the Prison Epistles 2 Timothy
Accused by Jews of heresy and sedition Persecuted by Rome and arrested as a criminal against the Empire
Local sporadic persecutions (A.D. 60-63) Neronian persecution (A.D. 64-68)
Decent living conditions in a rented house (Acts 28:30, 31) Poor conditions, in a cold, dark dungeon
Many friends visited him Virtually alone (only Luke with him)
Many opportunities for Christian witness were available Opportunities for witness were restricted
Was optimistic for release and freedom (Phil. 1:24-26) Anticipated his execution (2 Tim. 4:6)
Since Timothy was well versed in Paul’s theology, the apostle did not instruct him further doctrinally. He did, however, allude to several important doctrines, including salvation by God’s sovereign grace (1:9, 10; 2:10), the person of Christ (2:8; 4:1, 8), and perseverance (2:11-13); plus Paul wrote the crucial text of the NT on the inspiration of Scripture (3:16, 17).
Interpretive Challenges
There are no major challenges in this letter involving theological issues. There is limited data regarding several individuals named in the epistle; e.g., Phygellus and Hermogenes (1:15), Onesiphorus (1:16; cf. 4:19), Hymenaeus and Philetus (2:17, 18), Jannes and Jambres (3:8), and Alexander (4:14).
Outline
I. Greeting and Thanksgiving (1:1-5)
II. The Perseverance of a Man of God (1:6-18)
A. The Exhortation (1:6-11)
B. The Examples (1:12-18)
1. Paul (1:12–14)
2. Onesiphorus (1:15–18)
III. The Patterns of a Man of God (2:1-26)
A. Paul (2:1, 2)
B. A Soldier (2:3, 4)
C. An Athlete (2:5)
D. A Farmer (2:6, 7)
E. Jesus (2:8-13)
F. A Worker (2:14-19)
G. A Vessel (2:20-23)
H. A Servant (2:24-26)
IV. The Perils of a Man of God (3:1-17)
A. Facing Apostasy (3:1-9)
B. Defeating Apostasy (3:10-17)
V. The Preaching of the Man of God (4:1-5)
A. The Charge to Preach (4:1, 2)
B. The Need for Preaching (4:3-5)
VI. Concluding Remarks (4:6-18)
A. Paul’s Triumph (4:6-8)
B. Paul’s Needs (4:9-18)
VII. Paul’s Farewells (4:19-22)
The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to
TIMOTHY
2 Timothy 1
Greeting
1Paul, an apostle of 1Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the apromise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2To Timothy, a bbeloved son:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
