Introduction:

The typical first century letter began by stating the author and rank, the recipients of the letter, and an opening salutation. Because of this structure we are able to learn that Paul is the author of this letter to Timothy. Paul gives a slightly different salutation than his previous letters, but the same salutation found in 1 Timothy: “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” The next section we would expect to read in this letter is an offering of thanksgiving. While 1 Timothy was lacking this section of thanksgiving, Paul’s second letter to Timothy does contain a section of thanksgiving in verses 3-7. Paul is thankful for Timothy’s faith that was instilled in him from his mother and grandmother from the beginning. We need to stop here for a moment and note that this is important. We have the ability to transmit our faith to a degree. Obviously, every person is a free moral agent and cannot be made to have faith. But we can teach our children through our actions and decisions that the Lord is the priority. Too often we transmit that school is the most important, or work, money, sports, or other things are more important. The sincerity of the faith will be seen by our children. They will see how important God truly is in our lives.

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