<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\nSermon Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Given that 2 Timothy, like all of the Epistles in the New Testament, is an occasional letter, it presents some interesting challenges for preaching. Perhaps the most daunting is how to make Paul\u2019s very personalized instructions to Timothy as the bishop of Ephesus relevant to the lives of laypeople living in the early 21st century. In an effort to do that, I would suggest using one of the following outlines and freely adjusting it according to the needs and context of one\u2019s particular congregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10 Weeks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A ten-week series that covers the overall content and flow of the book by focusing on the following texts and their application to contemporary life inside and outside of the parish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Week 1:<\/strong> 1:1-7: Our Spiritual Heritage and Gifting for Ministry<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 2:<\/strong> 1:8-12: Our Call to Suffer for the Gospel<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 3:<\/strong> 1:13-2:2: Ensuring that the Gospel is Given to Reliable People<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 4:<\/strong> 2:3-13: Enduring in Ministry by Relying on the Resurrected Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 5:<\/strong> 2:14-19: The Importance of Accurate Biblical Teaching in a Church Gone Bad<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 6:<\/strong> 2:2-26: The Marks of a Godly Leader Who God Uses for Good Works<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 7:<\/strong> 3:1-9: The Need to Recognize the Nasty Realities of the World System<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 8:<\/strong> 3:10-17: Some Steps to Spiritual Faithfulness Over the Long Haul<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 9:<\/strong> 4:1-8: The Eternal Value of Biblical Preaching<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 10:<\/strong> 4:9-22: Our Call to Seize the Day in Ministering to Others in Need<\/p>\n\n\n\n4 Weeks A \u2013 Specific Texts from Each Chapter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A four-week series, drawn from specific sections within the letter, that focuses on relevant topics for a contemporary congregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Week 1:<\/strong> 1:6-12: The Need for a Courageous Christian Witness in Contemporary Culture<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 2:<\/strong> 2:3-13: The Resurrected Jesus as the Model for Endurance in Ministry<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 3:<\/strong> 3:1-17: Living Counter-Cultural Lives in a Society that Is Unraveling<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 4:<\/strong> 4:9-22: Seizing the Day to Minister to Those in Need<\/p>\n\n\n\n4 Weeks B \u2013 Chapter Themes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A four-week series, with each sermon drawing from a main theme of each chapter (this is borrowed from the main points of John Stott\u2019s commentary on 2 Timothy, Guard the Gospel<\/em>, and focused on individual and congregational application.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 1:<\/strong> 1:1-2:2: The Charge to Guard the Gospel<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 2:<\/strong> 2:3-2:26: The Charge to Suffer for the Gospel<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 3:<\/strong> 3:1-17: The Charge to Continue in the Gospel<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 4:<\/strong> 4:1-22: The Charge to Preach the Gospel<\/p>\n\n\n\n5 Weeks \u2013 Theological Themes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A five-week series focused on the key theological themes of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Week 1:<\/strong> God\u2019s Grace, Calling, and Purpose for Our Lives (1:9-12; 3:10-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 2:<\/strong> The Content of the Gospel, Its Transmission and Impact (1:9-2:2)<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 3:<\/strong> The Work of Jesus Christ, His Resurrection and Coming Judgement (1:9-12; 2:8-13; 4:1, 7-8)<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 4:<\/strong> The Christian Life and Its Implications for Believers (1:3-7; 2:22-26; 3:10-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\nWeek 5:<\/strong> Personal Ministry Both Inside and Outside the Church (1:13-2:8; 2:14-26; 4:2-5; 4:9-22)<\/p>\n\n\n\nBig Ideas for Preaching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 1:1-12: Drawing on God\u2019s Spirit, gifts, and power, give yourself to suffering for the gospel because it alone gives eternal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 1:13-2:2: By the grace of God, guard the gospel and give it to faithful, not unfaithful, people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 2:3-13: Thru diligent endurance rooted in the resurrected Christ, devote yourself to bringing others to salvation and eternal glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 2:14-19: Prove yourself to be God\u2019s good workman by the way you handle his Word and correct theological error in the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 2:20-26: Live and minister in a Christ-like way so he can use you in the ministry of reconciliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 3:1-9: Avoid religious hypocrites who reflect the corrupt values of a society going from bad to worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 3:10-17: Persevere in the faith because it comes from God and it will make you godly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 4:1-8: Fulfill your call to faithfully preach God\u2019s Word because your ministry demands it, people need it, and you\u2019ll be rewarded by Christ for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 4:9-22: Be swift, prudent, and shrewd to protect the church and help your brothers and sisters in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Application<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the major challenges of preaching any book of the Bible is making accurate and relevant application of the text to contemporary life. As noted above, 2 Timothy presents some challenges in this regard because of its focus on Timothy\u2019s unique pastoral ministry in first century Ephesus and his personal relationship with Paul. Nevertheless, given its theology and innumerable exhortations to godly living and good leadership in the face of persecution and church conflict, the letter provides preachers and teachers with some pointed instructions