Revised by Mary Hinkle Shore, 10/23
The author of the letter
According to data within 2 TimothyThe companion on Paul’s later journeys for whom two pastoral epistles are named., the letter was written by PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. while he was imprisoned at Rome (1:1, 8, 16-17; 2:9; 4:6) to Timothy, who appears to be at Ephesus (1:18; 4:12). LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. is with Paul in Rome (4:11), and Paul asks Timothy to come to him (4:9). More likely, however, this letter was written in Paul’s name by an anonymous writer after the death of Paul. The author sought to impersonate Paul in a post-Pauline situation. Reasons cited for that view depend on an assessment of the Pastoral EpistlesThe Pastoral Epistles are the New Testament letters of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. They are described as pastoral because they are addressed to individual persons rather than churches; they deal with matters of leadership and church governance. (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) as a group. The reasons are as follows: (1) the Pastorals do not appear as known Pauline letters in some of the earliest sources; (2) the Pastorals contain 306 (36% of their vocabulary) that do not appear within the seven undisputed letters of Paul; (3) the Pastorals assume and prescribe a church order with ecclesiastical offices (bishop, presbyter [=elder], and deacon“Deacon” originally meant “one who serves” or “ministers.” In the early church deacons served in leadership roles; later they became a specific rank of clergy. Today some churches ordain deacons while others commission them to serve in specific ways such as worship, pastoral care, and…) firmly in place, which is not evident in the undisputed letters of Paul; (4) the Pastorals contain teachings otherwise unknown in the undisputed letters of Paul (such as an emphasis on “piety” or “godliness,” and “faith” understood as the Christian faith that is transmitted by tradition, not simple trust); and (5) the Pastorals cannot be fitted well into the chronology of what we think we know about Paul’s career.
Hagiography
Hagiography is literature that honors saints by telling of their deeds and virtues. Most distinctive of this letter among the three Pastoral Epistles is its warm and sympathetic picture of the ApostleDerived from a Greek word meaning “one who is sent,” an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person’s idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus… Paul, who is portrayed as imprisoned and in danger (2 Timothy 1:8, 16; 4:16). To Timothy he says, “Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra” (3:10-11). Paul is portrayed here as an example in virtually all things that are related to the faith and life of the Christian. There are places among the undisputed letters where Paul sets himself up as an example (for example, 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17), but this passage in 2 Timothy is most explicit concerning the characteristics of Paul that should be emulated. Second Timothy is an early form of Christian hagiography (one of the very first, if not the first), a literary piece written to praise a saint. Many hagiographies have been written since.
The inspiration of Scripture
One of the best known verses of 2 Timothy is at 3:16, on the inspiration of Scripture. Issues that typically arise in discussions of the verse are: what is meant by “Scripture” in this particular verse (is it Old Testament only?) and what is meant by “inspiration”?
The Pastoral Epistles
These three books–1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus–share much in common in terms of language, style, and theological themes. Each is written to a pastor from a pastor. One cannot discuss the theology of one of them in isolation from its two companion pieces. At the same time, 2 Timothy differs from the other two Pastoral Epistles in that it has nothing to say about ecclesiastical offices and has a “thanksgiving” section at the outset.
The Prison Epistles
Five of Paul’s letters are reportedly written during an imprisonment. Among Paul’s undisputed letters, Philippians and Philemon are composed in prison. Among those letters that may have been written in Paul’s name by someone else, Colossians, Ephesians, and 2 Timothy all name prison as Paul’s location. Acts tells us that Paul was in prison multiple times, and Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome. Most of the Prison Epistles do not locate the imprisonment they mention in a particular place. 2 Timothy is the exception to this, making it explicit that Paul was in Rome (2 Timothy 1:17) during its writing.
Three themes common in the Prison Letters are here in 2 Timothy: (1) Paul speaks of shame in connection with his imprisonment, or of people either deserting him in his suffering or coming to his aid. (2) Endurance is a virtue; Paul seeks to embody it and he encourages others to endure as well. (3) Paul’s incarceration means that others must carry on his work outside the prison walls. Paul’s imprisonment thus results in others becoming leaders and Paul rejoices in this. As new leaders are raised up, the message of the gospel is actually helped by what seemed at first to be a grave setback.
PseudonymityPseudonymity is the use of a false (“pseudo”) name. Some of the books of the Bible are ascribed pseudonymously to a well-known figure (such as Paul) in order to give them greater credibility or to apply a person’s ideas to new circumstances.
Although the issue of pseudonymity must be dealt with in the case of each of the three Pastoral Epistles and some other writings in the New Testament, it is particularly acute with this letter. Toward the close of it (2 Timothy 4:9-18) there are particular details mentioned that are so specific (such as Paul’s having left a cloak at Troas) that some interpreters think that a pseudonymous writer could not have written them. On the other hand, studies have shown that verisimilitude is one of the most important and most common features of pseudonymous writing in antiquity. If you are going to do it, do it well!
