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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2Ti_1:1-2
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, 2to Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
2Ti_1:1 "Paul" Saul of Tarsus is first called Paul in Act_13:9. It is probable that most Jews of the diaspora had a Hebrew name (Saul) and a Greek name (Paul). If so, then Saul's parents gave him this name, but why, then, does "Paul" suddenly appear in Acts 13? Possibly (1) others began to call him by this name or (2) he began to refer to himself by the term "little" or "least." The Greek name Paulos meant "little." Several theories have been advanced about the origin of his Greek name: (1) the second century tradition that Paul was short, fat, bald, bow-legged, bushy eye-browed, and had protruding eyes, deriving from a non-canonical book from Thessalonika called Paul and Thekla, is a possible source of the name; (2) Paul calls himself the "least of the saints" because he persecuted the Church (cf. Act_9:1-2; 1Co_15:9; Eph_3:8; 1Ti_1:15). Some have seen this "leastness" as the origin of the self-chosen title. However, in a book like Galatians, where he emphasizes his independence from and equality with the Jerusalem Twelve, this is somewhat unlikely (cf. 2Co_11:5; 2Co_12:11; 2 Cor. 15:10).
▣ "an apostle" This came from the Greek word "send" (apostellô). See Special Topic at 1Ti_1:1. Jesus chose twelve men to be with Him in a special sense and called them "Apostles" (cf. Luk_6:13). This term was often used of Jesus being sent from the Father (cf. Mat_10:40; Mat_15:24; Mar_9:37; Luk_9:48; Joh_4:34; Joh_5:24; Joh_5:30; Joh_5:36-38; Joh_6:29; Joh_6:38-40; Joh_6:57; Joh_7:29; Joh_8:42; Joh_10:36; Joh_11:42; Joh_17:3; Joh_17:8; Joh_17:18; Joh_17:21; Joh_17:23; Joh_17:25; Joh_20:21). In Jewish sources, an apostle was someone sent as an official representative of another, similar to "ambassador" (cf. 2Co_5:20).
▣ "Christ" This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term messiah, which meant "an anointed one." It implied "one called and equipped by God for a specific task." In the OT three groups of leaders — priests, kings, and prophets — were anointed. Jesus fulfilled all three of these anointed offices (cf. Heb_1:2-3). He is the promised One who was to inaugurate the new age of righteousness. See hyperlink at 1Ti_1:1.
▣ "Jesus" This Hebrew name meant "YHWH saves," "YHWH is salvation,"or "YHWH brings salvation." It is the same as the OT name "Joshua." "Jesus" is derived from the Hebrew word for salvation, hosea, suffixed to the covenant name for God, "YHWH." It was the name communicated by God through an angel to Mary (cf. Mat_1:21).
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▣ "by the will of God" This same introductory phrase is used in 1Co_1:1; 2Co_1:1; Eph_1:1; and Col_1:1. Paul was convinced that God had chosen him to be an Apostle. This special sense of calling started at his Damascus road conversion (cf. Act_9:1-22; Act_23:3-16; Act_26:9-18). Paul often asserted his God-given authority and calling to affirm his writings as being uniquely from God (i.e., inspired, cf. 2Ti_3:16; 1Co_2:9-13; 1Th_2:13).
NASB, NKJV "according to the promise of life"
NRSV "for the sake of the promise of life"
TEV "sent to proclaim the promised life"
NJB "in accordance with his promise of life"
Paul is asserting that his salvation, calling, and equipping for ministry are all based on God's promises of real life, eternal life through Christ (cf. 2Ti_1:1-2; 2Ti_1:9; 2Ti_1:13). Paul alludes to this concept of God's having and giving life several times in the Pastoral Letters (cf. 2Ti_1:1; 1Ti_6:15-16; 1Ti_6:19; Tit_1:2).
2Ti_1:2 "to Timothy, my beloved son" This is metaphorical for Paul being Timothy's spiritual father in the gospel (cf. 2Ti_2:1; Tim. 2Ti_1:2; Tit_1:4). This opening paragraph shows their mutual love. See hyperlink at 1Ti_1:1.
▣ "Grace, mercy and peace" Notice the commonality and differences in Paul's opening greetings
1. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom_1:7; 1Co_1:3; 2Co_1:2; Gal_1:3; Eph_1:2; Php_1:2; 1Th_1:2; Phm_1:3)
2. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father" (Col_1:2)
3. "Grace to you and peace" (1Th_1:1)
4. "Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord" (1Ti_1:2; 2Ti_1:2)
5. "Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior" (Tit_1:4)
Notice that there is variety, but some elements are standard
1. "Grace" begins all greetings. It is a Christianized form of the standard Greek opening. It focuses on the character of God.
2. "Peace" is the result of humans trusting in the trustworthy God, faithing His faithfulness.
3. "Mercy" is another way of describing God's character and is unique to I and 2 Timothy. This term was used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew term hesed (i.e., covenant love and loyalty). God is gracious and trustworthy.
4. The Father and Son are mentioned in each greeting (in 1 Thessalonians they are mentioned in the previous phrase). They are always grammatically linked. This was one way the NT writers asserted the full deity of Jesus of Nazareth. This is also true of the use of the OT titles for YHWH applied to Jesus (i.e., Lord and Savior).
▣ "from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord" The opening phrase which follows "grace, mercy and peace" has one preposition (apo) linking the Father and the Son in an equal grammatical relationship (cf. 1Ti_1:2; Tit_1:4 and 2Ti_1:2). This was a technique used by Paul to assert the deity of Jesus.
"Father" is not used in the sense of sexual generation or chronological sequence, but intimate family relationship. God chose family terms to reveal Himself to humanity (cf. Hosea 2-3, where God is shown as passionate, faithful lover, and Hosea 11 where He is shown as loving father and mother).
The Deity of revelation is not the Prime Mover or the First Cause of Greek philosophy, but the Father of Christ Jesus. The Bible is not a human-reasoned philosophy but a divine self-disclosure, a revelation which cannot be discovered by human analysis. See hyperlink at 1Ti_1:2.
▣ "Lord" God revealed His covenant name — YHWH — to Moses in Exo_3:14. It was from the Hebrew verb "to be." The Jews were later afraid to pronounce this holy name, when they read the Scriptures, lest they take it in vain and break one of the Ten Commandments (cf. Exo_20:7; Deu_5:11). Therefore, they substituted another word, Adon, which meant, "husband, owner, master, lord." This is the source of the English translation of YHWH as Lord. See hyperlink at 2Ti_1:1.
When the NT authors called Jesus "Lord" (kurios), they were asserting the Deity of Jesus. This affirmation became the early church's baptismal formula, "Jesus is Lord" (cf. Rom_10:9-13; Php_2:6-11).