2 Timothy 1:2
2 To Timothy, [Timotheos] my dearly beloved [agapetos] son: [teknon] Grace, [charis] mercy, [eleos] and peace, [eirene] from [apo] God [theos] the Father [pater] and [kai] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous] our [hemon] Lord. [kurios] KJV-Interlinear
2 to Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.NASB
This letter is written to Timothy. Timothy means ‘dear to God,’ or ‘one who honors God.’ By this attribute and through Pauls personal descriptions, we can know that Timothy was a very devout and well prepared man.
Child, ‘gnesios,’ means a legitimate child born to parents that are married, as opposed to a child that is illegitimate.
‘In faith,’ is a term representative of the whole of Christian doctrine.
Therefore by this reference, we know that Timothy was born into faith, and has grown up in his spiritual life in a legitimate fashion. Most probably his recent education came, in recent times, through the teaching from Paul.
However, we do know that Timothy’s parents had a hand in his upbringing, and that Timothy was raised from his youth, by the scriptures of the Old Testament, 2 Tim 3:15. Remember that at this time in history, the New Testament, as we know it, did not exist.
In any case, Timothy was a well prepared man, because of his legitimate studies of the scriptures, and not from illegitimate sources or from a lazy attitude toward the scriptures, or from empty pursuits of superficial phrases and such.
Grace, mercy and peace, sum up the totality of Gods plan for every human being, and they define the perfect relationship.
The plan began with Gods grace, which is Gods favor. This is the sense of Gods kindness, generosity, compassion, pleasing manner, contentment, or benevolence, all of which point toward the ultimate prosperity and completeness toward the recipient.
Mercy, is Gods grace in action. Words of kindness are nothing if they are not followed by action. And Gods mercy represents the sum total of His provision, both in time and in eternity. And as we can look into the night sky and see the vastness of the universe before us, which was all created as the environment for our life and for our history, then this represents the magnitude of Gods provision for each one of us individually. This is how important you are to God.
And peace, is the ultimate goal of the completion of ones life. Peace is the fullness of ones growth, understanding, wisdom, security, meaning and purpose, prosperity, and happiness. The completion in every sense of the word, of your life.
The ultimate goal of a persons life does not, repeat, does not, come through wishing or hoping, by singing songs or reading pleasant verses. It comes to you through work, spiritual work. And that comes to you through a daily study of the Bible, by academic preparation, and by no other means.
In contrast, the ultimate lazy person, the illegitimate person, is one who will not pursue doctrine in a legitimate fashion. That is a four letter word, ‘work.’ It is far easier to sit back and do nothing, except that which you want to do, things that exclude a daily commitment to a study.
The legitimate pursuit makes you a legitimate child. The lazy pursuit makes you the bastard or illegitimate child. The legitimate child is the recipient of Gods favor, the illegitimate child is not.
And note here, that we are contrasting not believer and unbeliever, but legitimate believer verses the illegitimate believer. The one who pursues their spiritual life in the correct fashion, verses the one who pursues their emotions, or good feelings, or other path of their own design, but yet calls themselves spiritual, when they are not.
From God the Father, and Christ, both persons mentioned link this policy and plan to its only legitimate source, God, as well as linking both members of the Godhead, as co-equal. Jesus Christ is God.
God the Father is the father to all of creation in that it was His plan that governs all of creation, Acts 17:28-29. And He is the Father to all believers who have been adopted into His family, Matt 5:45, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 John 5:1, 3:1-2.
Jesus Christ is the source and procurer of peace, Luke 2:14, 19:38, 42, John 14:27, 16:33, Acts 10:36, Rom 5:1, Eph 2:17. The Father provided for it in the original plan, and Christ secures it through His work and through doctrine.
And you receive it by means of your legitimate pursuit of doctrine within the environment of your spiritual life.
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