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2 Timothy chapter 1, as we continue 
in our study of the pastoral epistles, called that because 
they are written to Paul's associates, Paul's companions, Timothy and 
Titus. And while Titus predates 2 Timothy, 
we are nevertheless going to continue from 1 to 2 Timothy. I want to read chapter one and 
then our purpose this evening is to set forth some introductory 
matters and then to look briefly at verses one and two in terms 
of the greeting. I think the introductory matters 
will probably take up the better part of our time together and 
as I've said before it's very helpful when you come to a book 
to understand what's going on to understand who the author 
is, who the recipient is, matters called introduction. As well, 
these are the same sorts of things that we did when we looked at 
1st Timothy. So hopefully you'll recognize 
some of the things set forth and hopefully they'll lodge in 
your minds and in your hearts as a result. It's just a nice 
way of saying there's going to be some repetition tonight. So, 
2nd Timothy chapter 1 beginning in verse 1. Paul, an apostle 
of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise 
of life which is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, a beloved son, grace, 
mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve with 
a pure conscience, as my forefathers did. As without ceasing, I remember 
you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, 
being mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy when 
I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt 
first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I 
am persuaded is in you also. Therefore, I remind you to stir 
up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of 
my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, 
and of love, and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed 
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but 
share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the 
power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, 
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose 
and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time 
began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior 
Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality 
to life through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, 
an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason 
I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, 
for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able 
to keep what I have committed to him until that day. Hold fast 
the pattern of sound words, which you have heard from me, in faith 
and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which 
was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in 
us. This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from 
me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy 
to the household of Anesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and 
was not ashamed of my chain. But when he arrived in Rome, 
he sought me out very zealously and found me. the Lord grant 
to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day. And 
you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. Amen." Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for this, Your Word, and we pray now for 
the ministry of Your Spirit. We ask that He would guide us 
and help us to understand the context in which this book was 
written, to understand something of the life and ministry of the 
Apostle Paul, And in all of this, to help us understand something 
of the plan of God Most High and the grace that is given through 
the Gospel, we ask our Father that Christ would be magnified 
in this and that you would be glorified. And we ask in Jesus' 
holy name, Amen. I am sure that in your time in 
life, somebody has asked you, if you were stranded on a desert 
island, what book or books would you like to have? Somebody came 
into my study and said, which five of these would you like 
to be stranded with on a desert island? I admit it would be very 
difficult. I came across something interesting 
reading Calvin's commentaries. I think if you would have asked 
John Calvin which book would you like to have had on a desert 
island, he may well have said the second epistle of Paul to 
Timothy. Here's what he said, "...for 
my own part, I know that this epistle has been more profitable 
to me than any other book of Scripture, and still is profitable 
to me every day. And if any person shall examine 
it carefully, there can be no doubt that he will experience 
the same effect." But that was rather encouraging to read that 
concerning John Calvin. I know that this epistle has 
been more profitable to me than any other book of scripture. 
I don't know if that's your experience, I'm not even sure it's my experience, 
but it does speak to the value and the necessity to understand 
what is going on in 2 Timothy. And as I said, we want to do 
a bit of introduction. We'll look first at the life 
and the ministry of the Apostle Paul, secondly, the second letter 
to Timothy specifically, and then thirdly, the opening greetings. Because Paul was such an eminent 
man in the history of the Church, And because Paul was such a predominant 
character on the pages of the New Testament, it is very helpful 
to have an understanding of his life and of his ministry and 
of where he went and of how he did what he did. Now as we see 
here in 2 Timothy 1, the internal evidence is that Paul wrote it. Paul identifies himself very 
clearly, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. Early 
on in the church, both in the New Testament era and just subsequent 
to that, there was a recognized body of Pauline letters. In other 
words, there was a group of letters bearing the name and identification 
of the Apostle Paul that the New Testament authors themselves 
recognized, and as I said, the early church just subsequent 
to the death of the Apostles. For instance, in 2 Peter, chapter 
3, specifically in verse 16. Peter says, backing up in verse 
15, and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation as also 
our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him has 
written to you as also in all his epistles. So you see it was 
recognized even among the apostles themselves that Paul had written 
epistles plural. And notice what Peter then goes 
on to say concerning the status of these particular epistles 
that Paul wrote. Speaking in them of these things 
in which are some things hard to understand. We probably all 
agree with Peter there. There's some things in Paul's 
writings that are hard to understand. We might also say that there 
are some things in Peter that are hard to understand. But notice 
what he then says, which untaught and unstable people twist to 
their own destruction as they do also the rest of the scriptures. So Peter recognizes a plurality 
of letters that bear the name and the identity of the Apostle 
Paul, and he equates them on the level of scripture. And so 
this is what we are dealing with in 2 Timothy, along with as we've 
seen in 1 Timothy. But with reference to the life 
of Paul, when we turn to the book of Acts, we see first of 
all his missionary journeys. The missionary journeys were 
three. The first took place in A.D. 
