First, he has a GODLY UPBRINGING. Christian parents don't make you a Christian but they provide an environment of love, support, encouragement, protection and prayer which can act as a seed bed for a young life to come to Christ. Timothy had that. If you have had that sort of background, praise God for it, as imperfect as it was.

Second, he had the FRIENDSHIP and PRAYER SUPPORT of Paul. Paul seems to have been his spiritual father and he clearly carried on praying for Timothy on a regular basis. All those in ministry very much need this sort of support.

Third, he had the HOLY SPIRIT within him, the Spirit who had imparted gifting to him to fulfil his calling. Within us the Holy Spirit brings power to live and minister, love as the expression of God's heart to us and to others through us, and self control or self discipline to help us order and control our lives to keep them pursuing Him. With all this you would think Timothy had few needs, but the truth is that he is still a human being and he still needs Paul's encouragement.

D. Application:

1. God provides the resources we need for life and service, His own power

and presence.

2. We also need support & encouragement from other Christians.

Chapter: 2 Tim 1

Passage: 2 Tim 1:8-12

A. Find Out:

1. What was Timothy to do and not to do? v.8

2. What had God done and why? v.9

3. When was the grace given? v.9c

4. How has it been revealed? v.10

5. What was Paul appointed to be? v.11

6. Why wasn't he ashamed? v.12

B. Think:

1. How, from this passage, could Paul cope with the suffering he was

experiencing in prison?

2. Why was Paul not afraid of death?

3. How was Paul's position both a cause for alarm and encouragement?

C. Comment:

In encouraging Timothy to go all out in his ministry, Paul is aware that in the back of Timothy's mind might be the thought, “Perhaps if I do I might end up like Paul in prison”, and so Paul encourages him by confronting the possibilities head on.

First, he exhorts Timothy not to be ashamed to go all out in his ministry, even though it might have negative consequences. Paul not only recognises that it might happen but expects it to happen.

Second, Paul explains why Timothy can handle that possibility: God's grace is available to help you cope. The power of God in Paul was what was helping him in prison, not merely to cope but to carry on his ministry of encouragement by writing.

Third, Paul reminds Timothy that he is what he is because God called him and that his future was all planned by the godhead before time began. God is simply working out His wonderful purposes and Timothy is part of those. God's purposes and grace are what the Gospel is all about. Not only that, they extend to eternal life which means that with immortality we don't have to fear death. Therefore if you have God's grace and power for the present and an assurance for after death, what is there left to worry about!!!

D. Application:

1. God's grace IS available for today.

2. Your future is assured for eternity.

Chapter: 2 Tim 1

Passage: 2 Tim 1:13-18

A. Find Out:

1. What does Paul instruct Timothy to do? v.13

2. What does he further instruct? v.14a

3. What help would he have? v.14b

4. What had happened to Paul? v.15

5. What had Onesiphorus done and why? v.16

6. What had he done to prove this? v.17

B. Think:

1. What had Paul been speaking about in the previous verses?

2. What signs are there in this passage that this is a continuation of that?

3. What further signs are there of Paul's suffering for the Gospel here?

C. Comment:

Paul has been speaking about the glorious gospel and had been challenging Timothy not to be ashamed of either he, Paul, or the Lord and His gospel. Here he first challenges Timothy to hold onto that gospel and then illustrates the ways of shame and of faithfulness.

First the CHALLENGE: keep sound teaching and guard the deposit, i.e. hold onto the truth that has been conveyed to you, Timothy. Don't let it be a sterile doctrinal thing though, but let faith and love administer it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Second, the SHAME: many had deserted Paul as soon as he was in prison. Perhaps they feared the same might happen to them, perhaps they were jealous of Paul (see Philippians 1:15 ), but the result was the same, Paul had been abandoned. What a shame on the church.

Third, the FAITHFULNESS: a man named Onesiphorus has been an example of the very thing that Paul had been talking about. He had not been ashamed of Paul or the gospel and, quite to the contrary, he had put himself out to find where Paul was imprisoned and had gone to him, regardless of how it might affect his own life. This is being faithful in friendship and in the gospel.

