Second Timothy may well be the last letter that Paul ever wrote. At the time of its writing, Paul was imprisoned in Rome for a second time. This time it was quite serious.
His first imprisonment was mild by comparison. At that time he was permitted to live in a rented house while he was under arrest waiting for trial; a trial that his accusers never showed up for.
Now though, things were different. His accusers were imperial and his prison was quite real. Probably a dark, damp dungeon where he was chained to a wall - rat and filth infested. His fate may already have been decided. The impression Paul gives is that his death is near.
As we study this letter, please take the time to consider Paul's attitude, his faith and how he still cares deeply about the evangelism of the world. Even in the face of death, Paul stands firmly on God's promises and the hope of a better life to come. To his grave he upheld the standards that Christ gave him to live by, proving himself to be the greatest missionary that ever lived.
He wrote this letter for three basic reasons. First, he was probably lonely. He had been deserted by many of his friends and those that remained loyal had trouble finding him. He also wanted to see Timothy again - so much so that he asked him to come to Rome. Secondly, Paul was concerned about the state of the church and how it would hold up against this first official state persecution under Nero. And third, he also wanted to address the Ephesian church through Timothy specifically and thank the faithful members and those that had stuck with him to the end.
Paul probably wrote this letter sometime in AD 66 or 67. Tradition says that Paul was beheaded toward the end of Nero's reign and Nero died sometime in AD 68.
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