A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: The apostle Paul wrote this book to Timothy (1:1-2) around A.D. 67, during his second imprisonment in Rome, shortly before his martyrdom (4:6).
B. The subject: inoculation against the decline of the church.
C. The background: [This book was written at a time when the churches established through the apostle’s ministry in the Gentile world were in a trend of degradation, and the apostle himself was confined in a remote prison. Many had turned away from him and forsaken him (1:15; 4:16), including even some of his co-workers (4:10). It was a discouraging and disappointing scene, especially to his young fellow-worker and spiritual child, Timothy.] This was why Paul wrote this epistle to encourage, strengthen, and establish Timothy.
D. The central thought: [When Paul was writing this Epistle, he was fully aware that the churches were declining. However, because he was one who laid hold on the promise of eternal life, he was not discouraged or disappointed. He had something within him which never changed—the eternal, uncreated, incorruptible life of God. No matter how the environment may change, this eternal life remains the same. Because he himself was encouraged in the life of God and not disappointed by the situation, Paul wrote the Second Epistle to Timothy not only as an encouragement and strengthening to a younger co-worker, but also as an inoculation for the entire Body of Christ against the decline of the church.]
E. The general sketch: [The subject of 2 Timothy is inoculation against the decline of the church. After a word of introduction (1:1-2), Paul speaks of the divine provisions for the inoculation: a pure conscience, unfeigned faith, the divine gift, a strong spirit, eternal grace, incorruptible life, the healthy word, and the indwelling Spirit (1:3-14). Then he goes on to point out that the basic factor of the decline is the forsaking of the apostle and his ministry (1:15-18). In 2:1-15 Paul speaks of the inoculator, indicating that he must be a teacher, soldier, contender, husbandman, and workman. In the second half of chapter two he tells us of the spread of the decline, a spreading likened to that of gangrene (2:16-26). In chapter three Paul first speaks of the worsening of the decline, showing that it will become grievous times of deceiving (3:1-13), and then speaks of the antidote of the inoculation—the divine word (3:14-17). In chapter four there are three sections: the incentive to the inoculator—the coming reward (4:1-8); the issue of the decline—loving the present age and doing many evil things (4:9-18); and the conclusion (4:19-22). If we consider the outline of 2 Timothy, we shall see that it is not merely a pastoral book, a book for so-called pastors. On the contrary, it is a book written for inoculators, those who would inoculate others against the decline of the church.]
F. The sections: 1) introduction (1:1-2), 2) the divine provisions for the inoculation—a pure conscience, unfeigned faith, the divine gift, a strong spirit, eternal grace, incorruptible life, the healthy word, and the indwelling Spirit (1:3-14), 3) the basic factor of the decline—forsaking the apostle and his ministry (1:15-18), 4) the inoculator—a teacher, a soldier, a contender, a husbandman, and a workman (2:1-15), 5) the spreading of the decline—like that of gangrene (2:16-26), 6) the worsening of the decline—becoming grievous times of deceiving (3:1-13), 7) the antidote of the inoculation—the divine word (3:14-17), 8) the incentive to the inoculator—the coming reward (4:1-8), 9) the issue of the decline—loving the present age and doing many evils (4:9-18), and 10) conclusion (4:19-22).