2 Timothy 1-2 CSB
Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. (1:6-7)
We tend to read 1st and 2nd Timothy together but there is a lot of time and a lot of change that happened between the writing of those two books. In 1 Timothy we see Paul instructing a young Timothy on how to establish the church in Ephesus in areas related to worship, ministry, and leadership. 2 Timothy, on the other hand, is a bit darker. We find Paul in prison again (likely imprisoned after a return from Spain), but under a completely different Roman regime. Now Christianity is no longer tolerated and Paul knows this book will be his last words. The tone of 2 Timothy is one of a man looking at the end of his life and wanting to make sure his legacy continues in Timothy.
Things have also changed for Timothy as well. If you read 2 Timothy closely, you find Paul trying to encourage him to persevere in trials. Instead of instructing him on how to establish churches, Paul is reminding Timothy of his calling and his faith. He encourages Timothy to be bold and not be ashamed of the gospel, and he exhorts him to embrace suffering as a good soldier of Christ and to do whatever it takes in the hard times. He challenges Timothy to pass on his faith to “faithful men” and to fulfill his ministry. We see a Timothy who is older, and probably not as naïve as he once was; this is a Timothy who has been through the fire and has the scars and singed hair to prove it. Paul is trying, from a distance, to motivate Timothy to get up and start running again.
We have all been there; we start in some ministry or some task for God with all of the zeal and excitement imaginable, but then after getting knocked down a few times we take longer and longer to get up. Eventually, it seems like a good idea to just “stay down” and not be knocked down anymore. It is at that moment that Paul reminds Timothy (and us) to rekindle the gift that God has given us; to not be afraid and soldier on. God is not finished with you yet and your race is not over. He gave you particular gifts and a calling to fulfill but sometimes, amid heartache, we forget that. What is encouraging is that we can think back to the time when we were “on fire” for God and know that the gift is not gone; it just needs to be fanned into a flame again. If there was ever a time in your life when you were more faithful, more devoted, or more zealous than you are today then you are “backslidden.” You need to remember how you used to be, repent of where you are today and get back up and get back in the race. God has not given us a spirit of fear.
