When Paul wrote this second (and final) letter to Timothy, he knew that his death was near. He had far more to say than time permitted. Understanding this, Paul must have mentally separated the essential from the incidental, then focused his mind and energy only on those things he considered most important. All who realise this when reading 2 Timothy immediately understand why so much is packed into such little space. It’s almost as if each word has been weighed in light of its significance, then carefully selected for the purpose of driving home only those things that Timothy (and we) must value, defend, and put to use. As we’ll see, words can be powerful building blocks that lead others into reliable truth to live by—or they can be dangerous missiles that explode in others’ minds, causing great damage. It concerned the aging apostle Paul that there were those on the loose who had “gone astray from the truth.” Small wonder he exhorted his younger colleague to conduct himself appropriately before God, “accurately handling the word of truth.”
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