Studies in 2 Timothy (Part 1)

Paul's most intimate letter, to Timothy, a "child beloved."

Greetings!

This week, I commence a chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse study of 2 Timothy, Paul’s last letter before his eventual death. Due to the limitations of email, these studies will likely be clipped, but, rest assured, the full study will be available on my Substack page.

Not only was Timothy a pivotal figure throughout Paul’s ministry, the book of 2 Timothy has much to say about the conduct of the Body of Christ today, and calls attention to the tripwires we are likely to fall victim to, if we fail to remain vigilant.

In this first study, I will cover the first two verses of chapter one, hoping to provide a thorough rendering of the tone, which will, in turn, establish the lens through which the remainder of the book is to be read.

Finally, it will be helpful to observe that there are several footnotes in this study.

While some of these footnotes are simple citations, many of them add critical information that will, I hope, be appreciated by the earnest Scripture student.

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Introduction

The epistle of 2 Timothy was the last letter penned by Paul.

Traditionally, it is believed that Paul, after spending time in a Roman prison, was executed during the reign of Emperor Nero¹, who is believed to have been, perhaps, the most deranged Roman emperor in history.²

It is peculiar that Paul’s last letter was not addressed, as may be expected, to an ecclesia. Rather, it is addressed to a single person, a young man, a “child beloved” in the faith.³

A.E. Knoch writes:

In all his other epistles he [Paul] looks forward to further service. Now he tells Timothy that he had finished his career (2 Timothy 4:7). The period of his dissolution was imminent (2 Timothy 4:6). The whole epistle takes character from this fact.⁴

E.W. Bullinger adds:

The apostle’s regard for his “dearly beloved son” is seen in 1:4, and it is affecting to observe the pathetic desire to see Timothy once more before death, 4:9, 11, 21. No further mention is made of Timothy. The tradition that he suffered martyrdom about the end of the first century is only tradition.⁵

It could be said, then, that this letter is, quite literally, a love letter. Paul longs to see Timothy one more time before his end. The gentle tenor of the letter, as a whole, reflects this.

2 Timothy 1:1

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, through the will of God, in accord with the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

What is an Apostle?

It is pivotal, from the outset, to establish Paul’s mode of service in this book.

As with any book in Scripture, it is more than useful to note the status, or service, of the writer, and the intended audience of the writing itself.

These two bits of information, when clearly understood, can, and often does, make up for a multitude of interpretive errors.

Consequently, one may read the word apostle hundreds of times, and still not have an accurate sense of the meaning of the term.

So, what does Paul mean when he says, “[I], an apostle of Christ Jesus…”?

Apostle is translated from the Greek word, ἀπόστολος, or apostolos. It means “commissioner,” or, in some instances, “delegate,” or “ambassador.” A more generic rendering might be “one who is sent.”

We may say, then, that an apostle is “[a] person deputed to execute some important business[.]”⁶

Therefore, Paul is identifying himself as one who has been sent “to execute some important business,” on behalf of Christ Jesus, “through the will of God.”

Paul did not brand himself as an apostle. Rather, it was a position defined by his service, through God’s will.

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What is the “Promise of Life”?

For many, the “promise of life,” here, is understood as the believer’s assurance of “everlasting life” after they die.⁷

However, Paul’s ministry was not focused on the consummation, or “everlasting” life, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, when God will become “All in all.”

Paul never teaches about an expectation of the consummation, because, ultimately, every human who has, or will ever, live will receive unending life following the eonian times.

Paul’s focus was on “eonian life,” or, the “promise of life.” The “promise of life” is something more than ultimate salvation, more than the consummation.

The “promise of life” is the assurance of life, in the celestials, for the next two eons, the cumulative time of which we are unsure.⁸

It is this additional life, both in terms of quality and quantity, relative to the consummation, that occupied much of Paul’s ministry.

Consider the following:

¹⁰ Therefore I am enduring all because of those who are chosen, that they also may be happening upon the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with glory eonian. -2 Timothy 2:10

And here:

⁶ For I am already a libation, and the period of my dissolution is imminent.

⁷ I have contended the ideal contest. I have finished my career. I have kept the faith.

