Second Timothy

An Outline
By James E. Allman

Paul, an apostle by God’s will, according to the promise of life in Christ, addresses a
letter to Timothy, his beloved child, praying God’s grace, mercy, and peace for him,
1.1–2.

I. Paul’s yearning thanksgiving to God is expressed for the memory of Timothy’s love for him and faith, both his
family’s and his own, 1.3-5.

II. Exhortations to Timothy, 1.6–4.8.

A. Because of his faith, Timothy’s responsibility is to use his gifting with God’s help, finding his honor in Christ,
suffering for the gospel in light of coming judgment, and to hold fast Paul’s sound teaching through the Spirit,
1.6-18.
1. Because of his faith, Timothy’s responsibility is to remember to actively use his gifting, which he received,
since God has given us the spirit of sound mindedness, power, and love, 1.6-7.
2. Finding his honor in Christ, and in me His prisoner, Timothy’s responsibility is to suffer hardship for the
gospel by God’s power, who saved us by eternal grace through Christ who destroyed death with
immortality, 1.8-10.
3. This gospel is the purpose of Paul’s apostleship and the reason for his honor in suffering for Him to whom
he had committed everything for the day of judgment, 1.11-12.
4. Timothy’s responsibility is to hold fast and guard the sound tradition Paul passed to him through the Holy
Spirit who dwells in him, 1.13-14.
5. Examples of shame: Though all in Asia abandoned Paul, God would be merciful at the judgment to
Onesiphorus’ house since he ministered to him, even as a prisoner seeking him out, as his previous service
in Ephesus is known, 1.15-18.
B. Paul’s appeal to Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier for Christ is renewed, following the examples
given by Paul and Jesus, and the common confession of Christians, 2.1–21.1
1. Therefore, Timothy’s responsibility is to find strength in the Lord to hand on the tradition to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also, 2.1-2.
2. Timothy’s responsibility is to suffer hardship single mindedly, giving full attention to your work, striving in a
way to receive the needs that God will supply through his labor, as the Lord will help him to understand,
2.3-7.

1
It now appears to me that chapter 2 must fit together, at least verses 1-21. In the first paragraph of the
chapter, Paul urges Timothy to “bear hardship” (v. 3), as he himself bears hardship (v. 9). The motivation for this
enduring of hardship comes in the verses 8 and 9, the memory of Jesus’ endurance and of Paul's. Then, there follows
Paul’s determination to endure all things for the sake of the elect that they, too, might obtain salvation with eternal
glory. The rationale for this statement follows (note, “for”) in v. 11. Enduring will bring reigning with Christ. On the
other hand, denying Him (which may be the opposite of enduring) means that He will deny us. Even still, in the midst
of suffering, some may lack faith, yet this must not be a discouragement from endurance, since still He remains faithful,
being unable to deny Himself. What follows in verses 14-21, then, applies this teaching to the hardships that Timothy
will have to bear (14-16) and the effect of failure to endure on others, notably Hymenaius and Philetus, who have
corrupted the faith of some (17-18). The final paragraph, 19-21, urges the proper place of endurance, as bringing the
master’s approval upon a vessel of honor, those who have cleansed themselves from “these things.” For these reasons,
it seems to me, at present, that the outline needs to be revised to reflect the unity of this passage. Verse 22, then, begins
the treatment of false teaching that will be the center of focus in chapter 3, so 22-26 probably should fit with the
opening paragraph of that chapter, at least.
 3. The examples of Jesus and Paul teach that endurance of hardship is necessary, as all believers recognize from
their common confession of Jesus, 2.8-13.
a) Timothy’s responsibility is to remember Jesus, proclaimed in the gospel, for which Paul suffers as an
evildoer, that the elect may attain salvation in Christ with glory, 2.8-10.
b) Christians’ common confession of Christ teaches that endurance of hardship is an essential of the
doctrine of Christ, 2.11-13.
(1) That those who endure even death with Christ will live and reign with Him is a faithful saying,
2.11-12a.
(2) It is equally true that His justice and faithfulness to Himself require Him to deny all who deny
Him, 2.12b-13.
“The saying turns in its third line from steadfast endurance to the contrary action of denial. And with that it turns from
comfort and encouragement to stern warning. It also turns to a future tense presentation of an awesome future possibility,
i.e., that the professing Christian will deny the one he claims to have died with and to now live with. The resultant reciprocal
action in the apodosis, ‘he also will deny us,’ makes it clear that the one denied is Christ, since [“he”] (here and in v. 13) after
the [sun-] verbs, and in the context of the NT signifies Christ,” George W. Knight, III, The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on
the Greek Text, NIGNTC, p. 405).
4. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, motivated by the assurance that God knows His own who pursue every
spiritual virtue, is that he remind people to avoid false teaching that perverts people’s faith, but to be zealous
to be good students of God’s word, 2.14-21.
1. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy is that he remind the people to avoid false teaching and the example of
Hymenaeus and Philetus, that perverts people’s faith, being zealous to be a good student of God’s
word, 2.14-18.
a) Timothy’s responsibility is to remind people to avoid useless debates, being zealous to present
himself to God an approved student of His true word, 2.14-15.
b) Useless chatter, like that of Hymenaeus and Philetus, who pervert people’s faith by affirming the
resurrection as past, leads only to ungodliness, 2.16-18.
2. Paul’s exhortation is motivated by the assurance, in the face of such apostasy, that God knows His
own people who will abstain from wickedness, fleeing youthful lusts, pursuing every spiritual virtue,
2.19-21.
a) Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation is that He knows who are His and that they turn from evil,
2.19.
b) Everyone who cleanses himself from evil will have a place of honor from God, opportunity for
every good work, as every great house has honored vessels, 2.20-21.
c) Fleeing youthful lusts, Timothy’s responsibility is to pursue every spiritual virtue with all who call
in purity upon the Lord, 2.22.
3. Fleeing youthful lusts, Timothy’s responsibility is to pursue every spiritual virtue with all who call in
purity upon the Lord, 2.22.
C. The peril of the last days consists in the increase of every sort of sin among those who deny their professed
faith, such as the sinfulness already present among the false teachers who oppose the truth, but will soon be
unmasked, 2.22–3. 9.
1. Fleeing youthful lusts is required for Timothy, as he pursues every spiritual value, and especially, avoiding
foolish debates, not fighting, but being gentle to all opposition, hoping for God to grant them repentance,
2.22-26.
a. Fleeing youthful lusts is necessary as you pursue every spiritual virtue with all who call in purity upon
the Lord, 2.22.
b. Avoiding foolish debates is required for Timothy, who must not fight, but be gentle to all opposition in
the hope that God will grant them repentance to escape the devil’s trap, 2.23-26.

