Bible Passages
2 Timothy: 1:1-10
Discussion Questions
To introduce the letter a bit (and to avoid a mini-lecture from you), you could split the group into pairs, and ask each pair to skim through a different chapter looking for clues about Paul and Timothy’s situation, or key themes.
Verses 1,2
Much of this greeting is fairly standard for Paul’s letters, with the notable exception of the phrase “according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus”.
- What does it mean?
- Given Paul and Timothy’s situations, why might Paul have added this?
Verses 3-5
- What comes to Paul’s mind when he remembers Timothy in his prayers?
- Why do you think he mentions these (Timothy’s tears and Timothy’s faith)?
- Why do you think he mentions his and Timothy’s forebears?
- How might we be similarly encouraged?
Verses 6-8
- What is “the gift of God” Paul’s referring to?
- What does Paul mean when he speaks of fanning this gift into flame?
- Why is that necessary?
- How could we apply that to ourselves?
- What is the wonderful encouragement Paul gives to Timothy, and us, in verse 7?
- Why are power, love and self-discipline each particularly needed?
- In what ways are we tempted to be ashamed of Jesus, or Paul, or the Gospel?
- How are we to resist that temptation?
- In what ways might we suffer for the Gospel?
Verses 9,10
- How do these verses show that the Lord and the Gospel are worth suffering for?
- Tease out how this sovereign grace bears on our past, present and future.
Conclusion
- We are all prone to be cowardly in our Christian lives; what encouragements can we take from this passage?