that can help contemporary believers live out the truth of the gospel. Given the pressures many believers feel in today\u2019s materialistic, hedonistic, and technologically obsessed culture, 2 Timothy can be a source of strength and encouragement to faithful and fruitful Christian living. Given that, I\u2019d like to offer the following suggestions for application when preaching this great book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Timothy was handed the mantle of church leadership by Paul and became responsible for the spiritual welfare of hundreds of believers in Ephesus. By the mid-60s, however, external pressure was being exerted on the church by Rome and internal opposition was growing due to presence of heretical teachers. Faced with all this, as well as the imminent death of Paul, Timothy needed to be reminded of his calling and his duty to faithful endurance as Christ\u2019s servant. Thus, the inherent power of God\u2019s gracious salvation given in the gospel of the resurrected Christ should be stressed (1:9-11; 2:1; 2:8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A second specific application revolves around the need for discernment and wisdom in both life and ministry. While the gospel had clearly impacted innumerable people in and around the city of Ephesus, many of these either abandoned the faith and church in the face of persecution (see 1:15) or corrupted it by false teaching (see 2:17-18). While the church in North America is not facing external persecution, the number of former church people abandoning Christianity as well as prominent teachers undermining the foundations of the faith continues to astound. This requires that preachers make the honest assertion that “those who desire to live godly lives will be persecuted” (3:12-13) and that God has provided all the necessary spiritual and emotional resources for faithful living and perseverance to the end (1:8-11; 2:8-13; 3:14-17; 4:6-8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A third specific application regards the need for Christ-like living in the midst of cultural pressure and bad examples to do otherwise. Paul not only instructed Timothy in what godliness looked like but personally modeled it for him over the years (2:22-26; 3:10-11). While we often take this for granted in the church, it appears from recent episodes involving both prominent evangelical leaders as well some political leaders that we need to re-assert the non-negotiable need for godly living in Christ-like love on the part of pastors, elders, deacons, deaconesses, and congregants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A fourth element inherent in 2 Timothy that should be stressed is the never ending need for mentoring, discipleship, and leadership development in the church. Timothy was raised in a godly home, mentored by Paul for years, and finally given leadership in the church (1:3-5; 3:10-11; 4:2-5). This was an intentional strategy on Paul\u2019s part and needs to be communicated in contemporary churches. The absolute necessity of ongoing leadership development at both the lay and pastoral level must be stressed. Timothy was specifically instructed to guard the gospel he had been given by Paul (1:13-14) and then pass it on to other reliable people who could then teach others (2:2). As numerous scholars and teachers have pointed out over the years, there are four generations of leaders here: Paul, Timothy, reliable people like Onesiphorus (1:16-18), and other people also. This is the chain of discipleship and, while it should begin at home, the church must be instructed to carry it out from the children\u2019s ministry all the way to the senior adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As noted, this was Paul\u2019s final letter before being martyred by Rome. He was struggling in filthy conditions, increasingly cold, and in need of the Scriptures (4:9-12). But most of all, he was in need of Christian fellowship and so he urged Timothy to come to him quickly before he was executed (4:9, 21). While these circumstances were in many ways unique to the apostle and his life-long disciple, the call to minister to those in physical, emotional, and spiritual need runs thru every generation, especially our own. Therefore, pastors and teachers who preach on 2 Timothy would be wise to stress the need for parishioners to look around for those in need both inside and outside the church and then leverage their resources to meet those needs. This includes the need for food and clothing for the poor and dispossessed, the need for spending time with the lonely and the need for spiritual nurture to all those who come to church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Theological Themes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are a number of prominent theological themes in 2 Timothy, beginning with a clear and emphatic emphasis on maintaining the truth of the gospel. This is the powerful message of God\u2019s redemption of sinners centered in the person and work of the resurrected Christ who will, at the end of time, come to judge the quick and the dead (1:10-12; 2:6-9; 4:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A related theological theme is the absolute necessity of godly character in those who possess leadership in the work of God\u2019s kingdom. Paul modelled this and called Timothy to emulate him, even in the face of severe pressure to compromise his teaching and his faithfulness (1:6-8; 2:3-5; 3:10-17). Moreover, godliness is the essential quality of character to be sought in those seeking to possess and communicate the truth of the gospel (2:2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A third theme concerns the nature and practice of church ministry. This is not a career chosen at whim but a calling from Christ that must be whole-heartedly embraced. It requires the pastor\/teacher\/leader to live a certain way and fulfill the responsibility to care for God\u2019s church to the best of one\u2019s ability (1:3-5; 2:14-26; 3:10-17; 4:6-8). It also involves a prophetic witness rooted in the truth of God\u2019s Word, even in the face of a culture that seeks to go its own way spiritually and morally (2:18-19; 3:1-9; 4:3-5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A fourth theological theme is centered in the inspiration, truth, and redemptive power of Scripture (3:15-17; 2:14-15; 4:2-5). All Scripture is inspired by God (theopneustos <\/em>= God breathed), thereby carrying explicit authority for all matters of faith and practice. Thus, the Bible is to be clearly taught and fervently preached so that false teaching can be combatted, orthodoxy ensured, and our lives transformed into Christ-like character. Due to the inherent sinfulness of humanity, the faithful, Spirit-led