⁸ Furthermore, there is reserved for me the wreath of righteousness, which the Lord, the just Judge, will be paying to me in that day; yet not to me only, but also to all who love His advent. -2 Timothy 4:6-8

And once more:

² in expectation of life eonian, which God, Who does not lie, promises before times eonian… -Titus 1:2

None of these passages are referring to the consummation, when God, ultimately, becomes “All in all.” Paul almost takes the truth of the consummation for granted.

Rather, he is “racing” for something even greater, “in expectation of life eonian,” which was promised “before times eonian.”⁹

2 Timothy 1:2

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

As with apostle, the terms grace, mercy, and peace tend to carry the same element of ambiguity.

While we can appreciate the sentiment passed from Paul to Timothy, it will be valuable to tease out the individual meanings of these three terms.

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Grace

Grace is the foundation upon which Paul’s ministry is built.

We must have a firm understanding of grace, as it relates to Paul’s evangel, if we have any hope of learning God’s will, and purpose, for today.

Grace is translated from the Greek word, χάρις, charis. It means “an act producing happiness, a benefit bestowed on one who deserves the opposite, sometimes better rendered favor.”¹⁰

However, grace does not merely mean kindness, or forgiveness. It is more accurate to render grace as the undeserved, unreturnable favor of God. It is not something that can be lost, or taken away, based on works, merit, or expectation.

Another useful way of defining grace is the unmerited favor of God. This is, perhaps, my favorite definitional rendering of the term.

In his Concordant Commentary on the New Testament, Knoch writes about the “absolute despotism of grace” in his note on Romans 6:1.

The explicit power of grace is set forth in Romans 5:20, where Paul writes, “Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds.” In other words, sin cannot exist anywhere (since the resurrection of Christ) without grace rising above it.

Grace is God’s method of displaying His vast love and power to His creatures through weakness, failure, unworthiness, and powerlessness. It is an undefeatable, and unchallengeable, power.

Grace is not conditional. It is not simply offered. It is pressed upon all of creation, without the consent of its creatures.

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Mercy

Mercy is, in some ways, the most significant of the three terms at hand.

In no other epistles, save 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, does Paul use the word in his salutations.

He does not even use it in his pastoral epistles to Titus, or Philemon. This word, in the salutation, was reserved only for Timothy.

Mercy is translated from the Greek word, ἔλεος, or eleos. It means “a moderation of the severity of justice.”¹¹

However, I believe Bullinger provides a more fleshed out, less diplomatic, definition:

[A] feeling of sympathy with misery, active compassion, the desire of relieving the miserable.

The cry for ἔλεος is prompted by distress…¹²

Much of the time, Christendom uses mercy to denote God withholding His vengeance, or the temporary forbearance of punishment, but this is not the sense here.

The most powerful, short-form, definition of mercy, as used by Paul, could be “active compassion,” which is, precisely, what God is showing His creation, through grace.

God has looked down on His creation with immense compassion. His purpose is to relieve His creation of misery, and what He purposes, He does.

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Peace

While grace and mercy are defined by what they, in themselves, are, peace is defined by what it is not. This distinction may be subtle, but it is worth noting.

Peace is translated from the Greek word, εἰρήνη, or eirēnē. The meaning of the word is “a state of quietness, tranquility, without disturbance or agitation.”¹³

Peace, then, it could be said, is a lack of a disturbance. It is the tranquility that manifests when all disturbance is removed. It is a psychological state of calm, or quietness.

Summary of the Salutation

In considering the context of 2 Timothy 1:2, Paul is greeting Timothy with much more than mere niceties. Paul writes with a declaration of:

• God’s unconditional favor (grace).

• His compassionate attention, and sympathy, with human misery, and suffering (mercy).

• The settled harmony, between believers and God, by virtue of our reconciliation to Him (peace).

What Paul writes, even in the first two verses, is heavy, and powerful. There is substantial weight in this salutation.

Paul’s entire ministry is nested within these three words, and Timothy, being faithful, and aware of the seriousness of his calling, would certainly understand the thrust of Paul’s words.

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To Timothy

Timothy was as a child to Paul. Their relationship could be understood as a father bringing up his son.

The apostle goes so far as to call Timothy “a child beloved,” 1:2, branding his stamp of affection on the young believer.

In 1 Timothy 1:2, Paul uses similar language, referring to Timothy as “a genuine child in faith.” And, in 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul entreats Timothy to “[l]et no one be despising your youth…”

While it is not explicitly stated in Scripture, it is reasonable, based on internal clues, that Timothy was, perhaps, 25-30 years younger than Paul.