47, to 40a. That is covered in Acts 13, 1 
all the way to Acts 14 in verse 28. It's on that particular missionary 
journey that Paul visits the churches in Galatia. Probably, 
as I said, not probably, but as I said, 47-48. And it was 
because when he had departed from the region that the Judaizers 
came along and then Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians. 
Probably Galatians was the first letter that was written by the 
Apostle Paul. It was a necessity because the 
Judaizers had come in and disrupted the churches of Jesus Christ. 
The second missionary journey took place in AD 49 to 52. AD 
49 to 52. This is in Acts 1536. to Acts 18.22. The third missionary 
journey took place in AD 53 to 57, and this takes place in Acts 
18.23 to 21.16. And then Paul met up with some 
opposition. Well, he actually met up with 
opposition all along the way. Do you remember when he was in 
Philippi, he was thrown into prison? Well, he was released 
from that. It was more of a jail situation. He wasn't actually incarcerated 
for a long period of time. He was put in jail for being 
a troublemaker in the city and of course he was released quickly 
after that reality. But then when he goes to Jerusalem 
and he speaks the truth and he mentions that God has come to 
the Gentiles savingly, this caused quite a ruckus and the people 
actually wanted to destroy him. So he was taken into custody 
by the Romans and he was incarcerated for a time in Caesarea, not the 
Caesarea Philippi that Jesus and his disciples go to in Matthew 
16. This was a coastal city and it's there that Paul has several 
meetings with various Roman magistrates and you'll remember that Paul 
then makes an appeal to Caesar and Agrippa said after hearing 
his particular case this man would have been released if he 
had not made this appeal to Caesar. So then what we have in the book 
of Acts is that Paul then goes to Rome and there in chapters 
27 and 28 he is incarcerated. We'll call that the first imprisonment. I already mentioned that he was 
in jail in Philippi, but we're looking at a period of time where 
he's in prison. The book of Acts ends at around 
A.D. 60 to 62. Paul is still in prison. That's the first Roman imprisonment 
at that time. FF Bruce made this observation 
concerning this imprisonment. If Paul's two years detention 
was followed immediately by his conviction and execution, Luke's 
failure to mention it is very strange. In other words, when 
we end the book of Acts, there's no trace or hint whatsoever that 
Paul the Apostle has died. It is during that period, when 
he's in that Roman imprisonment, that he writes what are called 
the prison epistles. And those epistles are Ephesians, 
Philippians, and Colossians. He is in prison when he writes 
to these particular churches, and as we read through those 
letters, at least specifically in Philippa, or in the book of 
Philippians, he understands his particular lot. realizes the 
potential is that he could be executed, but he seems rather 
confident that he is going to leave that particular imprisonment. And such is what happens. After Acts ends, 60 to 62, Paul 
then is released from that first Roman imprisonment, and then 
he engages in ministry. We'll call that the post-first 
imprisonment ministry. And what Paul does in that particular 
time frame, in terms of his ministry, is he travels to Ephesus with 
Timothy. And then he leaves Timothy in 
Ephesus, and Paul then goes on to Macedonia. We see that in 
1 Timothy 1 and verse 3. As well, in this post-first imprisonment 
ministry, Paul travels to Crete, which is an island with a young 
man named Titus. And he leaves Titus there to 
set in order the things which are lacking. And that is the 
occasion for which he writes to Titus so that Titus will have 
information on how to govern and administrate church affairs 
on that particular island. And then he visited Troas alone, 
according to this particular letter in chapter 4, verse 13. Again, sketching that time that 
Paul was ministering after that imprisonment that we find left 
off in Acts chapter 28. So he went to Troas alone, according 
to 2 Timothy 4.13. He went to Corinth with Erastus, 
2 Timothy 4.20. He went to Miletus with a man 
by the name of Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4.20. He was arrested again and 
sent back to Rome. and it's the second imprisonment 
that serves as the occasion for his writing to Timothy. He probably 
wrote the book of Hebrews at this particular time as well. 
We're in the dates of about 64 to 65. He gets out of prison, 
62 let's say, he writes first Timothy and Titus in about 63-64. 
He is in prison for the last time in 64-65 and it's there 
that he writes to the Hebrews And it's there that he writes 
this epistle to Timothy, the second epistle. He wasn't in 
prison when he wrote 1 Timothy. He wasn't in prison when he wrote 
Titus. He was incarcerated in Rome where he was awaiting execution. There is this emphasis in 2 Timothy 
where he realizes and he knows that he's going to die. Now it 
may be the case because he's older and he figures this is 
the way that all flesh goes. I'm an older man, I'm going to 
die. There seems to be something more imminently involved in terms 
of his expectations with reference to this particular imprisonment. 
