Commentary on 2 Timothy 1:1-14

“There are two questions that we have to ask ourselves. The first is ‘Where am I going?’ and the second is ‘Who will go with me?’ If you ever get these questions in the wrong order, you are in trouble.” —Howard Thurman

In our lives of faith, we may be surrounded by a large crowd or a small group of trusted companions. Whatever the size of our community, we are born with a need to walk this road of life with fellow travelers. We need to “go with” others on the path we have been set upon by discipleship. God has placed this need in our hearts, minds, and spirits. The support of community bolsters us. The guidance of community heartens us. This resource of communal inspiration reminds us of where we are going and gives us the strength to continue walking in every season. We are empowered by those who walk with us.  

Empowered by heritage

In chapter 1, the author of 2 Timothy subtly, yet profoundly, points us toward the resource of ancestry. We walk in the path of those who have come before. Whether we are connected to them by blood or by faith, they are with us in tangible ways. Verses 3 and 5 remind us that we have an ancestral heritage that is not merely nostalgic.  

This heritage may go back generations, and as we recall how our ancestors walked out their faith, we are reminded of God’s faithfulness. They were not perfect. Yet, God was with them. Your cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) may include literal family, like Timothy’s mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois. Or you may have been adopted by aunts or uncles who, though not blood-related, walked with you in love and faith. What do you recall of your heritage of faith? What did those who came before model for you, and how did their faith plant seeds of faith in your life? We find ourselves returning to our ancestors’ witness and are empowered. Their lives testify to the faithfulness of God. This testimony bears good fruit.

For those who may not know about or who are not able to recall a lineage of faith in their heritage, there is a blessed reminder that through Christ, we are connected to all who have come before us. We do not only look to our family of origin but also to our family of discipleship. We look to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We look to Miriam, Mary, and Joanna.  Those whose names we do not know, like the Samaritan woman at the well and the Ethiopian eunuch, are our ancestors. Look to them, and be empowered to continue on the road, following Jesus.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Our text illuminates another source of empowerment that is even more deeply rooted than our ancestral heritage. Second Timothy is contextualized as a letter written to one who is ministering to those who have received the Holy Spirit as counsel and comforter holistically. They are living out their faith in a post-Pentecost reality, as are we. Second Timothy  1:6–14 explicitly shares ways the Holy Spirit empowers the body of Christ. 

6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. … 14 Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

Overwhelmingly and awesomely, the same Spirit of God that rested upon Jesus in his ministry rests upon us. The ancient power that hovered over the water as creation came into focus is with us, empowering our life and ministry. We have gifting through the Spirit (verse 6), and this gifting is to be used to serve. We are reminded of our Spirit-given identity, which is formed as courage, love, and wisdom by the Spirit (verse 7). We are assured that the charge of carrying the Gospel within us and sharing it through our lives of faith will be aided by the power of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, we will not need to search outside ourselves for this power, for it lives in us (verse 14).  

Therefore, when we feel helpless and even useless, we look to the gifts of the Spirit that have been imparted to us, and we are re-centered. We are not without resources when we are scared, hard-hearted, and out of control. We have a fount of strength, grace, mercy, and love to re-form us as the Christ-one we have been created to be. When we lose sight of where we are going, we have an internal compass and an ever-abiding companion recalling our ministry and mission bound up in the Gospel.  

Conclusion

Our lineage of ancestral faith and Holy Spirit formation means we are never alone on the journey of discipleship. We have chosen our path, and God’s provision has given us companions on the road. Second Timothy 1:1–14 is a powerful, pastoral word that unites us through what connects us to our calling. We are gathered by our heritage and the formation of the Holy Spirit. 

As we come together, we return to our call as the body of Christ. We are equipped for this calling with courage, love, and wisdom. Yes, we will face hardships. Yet, as we look to our cloud of witnesses—the ones who have come before us and those who walk alongside us—we are empowered. As we grow in our Holy Spirit formation, we can fulfill the work of guarding and sharing the “good deposit” with which we have been entrusted. 

May we hold to our heritage and the Holy Spirit. May we trust the witness of those who have come before. May we trust the power of the One who lives within.