Lesson 8
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pray for You to speak to us to convict, correct, encourage, and train us in godly and righteous living. We pray for the divine transformation of hearts, renewal of minds, and discerning Your good and perfect will, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction to 2 Timothy:
Author, date, recipient, setting:
After Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment in 62 AD, he visited old and planted new churches in Macedonia and Asia Minor. He was rearrested by the Romans in 66 AD and thrown into the Roman Mamertine prison. Here, Paul wrote 2 Timothy between 66-67 AD. This was his deathbed epistle, before passing his legacy and the gospel baton to Timothy. Paul urged Timothy to bring him his cloak, books, and parchments to Rome. Paul encouraged Timothy to remain strong and faithful in the face of opposition, persecutions, and suffering. Paul was executed by decapitation in 67 AD.
Themes:
Some of the main themes include the Christian’s response to suffering, the gospel basis for endurance, the saving power of the gospel, and the danger of heretic doctrine.
Outline
1: 1-18, Salutation, prayer, instructions
2: 1-26, endure hardships, an approved teacher of God’s words
3: 1-17, apostasy, heresy, Word of God
4: 1- 22, preach the gospel, come before winter, farewell
Application:
2 Timothy was Paul’s last written document. He had done everything that he could for the Lord. He faced the prospect of brutal death. He had fought the great spiritual battle and ran the marathon spiritual racer faith. The Christian faith is a super marathon relay race. Paul passed the gospel baton to Timothy who in turn would pass it on to the next generation. The gospel baton has passed from generation to generation for 2000 years and it is now in our hands. Our duty is the pass the gospel baton to the next generation for them to carry and pass on to the next. We are to pass the gospel baton of faith to our children and our children’s children, by teaching, encouraging, conviction, correcting, and training them in godly and righteous living. We should not drop the baton that is in our hands!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pray for divine enablement and empowerment to pass the gospel baton of faith to our children. We pray for biblical literacy, biblical knowledge, and biblical education to prepare ourselves for this great undertaking. We pray for the salvation of our descendants, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
