As usual, Paul makes it quite clear of where his authoriy as an apostle comes from and what his task is. It's a statement of what Paul believes and what his message is - the God sent him - and others - to tell others about Jesus who brings eternal ( abundant, purposeful, fulfilled, satisfying - whatever words we want to use) life to all who believe in him.  Paul tells us that thi8s kind of life is a promise God has made to us - it's what he wants for everyone.  And in sending Jesus, that promise is made possible - it's fulfilled.

V 2.
to Timothy his dear son.  Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Timothy was not Paul's biological son, but Paul considers him as if he were his son.  It seems Paul knows Timothy's family and maybe has seen Timothy grow up from a child.  He has certainly been an important part of Timothy's growth as a Christian.  Paul loves him like a son.

Paul's prayer for Timothy is one we should pray for our families and our fellow Christians all the time.

Grace: Unmerited favour, unearned benefit, undeserved kindness.  God's amazing gift of forgiveness of sins and power to live with dignity in the present and with hope for the future. (Quest Study Bible dictionary, p 1744)

Mercy:   Compassion or kindness shown to someone instead of severity, especially to someone who doesn't deserve it. (Quest Study Bible dictionary, p 1746)

Peace:  The Biblical concept of peace has at its root the meaning of 'totality', or 'completeness'.  Important nuances of meaning include such things as 'fulfillment', 'maturity', 'soundness', 'wholeness', ;harmony', 'security', 'well-being', and 'prosperity'.  Also connotes absence of war and freedom from disturbance. (Quest Study Bible dictionary, p 1747)

We all need to be on the receiving end of God's grace and compassion every moment of our lives.  Not even those we consider the most 'sainted' people are without the need for God's forgiveness.  We also would be praying for those we love to be treated with grace and mercy by others, including us.

V 3.
I thank God - whom I, like my forefathers, worship with a pure intention - when I mention you in my prayers; this I do constantly night and day.

How often do we thank God for those who faithfully support us in our daily lives, or who regularly turn up to church events or other community events we are part of, and who constantly put in their time and energies to make things happen?  I know I very often just take them for granted.  Or, I thank them personally, but I forget to thank God.

V 4.
And when I remember the tears you shed, I long to see you again to make my happiness complete.

The love between Paul and Timothy was obviously not one-sided and was clearly expressed.

V5.
I am reminded of the sincerity of your faith, a faith which was alive in Lois your grandmother and Eunice your mother before you, and which, I am confident, lives in you also.

Paul was totally confident in Timothy's strong faith and in leaving him in charge of one of the young churches, even though Timothy himself was young (in years).  It seems as if Paul was a family friend and knew both Timothy's mother and grandmother.  I wonder about Timothy's father. Was he no longer alive? Or was he like so many of the fathers in families I know - just not willing to express an interest in spiritual things - or, at least, not Christian things?  Timothy's mother and grandmother had faithfully taught him about Christ and Paul had trained him.  So Paul was confident in him.

V6,
That is why I now remind you to stir into flame the gift of God which is within you through the laying on of my hands.

Paul had personally commissioned Timothy for his task and he reminded Timothy that he must remain focussed on God and the gift of the Holy Spirit he had been given when Paul laid hands on him and prayed for him.  When we are busy doing what we believe is God's work, it is easy to become so bogged down in organisational and pastoral 'stuff' that our own faith begins to dim and we can become diverted from developing the special gift God has given each one of us to build up his church. We must remain focussd on Christ, no matter what time and energy we spend in the work we do for God.

New Bible Commentary, p 1305.  Although Paul uses a metaphor drawn from the fanning of embers of a waning fire to encourage Timothy to develop his gift, we may not infer from this that Timothy's faith was on the wane.  Paul may have been thinking that he needed stimulating to put to the fullest use the gift received at his setting aside for ministry.  This gift was clearly connected with the Holy Spirit, as V 14 shows, and was therefore more than a natural gift.  It is worth noting that even with the gift of the Spirit some human co-operation is needed if the flame is to be fanned.

V 7.
For the spirit that God gave us is no craven spirit, but one to inspire strength, love and self-discipline.
TEV. For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power and love and self-control
The Holy Spirit comes to each Christian to empower us to do his work and to live our lives to the maximum potential that God has planned for us.  He develops in us the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22,23)  Jesus spoke of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives in John 14: 15, 16;  John 15: 26 and John 16: 13,14.  We also know from the happenings on the first Pentecost Day how the Holy Spirit empowers people mightily (Acts 2).

He will do all these in our lives - if we invite him to.

V 8.
So never be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, not of me his prisoner, but take your share of suffering for the sake of the Gospel, in the strength that comes from God.
NLT.  So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. .........

How often do we not speak of our faith to others in the normal course of our day.  It's not always that there are no chances, but we make the choice to stay quiet, or to attribute the things we do or say to humanitarian reasons, which we feel won't alienate people from us.  When we are timid about our faith like this, who are we worshipping?  Who is number 1 in our lives?

I have Christian friends who very naturally share what God means to them or how much they rely on him.  It's lovely to hear.  And their friends don't desert them! So why am I so often timid?  Surely it couldn't be that I'm ashamed of Christ?...Could it?

I remember that Jesus had some strong things to say about this:  eg Luke 12: 8,9.  I tell you this: everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.  (And I don't think this only applies to males!!!!)

Nor should we be backward in letting the world know of the work of faithful Christians throughout the ages - from Paul and the apostles onwards.   So many of the good things in our society are the direct result of the tireless work of Christian men and women for justice and the welfare of others, often at the expense of their own safety and comfort - things like schools and health care available to everyone in our society. In societies where these things are not freely available, we often see Christians working to make them available.

