Exegesis of Pastoral Letter 2 Timothy 2:1-7

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Exegesis of Pastoral Letter 2 Timothy 2:1-7 Introduction This essay will provide an evidence based scholarly and critical interpretation of the text written in 2 Timothy 2:1-7. The purpose will be to show the original author's intentions for writing the text by exploring a number of vital considerations. Paul is writing from a prison cell to a young man named Timothy. Neronian persecution was spreading throughout the empire and Heresy was also spreading through out the Church. Background and Theme - The main theme of Chapter 2 is a call for Timothy to be faithful to Christ and the gospel to the point of suffering. Through out his letter, Paul is also instructing Timothy to prepare others for ministry. Barclay 240 Initially, this chapter reinforces Paul’s appeal to Timothy of the whole letter, to suffer for the faith. (1:8; 2:9; 4:5) The chapter then focuses on Timothy’s responsibilities in a local church setting. (Own word) 487 Paul follows on from his model of shame and courage in chapter one verse fifteen to eighteen. Paul passes on direct advise to Timothy as he prepares to take over the ministry. 487 (own words) Paul applies three metaphors in the verses 3 to 6 to defend his call of Timothy to suffer. The Good Soldier The first metaphor used is that of 'the good soldier'. This appears to draw reference to It can be argued that this is a simile, contrasting the good soldier to that of Christ Jesus. Towner compares Christ to the role of commanding officer, while the one called to suffer is compared to a professional soldier under the authority of the Officer. 492 The Athlete In verse 5, Paul is reinforcing his theme of suffering using the metaphor of the athlete. Paul focuses on what it takes to win the ‘victors crown’. Paul and his reader would have been familiar with the Olympiad or Isthmian games, which took place across the Roman Empire. Paul is

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