You can see in 2 Timothy chapter 2 that he is in fact in prison 
as he writes this particular letter. Notice specifically in 
verse 8 of chapter 2, remember that Jesus Christ of the seed 
of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel for 
which I suffer trouble as an evildoer even to the point of 
chains But the Word of God is not chained." And then he bids 
Timothy to come and to visit him according to chapter 4 and 
verse 9. A man in prison would need someone 
to come and visit him because a man in prison could not go 
and visit him. It was Anesiphorus alluded to 
in chapter 1 that had to search him out. It was Anesiphorus that 
had to find the Apostle Paul in this period of incarceration. And so when we look at this particular 
letter, we are seeing something of the Apostle's 11th hour. We 
are seeing something of those things most important to a man 
who realizes that his time of departure is at hand. In fact, 
you can look there at 2 Timothy 4, verse 6. He says, "...for 
I am already being poured out as a drink offering." and the 
time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, 
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there 
is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, 
the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day, and not to 
me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing. You 
see, there is in him an expectation. There is in him a realization. 
There is in him the understanding that he's probably not going 
to leave this particular prison cell. One of the commentators, 
I believe it was Dr. Robert Raymond, in his very helpful 
book, Paul, Missionary Theologian, he indicates that Paul was incarcerated 
in Rome where he was awaiting execution for propagating a new 
religion and of conspiring with the Christians to incite them 
to torch Rome in AD 64. Remember the city of Rome burned 
down while Nero sat or Nero stood or however Nero assumed his posture 
and played his fiddle. Well guess who got the blame 
for the burning down of Rome? It wasn't the Romans, it wasn't 
the other religions, it wasn't the idolaters, it was rather 
the Christians who bore the reproach for that particular event. Raymond 
says that Paul, sitting in prison, understood what was going on 
and he realizes that more than likely he is not going to depart. 
from that prison. And I would ask you, and I will 
hopefully remind us as we continue through this particular letter, 
keep that in your mind. That doesn't mean that 1 Timothy 
or Titus are less important, doesn't mean that Romans is less 
important, doesn't mean that Ephesians or Philippians or Colossians 
are less important. But it should temper the approach 
that we take to this book to realize that this is probably 
the last thing that this man ever wrote in terms of an official 
document to a ministerial companion, but to the church as well. While 
it is addressed to Timothy in particular, it is as well for 
the church. If you look at 2 Timothy 4.22 
for just a moment, It says, the Lord Jesus Christ 
be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. That's a plural form of 
you. So it transcends just Timothy. It is also the church, both in 
Timothy's age and subsequent to Timothy. It is for the church 
as a whole and as we survey the contents of this particular letter 
we see that it does in fact speak some wondrous things that Paul 
had put in the pages so that he can enforce upon Timothy the 
necessity to conduct himself as a faithful man. So with reference 
to 1st Timothy, as I've said it was written in AD 63 to 64 
to assist Timothy in setting things straight. in a mature 
church, Ephesus. Timothy is probably still in 
Ephesus when he receives this letter of 2nd Timothy. Titus 
was written about the same time to assist him in setting things 
straight in a young church. And so that's just a bit of an 
overview of the life and the ministry of Paul. Again, it's 
something that you should have in your understanding. It's something 
that as you read the book of Acts there ought to be some pegs 
that you can hang things on. You need to know sort of the 
basic movement in redemptive history. It's very helpful when 
you jump into Bible study to know what's going on. We discussed 
this yesterday. If, when you come to the prophets, 
for instance, in your study of the Old Testament, you need to 
know when those prophets lived. You need to know to whom those 
prophets prophesied. You need to know who was the 
king at the particular time. Sort of the religious climate 
of the people at the time. The political movements going 
on, not just with Israel, but with surrounding empires. All 
of that data is crucial so that you can understand the books. 
You don't ever read the books of the Bible not to understand, 
do you? I hope that you don't sit down 
with your Bible simply to check it off your day timer and say, 
yes, I read my Bible today. You ought to be pursuing it so 
that you can understand and know what's going on. For instance, 
in the Old Testament, it's good to know the date of the Exodus, 
about 1445. It's good to know the time of 
the conquest, when Israel went into Egypt, or into Canaan rather. It's good to know when the first 
captivity happened under the Assyrians. It's good to know 
about the Babylonian captivity. It's good to place those prophets 
in their particular location. All of that helps you to understand 
the Bible. All of that helps you to put 
it into practice. As far as I'm concerned, as a 
preacher of the gospel, one of the things that I think is absolutely 
crucial is to try and teach people how to read their Bibles profitably. You ought to learn hermeneutics 
through faithful preaching. You ought to learn how to approach 
the scripture. You ought to learn the necessity 
of understanding these things. And you ought to understand some 
of the history involved so that you will not be left in the dark, 
scratching your head, wondering what's going on in this particular 
instance. All of this data, what we call 
introduction, is most crucial for understanding the Bible. 