V 9
It is he who brought us salvation and called us to a dedicated life, not for any merit of ours but of his own purpose and his own grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

TEV.  He saved us and called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace.  He gave this grace to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

NLT.  It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life.  He did this not because we deserved it,  but because that was his plan long before the world began - to show his love and  kindness to us through Christ Jesus.

What a mind-boggling thought! God had a plan for us before the world began!!!!! Wow!  Before anything was created, God knew that you and I would be born and he had a plan for us - that he wanted to have a personal relationship with us so that we would know his love and kindness - we'd know him well enough to know exactly what he is like - and choose to serve him.  It is through Jesus that this is made possible; through our believing that Jesus is God and our having faith in him.

The Bible tells us a lot about how we should live our lives: loving others, sharing our wealth, doing good, helping others, living respectable lives, how to conduct our relationships.  But this is the reason behind all of that - God's plan for us and our response to it through faith.

Quest Study Bible p 1648.  A holy life (NIV) does not necessarily mean one of sinless perfection.  First and foremost, it means to be dedicated to the Lord.  God wants us to be motivated to faithfully honour and serve him.

V 10.
 but has now at length been brought fully into view by the appearance on earth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.  For he has broken the power of death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.

TEV. but now it has been revealed to us through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus.  For Christ has ended the power of death, and through the Good News he has revealed immortal life.

NLT. And now he has made all this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Saviour, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News.

For so many centuries throughout human history, people struggled to know God. They have tried to know him through making their own gods, through worshipping nature, through reason and attempting to understand his creation better - even if they didn't actually acknowledge that he is there and that it is his creation they were trying to understand. The Old Testament is a continuing story of the Israelites struggling to know God (and God's wanting for them to know him) - and so often failing. But now, because Christ came and died on the cross instead of us, it's possible for us all to know God intimately.  We can see in Jesus what he is like and through the indwelliing of the Holy Spirit we know him personally.

V 11.
Of this Gospel I, by his appointment, am herald, apostle, and teacher.
NLT.  And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
TEV.  God has appointed me to proclaim the Good News as an apostle and teacher.
The Message.  This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary and teacher.

Paul is in no doubt as to who has chosen and appointed him. Because he is so certain that it was God who had chosen him and set him apart for this task, he was never backward in proclaining the message he had to bring.  If we are sure of our faith and of whom we serve, we sould not be tentative either.  We can proclaim the story and messge of Jesus with absolute confidence.

Herald = messenger, forerunner.
emissary = person sent on a mission.
apostle = someone sent to represent another; a messenger; in thre New Testament someone who had seen Jesus and been commissioned by him to teach others about him.
Teacher = a person who instructs, trains others.

Paul also was certain of the task God had given him - he knew what were the special gifts given him by the Holy Spirit, so was able to follow through with the work of building the church that God intended him to do.

We also need to understand what are the spiritual gifts we have been given as well as to be aware of the natural gifts and talents we have so that we can be sure of what areas God wants us to work in for him.

V 12
that is the reason for my present plight;  but I am not ashamed of it, because I know who it is in whom I have trusted, and am confident of his power to keep safe what he has put into my charge, until the great Day.
NLT.  I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him (or, what has been entrusted to me) until the day of his return.
TEV.  But I am still full of confidence, for I know whom I have trusted, and I am sure that he is able to keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me.

Paul was in no doubt as to why he had been presecuted and why he was a prisoner.  It was because of his determination to spread the Good News no matter what opposition he might meet. That was the job God had given him and he wasn't going to shirk his responsibility in that.  He was not ashamed of being in prison, because of the reason he was there.  He never ceased to trust God because he knew this was a God who was worth trusting.  He trusted God to keep him and his work safe.

When we take the time and make the effort to keep in touch with God through prayer, Bible reading, worship and regular contact with other Christans, we learn to know God as someone we can trust as Paul did.

New Bible Commentary, p 1306.  What has Paul entrusted to God? the Greek speaks of 'my deposit'.  Some have seen it to relate to what God has entrusted to Paul, ie. his commission or his doctrine, and this would be in  agreement with the use of teh same word in v 14.  But the preceding passage would better be served by regarding Paul's 'deposit'  as somehting Paul is entrusting to God, ie himself and the success and continuation of his mission, everything in fact that is dear to him.

V 13
Keep before you an outline of the sound teaching which you heard from me, living by the faith and love which are ours in Christ Jesus.
NLT.  Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me.  And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.
NIV.  What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Jesus Christ

In the times of Timothy and the early church  - just as there is today - there were many different ideas and teachings going around, many of which were misleading or downright false. It was important for Timothy, as a leader of a church as well as for his own sake, to keep reminding himself of the things he had been taught by Paul (who had been taught by others).

We are lucky today.  We have these sound teachings passed down to us in the Bible.  But we must read it to remind ourselves of what is sound and true. Otherwise, we, like many in Timothy's time, can be led into all kinds of false ideas and practices which do not bring us closer to God and to a clearer undertstanding of him as a person.

V 14.
Guard the treasure put into our charge, with the help of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

Timothy is to guard the treasure he'd been given to care for - the teaching passed down to him by Paul - to kieep it sound.  He needed to be careful about what he taught and what he supported.  It was a big responsibility.

I wonder also if the treasure might not have been the spiritual well-being of the young church which Timothy had been put in charge of.  Another enormous responsibility.

Paul knew that Timothy's task was going to be very difficult - and  could only be done properly with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.