Resurrection in 2 Timothy

(avg. read time: 7–13 mins.)

With 2 Timothy, we return to more familiar territory of resurrection language. As this is, for those who think the letter was authored by Paul like I do, seemingly Paul’s last letter written with his death in clearer view, it makes sense that resurrection has a more explicit place here. The clearest references are in ch. 2, but something about this subject is relevant and has influence in every chapter. After all, Paul reflects at multiple points how he has made the gospel story his story, and thus he hopes to inherit the resurrection to everlasting life that is part of that story. And he leaves it to Timothy to take up his mantle and follow in the way Paul has gone in making the gospel story his story.

As I have mentioned before, I am not entirely settled on how best to organize these analyses. The approach I have taken with John in beginning with the explicit terms and moving out from there with what is connected to those terms may prove to be the better model for the book versions. Or maybe the textual order should be maintained. In any case, it will be more difficult to organize the book on Paul because I could begin with the most explicit and extensive teachings and examine other texts accordingly; I could treat the texts in canonical order, which is likely to create the most repetition; or I could try to establish some rough but inevitably controversial chronological order, which could also help show the consistency in teaching over time. But those are bridges to cross for another day. For now, my analysis of 2 Timothy will go in textual order.