The Bible was written in a historical context. All of the Bible was 
written for us, but it wasn't necessarily written to us. It 
was written to Jeremiah, it was written to the exiles. And we 
talked about this yesterday, one of the most abused passages 
in all of Scripture. You can turn for just a moment 
to Jeremiah 29.11. The reason I'm doing this is 
because I want us to see how important these facts are, how 
important this data is. Jeremiah 29.11, probably you've 
seen it on a fridge magnet, you've probably seen a bumper sticker. 
If you go to a Christian school, I'm sure you've heard it. enforced 
upon you as a visionary verse for your life and for your happiness 
and for your joy. 2911, For I know the thoughts 
that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and 
not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. That is not a passage 
given to a graduate from a Christian high school so he can go out 
and be all that he can be. That's the US Army's motto, be 
all you can be. That's not God's motto. This 
is a letter to the exiles in Babylon. That's what's going 
on in chapter 29. It is a letter to the exiles 
in Babylon. It is God encouraging the people 
of Judah, the faithful remnant, that they are to live there, 
they are to move there, they are to have their being there, 
they are to do things on the up and up, and to do it properly 
and righteously. And verse 11 is a statement concerning 
their return from Babylon back to Judah in the post-exile portion. of Israel's history. So you see, 
if you understand something about that, you won't take passages 
out of their context, put them on your refrigerator, and not 
understand a word that they mean. It's absolutely crucial that 
you understand what the Bible means. So 2nd Timothy specifically. We've already mentioned the historical 
occasion. He knew he would be executed. 
But it's interesting. Look at what Paul does. He's 
sitting in a prison in Rome. He realizes that he is going 
to die. He understands this and acknowledges 
this. So what does Paul do with his 
spare time? 2nd Timothy 4. Verse 13, bring 
the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come, and the 
books, especially the parchments. I'm sure when we get there I'll 
quote Spurgeon at length, because he has a great quote on that 
statement. But look at what Paul does. He 
doesn't waste time. Remember preaching through this 
before. Paul, sitting in prison, is operating strategically. He is moving troops around. He 
is telling Timothy to come to him. He's telling him to leave 
Tychicus and Ephesus. He is telling him to bring the 
books, especially the parchments. Kruger makes a reference that 
this more than likely is Paul's own writings. The very documents 
that he himself has written. Those things which are equated 
with Scripture. And as well what Paul does when 
he's sitting in this prison cell is he writes to the Jewish Christians 
in the book of Hebrews. He writes to Timothy. He doesn't 
waste time. He doesn't say, well, you know, 
I'm sitting in a prison. I'm going to die anyway, so I'll 
just put my feet up and sort of glide on home. No, that's 
not what you get from the life and ministry of Paul. He is tireless. He doesn't stop. He is relentless. He will not be done until he 
breathes his last. That's the emphasis. So that's 
what we ought to appreciate in this particular letter. With 
reference to the specific purpose in 2 Timothy. First, to encourage 
Timothy to faithfulness. to encourage Timothy to faithfulness. That's what we've seen in 1 Timothy 
to be sure. We see it as well in 2 Timothy. John Calvin again said the chief 
point of the book of Timothy, 2 Timothy, on which it turns 
is to confirm Timothy both in the faith of the gospel and in 
the pure and constant preaching of it. I mean, who can forget 
2 Timothy 4, 2? The last formal corporate command 
given by the Apostle to the Church. It is preach the Word. Be ready 
in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, and exhort 
with all longsuffering and teaching. I think that Calvin is right. 
The chief point on which it turns is to confirm Timothy, both in 
the faith of the gospel and in the pure and constant preaching 
of it. A second purpose involved in 
this particular letter, and this is more sort of a macro purpose. There's a lot of details along 
the way that we'll examine in the course of exposition, but 
notice in 2 Timothy chapter 2, he exhorts Timothy to train faithful 
men. Verse 1 of chapter 2, "...you 
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ 
Jesus, and the things that you have heard from me among many 
witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach 
others also." Do we not see this in our Lord's ministry? Do we 
not see our Lord ministering to the multitudes, but spending 
a concentrated amount of time with the twelve? Do we not see 
that men who are faithful in their calling will seek to cultivate 
other men so that they may be able to teach others also? Paul knows what the reality is. He's going to die. Thankfully, 
Timothy is there to take up the mantle and to preach and teach. 
