INDICADORES DE GESTIÓN

189

It is generally accepted that this epistle was written by Paul to Timothy.

This is stated in the opening address. The division of this epistle to the epistolary formula would look like this:

Opening Address: 2 Tim. 1:1-2a Greetings 2 Tim. 1:2b Thanksgiving 2 Tim. 1:3-12 The Body 2 Tim. 1:13-4:18

Closing 2 Tim. 4:19-22

Now, let us determine the historical circumstances.

The Recipient

Who is Timothy that is named as the recipient of this epistle? It is no gainsaying that Timothy was Paul‟s convert. Apart from being Paul‟s convert, he had been Paul‟s faithful missionary companion having travelled with him for some time. He was with Paul during the second and third missionary trips. He has also been entrusted with special assignments. It looked as if after the first imprisonment was over, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus with the following responsibilities:

to combat the heretics who were troubling the church there to order the church‟s worship, to select and ordain its elders, to regularize the relief and ministry of its widows, to command and teach the apostolic faith, together with the moral duties which flow from it (Stott, 1973).

Considering the personality of Timothy, these duties seem heavy for him to undertake. This is because as it can be deduced from the scriptures, Timothy was:

(i) A very young man: In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul told him not to allow anyone to despise his youth and in 2 Timothy 2:22 Paul asked him to shun youthful passions.

(ii) Prone to illness: In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul advised Timothy to

“use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments”. (Italics mine)

(iii) A very timid person: In Paul‟s letter to the Corinthians (1Corinthians 16:10, 11), Paul had to prepare the way for Timothy‟s mission by asking the Corinthians to put him at ease in their midst.

190

What was the circumstance that led to 2 Timothy?

As at the time this letter was written, Paul was already a prisoner whose martyrdom was doubly sure. The State in the person of Emperor Nero was determined to stamp out Christianity. Heretics appeared to be on the increase, snuffing the life out of the apostolic teachings and as 2 Timothy 1:15 indicates, there was an almost total Asian departure from Paul‟s teachings. Also Moule (1905) described the situation then, Christianity was on the verge of total annihilation. It was in this state that Paul remembered Timothy. He saw in Timothy a loyal, faithful and persevering partner who can be entrusted with the message of Christianity. Thus, the purpose of the epistle is to let Timothy be aware of the responsibility he has. This is because as the last of the Apostles, who was facing his death, Paul was kind of handing over the baton of the ministry to Timothy who will now have the responsibility of defending the gospel, that is, the apostolic teachings.

Having got a good picture of the circumstances that led to the writing of the epistle and its purpose, one can now proceed to the exegesis of the passage:

v.13: Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

In this verse, the following words are central to the understanding of the thought: retain, standard and sound words.

Retain: the Greek word translated „retain‟ actually means „hold‟. It conveys the picture of taking a firm grip of something in such a way that it will not slip away.

Standard: this word comes first in the Greek text, hence it receives great emphasis. The emphasis on this word shows the importance which Paul attached to it. The word has two possible meanings:

i. Guthrie (1970) translates the word as outline. He writes that “it means an outline sketch such as an architect might make before getting down to the detailed plans of a building.” To take this as its meaning in this sense is quite improbable because its meaning would not fit into the context. As Stott (1973) asserts, it would mean that Paul is telling Timothy that he “must amplify, expound and apply the apostle‟s teaching.”

ii. Arndt and Gingrich (1952) in their Greek – English lexicon said that the usual meaning of the word is „model‟ or „example‟

191

(This position is corroborated by L. Goppelt (1992) in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament). He went on to suggest that in 1 Timothy 1: 16 the word is used to mean

“prototype‟ while in 2 Timothy 1:13 it means „standard‟. This is likely to suit the context better, because it implies that

“Paul‟s teaching is to be Timothy‟s guide or rule. He is not to depart from it. He is to follow it, better to hold it fast”.

