From: 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
Greeting
Response to Grace
St Paul, Herald of the Gospel
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Commentary:
1-2. The greeting is like that of 1 Timothy, although now St Paul adds a specific
reference to the purpose of his God-given call to the apostolate—”according to
the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus”. Christ fulfills all the promises
of happiness given to Abraham and the other Old Testament patriarchs. The pur-
pose of the Gospel message is to let men know that they have been called to
enjoy a new life in Christ, that is, the divine life whose germ we receive at Bap-
tism. That sacrament initiates the life of grace in the soul, and ultimately that life
will blossom into eternal life (cf. 1 Tim 1:16; 6:12; Tit 1:2; 3:9).
On the exact meaning of the expression “in Christ Jesus”, see the note on 1 Tim
1:14.
3. “I thank God”: this is not a spontaneous expression of gratitude but rather a
permanent disposition of Paul’s soul.
St Paul makes the point that his attitude of service and worship is the same as
that of his ancestors, the righteous of the Old Testament, for although the Gos-
pel is something new it does not involve a break with the earlier revelation; rather
it brings that revelation to fulfillment. The Apostle pays tribute to the chosen peo-
ple, not hiding his satisfaction at being a Jew himself (cf. Rom 9:3; 11:1;
Gal 2:15).”The Church of Christ acknowledges”, Vatican II states, “that in God’s
plan of salvation the beginning of her faith and election is to be found in the patri-
archs, Moses and the prophets [...]. The Church cannot forget that she received
the revelation of the Old Testament by way of that people with whom God in his
inexpressible mercy established the ancient covenant [...]. She is mindful, more-
over, that the Apostles, the pillars on which the Church stands, were of Jewish
descent, as were many of those early disciples who proclaimed the Gospel of
Christ to the world” (”Nostra Aetate”, 4).
6. “The gift of God” is the priestly character which Timothy received on the day
of his ordination. St Paul is using very graphic and precise language: by the sac-
rament of Order a divine gift is conferred on the priest; it is like an ember which
needs to be revived from time to time in order to make it glow and give forth the
warmth it contains. St Thomas Aquinas comments that “the grace of God is like
a fire which does not flow when it is covered by ashes; the same thing happens
when grace is covered over in a person by sluggishness or natural fear” (”Com-
mentary on 2 Tim, ad loc.”).
The gifts which God confers on the priest “are not transitory or temporary in him,
but stable and permanent, attached as they are to an indelible character, im-
pressed on his soul, by which he is made a priest forever (cf. Ps 109:4), in the
likeness of Him in whose priesthood he has been made to share” (Pius XI, “Ad
Catholici Sacerdotii”, 17).
“The laying on of my hands”: see the note on 1 Tim 4:14.
7. The gift of God, received in the sacrament of Order by the laying on of hands,
includes sanctifying grace and sacramental grace, and the actual graces needed
for performing ministerial functions in a worthy manner. The Council of Trent uses
this text (vv. 6-7) when it solemnly defines that Priestly Order is a sacrament in-
stituted by Jesus Christ (cf. “De Sacram. Ordinis”, chap. 3).
The minister, then, must be courageous in performing his office: he should preach
the truth unambiguously even if it clashes with the surroundings; he should do so
with love, and be open to everyone despite their faults; with sobriety and modera-
tion, always seeing the good of souls, not his own advantage. Since the days of
the Fathers the Church has urged priests to develop these virtues: “Priests
should be compassionate”, St Polycarp warns; “they should show mercy to all;
they should try to reclaim those who go astray, visit the sick, and care for the
poor, the orphan and the widow. They should be concerned always to do what is
honorable in the sight of God and men. They should avoid any show of anger, any
partiality or trace of greed. They should not be over-ready to believe ill of anyone,
not too severe in their censure, being well aware that we all owe the debt of sin”
(”Letter to the Philippians”, chap. 6).
9-10. There is a theological basis for courageously confronting the difficulties the
Gospel brings with it—the fact that we have been called by God, who has revealed
himself as our Savior. As elsewhere in these letters (cf. 1 Tim 3:15ff; Tit 3:5-7).
St Paul here speaks a succinct hymn in praise of salvation, probably using ex-
pressions based on some liturgical hymn or confession of faith.
The salvation which God brings about is viewed in this passage as it applies to
Christians (v. 9) and is manifested in the incarnation of Christ (v. 10). Four essen-
tial aspects of salvation are identified: 1) God has already accomplished salvation
for everyone; 2) it is God, too, who calls all men to avail of it; 3) it is entirely a gift:
man cannot merit it (cf. Tit 3:5, Eph 2.8-9), and 4) God’s plan is an eternal one
(cf. Rom 8:29-30; Eph 1:11).
“The appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 10) refers in the first place to his
incarnation (cf. Tit 2:11; 3:4) but it includes his entire work of redemption which
culminates in his appearing in glory and majesty (cf. 1 Tim 6:14; 2 Tim 4:1, 8).
The Redemption has two wonderful effects—victory over death (physical and spiri-
tual) and the abundant and luminous gift of everlasting life. “He is the true Lamb
who took away the sins of the world. By dying he destroyed our death; by rising
he restored our life” (”Preface of Easter”, I).
“Ages ago”: literally, “from the times of the ages”, a primitive expression meaning
the same thing as “eternity”.
12. “I know whom I have believed”: through the virtue of faith we assent to the
truths God has revealed, not on the intrinsic evidence they provide but on the au-
thority of God, who can neither deceive nor be deceived (cf. Vatican I, “Dei Filius”,
chap. 3). The response of faith is basically a trusting abandonment of oneself into
God’s hands: “By faith man freely commits his entire life to God, making ‘the full
submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals’, and willingly assenting to
the Revelation given by him. Before this faith can be exercised, man must have
the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the
Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of
the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth”’ (Vatican II,
“Dei Verbum”, 5).
“What has been entrusted to me”: some commentators think that this “deposit”
is the sum total of the good works and merits the Apostle has built up over his
lifetime. However it is more likely that he is referring to the body of doctrine which
he strives to guard and to teach to others. It is in that sense that St John Chryso-
stom interprets it: “What does this ‘deposit’ mean? Faith, preaching. He himself
who has entrusted the deposit to me knows how to keep it intact. I suffer as may
be to ensure that this treasure is not snatched away from me. I do not try to es-
cape whatever evils I have to undergo; I am happy as long as the deposit is
preserved pure and intact” (”Hom. on 2 Tim, ad loc.”). See also the note on 1
Tim 6:20.
“That Day”: the day of judgment, when he will be called to give an account to
God. It can refer to both the particular judgment and the last judgment.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.