Well, Timothy needs to cultivate men as well. Timothy could drop 
dead. Timothy could be in prison, which 
by the way Timothy was in prison, at least for a time, according 
to Hebrews 13. He was released, but he himself 
was in prison for a bit of time. So Paul tells Timothy, you need 
to find men, you need to identify men, you need to make sure they're 
faithful men, and then you need to take these things that you 
have heard and commit them, deposit them, entrust them to these men, 
so that they may in turn be able to teach others also. You see, 
this is absolutely crucial for the Church. This is absolutely 
essential for the Church. It cannot be a one-man show. 
If Paul drops dead, the Kingdom of Christ marches on. If Timothy 
drops dead, the Kingdom of Christ marches on. If Pastor Albert 
N. Martin drops dead, the Kingdom 
of Christ marches on. When C.H. Spurgeon died, what 
happened? the Kingdom of Christ marched 
on. When Calvin died, when John Owen died, when all of the Puritans 
died, when the Reformers died, what happened? Did we say, oh 
that's it, the church is no more? No, because those men had taken 
pains to identify faithful men and to commit gospel truth to 
them so that they may likewise be able to teach sound doctrine. This is crucial. This is one 
of the aspects that the church needs to take seriously and it's 
one of the aspects that pastors need to take seriously as well. A third real practical purpose 
of the letter is to invite Timothy to Rome. 2nd Timothy 4 verse 
9, be diligent to come to me quickly. Be diligent to come 
to me quickly." Why? For Demas has forsaken me, having 
loved this present world. Isn't that sad? Demas is mentioned 
favorably in Colossians. Demas is mentioned favorably 
in Philemon. Demas at one time professed and 
confessed the good confession, but Demas fell away. Never think 
it is impossible for you to fall away. Never think it is impossible 
for you to prove to be an apostate. Never think it is impossible. 
We need to take heed lest we fall, Paul says in 1st Corinthians 
10. So Demas has forsaken me, having 
loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica. 
Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." 
Isn't that beautiful? Luke and Paul had a good friendship 
together. Do you ever wonder why Paul took 
Luke on the missionary journeys? Much of the narrative in the 
book of Acts is we. First person plural, it's we. 
Why? Because Luke was on the scene 
and Luke is recording. Yes, he was a great historian. 
Yes, he was a wonderful theologian. And he was a physician. Paul 
is very smart to bring a doctor when he goes traveling many, 
many, many, many, many miles and faces all kinds of perils 
and difficulties and trials. We certainly would acknowledge 
Paul's wisdom in bringing Luke with him. Luke was a faithful 
man to the very end. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark 
and bring him with you. This is interesting too. There's 
redemption. This was the John Mark that departed 
from Paul on his first missionary journey. And this is the John 
Mark that Paul and Barnabas had a fight over, not a physical 
blows fight. But according to Acts 15, the 
dissension, the contention between Paul and Barnabas was sharp. 
Why? Because Barnabas wanted to take 
his nephew, John Mark. And Paul said, I don't want him 
coming with us. He's not ready. He left us before. Look who makes it, 2 Timothy 
4. Does Paul hold grudges? Does Paul say, John Mark is dead 
to me? Does Paul say John Mark no longer 
has any merit whatsoever in gospel ministry? No, Paul's just the 
opposite. Mark has matured. Mark is more 
stable. Mark is a useful entity for gospel 
ministry. And so Paul says this, get Mark 
and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. Isn't that beautiful? You read 
in the book of Acts, and this Mark deserts them, or leaves 
them, and Paul says, I don't want Mark with me. And now Paul 
says, I want Mark with me. That's glorious. Very kind. Very 
gracious. Verse 12. And Tychicus I have 
sent to Ephesus, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, 
when you come, and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander 
the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according 
to his works. You also must beware of him, 
for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first offense, no 
one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against 
them." I love the transition here, but... verse 17. It's a strong adversative. What 
we find is that no one, humanly speaking, stood with me but the 
Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that the message might 
be preached fully through me and that all the Gentiles might 
hear. So to encourage Timothy to faithfulness, to exhort Timothy 
to train faithful men, thirdly to invite Timothy to Rome, and 
fourthly to instruct the church. So I've mentioned 422 is a plural. 