Sound words: The word „sound‟ is same as the word used in the Gospels for the people that Jesus has healed. Thus the picture here is that the teaching that Paul had taught Timothy are not in any way defective or deceased – they are „whole‟ and healthy. So, the complete thought here is that Timothy must make sure that the words which he has received from Paul which are healthy and sound when he received them must be held in that state. They are not to be contaminated in any form, hence Paul used them in the imperative – it is a command, it is incumbent on Timothy to keep the word safe.

v.14: Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

This verse seems to be a repetition of the earlier verse except for the additional specific words used. The key words here are guard, treasure and entrusted.

Guard: this word imports the sense of guarding something so that it is not lost or damaged. In Luke 11:21, it is used to mean guarding a palace against marauders and possession against thieves asin Acts 22:20.

Treasure: the word translated „treasure‟ here can also be translated to mean

„the truth‟ as in the Revised Standard Version or „good thing‟ as in the King James‟ Version. In any way, it is the „sound words‟ of v. 13 that has been rendered thus.

Entrusted: suggests that a treasure has been put in the charge of another person with the hope that it would be kept safe. It suggests an assurance that it is safe wherever it is kept. It is the same word that is used for the keeping of money in banks.

The additional picture we can glean here is that as the strong man guards his house against thieves or marauder so is Timothy to guard the gospel that has been entrusted to him. He is to make sure that nothing happens to the gospel. As Stott (1973) indicates, “there were heretics abroad, bent on

192

corrupting the gospel and so robbing the church of the priceless treasure which had been entrusted to it. Timothy must be on the watch.”

Hermeneutical Application

The Christendom faces the greatest danger of survival from within – heretical teaching that threatens the very life of the Church. It is now incumbent upon the faithful witness to guard the gospel that they have received so that we will not allow the ware of heresy to erode the faith away.

Like Timothy, the Church needs to retain the standard of the sound words that they have heard. This message becomes more powerful if delivered to a group of ministers. For example, the pressure on the ministers today is such as to make them conform to the tune of the pew. It is only the ones who know their calling that has not taken away from the soundness of the treasure that has been deposited with them.

4.0 Conclusion

In this unit you have studied how to interpret the epistles. You have learnt that the epistles are a written communication between persons apart whether personal and private or official. You have also learnt that epistles have a five-form structure consisting of address, greeting, thanksgiving or prayer wish, the body and the closing. You have also learnt that epistles by their nature are occasional documents in that their being written was due to some special circumstances either from the readers‟ or the author‟s side.

You have also learnt that as a result of this occasional nature, the historical context of the epistles are important in the process of interpretation. The historical context includes authorship, recipients and purpose.

5.0 Summary

The following are the major points you have learnt in this unit:

 The word „epistles‟ is derived from the Greek word „epistole‟ which refers to a written communication between persons apart, whether personal and private or official.

  An epistle has a five-form structure consisting of address, greeting, thanksgiving or prayer wish, the body and the closing.

193

 Epistles are occasional documents in that they were called into being as a result of some special circumstances either from the readers‟ or the author‟s side.

  Epistles are not theological compendia. Though theology is implied in the epistles, they are called task theology, that is, theology brought to bear on a particular problem,

Self-Assessment Exercise

1. Using 1 Corinthians as an example, discuss the epistolary structure.

2. What are the steps to take in interpreting the epistles?

6.0 References/Further Readings

Adewale, Biyi (2006a). The Praxis of Biblical Interpretation. Oyo:

Multicrown Publishers.

Arndt, W. F. and F. W. Gingrich. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Fee, G. D. and D. Stuart. (1993). How to Read the Bible for All its Worth.

London: Scripture Union Press.

Guthrie, Donald (1970). The Pastoral Epistles. Grand Rapids: Wm. B.

Eerdmans

Goppelt, L. (1992). “ upotuposis” in G. W. Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Reprint). Grand Rapids: Wm. B.

Eerdmans.

Harrop, J. H. (1962). “Epistles” in New Bible Dictionary. Illinois: Tyndale Publishers.

Moule, H. G. C. (1905). The Second Epistle to Timothy.

Stott, J. R. W. (1973). The Message of 2 Timothy. Leicester: Inter Varsity Press.

194

UNIT 5: Interpreting Revelation