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2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Proper 24C
Paul begins this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson by summoning Timothy to “Continue in [mene en*].” It is a call to persevere, in the paraphrase The Message offers, an invitation to “stick with.” If it were an American country western song, it might sound something like, “Keep on trucking.” Verse 14a’s “But” [de] connects that summons to…
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Proper 23C
While verse 14 falls near the end of this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson, it’s at least arguably central to it. After all, while translations like the NIV separate it with a paragraph break from the rest of this Lesson, it can be seen as speaking to both what follows and precedes that break that translators have…
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Proper 22C
It has been so dry in the northeastern United States that even the slightest or most carelessly tossed spark can easily turn into a destructive conflagration. As a result, on a recent vacation in New England, my wife and I saw countless reminders to be very careful in the handling of outdoor fires. One of…
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Proper 25C
It’s hard to read this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson without getting a lump in one’s throat. After all, it’s not just that it contains what are perhaps among the imprisoned Paul’s last recorded words. It’s also that it suggests that the apostle who has befriended to so many seems about to die virtually all alone. Acts…
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Proper 24C
Our lectionary reading for this 22nd Sunday of The Growing Season (more commonly known as Ordinary Time) reminds us of one of the deepest darkest secrets of spiritual growth. As we’ve followed the readings for Year C, we’ve been reminded of the importance of getting the basic gospel straight (Galatians), of staying Christ centered (Colossians),…
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Proper 23C
Paul speaks repeatedly about suffering for the sake of the gospel. He does so not just in this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson but also throughout his letter to Timothy. Yet that kind of suffering may be largely unfamiliar to many of the preachers who read this commentary as well as 2 Timothy. Of course, some North…
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Proper 22C
Paul’s call to his dear son Timothy to “guard” (14) the gospel is evocative. It’s, what’s more, the title of John Stott’s commentary, to which I owe a lot for this message’s ideas, on the apostle’s second letter to Timothy. So Paul’s call to “guard the gospel” might also serve as a kind of on-ramp…
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Proper 25C
So here we are at the most intimate, and soul laid bare, part of Paul’s letters to Timothy. In these sermon commentaries, we’ve hinted all along about what Paul reveals in these verses—that he’s at the end of his earthly life, abandoned by fellow ministry partners, waiting on his imminent death. The lectionary selection leaves…
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Proper 24C
Well, one thing’s clear from today’s epistle lectionary: no one can accuse Paul of a triumphal view of ministry here on earth. These two letters to Timothy were meant to be encouragements to not just a colleague, but a protégé and mentee who was in a really tough ministry locale. Now, towards the closing of…
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Proper 23C
Paul gives Timothy three commands and a saying in the lectionary section for this week. Remember God… Remind others… Do your best. Maybe I’ve watched too many cheesy movies—the ones where someone is leaving on the train and never coming back and they stick their head out the window and yell, “Remember I love you!”…
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