We ought to understand the letter as a whole, to Timothy primarily, 
but to the church as well. And then thirdly and finally, 
the opening readings, verses 1 and 2. Paul, an apostle of 
Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life 
which is in Christ Jesus. The author, or his office rather, 
is one of apostle. What does apostle mean? It designates 
one who is sent with the authority of and on behalf of the one sending. An apostle is one who is sent 
with the authority of Christ and on behalf of the one Christ 
who is sending him. Some have asked, why would Paul 
throw his authority around with Timothy? Certainly Timothy knows 
that Paul is an apostle. In a personal letter addressed 
to Timothy, why does Paul have to say, I'm an apostle of Jesus 
Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life which 
is in Christ Jesus? It is an official document. And 
Timothy needs to understand and recognize that the things that 
Paul writes in this letter are not recommendations, they're 
not suggestions, and particularly Paul is going to tell Timothy 
he needs to be ready to suffer and die for the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Well, Paul grounds this in his authority as an apostle of the 
Lord Jesus. And notice the two phrases, an 
apostle of Jesus Christ, that identifies his office, it tells 
us who owns him, by the will of God. Do you love this? Our 
confession of faith speaks to the decree of God. And it says 
that God has not only purposed the end, but He has furnished 
or purposed or ordained all of the means thereunto. All of the 
means thereunto. The Apostle Paul saw himself 
in part of the salvation plan of God. God, before time began, 
as we've read in 2 Timothy 1.9, chose to save a people from their 
sins. Before the foundation of the 
world, God chose. He predestinated. He discriminated. He looked specifically out of 
His good pleasure and laid His affections on some and not all. God then orchestrates the entirety 
of the world's history and He engages in the means that are 
employed to bring to pass the will of God. That's what Paul 
says. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, By the will of God, that's 
his authority, that's his source, that's the agency, that's the 
means by which Paul does what he does. And then notice, he 
says, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. I think this describes the mission, 
the focus, the emphasis, the stress of Paul's ministry. John Gill says, this points at 
the sum and substance, or subject matter. and end of his apostleship, 
for which this grace was given to him, which was to publish 
the free promise of life and salvation by Jesus Christ." You 
see, this is what Paul was about. It wasn't about being the inspirational 
guru. It wasn't about shaking the collective 
ecclesiastical pom-poms. It wasn't simply to engage in 
a divine or theological pep rally. It wasn't just to make people 
feel good. It wasn't just to recharge their 
batteries every Lord's Day when they met together. No, his function, 
his purpose, his life's calling was to the promise of life which 
is in Christ Jesus. Notice the recipient, we've mentioned 
him, Timothy. Timothy resided in Lystra and 
was a likely convert of the Apostle Paul. There's only two differences 
between 2 Timothy and the greetings in 1 Timothy. In 2 Timothy he 
is a beloved child, in 1 Timothy he is a true child. Now that 
could be Age, Paul's older and Timothy's 
younger. It's probably likely that it 
was because he was one of Paul's converts and he's his younger 
ministerial associate. Paul looks at Timothy like a 
son. I've always thought about that. When Paul got to Lystra, 
he wanted Timothy to come with him. You've got to be a good 
man if Paul wants you. That's what I think. if Paul 
asks questions about you and then decides to take you along. 
Because remember, he's not going golfing. He's not going chilling. He's going gospel ministry. He knows there's going to be 
suffering. He knows there's going to be persecution. He knows there's 
going to be imprisonment. And he knows he has to have men 
that aren't going to depart. He knows that he has to have 
faithful men. He knows that he has to have men that are going 
to stay the course. And Timothy was such a man. He had a Jewish 
mother and a Greek father, according to Acts 16 and 2 Timothy 1. He 
was taught the Old Testament from his youth. Parents, grandparents, 
never give up! Look at what Paul says in 2 Timothy 
1.5, "...when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in 
you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother 
Eunice." You see, He received catechetical instruction as a 
young man. He was taught religion. He was 
taught theology. He was taught the truth. Parents 
and grandparents, this is our calling. It's not just to play 
ball with the grandbabies when they come over and give them 
a little bit of a hug and then say, Wow, I'm glad they're leaving 
now because I don't have to change their diapers or wipe up their 
messes or do anything like that. There's that, to be sure, but 
we also need to educate them. We need to teach them. They need 
to learn true religion. They're not going to hear it 
in the schools. They're not going to hear it from the state. They're not 
going to hear it from anywhere else save the church and their 
godly family members. So you see, he had a rich heritage 
in terms of his upbringing, and the Lord blessed that. He accompanied 
Paul on the missionary enterprise. He's named by Paul in several 
of the greetings in Paul's letters. As I've already mentioned, Hebrews 
13, 23. He spent some time in prison and was ultimately released. 
