2 Timothy 1:1-8

Salutation

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!

Thanksgiving and Charge to Timothy

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.

[1:1]  ¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ² tn Grk “for the promise…” or possibly “in accordance with the promise…”

[1:3]  ³ tn Grk “from my ancestors.”

[1:3]  ⁴ tn Or “as I do constantly. By night and day I long to see you…”

[1:4]  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.

[1:5]  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.

[1:5]  ⁷ tn Grk “the sincere faith in you.”

[1:5]  ⁸ tn Or “convinced.”

[1:6]  ⁹ tn Grk “that is in you.”

[1:7]  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.

[1:8]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the testimony of our Lord.”

[1:8]  ¹² tn Or “according to.”

[1:8]  ¹³ tn Grk “suffer hardship together,” implying “join with me in suffering.”