1:1 From Paul, 1 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to further the promise 2 of life in Christ Jesus, 1:2 to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!
1:3 I am thankful to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, 3 when I remember you in my prayers as I do constantly night and day. 4 1:4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, 5 so that I may be filled with joy. 1:5 I recall 6 your sincere faith 7 that was alive first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I am sure 8 is in you.
1:6 Because of this I remind you to rekindle God’s gift that you possess 9 through the laying on of my hands. 1:7 For God did not give us a Spirit 10 of fear but of power and love and self-control. 1:8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord 11 or of me, a prisoner for his sake, but by 12 God’s power accept your share of suffering 13 for the gospel.
1 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
2 tn Grk “for the promise…” or possibly “in accordance with the promise…”
3 tn Grk “from my ancestors.”
4 tn Or “as I do constantly. By night and day I long to see you…”
5 tn Grk “longing to see you, remembering your tears” (as a continuation of the preceding clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
6 tn Grk “recalling” (as a continuation of the preceding clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
7 tn Grk “the sincere faith in you.”
8 tn Or “convinced.”
9 tn Grk “that is in you.”
10 tn Or “a spirit,” denoting the human personality under the Spirit’s influence as in 1 Cor 4:21; Gal 6:1; 1 Pet 3:4. But the reference to the Holy Spirit at the end of this section (1:14) makes it likely that it begins this way also, so that the Holy Spirit is the referent.
11 tn Grk “the testimony of our Lord.”
12 tn Or “according to.”
13 tn Grk “suffer hardship together,” implying “join with me in suffering.”