As was mentioned at the start of this essay, it is peculiar that Paul did not write his last letter to an ecclesia. Rather, the apostle wrote it to the one who was like a child to him. The letter, and all the truth therein, was something of an inheritance.

The book of 2 Timothy, it could be thought, is a love letter, from a father to a son.

It is a letter to remind Timothy of why he has believed, in Whom he has believed, the nature of his expectation, and the pitfalls that lie ahead for him.

While the ecclesias fracture, and, eventually, disintegrate, Paul writes for an audience of one, leaving the last written document by his hand in the possession of a young man, who had kept the faith.¹⁴

Timothy’s name is included in the salutation of six of Paul’s epistles:

• 2 Corinthians 1:1

• Philippians 1:1

• Colossians 1:1

• 1 Thessalonians 1:1

• 2 Thessalonians 1:1

• Philemon 1:1

When we take into account 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, the “child beloved” is mentioned, or addressed, in eight of Paul’s 13 epistles.¹⁵

Timothy was from Lystra, in Galatia, and it is possible, if not, likely, that he was part of the Galatian ecclesia.

Additionally, Timothy was identified as a believer early on in Paul’s ministry, before Paul wrote any of his epistles. So early, in fact, that Paul circumcised Timothy, so as to appease the Jews.

In Acts 16:1-5, we read:

¹ Now he arrives also at Derbe and at Lystra. And lo! a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, yet of a Greek father,

² who was attested by the brethren in Lystra and Iconium.

³ This one Paul wants to come out with him, and, taking him, circumcised him because of the Jews who are in those places, for they all were aware that his father belonged to the Greeks.

⁴ Now, as they went through the cities, they give over to them the decrees to maintain, which have been decided upon by the apostles and elders who are in Jerusalem.

⁵ The ecclesias, indeed, then, were stable in the faith and superabounded in number day by day.

At first, it may seem odd that Paul, the apostle to the nations, would have Timothy circumcised, but it is important to remember that, at this time, Paul was ministering to Jews and the nations.

In his commentary, Knoch writes the following:

The circumcision of Timothy, at first sight, seems strange and inconsistent. Had Paul not refused to circumcise Titus? Had not the council at Jerusalem decided that circumcision was not essential to salvation?

But Timothy's case is an entirely different matter. Paul is still going among the synagogues proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah of the Jews. To have an associate who was uncircumcised would be a great hindrance and give the Jews the occasion which they sought to denounce and persecute him.

He still maintains that circumcision is nothing. Yet he has no hesitancy in using it if it will mollify the prejudice of those whom he desires to reach with the evangel.¹⁶

Therefore, we may conclude that Timothy was not circumcised as a necessity of faith. Rather, he was circumcised as a strategy for ministry.

In 1 Corinthians 9:20, Paul writes:

²⁰ And I became to the Jews as a Jew, that I should be gaining Jews; to those under law as under law (not being myself under law), that I should be gaining those under law;

Even though Paul understood that his ancestral heritage, insofar as it had any bearing on salvation, was all refuse¹⁷, he was willing to remove stumbling blocks, if he was able, in order to be “gaining those under law.”

Now, we turn to the final section of this study, which has to do with the authorship of Hebrews, as it relates to Timothy.

While this is a peripheral point, I believe Timothy, and his place in Paul’s life, is a key clue in establishing who authored Hebrews, and when, specifically, it was written.

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Timothy & the Book of Hebrews

Much has been said about the book of Hebrews, concerning its authorship, and the time in which it was written.

But, it is my position that, so long as we understand the uniqueness of Paul’s evangel, the author and date of Hebrews is, perhaps, not as enigmatic as it has been made out to be.

Consequently, I believe Timothy provides a substantial clue as to who wrote the book of Hebrews, and when it was written.

While Knoch generally denied a Pauline authorship of Hebrews, and, further, suggested that it was written a few years before 70AD, I believe he is mistaken, on both accounts.

If we grant, for the moment, that Hebrews was, in fact, written by Paul, in the years leading up to 70AD, an obvious problem arises.

After Acts 28:28, Paul wrote exclusively to the nations, no longer concerning himself with the rites, rituals, and law that occupied the Jews.