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 2. The peril of the last days consists in the vast increase of sin in every area of life among those who deny the
faith they profess, whom you must avoid, 3.1-5.
3. Some like these now are at work among the weakest, taking them captive, like Moses’ enemies, opposing
the truth, reprobate, but soon to be unmasked, 3.6-9.
D. Timothy’s responsibility is to follow Paul’s example and teaching, particularly what he has learned from the God
inspired Scriptures that prepare the man of God for every good work, 3.10-17.
1. But Timothy’s responsibility is to follow Paul’s ministry, character, and suffering, with all who want to live
godly lives, since evil men, in deception, will grow in evil, 3.10-13.
2. On the other hand, Timothy’s responsibility is to abide in what he learned from childhood, the Holy
Scriptures that prepare you for salvation by faith in Christ Jesus, 3.14-15.
3. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable to equip the man of God for every good work, 3.16-17.
E. Final Charge and Testimony, 4.1-8.
1. Paul’s final charge to Timothy, 4.1-8.
a) Timothy’s responsibility is, as Paul charges him solemnly, to proclaim the message, being always at the
ready, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with patience and teaching, 4.1-2.
b) Soon, you see, sound doctrine will not be welcome, when people will seek teachers who feed their
desires, turning away from the truth to fables, 4.3-4.
c) However, Timothy’s responsibility is to clearheadedly fulfill his ministry, especially the work of an
evangelist, enduring hardship, 4.5.
2. Paul’s Final Testimony: Paul’s work, done in persevering faith, is now complete, as he awaits, with all who
love the Lord’s appearing, the crown the Lord has promised in that day, 4.6-8.

III. Personal Instructions and Remarks, 4.9–21

A. Timothy’s responsibility is to come quickly to Paul, bringing Mark, since Demas has abandoned Paul, and
Crescens, Titus, and Tychicus have left for ministry, though Luke is with him, 4.9-12.
B. Timothy’s responsibility is to bring Paul’s robe, left in Troas, and the books, especially the parchments, 4.13.
C. Timothy’s responsibility is to be on guard against Alexander the coppersmith who caused much harm by
opposing our preaching, whom the Lord will reward, 4.14-15.
D. Only the Lord stood with Paul in his first defense (may He forgive the others) protecting him for His kingdom
so that he might complete his preaching among the Gentiles, 4.16-18.
E. Timothy’s responsibility is to greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus, 4.19.
F. Timothy’s responsibility is to hurry to come by winter, since Paul left Erastus in Corinth and Trophimus, who
was ill, in Miletus, 4.20-21a.
G. Greetings from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia, with all the brothers, 4.21b.

IV. May the Lord’s presence and grace be with all, 4.22.!