D. Application:

1. Will we be faithful to God and the gospel, wherever we are?

2. God grace and presence is there for us.

Chapter: 2 Thess 2

Passage: 2 Thess 2:1-7

A. Find Out:

1. How was Timothy to be strong? v.1

2. What was he to do? v.2

3. How was he to go about his ministry? v.3,4

4. What was he also to remember? v.5

5. In encouragement who else should he remember? v.6

6. How was he to understand all this? v.7

B. Think:

1. How do you think grace and ministry (v.1,2) are linked?

2. What was the point being made by Paul's three pictures?

3. What is Paul therefore doing in this passage?

C. Comment:

Paul has been encouraging Timothy to persevere and not be ashamed of who he is and what he's got to proclaim. Having just referred to others by way of illustration, he returns to Timothy and exhorts him further to maintain his ministry.

First the HOW of ministry: be strong by means of God's grace available to him.

Second the WHAT of ministry: to ensure he passes on to others what he has heard and make sure that they are those who can pass it on in turn.

Third comes three INSTANT PARABLES: a soldier who perseveres to please his commander, an athlete who keeps to the rules to ensure he is not disqualified, and a farmer who can receive blessing from his hard work. Each one of them a) works hard, b) perseveres, and c) has success or achievement.

Finally comes a simple, “if you think about these things you'll catch on to what I'm saying!” We sometimes get so caught up in the pictures we miss the point that Paul is making. We too need to meditate on these things; we too need to consider the import of Paul's exhortations, that we too may persevere in the activity the Lord has given us to do.

D. Application:

1. Service is often hard work, it is often a battle, and we need to persevere.

2. God's grace is always available to help in ministry.

Chapter: 2 Tim 2

Passage: 2 Tim 2:8-13

A. Find Out:

1. What was the Gospel about? v.8

2. What was Paul's position? v.9

3. For who was Paul enduring and why? v.10

4. What are the first 2 promises? v.11, 12a

5. What warning is there? v.12b

6. Yet what encouragement is there? v.13

B. Think:

1. Why, in a sense, was Paul not worrying about being a prisoner?

2. What determination did he hold onto?

3. What was the main point of the saying he used?

C. Comment:

In following up this challenge to Timothy to pursue his calling and continue to share the Gospel despite fears, Paul now first challenges Timothy to remember Jesus himself. He was killed but rose again, for us, by the power of God. Even within that statement there is much challenge: Jesus submitted his will to God's, even to death. He did it in His love for us, to die to take our sins; He received the power of God to be raised again. We are to submit to God, realising His love for us, and receive His power for today.

Paul holds onto this Gospel and is not bothered that he is in prison, for the Gospel cannot be confined, even in prison; it will be shared and people will be saved, wherever it goes.

Finally Paul uses one of the early church “doctrinal sayings” as a further challenge, exhortation and encouragement. The PROMISES are first that we may have life and then that we will reign. The conditions to that are that we die to self and we keep on with the faith.

Next comes a WARNING that if we disown Him, then He will disown us (all long-term; see Peter's restoration after disowning Jesus as a one-off thing). Yet even in this God will remain faithful to His word even if we are not. These are matters for great encouragement.

D. Application:

1. The Gospel will not be fettered.

2. The Gospel is always conditional and always requires right response.

Chapter: 2 Tim 2

Passage: 2 Tim 2:14-19

A. Find Out:

1. What was Timothy to warn against and why? v.14

2. What was Timothy to be seen to be? v.15

3. What was he to avoid and why? v.16

4. What would happen? v.17

5. What were some saying, with what effect? v.18

6. Yet, what was the truth? v.19

B. Think:

1. What 3 things are warned against in this passage?

2. What were the effects of those things?

3. How was Timothy to view all this himself?

C. Comment:

Paul continues to encourage Timothy to teach others (v.2) and to persevere himself.