Therefore, if Paul authored it toward the end of his life, then Hebrews, a very Jewish book, would cast a dark cloud over the whole of Paul’s ministry.

Not only would it be a dispensational contradiction, it would call Paul’s entire evangel to the Uncircumcision into question.

In this, Knoch would be correct.

However, if we grant, for the moment, that Hebrews was, in fact, authored by Paul, and put down in the years preceding his epistles to the nations, all dispensational problems vanish. And it is this position that I believe to be the most tenable.

Timothy is mentioned in Acts, most of Paul’s epistles, and then, suspiciously, in the book of Hebrews.

The “child beloved,” however, is most closely associated with Paul throughout Scripture. Consequently, the mention of Timothy in Hebrews 13:23 is strange, especially if we suppose that the book was written by someone other than Paul.

In the context of the verse (Hebrews 13:23), Timothy has, apparently, been “released,” suggesting that he had been imprisoned, at some point, and eventually set free.

If Hebrews was written later on in Paul’s ministry, after Acts 28:28, it is uncertain why Timothy would be worth mentioning here, especially given that the book of Hebrews, contextually, was only concerned with Jews.

By this time, Acts 28:28, Paul and Timothy were no longer ministering to Jews in the synagogues. They had wholly turned to the nations.

Now, if Hebrews was written before Paul wrote most of his letters to the ecclesias, Timothy’s mention in 13:23 would make a lot of sense, given that the “child beloved” was, along with Paul, entering Jewish synagogues, teaching.

Bullinger, in his introduction to Hebrews, writes brilliantly about the likelihood of Pauline authorship, and how, based on “New Testament” dispensational truth, the book must have an early date, relative to Paul’s other writings.

The multiple instances of bracketed text below is taken from Bullinger’s introduction on the book of Hebrews.¹⁸

The thought and reasonings [of Hebrews] are Paul’s, whatever the style and language may be. All his other epistles were written to churches mainly composed of Gentiles.

In addressing such an epistle to Hebrews, he would naturally write as an instructed scribe, one brought up “at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers” (Acts 22:3).

It is therefore futile to argue that if Paul were really the author, the language and style would have been in exact accord with those of the other epistles. Had this been so, it would be an argument against, and not in favour of, Paul’s authorship.

It is also important to note that, in Hebrews 12:1, the metaphor of “racing with endurance the contest lying before us” is a uniquely Pauline turn of phrase.

No other writer in Holy Writ uses the metaphor of “racing.” However, Paul was known to use it quite frequently, including in:

• 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

• Philippians 3:13-14

• Galatians 2:2

• Galatians 5:7

• 2 Timothy 4:7

However, it should not be expected that the entire style of Hebrews would match the apostle’s other writings, given that it [Hebrews] was written for a different audience, motivated by a different purpose, and, perhaps, by a different scribe.

The testimony of 2 Peter 3:15, 2 Peter 3:16, strictly interpreted, proves that Paul wrote an epistle to the Hebrews , and if this is not the epistle, where is it? No trace or indication of any other has ever been found.

In 2 Peter 3:15-16, it mentions Paul had written “epistles,” plural, to his Jewish brethren in the past. Bullinger does not seem to take this into account.

Peter suggests that there was more than one letter, written by Paul, intended, at least in part, for a Jewish audience. The potential tripwire, here, is that 2 Peter is thought to have a late date of authorship, much later than Acts 28:28.

Therefore, Peter’s words present a possible issue—akin to the same issue that arises if we assume a late authorship date of Hebrews—if we maintain that Christ revealed a unique evangel to Paul, for the nations (Galatians 2:7).

There are two plausible ways to resolve this:

1. Peter makes reference to Paul, here, because he [Peter] did not fully grasp Paul’s unique evangel, which is why he mentions that Paul had written letters to the Jews, as if there was no distinction in the evangels to the Circumcision and Uncircumcision. This happens to be Knoch’s view.¹⁹

2. Peter makes mention of Paul and his letters, while addressing his Jewish brethren, because Paul did, in fact, write some of his early letters to mixed audiences, including Jews and the nations. The letters that could reasonably fall into this category would be 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, Romans, and 1 & 2 Corinthians. However, as will be shown, I believe Hebrews should be included in this list, too.

Bullinger continues, suggesting that Paul leaving his name off the book of Hebrews was a strategic move.

