There seems to be little doubt that this is the writing of the Apostle Paul, if he was the author of the first epistle. Some scholars, however, consider that it was written after Paul’s death by someone one close to him because of differences in style. Timothy was evidently in Ephesus and Paul hoped that Timothy would be able to visit him before winter, which seems to dispel any doubt as to authorship. The letter may have been carried by Tychicus.
This is Paul’s final and most personal letter. While we don’t know exactly how much time has passed since he wrote 1 Timothy, it seems that Paul’s situation has changed for the worse.
We learn that Paul is imprisoned in Rome, which could refer to his time under house arrest in Acts 28, or it is considered that Paul wrote this second epistle from a cold Roman prison cell towards the end of AD67, hence his asking for his cloak. Alternatively, it could also mean that he was released from that imprisonment and had another long season of ministry before being arrested again in Troas (2 Tim. 4:13-15). Either way, Paul says that he’s in the middle of his court trial, and it’s not going well. Paul is pretty sure that he’s not going to survive this one. Out of this dark situation, Paul appeals to Timothy, who is still on assignment in Ephesus. Paul asks Timothy to come be with him in prison so that he can pass on his plans for a church-planting mission.
Paul seemed to consider that he was facing the end of his life.
The letter is set out quite simply. There are two large sections in which Paul challenges Timothy, firstly, to accept his calling as a leader (2 Tim. 1:1-2:13). He also asks that, before he comes to Paul, Timothy deals with the corrupt teachers who are still causing problems in the church of Ephesus (2 Tim. 2:14-4:5). After these sections, Paul concludes the letter (2 Tim. 4:6-22).