exposition of the Scripture is absolutely necessary for the health and vitality of the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMy Encounter with 2 Timothy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I have read, studied, and meditated on 2 Timothy since I was a junior in college, now over forty years ago. I have also preached or taught thru all or parts of the book on at least three occasions over the past few decades in church, para-church, and seminary settings. What continues to amaze me about this letter is its insistent emphasis on the power of the gospel, the truth of the Scriptures, and the ability of godly people to influence both the church and the society thru their endurance, humility, and faithful preaching of God\u2019s Word. Depending on what ministry opportunities present themselves to me in the future, I hope to do at least one more preaching series out of this wonderful little book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My guess is that when he first received it two millennia ago, Timothy jumped on the first ship he could find and raced to Rome to minister to Paul (4:21). Having walked with him down the Appian Way to see him receive the crown of glory (4:8), he then returned to Ephesus where, according to tradition, he faithfully served the church according to the call he received from God and the guidelines given him by Paul until he too was martyred for the LORD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commentaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While there are a number of outstanding and substantive commentaries on 2 Timothy, the three I have found to be most helpful for discerning authorial intent and then assisting with preaching are the following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John R. W. Stott, Guard the Gospel<\/em> (Downers Grove: IVP, 1973).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nAs evidenced by his long ministry over the decades, Stott was a masterful scholar of the text as well as an experienced preacher. This volume is full of valuable exegetical and pastoral insights. Moreover, Stott\u2019s research on this last letter of Paul\u2019s provides numerous homiletical gems that can be leveraged to add some sparkle to our preaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Walter Liefeld, The NIV Application Commentary on 1 & 2 Timothy\/Titus <\/em>(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nThe great strength of this commentary is its clarity and accessibility. Following the format of the NIV Application s<\/em>eries, each section of the biblical text is divided into a) the Original Meaning, b) Bridging Contexts, c) Contemporary Significance. Liefeld\u2019s commentary provides not only solid exegetical work but some helpful suggestions on preaching the text in a relevant way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Philip H. Towner, 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus<\/em> (Downers Grove: IVP, 1994).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nTowner provides numerous insights into the general flow of the apostle\u2019s thought. While readers may not agree with every conclusion he draws, he forces us to wrestle with the meaning of the text in light of the situation in which it was composed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
I also want to include a fourth “semi-commentary” (my term), Called To Lead: Paul\u2019s Letters to Timothy for a New Day <\/em>(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012) by Anthony B. Robinson and Robert W. Wall. This is a volume of practical pastoral theology on the two Epistles to Timothy with four chapters devoted to 2 Timothy. The authors work hard to navigate the distance between Timothy\u2019s context and our own while offering some helpful suggestions on how the text can be communicated and lived out in our day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Of all the Epistles in the New Testament written by Paul two stand out for their visibly relational ethos. The first is Philemon, probably written around 60 AD to Paul\u2019s dear friend by that name who lived in or around Colossae and hosted a church in his home. The other is 2 Timothy, the last Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tax_ctp_authors":[2982],"tax_ctp_books":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory":[147],"tax_ctp_field_guides":[253],"tax_ctp_format":[148],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3357,3430,3912,4949,5154],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-26193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tax_ctp_authors-scott-wenig","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-2-timothy","tax_ctp_tags-application","tax_ctp_tags-exegesis","tax_ctp_tags-sermon-series","tax_ctp_tags-theology"],"acf":{"scripture_references":null},"yoast_head":"\nPreaching on 2 Timothy - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Of all the Epistles in the New Testament written by Paul two stand out for their visibly relational ethos. The first is Philemon, probably written around\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preaching on 2 Timothy - CT Pastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Of all the Epistles in the New Testament written by Paul two stand out for their visibly relational ethos. The first is Philemon, probably written around\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CT Pastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CTPastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-06T13:11:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-21T17:19:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Scott Wenig\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@CTpastors\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CTpastors\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"afinch@christianitytoday.com\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/person\/58ea2568f302bf46ceb5858395c7f156\"},\"headline\":\"Preaching on 2 Timothy\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-06T13:11:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-21T17:19:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/\"},\"wordCount\":3142,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/\",\"name\":\"Preaching on 2 Timothy - CT Pastors\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-06T13:11:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-21T17:19:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"Of all the Epistles in the New Testament written by Paul two stand out for their visibly relational ethos. The first is Philemon, probably written around\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Preaching on 2 Timothy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/\",\"name\":\"CT Pastors\",\"description\":\"Timeless wisdom for pastors with forward-thinking solutions\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Christianity Today\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/logo_ctpastors_black.