Paul is trying to encourage Timothy. Timothy was about to give up. Timothy’s friend and mentor, Paul had been imprisoned again, this time in the worse type of Roman prison in a well-hidden location. No one had known if Paul was even alive for quite some time.
Added to that, Timothy’s ministry seemed a total waste of time and effort. A group of people led by two men was challenging Timothy; his authority and his teaching. Timothy had actually given up on living in service to faith in God and his son Jesus. Timothy had lost hope in ever having a good lasting humanly spiritual impact in his city, friends, and family. Evil people were going from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (13).
Paul reminded Timothy that God’s plan for all his children was to live with faith, patience, love, endurance, and also persecutions and sufferings (10,11). “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (12)
Timothy was doing good exactly the way God intended. The situation seemed grim and hopeless. Yet, in Christ, there is always hope. The Lord had been and will always be with him. The Lord had rescued Paul (11) and had blessed Timothy’s life ministry.
I have the same tools and gifts from God to continue in the will of God, his every good work for me (17). All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (16). The Word of God is life. The Word of God is flesh. The Word of God is Jesus. Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh. Christmas is a celebration of the breath of God, the letter of God, the gift of God becoming flesh.
