| In 62 AD, after his release from his first imprisonment, Paul goes to Ephesus and appoints Timothy as pastor. Paul writes 1 Timothy and Titus. A few years later Paul returns to Rome, is arrested, and writes 2 Timothy from the Mamertine Prison in 67 AD. While Paul wrote 1 Timothy to give instruction on the nature and practice of the church, 2 Timothy was written to focus on the personal ministry of Timothy himself. Timothy needs encouragement because he appears to be physically weak (1 Tim 5:23), personally timid (2 Tim 1:7), and relatively young (1 Tim 4:12). Mamertine Prison was very different from the other times that Paul was in prison. This was a dark, musty, overcrowded prison without much light or food. The language of 2 Timothy is dungeon-talk, the anguished words of a man suffering maltreatment in a rat-infested pit. As Paul was waiting for his final trial, he thought of his closest companion and began to write to Timothy, who was 830 miles away in Ephesus. Timothy was in his early 40’s, and was leading the church there. Paul had established the Ephesian church while spending three years in that town. He kept in close contact with the congregation throughout his life, and visited on his second and third missionary journeys. Paul then became Timothy’s mentor and friend, and they traveled together during Paul journeys. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, Timothy became the pastor of the Ephesian church. As Paul begins this letter, the reader can see the deep affection that Paul has for Timothy. He is a mentor to Timothy as they had ministered together since the beginning of Paul’s 2nd journey. Paul writes life-giving words to Timothy, thanking God for him, remembering him in his prayers, and longing to see him. Love and prayer are two essentials behind the act of mentoring. Paul was intentional to help Timothy in the areas of calling, character, and competency. He was intentional with Timothy in spending time with him and caring about his future. Paul then goes on to speak about Timothy’s grandmother and mother. We know from Acts 16:1 that Timothy’s dad is an unbelieving Greek, but that he has a godly Jewish grandmother and mother. This example shows us very practically how the church and home are connected. He has intentional love and equipping from his family at home, and he has Paul investing into him as a spiritual mentor from the church perspective. Paul goes on in verse 6 to encourage Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God”. This was calling Timothy up to remind him to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in him, and to remind him to not get complacent. This is a reminder to all of us that faith doesn’t stay vibrant accidentally. Finally, Paul writes in verse 7, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Boldness, not cowardice, is a mark of the Spirit. We are to fight fear with the promises of God. The Spirit of God empowering the people of God is sufficient to accomplish the mission of God. God gave Timothy a mentor, a momma, and the Spirit. Questions to Consider: - Do you have a Paul in your life? Who is it? Who could it be?
- Do you have a Timothy in your life? Who is it? Who could it be?
- What is your spiritual heritage? Who did you take the “baton” from? Who are you passing it to?
- What fear is controlling you? (failure, rejection, aging, sharing your faith, the future, your children, etc.) How do you fight these fears with the promises of God?
- Knowing that we are created to be in community with one another, how is the flame being fanned in your life? Whose “flame” are you fanning?
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