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/logo_ctpastors_black.svg\",\"caption\":\"Christianity Today\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CTPastors\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/CTpastors\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/person\/58ea2568f302bf46ceb5858395c7f156\",\"name\":\"afinch@christianitytoday.com\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20a47cf88a20e6ca040ceb41ee0d783ae383cd6c18bffb210eafa08c7b3b5999?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20a47cf88a20e6ca040ceb41ee0d783ae383cd6c18bffb210eafa08c7b3b5999?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"afinch@christianitytoday.com\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Preaching on 2 Timothy - CT Pastors","description":"Of all the Epistles in the New Testament written by Paul two stand out for their visibly relational ethos. The first is Philemon, probably written around","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Preaching on 2 Timothy - CT Pastors","og_description":"Of all the Epistles in the New Testament written by Paul two stand out for their visibly relational ethos. The first is Philemon, probably written around","og_url":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/","og_site_name":"CT Pastors","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CTPastors","article_published_time":"2020-11-06T13:11:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-21T17:19:31+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640"}],"author":"Scott Wenig","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@CTpastors","twitter_site":"@CTpastors","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/"},"author":{"name":"afinch@christianitytoday.com","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/person\/58ea2568f302bf46ceb5858395c7f156"},"headline":"Preaching on 2 Timothy","datePublished":"2020-11-06T13:11:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-21T17:19:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/"},"wordCount":3142,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/","url":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/","name":"Preaching on 2 Timothy - CT Pastors","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640","datePublished":"2020-11-06T13:11:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-21T17:19:31+00:00","description":"Of all the Epistles in the New Testament written by Paul two stand out for their visibly relational ethos. The first is Philemon, probably written around","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Preaching on 2 Timothy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/","name":"CT Pastors","description":"Timeless wisdom for pastors with forward-thinking solutions","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#organization","name":"Christianity Today","url":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/logo_ctpastors_black.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/logo_ctpastors_black.svg","caption":"Christianity Today"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CTPastors","https:\/\/x.com\/CTpastors"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/person\/58ea2568f302bf46ceb5858395c7f156","name":"afinch@christianitytoday.com","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20a47cf88a20e6ca040ceb41ee0d783ae383cd6c18bffb210eafa08c7b3b5999?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20a47cf88a20e6ca040ceb41ee0d783ae383cd6c18bffb210eafa08c7b3b5999?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"afinch@christianitytoday.com"}}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Preaching on 2 Timothy","url":"http:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-timothy\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Uncategorized","author":"Scott Wenig","creator":"Scott Wenig","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"CT Pastors","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2020-11-06T13:11:00Z","datePublished":"2020-11-06T13:11:00Z","dateModified":"2026-01-21T17:19:31Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Preaching on 2 Timothy\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.christianitytoday.com\\\/pastors\\\/content\\\/preaching-on-2-timothy\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.christianitytoday.com\\\/pastors\\\/content\\\/preaching-on-2-timothy\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"\"},\"articleSection\":\"Uncategorized\",\"author\":\"Scott Wenig\",\"creator\":\"Scott Wenig\",\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"CT Pastors\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[],\"dateCreated\":\"2020-11-06T13:11:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-06T13:11:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-21T17:19:31Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/christianitytoday.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","byline":{"writer_byline":"Scott Wenig","writer_byline_override":""},"primary_category":null,"secondary_categories":[],"featured_video":null,"related_articles":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26193"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61595,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26193\/revisions\/61595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_authors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_authors?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_books","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_books?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_categories?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_field_guides","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_field_guides?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_format?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_multimedia","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_multimedia?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_point_editor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_point_editor?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_publications","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_publications?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_tags?post=26193"},{"taxonomy":"tax_ctp_topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_ctp_topics?post=26193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2026\/01\/chart-2-timothy.jpg?w=640\")
<\/a>