December 4, 2014
2 Timothy
Many years ago, a dear friend of mine found and performed a one-man, two-act play based on Second Timothy, the last letter (perhaps) that Paul ever wrote. Both acts were set in a dungeon, the Mamertine prison in ancient Rome where Paul awaited his trial and execution. In the first act, Paul is communicating through a grate in the ceiling of his cell with Dr. Luke, his physician, friend and fellow laborer in the gospel. The second act simply consists of Paul dictating Second Timothy to Luke through that same small opening.
We say that Paul “wrote” his letters, but that is not precisely true. He dictated his letters to an amanuensis (a secretary), and only rarely took “pen in hand” himself.
Read Second Timothy with the prison and Paul’s imminent death in mind, and not only does it make more sense, it adds drama to your reading. There is poignancy in Paul’s remembrances of Timothy in chapter 1, and urgency in Paul’s exhortations in chapter 2 and his warnings in chapter 3, and true victory in his statements in chapter 4, especially, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!” (4:7).
Tomorrow is Titus!
Your fellow traveler through the New Testament,
Pastor Gary
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