Its [Hebrews’] anonymity is eminently in favour of Pauline authorship. The suspicion with which the Jews regarded Paul, and their furious hatred of him (cp. Acts 21:21; 2 Corinthians 11:24; Philippians 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:15, & etc.), would be ample reason why, in addressing so important a letter to his own race, he should withhold his name.

If it was necessary at the time of it[s] publication to send out such an epistle, equally necessary was it that it should not be handicapped with a name regarded generally by the Jews as that of an infamous renegade. The argument of the value of an unsigned article in any important journal applies with great force in the case of Hebrews.

Therefore, Bullinger concludes the following:

The approximate time therefore for writing and publishing such a body of doctrine must have been shortly after the beginning of his ministry, and, consequently, Hebrews was in all probability written during the eighteen months of Paul’s sojourn at Corinth, during which he was “teaching among them the word of God” (Acts 18:11).²⁰

There can be no doubt, therefore, that Paul did, in fact, write Hebrews, and that it was put down toward the beginning of his ministry, when Timothy was with him, the two ministering to the Jews in the synagogues.

While mainstream scholarship generally disagrees with this conclusion, most mainstream scholarship does not recognize Paul’s unique, and distinct, evangel to the nations.

Paul’s ministry, and its place in Holy Writ, serves as a beacon of light, which can help us clearly see where those ambiguous elements in Scripture belong, such as Hebrews.

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Conclusion

At the time 2 Timothy was written, the ecclesias Paul had set up over his ministerial career were falling apart. He, himself, was imprisoned in Rome, writing to Timothy, “a child beloved,” awaiting his eventual death.

As opposed to 1 Timothy, Paul did not instruct Timothy, in his last letter, on how to set up the ecclesia, in what manner to correct doctrine, or how to carry out proper worship.

Rather, Paul entreated Timothy to “rekindl[e] the gracious gift of God,” to “not be fighting,” “commit to faithful men” what he had been taught, and “[h]erald the word. Stand by it, opportunely, inopportunely, expose, rebuke, entreat, with all patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 1:6; 2:24; 2:2; 4:2).

Paul did not entrust his last letter to an ecclesia. Instead, he entrusted it to “a child beloved,” as if from a father to a son, one last love letter, with the hope and confidence, through Christ, that his ministry had not been for nothing.

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Before you go…

Thus concludes the first essay in our Studies in 2 Timothy. My hope, and prayer, is that this has provided a semi-comprehensive, yet engaging, introduction into Paul’s final epistle, addressed to the “beloved child,” Timothy.

Due to the research required for such an undertaking, I may submit these essays every two weeks, instead of every week. I want to do this right, and not be rushed, and, God-willing, I hope there might be a fellow student out there, who gets just as much from this study as I have put into it.

As always, thank you for the continued support!

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With grace, mercy, and peace,

Concordant Student

1. Historians suggest Emperor Nero was born in 37AD. When he was 12 years old (49AD), Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the famous Stoic philosopher, playwright, and statesman, was appointed to be the young ruler’s tutor.

Seneca was selected by Nero’s mother, Agrippina the Younger, to help prepare her son for the colossal task of emperorship of the Roman Empire. When Nero was 16 years old (54AD), Seneca served as an advisor and speechwriter, alongside the praetorian prefect, Burrus.

The early years of Nero’s reign were believed to be mild, often referred to as the Quinquennium Neronis, or, Nero’s “five good years.”

However, over time, Nero became more tyrannical, refusing to heed counsel. At this time, Seneca gradually stepped back from public life. And by 62AD, Seneca had retired.

In 65AD, Seneca was implicated in the Pisonian conspiracy to assassinate Nero. Whether or not Seneca did, in fact, take part in the conspiracy, it is not clear. Nevertheless, Nero, among other things, ordered the philosopher to commit suicide, which he did.

NOTE:

Seneca was just one among many well-known Stoic philosophers in the Greco-Roman world. The philosophy is thought to have been founded in 300BC, by Zeno of Citium.

The most notable proponents of the philosophy in the Roman world include Epictetus (50-135AD), and Marcus Aurelius (121-180AD), the latter of which served as the Roman Emperor.

