I. Intro: My Bible Teaching Background
– In Awana, I over-achieved to please parents and went through literature at accelerated rate
– One teacher, Jerry Weidenbenner, encouraged me to learn 2 Timothy (which I did, but didn’t remotely grasp until much later), and to consider being an Awana leader when I aged out
– Voice teacher Bill Ormesher encouraged me to study music in order to teach music & voice upon graduation
– Singer Michael Card suggested Bible study as more important, so I went to TTU where Bible minor was required of all students (finished at UTC)
– Went to SWBTS to make contacts with fellow ministers to come give concerts
– Upon graduation… my first job is a teaching one! My first full-time music ministry position? Pastor says he’s going to ask met to fill the pulpit from time to time!
– Paul is making a similar plea to Timothy: you have a divine opportunity to unpack the richness of God’s Word to his church—don’t let that fire die!
II. Introduction (vv.1-2)
A. There is no intellectually or scholastically honest debate on Paul’s authorship of this letter, nor of its recipients
1. The kinds of contentions necessary to debunk Paul’s authorship rest on too many erroneous or baseless assumptions
2. The writing style of this and Paul’s other “Pastoral Epistles” (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus) fully cover the theological issues addressed his other epistles
3. The historical evidence of Paul and Timothy’s relationship is established in Acts 16-18, and he is mentioned by name in 2 Corinthians 1:19 and Philippians 2:19-23
B. Paul has just been released from his first Roman imprisonment (cf Acts 28:30), c. AD 62-64
– Paul will take a 2nd missionary journey where he revisits some churches he planted—including Ephesus
C. Timothy: “My beloved child”—a unique relationship existed between the two men, as Timothy was one of Paul’s “success stories”—with his early conversion and closeness with Paul, we might say he was the first “preacher’s kid”
D. Paul inserts “mercy” into the traditional “Grace and Peace” greeting he usually uses; why is unclear, but given the practical ministerial education of this letter, could be a reminder to Timothy to pass on the truth in the same way he received it—in mercy
III. We’re Here to Serve (vv.3-4)
A. Serve with a Clear Conscience (v.3)
1. Paul starts by referring to God as the “God whom I serve”—this is a specifically Hebrew connection, one Timothy would understand
– Though Lystra (Timothy’s hometown) is in Turkey, his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice were devout Jews who had converted to Christianity when Paul taught there
2. He reminds Timothy that he’s always in his prayers, just as he mentions to the Philippians (1:3,4)
– Don’t underestimate the power of prayer—but don’t underestimate the power of telling people you are praying for them, either!
B. Serve in a Way That Produces Joy (v.4)
1. Paul “remembers [Timothy’s] tears,” thinking of the last time He saw Timothy (a short visit to Ephesus that came after 1 Timothy and his first Roman imprisonment)
– Paul’s importance to Timothy is more than a friendship; Paul recognizes Timothy’s commitment to the Gospel by how he treasured Paul’s wisdom, knowledge, and instruction
2. Paul is also anxious to meet up with Timothy again—the depth of their relationship is more than collegial or even familial, it is rooted in a unique spiritual kinship that meant something very special to Paul
– This is useful for all believers, not only (but maybe mostly) for those in ministry: let your service be marked as bringing joy
III. Serve Like You Know What You’re Doing (vv.5-7)
A. Remember—There are People Who Know You! (v.5)
1. How do you drive around town? Do you get mad at people? Do you think, “They might know me!”?
2. Paul is never above using a little bit of guilt-tripping (here, preventive) to remind his addressees who they belong to and what they’re here for
3. Paul name-drops Timothy’s mother not necessarily to tell Timothy to “straighten up,” but to remind Timothy of the spiritual seeds of his ministry by mentioning his upbringing
B. Remember—Keep the Fires Burning (v.6)
1. Nothing causes the flame of ministry to fade like the fact of ministry
2. Evidently, Timothy needs a little pep talk—Paul says to “fan” the flame, not “keep it hot”—seems it may have dimmed just a bit
3. We all need encouragement and rejuvenation—even Jesus had to take a break from ministry every now and then—but the monotony of ministry at any level must not be the cause for “phoning it in”
4. “Laying on of hands”—a reminder that Timothy’s ordination to the ministry was witnessed by actual people—remember, we are all accountable
C. Remember—You’e Not the Source of Your Power (v.7)
1. When ministry becomes a drudgery, it’s easy to cut corners and take shortcuts—but it can also intimidate us into half-hearted service
2. Paul reminds Timothy that God is worth his best effort, and will provide the resources needed to maintain an effective ministry
IV. Conclusion
A. Don’t forget why you’re still here. If God didn’t still have a plan for our activity, we wouldn’t be here
B. Make your service on that makes other people love God more—show it by loving Him and loving them
C. You’re serving God, not people—but don’t forget that people are still watching your service
D. Don’t forget the hope that is within you, and realize that it isn’t just a hope for future joy, it is the built-in power supply for present joy