What we glean and gather from the two epistles, he was a recipient 
of sovereign grace. He was a man who knew the effectual 
calling of God. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 
12. He was a true son in the faith 
to Paul and he had genuine faith. Notice what he says at the end 
of verse 5. And I am persuaded as in you 
also. You see, genuine faith is obvious. It's not because Timothy held 
a sign that said, I have genuine faith. One of the things that 
we noticed on Wednesday night in Ruth 3, when Boaz agrees to 
take Ruth as his wife, one of the things that he says is absolutely 
incredible. He says, the whole city knows 
that you're a virtuous woman. Isn't that amazing? The whole 
city knows that you're a virtuous woman. Now, I suspect it's not 
because Ruth wore a placard that said, I'm a virtuous woman. She 
didn't blog about it. She didn't tweet about it. She 
didn't Facebook her status. I'm feeling extremely virtuous 
today, because I am, after all, a virtuous woman. No, that virtue 
was evident when it was fleshed out in and through her life. 
You see, young girls and young women and ladies, virtue is evident. A woman who is what the Proverbs 
describes, it will be obvious to those around them. The same 
is true with genuine faith. It's not because Timothy blogged 
about it, I'm a man of great faith. No, it's because Paul 
saw him live. It's because Paul saw his conviction. 
It's because Paul heard him preach. It's because Paul understood 
his doctrine. It's because Paul knew him and 
that faith is fleshed out and it was genuine in Timothy's life. He was a fellow worker with Paul, 
Romans 16, 21. He was highly esteemed by Paul. Philippians chapter 2, you may 
turn there just to see something of the character of this man, 
Timothy. I often rave about the Apostle Paul. We ought to rave 
about Timothy. Paul loved Timothy. We ought 
to love Timothy likewise. Notice in Philippians chapter 
2 at verses 19 to 24. But I trust in the Lord Jesus 
to send Timothy to you shortly that I also may be encouraged 
when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded 
who will sincerely care for your state, for all seek their own, 
not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven 
character, that as a son with his father he served with me 
in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him 
at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me, but I trust 
in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. You see, two 
things that we've covered here. First, he trusts that he will 
come to them shortly. That's the first Roman imprisonment. 
He doesn't think he's going to die. He realizes that he's going 
to be released after a period of incarceration. But he speaks 
glowingly of this man, Timothy. He says, I have no one like-minded. 
What's the implication? Except for Timothy. He's a man 
like-minded with the Apostle Paul. He's a man whom Paul highly 
esteemed. He says, all seek their own, 
not the things which are of Christ Jesus, but you know his proven 
character. Again, character is proven by 
faithfulness. Character is not proven by you 
telling everybody that you've got good character. Same thing 
is true with 2 Timothy 4, when Paul says, I have, I have, I 
have, it's because he constantly did. You see, the stress in the 
New Testament for the people of God falls upon faithfulness, 
not amazing acts of valor. Not amazing acts of glory, but 
just being faithful, getting up every day, putting on your 
trousers, going to work, being a good employee, coming home, 
loving your family, seeking to rear your children in the training 
and admonition of the Lord, going to bed and doing that again for 
the next 40, 50, 60, 70 years. That's the key, if you will. That's what proves character. 
Now there are a handful of men throughout the history of the 
church that God calls to be men of valor. Gideon, Samson, Calvin, 
Zwingli, Luther, John Owen. I mean there are men of eminence 
that God has richly used in a powerful way. Paul the Apostle is one. 
Timothy was more of the man that was just to be faithful day in 
day out, due use of the ordinary means, being consistent, and 
that is the means by which his character was seen. That's where people are going 
to see it in the long run, is when we live faithfully before 
the Lord God Most High. And then notice the specific 
greeting, again very similar to what we find in 1 Timothy. 
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus 
our Lord. In all of Paul's epistles he 
uses grace and peace. Only here and in 1 Timothy does 
he include mercy. Mercy is only mentioned, as I 
said, in 1 and 2 Timothy. The Greek Septuagint translates 
the word hesed. Remember, we've learned that 
in the book of Ruth. It's that kindness, that covenantal 
kindness, that loyalty. The Septuagint translates hesed 
as mercy, and this refers to God's covenant love. The word 
mercy also includes pity and compassion. Lenski says, mercy 
always deals with what we see of pain, misery, and distress. These results of sin. And grace 
always deals with the sins and guilt itself. The one extends 
relief, the other pardon. The one cures, heals, helps, 
the other cleanses and reinstates. So when Paul pronounces this, 
it's in the form of a prayer, grace, mercy, and peace be upon 
you. What's he saying? Timothy, you 
can't function as a faithful man of God without grace, mercy, 
and peace. Timothy, you can't prove godly 
character without grace, mercy, and peace. Timothy, you always 
stand dependent upon grace, mercy, and peace. You cannot engage 
in the things that I'm going to ask you to engage in apart 
from grace, mercy, and peace. And notice the compound object, 
the source from which this grace mercy and peace flows from God 
the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I think this is at least 
an indirect reference to the deity of Christ. You've got God 
the Father, you've got Christ Jesus the Lord, they serve as 
the source or origin of this grace, mercy and peace. So that 
is introduction, that is 1st Timothy or 2nd Timothy 1, 1 and 
2. We ought to learn from this something 
of the eminence of the Apostle Paul. When I preach this message 
on 1 Timothy, I quoted at length Robert Raymond. He has a very 
excellent statement concerning the death of the Apostle Paul. 
