2 Timothy is written by Paul from Prison, in difficult circumstances
(2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.,
2 Timothy 1:16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:, 2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ., 2 Timothy 1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
2 Timothy was definitely written after the other prison letters of Colossians and Ephesians. Luke and Demas are with Paul in Colossians 4:14, but in 2 Timothy 4:10-11, Demas “has forsaken” Paul and only Luke remains with him. Paul says in the past tense, 2 Timothy 4:12 that “Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus”, while in
Colossians 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you…, Ephesians 6:21-22
But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.) Tychicus is being sent.
Paul’s outlook for his own life has darkened considerably from his earlier prison letters, and he doesn’t expect to live much longer (2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.). This may have been due to an unfavorable first legal hearing (2 Timothy 4:16 …At my first answer no man stood with me,…) occurring in between the earlier prison letters and this one. These circumstances can only have come about after the upbeat end of the account in the book of Acts. Therefore, we should consider 2 Timothy to be chronologically the next to last letter of Paul that appears in the Bible, written around 63 A.D.
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