What does 2 Timothy 1:4 mean?
Paul continues his encouragement from the previous verse. Here, he acknowledges Timothy's grief over Paul's imprisonment. In his writing, "tears" represent profound sadness for Paul. Paul spoke of shedding tears himself on several occasions (Acts 20:19, 31; 2 Corinthians 2:4; Philippians 3:18). As part of the encouragement, Paul tells Timothy he longs to see him. In fact, at the end of this letter, Paul urges Timothy to visit him in Rome (2 Timothy 4:21).Paul's desire to see Timothy was not only for Timothy's sake, but also for his own. Timothy was one of his closest friends in ministry. They had served together for several years, including in Paul's ministry work leading up to this current imprisonment. Though many had abandoned Paul along the way, Timothy was consistently noted as a source of joy. Paul's letters make it clear that Timothy was one of his closest and dearest friends. Paul describes him as a fellow worker (Romans 16:21), Paul's "beloved and faithful child in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 4:17), a brother (2 Corinthians 1:1), a servant of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:1), like a son (Philippians 2:22), and a true child in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2).
Second Timothy 1:3–7 encourages Timothy to be brave in the face of hardships. Paul reminds Timothy that he is being prayed for, and that he comes from a family of strong faith. Paul also reassures Timothy that they are both in service of the same God, who gave them a spirit of ''power and love and self-control.''
Paul introduces himself, then recaps Timothy's path to becoming a minister. He reminds Timothy of how his family brought him up in the faith, and then how Timothy served faithfully with Paul in the past. Paul then focuses on two primary ideas. First, that Timothy's background in the faith should give him the courage to stand fast against hard times. Second, that Timothy should use that courage to defend the truth of the gospel message. Paul will use these points and examples as the foundation for the rest of his letter.
