2 Timothy
Paul wrote this from prison, expecting to die, and its farewell has spoken to every later generation of Christians facing persecution or death.
Read this if you…
- want Paul's deathbed letter — written from prison knowing the end is coming
- like the line 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith' (one of the great farewells in literature)
- care about the passing of the torch: an older man telling a younger one to keep the work going
Skip this if you…
- don't want to read explicitly religious/Christian texts
Why It Matters
Paul wrote this from prison, expecting to die, and its farewell has spoken to every later generation of Christians facing persecution or death. Its claim that 'all scripture is given by inspiration of God' (3:16) became the main proof text people reach for on biblical authority.
Where to go next
- The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. 2 Timothy shaped it. - Paul's farewell — *"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"* — became Bunyan's template for a Christian's triumphant death - In *The Pilgrim's Progress*, the Interpreter's portrait of the ideal preacher is captioned with this very verse, and Mr. Valiant-for-Truth's deathbed speech enacts it line by line - The model of life-as-soldiering, ending in a kept faith, passes straight from this letter into Bunyan's allegory
Depicted in Art
Paul sits in a darkened cell, pen and codex on his lap, a sword leaning beside him — caught mid-composition by a shaft of light from a small window.
Rembrandt van Rijn, 1627
Paul stands with arm outstretched, exhorting a seated crowd of Thessalonians — figures lean in, faces lit; the apostle gestures upward as he preaches.
Gustave Doré, 1866
An elongated Paul gestures toward an open letter inscribed with his own writing — the apostle pictured as author of the epistles.
El Greco, 1610
Stained glass figure of the young bishop Timothy, robed and holding a scroll, in the right light of the south transept window.
Recommended Editions
King James Version
Cambridge University Press · 1611
The most influential and commonly quoted translation in English. The prose rhythm everyone else is responding to, even modern translations.
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Deep Dive
What It's About
This summary gives away plot details.
Notable Quotes
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
More by Paul
- Galatians
c. 50 · Epistle
- 1 Thessalonians
c. 51 · Epistle
- 2 Thessalonians
c. 51 · Epistle
- 1 Corinthians
c. 54 · Epistle
- 2 Corinthians
c. 56 · Epistle
- Romans
c. 57 · Epistle
- Philemon
c. 60 · Epistle
- Philippians
c. 61 · Epistle
- Colossians
c. 62 · Epistle
- Ephesians
c. 62 · Epistle
- 1 Timothy
c. 63 · Epistle
- Titus
c. 63 · Epistle
- Hebrews
c. 65 · Epistle