to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Timothy 1:2 WEB

Paul’s second letter to his fellow evangelist Timothy is one of four letters written by Paul in the New Testament. It is one of three pastoral epistles attributed to Paul in the biblical canon. The other two are Paul’s letter to Titus and his first letter to Timothy. Each is known as a pastoral epistle because they offer advice and give directives for church governance and discipline. Paul also wrote a personal letter to Philemon. Most biblical scholars consider his second letter to Timothy as Paul’s final correspondence before his death. 

The second verse of this letter concludes Paul’s greeting to Timothy. It identifies Timothy as the recipient. Also, Paul referred to Timothy as “my beloved child.” He wrote similarly to Titus calling him in Titus 1:4, “my true child according to a common faith. WEB” Each of these statements likely refer to Paul’s role in evangelizing the two men, leading them to faith in Christ.

Christ Jesus Our Lord

Immediately following, Paul concluded his greeting with the exact words used for this purpose in each of his four letters preserved in the Bible. He offered a blessing of, “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Grace refers to undeserved favor from God. Mercy entails God’s forgiveness for sin. Peace is a reference to the tranquility of heart experienced by those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Finally, Paul attributes the source of grace, mercy, and peace to both God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. In doing so, Paul gives equal weight to both God the Father and God the Son. In addition, he alludes to the reason for his doing so. Calling Jesus “Christ Jesus our Lord,” Paul highlights the title of the man Jesus of Nazareth. He is the “Christ” which is the Greek word for Messiah, our beloved Savior.

Yesterday’s Devotional: With Perseverance