Pastoral Epistle, 16th book of the New Testament.
Author: The apostle Paul, directly named in 2 Timothy 1:1.
Audience: Second Timothy is one of only four letters in the New Testament written by Paul to specific individuals. The others are 1 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Timothy is the only individual to receive two individual letters from Paul in the New Testament. Second Timothy is traditionally accepted as Paul’s final New Testament letter, since it refers to his impending death. Timothy was from Lystra, in modern-day Turkey. He had a Greek father and Jewish mother. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were also believers (2 Timothy 1:5), and had raised him to know the Old Testament (2 Timothy 3:15). He was converted to Christianity by Paul (1 Timothy 1:2). In Acts 16:1–5, we learn that the believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. Paul wanted to take Timothy along on his missionary journey, but Timothy was not circumcised. In order to smooth over his participation in these travels, Paul circumcised him, and they traveled together. Timothy is also mentioned as being with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment (Colossians 1:1; Philemon 1:1, 22–25). In 1 Timothy, Paul wrote to Timothy in Ephesus, where he had left him to serve as leader among the house churches which existed by the mid-AD 60s. In 2 Timothy, Paul wanted Timothy to come to him, meaning leaving Ephesus and coming to Paul in Rome. It is unknown whether Timothy ever made this visit. However, Timothy also served at least some time in jail for his faith and was later released, though the timing of this event is uncertain (Hebrews 13:23).
Date: Approximately AD 65—67, just prior to Paul’s death under the Roman emperor Nero. This letter was written sometime after Christians were blamed for the fires at Rome in the summer of AD 64. This was shortly before Nero’s death in the spring of AD 68.