2 Timothy 1:3-18

SECTION 1. Paul Calls On Timothy To Hold Firm, To Make Full Use Of His God-given Gifts, And Not To Be Ashamed of His Chains, Presenting Before Him The Shining Example Of Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:3-18 ).

What remains of this chapter now forms a chiasmus in thought as follows:

Overall Analysis.

a Paul longs to see Timothy (2 Timothy 1:3-5).

b He reminds him that God has given him, not a Spirit of fear and timidity, but a Spirit of power and love and sound judgment (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

c He calls on him not to be ashamed of him as the Lord’s prisoner (2 Timothy 1:8).

d He outlines the glory of the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:9-10).

e He describes his own status as a preacher and Apostle who is within the Lord’s guardianship (2 Timothy 1:11-12).

d Timothy is to hold firm to the outline of the Gospel that Paul has committed to him, guarding it carefully through the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:13-14).

c While others were, Onesiphorus was not ashamed of his chains (2 Timothy 1:15-16).

b (Having not the Spirit of fear, but the Spirit of power, love and sound judgment), Onesiphorus had diligently sought him out in his prison and had refreshed him

a Paul reveals how his longing for fellowship had been relieved by Onesiphorus’ visit.

We note that in ‘a’ Paul longs to see Timothy, and in the parallel reveals how a similar longing was met by Onesiphorus. In ‘b’ he reminds Timothy of the Spirit of boldness Whom he has received, and in the parallel describes the boldness of Onesiphorus. In ‘c’ he calls on Timothy not to be ashamed of him as the prisoner of the Lord, and in the parallel he describes how Onesiphorus was not ashamed of him. In ‘d’ he outlines the glory of the Gospel, and in the parallel calls on Timothy to hold firm to it and guard it. And centrally in ‘e’ we learn from him why he is the Lord’s prisoner, it is because of the huge privilege that has been given to him.