1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. (2 Timothy 1:1-5 KJV)
Timothy’s Faith and Heritage
Paul calls himself an apostle by the will of God—by God’s good pleasure and grace, which he considered himself unworthy of—according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, or according to the gospel. The gospel is the promise of life in Christ; life is the goal, and Christ is the way (John 14:6). The promise of life is sure in Christ Jesus, the faithful witness, for all the promises of God in Him are “Yes” and “Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). He calls Timothy his beloved son, feeling deep affection for him because he had been an instrument of his conversion and because, like a son with his father, Timothy had served with him in the gospel.
Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God; as he did not receive the gospel from man nor was taught it, but by revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12), so his commission was not by human appointment but by God. God called him to be an apostle.
We have the promise of life—blessed be God for it—“in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2). This promise reveals both the freeness and certainty of it. All God’s promises are in and through Jesus Christ; they arise from His mercy and are sure, so that we may safely depend on them.
The grace, mercy, and peace that even Paul’s dearly beloved son Timothy needed come from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Both are the source of these blessings and should be sought for them. The best people still need these blessings, and they are the best we can wish for our loved ones—that they may have grace to help in time of need, mercy to forgive what is wrong, and peace with God through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul thanks God for Timothy’s faith and holiness and that he remembers him in his prayers. Whatever good we do for others, God must have the glory, for it is He who puts it into our hearts to remember them in prayer. Paul prayed night and day and was mindful of his friends, especially faithful ministers like Timothy. Prayer was his constant work, and he never forgot his friends as we often do.
Paul served God from his forefathers with a pure conscience. It comforted him that he came from a family that served God and that he himself served God sincerely, striving to keep a clear conscience before Him (Acts 24:16). He greatly desired to see Timothy because of his affection for him and because he remembered Timothy’s tears at their last parting. Timothy had wept when they separated, showing his deep love, which moved Paul to long to see him again.
Paul also thanked God that Timothy continued in the faith of his ancestors (2 Timothy 1:5). The heritage of faith came through his mother’s side; he had a believing mother and grandmother, though his father did not believe (Acts 16:1). It is a great blessing when children follow the faith and holiness of their godly parents. Paul said, “The faith that dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” He had a charitable and hopeful view of his friends, always believing the best about them, and he had good reason in Timothy’s case, for he said, “I have no one else like-minded” (Philippians 2:20).
We must, like Paul and our godly ancestors, serve God with a pure conscience—drawing near to Him with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts cleansed from an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22). In our prayers, we should remember our friends and especially faithful ministers of Christ. Paul remembered Timothy, his dearly beloved son, in his prayers night and day.
The faith that dwells in true believers is sincere and without hypocrisy; it endures testing and lives within them as a constant principle. Paul rejoiced that Timothy inherited the faith of his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois, and we should likewise rejoice whenever we see such faith. Barnabas rejoiced when he saw the grace of God in others (Acts 11:23-24). “I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth” (2 John 1:4).