Second letter to Timothy and letter to Titus

Proclaim the Word

The second letter to Timothy is a real spiritual testament with Paul’s last recommendations to his «beloved child» in Faith (see 2Tim 1,2). The style is warm, with many autobiographic cues that the apostle uses to encourage Timothy in his ministry. Paul is prisoner in Rome (see 2Tim 1,17) because of the Gospel and he considers close the moment of his sentence to death (see 2Tim 4,6).
«I am reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in you; which lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, in you also. For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Gospel according to the power of God» (2Tim 1,5-8).



Paul compares the mission to a soldier’s total obedience and prompt service, to a race that requires a constant and demanding training, to a farmer’s hard work (see the use of the same metaphors in 1Cor 9). «You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must share in hardship, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he has competed by the rules. The farmers who labor must be the first to get a share of the crops» (2Tim 2,1-6). Paul is in bonds, but no human power can stop the spread of the Word of God; even Christ’s faithfulness to all His promises remains stable and present in spite of all the believers’ possible weaknesses. «Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my Gospel, in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This saying is faithful: “For if we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.”» (2Tim 2,8-13).
The apostle writes what will happen in the “eschatological times”; those are the moments that come immediately before the glorious Christ’s return (see Acts 2,17) and that Paul considers imminent (see the two letters to the Thessalonians and the exhortation he gives to Timothy to watch out from the evil ones since the present time). Those verses are current even today: God gave in Christ the fullness of His Revelation (see Dei Verbum, no. 2), the time of the Church is therefore the last one because there will not be new messages to mankind until Jesus’ second manifestation. «But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, hateful of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. Turn away from these, also. [...] But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I command you therefore before God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his Kingdom: proclaim the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside to myths. But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry» (2Tim 3,1-5.14-17; 4,1-5). Writing about his end of life, Paul partly recalls the mission metaphors we read in chapter 2. «For I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come [see Acts - episode 6]. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing» (2Tim 4,6-8).
Titus is one of Paul’s collaborators who we do not meet in the Acts of the Apostles, but only in his letters. Among all, the apostle mentions the precious help Titus gave him with the Corinthians: he brought Paul news in the moments of misunderstanding with that community (see 2Cor 7,13) and he was involved in the collection for the Jerusalem Church (see 2Cor 8,6). Titus is even present with Paul before the Jerusalem apostles when they took the decision not to impose the circumcision and the other Jew practices to the Christians coming from the Gentiles (see Gal 2,1-10). The letter to Titus (which I leave to your personal reading) writes about the situation of the Christian community of Crete (see Titus 1,5), entrusted to his pastoral care.
In the next post we will read the letter to Philemon.