I wanted to change things up a little bit. So I went to someone 
that's a bit closer to the life and ministry of Paul. There are 
what's called the apostolic fathers. These aren't the apostles, but 
they're the men who came to the church after the apostles. These were men that oftentimes 
were trained by the apostles, and one of them was named Clement. 
And Clement wrote two letters. And this particular letter that 
Clement wrote was in A.D. 96. So if Paul dies around 64-65, 
Peter probably dies a bit after that. I love what Clement says 
concerning these two men. He says, but to pass from the 
examples of ancient times, he's talking about Old Testament history, 
he says, let us come to those champions who live nearest to 
our time. I love that, champions. What 
were Paul and Peter? They were champions. They couldn't 
sink three-pointers at will. They didn't have 500 batting 
averages. They couldn't throw a football 
like a bullet, but they were champions. But to pass from the 
examples of ancient times, let us come to those champions who 
live nearest to our time. Let us consider the noble examples 
that belong to our own generation. Because of jealousy and envy, 
the greatest and most righteous pillars were persecuted and fought 
to the death. Let us set before our eyes the 
good apostles. There was Peter, who, because 
of unrighteous jealousy, endured not one or two but many trials, 
and thus, having given his testimony, went to his appointed place of 
glory. Because of jealousy and strife, 
Paul showed the way to the prize for patient endurance. After 
he had been seven times in chains, had been driven into exile, had 
been stoned, and had preached in the East and in the West, 
he won the genuine glory for his faith, having taught righteousness 
to the whole world, and having reached the farthest limits of 
the West. Finally, when he had given his 
testimony before the rulers, he thus departed from the world 
and went to the holy place, having become an outstanding example 
of patient endurance. He alludes to this in 2nd Timothy 
3 when Paul tells Timothy, verse 10, you have carefully followed 
my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, 
love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions which happened to 
me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured 
and out of them all the Lord delivered me. It's a man who 
always understood it was by grace that he stood. Secondly, I've 
already intimated this, we ought to understand and recognize the 
importance of this letter. I can do no better than John 
Calvin. Calvin describes this letter in this way. He said, 
Paul had before his eyes the death which he was prepared to 
endure for the testimony of the gospel when he wrote this letter. 
Paul had before his eyes the death which he was prepared to 
endure for the testimony of the gospel. All that we read here, 
therefore, concerning the kingdom of Christ, the hope of eternal 
life, the Christian warfare, confidence in confessing Christ, 
and the certainty of doctrine ought to be viewed by us is written 
not with ink, but with Paul's own blood. For nothing is asserted 
by him for which he does not offer the pledge of his death, 
and therefore this epistle may be regarded as a solemn subscription 
and ratification of Paul's doctrine. I quite like to view the letter 
in that particular light. God willing, that is how we shall 
proceed. It is the 11th hour. It is the 
statement of the Apostle who knows that he's going to pass 
from this world into the glory of Emmanuel's land. And he charges 
Timothy to faithfulness. He charges the church to faithfulness. He emphasizes those things that 
the church needs to hold to. whatever age they find themselves 
in, the church must pursue, according to the will of God, those things 
set down by this man, as Calvin said, in his blood. If you are 
not a Christian, 2 Timothy contains much of Christ. It tells us of 
his life, it tells us of his death, it tells us of his redeeming 
work. 2 Timothy 1.10, "...but has now 
been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who 
has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light 
through the gospel. It is that Christ alone who saves 
to the uttermost. It is that Christ alone who can 
redeem you from your sins. It is that Christ alone to whom 
you ought to look in faith." Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for your word, and we look with anticipation to 
going through this letter of 2 Timothy. We ask God that you 
would help us to have the mind of Christ as we approach these 
things, to understand the truth of Christ, and may we as individuals 
have proven character, and may it be evident that we have a 
genuine faith, and may this church hold fast to the things that 
are specified in this book. Go with us now, Father. Watch 
over us in this coming week. Grant us grace to glorify you 
in this lower world. Encourage our hearts when we 
are downcast and sorrowful, and just cause us to always look 
forth to the Lamb of God, always to look to the one who sits at 
your right hand. And we ask in Jesus' name, Amen.