First, let's note THOSE WARNED AGAINST here: he speaks against those whose words are having a detrimental effect. He speaks of those who are in dispute about the meaning of words, of those whose words are ungodly or unspiritual or uninspired, and those whose teaching is false, who have been declaring that the resurrection has already passed.

Second, let's note the CONSEQUENCES of their activity: their faith is being ruined, they move more and more away from the presence and knowledge of God, they are a spreading sickness and are destroying the faith of others.

Third, let's observe PAUL'S COUNSEL to Timothy. First he is to warn these people, to make clear to them the foolishness of what they were doing. Second, he is to look after himself, to ensure that he, at least, has no reason for being ashamed before God about the way he uses the word of God in his ministry.

Finally note the TRUTH AFFIRMED by Paul: God knows His own and Christians are responsible for their behaviour. It is as if he says, do what I say then just rest in God's sovereignty and remember these people are responsible for themselves before God.

D. Application:

1. Our words are important.

2. Am I an unashamed workman of God?

Chapter: 2 Tim 2

Passage: 2 Tim 2:20-26

A. Find Out:

1. About what sorts of article does Paul speak? v.20

2. How does he apply the picture? v.21

3. What is Timothy to avoid and pursue? v.22

4. What is he not to do and why? v.23

5. What must he not be and then be? v.24

6. How must he deal with opposition and why? v.25

B. Think:

1. What is Paul implying about the church in verses 20 & 21?

2. What two areas was Timothy counselled to avoid?

3. How would you sum up Paul's positive guide lines to Timothy here?

C. Comment:

Paul had previously challenged Timothy to be an approved worker for God (v.15). Now he again warns Timothy, by way of an illustration, that it is possible to end up having second best. The illustration he uses is that of articles or vessels in the house. Some are used for special purposes, others for very ordinary things. Perhaps compare a cut-glass goblet at the meal with a plastic bowl in the kitchen. The person who keeps themselves free from dirt and grime will be used in God's hand. Implication: Timothy be like that!

Then come specific guidelines. First, things for Timothy to avoid: wrong, self-centred desires of immaturity, and foolish intellectual arguments. Second, things to go for: the marks of maturity in life, which are righteousness, faith, love and peace (meditate on each of these). Also the marks of the godly servant, the one who is serving God: kindness, able to teach in gentleness, not resenting opposition but seeking to bring it into agreement. The things to avoid reveal a “plastic bowl” in the kingdom, the other things, indicate the beauty of cut-glass in the hand of the Master. We can choose which type of vessel we will be!

D. Application:

1. We sort of person am I. Am I “plastic” to be used in the servants'

quarters or “cut-glass” in the hand of the Master?

2. I must remember, I can choose the sort of person I will be!

RECAP: "Be Faithful" 2 Timothy 1 & 2

SUMMARY :

In these first two chapters we have seen Paul:

- speaking of his praying for Timothy

- exhorting him not to be ashamed

- challenge him to keep sound teaching

- tell of those who deserted him

- challenge him to persevere

- challenge him to remember Jesus

- challenge him to become an approved workman

COMMENT :

The personal touch reveals a prayer concern and then personal testimony as a means of encouragement. We each need this to counter life's difficulties. Instead of letting difficulties get us down, we are to be encouraged by one another and provoked to go on and on. This is very much more a challenging letter in the face of fears about persecution and false teachers. It is very much a letter challenging the younger man to stronger commitment. As such it should challenge each of us to encourage one another and be encouraged.

LESSONS?

1. God's grace is available for even the hardest times

2. Service is often hard work needing perseverance

3. The gospel will not be contained.

4. God's workman needs to be very careful what he says

5. We can choose the sort of vessels we will be.

PRAY :

Pray for God's grace to help you persevere, and to help you grow in character and ministry. Ask God to help you be an encourager.

PART 5 : "Last days and last instructions"

In this final Part, Paul first warns about godless people's activity in the last days, and challenges Timothy to reject and avoid all that, by copying Paul's example in life and ministry. He concludes by speaking about many of the Christians around him, some of whom had deserted him. Watch for the personal touches.