Paul mentions the Stoics, by name, in Acts 17:18, along with their philosophical rival, the Epicureans. (The Scripture student would benefit from a cursory study of these two philosophies, as they dominated much of philosophical thought in the ancient world.)

In Acts 18:12, Paul appears before Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia. It has been confirmed, by both Seneca and others, that Gallio was Seneca’s brother.

2. Tradition suggests Paul was executed between 64-67AD. However, there is no Scriptural basis upon which to conclude how or when Paul was killed, or died.

Consider:

• The story of history claims that Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome in 64AD, which, subsequently, led to a wave of brutal persecution.

• Paul, who was a Roman citizen, was, perhaps, beheaded rather than crucified, the former being considered a more merciful method of execution, reserved for citizens. (Acts 16:37; Acts 22:25-28)

• The execution (of Paul) was said to have taken place in Rome, possibly at a site now commemorated by the Abbey of Tre Fontane (Three Fountains), which, according to legend, is where Paul’s severed head bounced three times, causing three springs to emerge.

Concerning the persecution of Christians, following the Great Fire of Roman, the Roman historian, Tacitus (56-120AD) wrote:

...To get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. -Annals 15.44

3. While we do not know, for sure, if all the ecclesias Paul had set up during his ministry had devolved into apostasy, it is reasonable to suggest that this may have been the case. (2 Timothy 1:15; 4:16)

Therefore, instead of writing to an ecclesia, urging them to hold fast to the faith, Paul writes to Timothy, to one individual, with the hope, and confidence, that he may be able to weather the storm of evil, apostasy, and persecution that almost certainly visited him.

4. Concordant Commentary on the New Testament (pg. 323).

5. The Companion Bible (pg. 1808).

6. Webster’s Dictionary of American English (1828).

For more on ambassadorship, please refer to my previous newsletter, On Politics: Ambassadors in a Tent, or Artificers in a Kingdom.

7. Alexander Thomson’s “Whence Eternity?” is, in my view, one of the best works on the concept of “eternity” in Scripture. If you are someone who believes Scripture speaks of “eternity,” “everlasting,” or “forever and ever,” I highly recommend studying this work.

8. For further study on the eons, and our place in them, consider delving into this work.

Those in the Body of Christ understand that the fourth eon represents the Thousand Years, when Israel will reign on Earth. Christianity commonly refers to this as the Millennium.

However, there is a fifth eon, the final eon, wherein we, believers, shall enjoy celestial glory, but there is no hint, in Scripture, as to how long this eon will last. It could be one thousand years, or it could be one million years.

It is only after this eon, the fifth eon, that the consummation takes place, when all of creation, all of God’s work, is brought into the fold, and reunited with Him.

9. For additional study on the term “life eonian,” as it appears in the Concordant Literal Translation, see the following:

• Romans 2:7

• Romans 5:21

• Romans 6:22

• Romans 6:23

• Galatians 6:8

• 1 Timothy 1:16

• 1 Timothy 6:12

• Titus 1:2

• Titus 3:7

10. Greek-English Keyword Concordance of the Concordant Literal New Testament (pg. 132).

11. Greek-English Keyword Concordance of the Concordant Literal New Testament (pg. 194).

12. A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (pg. 495).

13. Greek-English Keyword Concordance of the Concordant Literal New Testament (pg. 219).

14. While, yes, believers today have access to this wonderful letter, Paul was, at the time, writing to one man. By virtue of this fact, the fatherly nature of the letter is one of tenderness, and gentleness.

15. As I will explain, I also believe Paul penned Hebrews, which makes 14 letters total.

16. Concordant Commentary on the New Testament (pg. 204).

17. Philippians 3:4-9.

18. The Companion Bible (pg. 1823).

19. According to the Concordant Commentary on the New Testament (pg. 366), Knoch writes:

It is evident that Peter, great apostle though he was, could not apprehend fully the ministry of Paul. He did see, however, that the seeming delay in the setting up of the kingdom was being used by God, through Paul, and that salvation was by no means dependent upon Israel's attitude. This subject, which is merely alluded to by Peter, is fully set forth by Paul in the eleventh chapter of his epistle to the Romans.

20. There are several more points Bullinger makes, in The Companion Bible (pg. 1823), arguing for an early authorship date for Hebrews. I have, for the sake of space, decided to leave them out, here. However, that is not to say they are not important. The earnest Scripture student is encouraged to seek them out.