Leading a church as part of a wise and diverse team, which perhaps includes the founders and those who have benefited directly from their mentorship, is a wonderful experience. We might describe such a situation as safe. However, as life and people move on, particular challenges arise:
- How to lead the church forward, deeper in the life of God, while developing second- or third-generational leadership structures
- How to maintain a teaching ministry that is consistent with and faithful to that which has been passed on
- How to maintain order in worship, without stifling the Spirit, within a growing and increasingly diverse congregation
- How to model loving, compassionate, and empathetic relationships across generations and social boundaries
These are some of the issues and questions faced by the believing community in Ephesus led by Timothy.
The question of authorship of the letters of 1 and 2 Timothy is much debated, and it is not something we need to dwell on now. Other than to say, scholars generally consider these letters to have been written in Paul’s name long after the apostle had died (this was a fairly common and acceptable practice at the time). The distance in time from Paul himself creates precisely the scenario outlined above—a growing and diversifying congregation, with increasing degrees of separation from those who personally witnessed the life of Christ and the teaching of the apostles.
However, and perhaps unfortunately, the six passages allotted by the Revised Common Lectionary only allow a brief glimpse into all this. In 2025, the first of these six passages lands on Sept. 14 and extends through Oct. 19.
1 Timothy 1:12–17 – Have confidence in the gospel
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” But what does that mean? What does that even look like? How was a small Christ-believing community living in the midst of a thriving imperial city with a flourishing economy—where elevated status was a recognized sign of success—to make sense of this?
In this strikingly autobiographical passage, the author describes himself as having once been “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.” But now he stands as a prime example of the “utmost patience” of Christ. Not only has he experienced the mercy, love, and grace of Christ, but he has also, remarkably, been judged as faithful and appointed as a servant of Christ.
This is all a way of saying, if Christ can save and transform me, “the foremost of sinners,” then he can surely save anyone. And even with the passage of time, still no one is beyond the reaches of the mercy of God. Have confidence in the gospel to save and transform.
1 Timothy 2:1–7 – God desires everyone to be saved
Ephesus was well known for its worship of gods—check out Acts 19 for Paul’s experience in the city, disturbing the accepted normality of worship. But here, in this passage, the believers are reminded that there is “one God”—this is an elevation of the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ above all other deities. There is then one mediator between God and humankind: Christ Jesus alone can intercede for us. And Christ Jesus went through suffering, death, and resurrection as a “ransom” to make it known that freedom from sin and death was available to “all.”
From the perspective of a saved and transformed sinner who has experienced firsthand the grace and mercy of God, it is unsurprising that we should learn the most wonderful and glorious truth: God desires that everyone be saved.
To this end, the writer gives this direct encouragement—or perhaps even command: Pray for everyone, whoever they are and whatever their status in your community. Pray for them that they might be saved.
1 Timothy 6:6–19 – Take hold of eternal life
Yes, we’ve all been there: that earnest, well-meaning resolution—we’ll take up gym membership, start running, lose weight … And we all know that it is one thing to begin a race; it is another thing entirely to complete the course. In terms of our faith and our spiritual journey of following after Christ, we are all familiar with the challenge to daily keep on keeping on. One of the greatest secrets to success is to begin with the destination in mind; keep your eyes on the prize.
There is a particular temptation in view in this passage—the deceptive seductiveness of wealth and a passionate encouragement to invest in a more certain and steadfast future.
The pursuit of wealth is ultimately futile—when we die, we cannot take any of it with us; it gives rise to all sorts of temptations and problems; and for some, the thorns of wealth choke the life out of faith.
But how do we counter this and nurture a vibrant faith in a culture where wealth and status are sure signs of success and, moreover, accepted signs of divine blessing? We are reminded of the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and passionately encouraged to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.” Make a deliberate choice to be active and disciplined in the practice of your faith. Be content with what you already have. Reach out and take hold of eternal life.
2 Timothy 1:1–14 – Rekindle the gift of God
The second letter addressed to Timothy begins with an intensely personal and intimate appeal: “Rekindle the gift of God that is within you.” It is a truism to say that ministry is tough, and that following Jesus in our daily life is tough. We are faced daily with challenges and disappointments, and sometimes we experience depression and our faith feels like it is slowly ebbing away from us. There is the underlying sense here that Timothy knows this experience firsthand, and it is this that the writer addresses in these opening verses.
Any sense of worthlessness or purposelessness is swept away by the reassurance and reminder to Timothy that he is loved and appreciated. He is reminded of his sincere walk of faith, having been nurtured in that faith by his mother and grandmother. Surely it is not worth giving up just because he’s experienced a degree of shame and suffering? He is encouraged to rekindle his gift, a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, calling him toward life and immortality, remembering the teaching that was passed on and the “good treasure” within him.
Sometimes it is helpful to be reminded of the faithfulness of others, and here we see some are suffering in their faithfulness to the gospel, confident of God’s faithfulness.
2 Timothy 2:8–15 – Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead
The problem sometimes is that as we seek to work out our faith, reading books and listening to talks, we can get lost in a maze of words, having been drawn into an enticing configuration of interpretations of the Christian faith. And then we notice that the arguments begin: Who is right? Who is wrong? And people fall out, communities split, and things turn sour.
At this point we read: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel.” Succinct, clear, confident. And we remember again that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a morass of words or clever interpretations but is about resurrection—the lovingly powerful and radically creative act of God—reconfiguring the world.
We are encouraged to keep things simple and to hold to the wisdom passed down to us. God is faithful and will remain faithful. Eternal life and a crown await us if we too are faithful.
2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 – Preach the word
We stand in the line of those who, like Timothy, have received the Christian faith, sometimes by hearing the teaching of others, and sometimes through reading the scriptures for ourselves. As we have received, so we too are encouraged to be messengers, passing the good news on to future generations.
Our confidence in what we teach arises from our daily experience of “salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” transforming individuals and communities. There is for us the awareness of the mysterious living nature of the scriptures: Even as we sometimes stumble and struggle to preach and teach, we are assured of the creative life that is imparted as we faithfully carry out our vocation.
We are directly instructed to faithfully and courageously “preach the word,” for in doing so, we equip those who listen and those who follow to walk in the way of Christ.
2 Timothy 4:6–8, 16–18 – The Lord stood by me
There is a sense in this final passage of a sign-off: The author seems to know his life is nearing its end. On the one hand, he has been faithful—he has “fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.” He has stood firm even as his life is being poured out. He looks forward with confidence to his righteous reward. And yet, his confidence is not based on the people around him—by his account, they abandoned him—but rather on the Lord: “The Lord stood by me.” The quiet, powerful reassurance of the presence of the Lord alongside him is enough, and just as Christ has rescued the author in the past, surely Christ will rescue and save him for the heavenly kingdom.
