"God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son" corroborates John in his

first epistle (I John 5: 11). We now have God's promise relating to it. That promise is

fulfilled in resurrection, when this corruptible puts on incorruption and this mortal puts

on immortality. Then indeed death will be swallowed up in victory (I Cor. 15: 51-54),

and the `life which is life indeed' will commence, never to have an end. Such is

absolutely fundamental to our `high calling of God in Christ Jesus', for how could this be

enjoyed without life unending?

The Apostle adds `mercy' in verse 2 to his usual salutation of grace and peace. Paul

uses this word twelve times and it signifies `compassion' and strikes a tender note here.

We have a God Who is rich in mercy and in understanding of our every need and

Timothy would be reminded that this was so. The bond between the Apostle and the

young man was close, indeed closer than that of any other of Paul's fellow-workers.

While he appreciated all those who faithfully laboured with him, his relationship with

Timothy, as a father and son (Phil. 2: 22), was unique, warm, intimate and specially dear

to his heart, as the second verse of this letter makes clear where he addresses Timothy as

`my beloved child' (R.V.).

This led to constant intercession on the part of the Apostle, for he knew the great

importance and value of this ministry of prayer on behalf of others (cp. Rom.i.9; Phil.i.4;

Col.1: 3). As he thinks of Timothy he thanks God (verses 1-3) Whom, he declares, he

served `from my forefathers'. While God's leading and revelation had taken him away in

some respects from Judaism, so much so that he was deemed a heretic, ". . . after the way

which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are

written in the law and in the prophets" (Acts 24: 14), yet he had not left their God. He

still served Him with a pure conscience (I Tim. 1: 5), this assuredly helping him to hold

on his way, although it was often a way of loneliness and misunderstanding.

This intercession of Timothy was in no sense spasmodic, it was continuous, "without

ceasing, night and day" (verse 3) which shows the seriousness of the Apostle's purpose,

reminiscent of Acts 20: 31. This was not only true in relation to his son in the faith, but

also for all the churches. It provides a wonderful example to us all. How often believers

have to mourn the poverty of their prayer life!

Paul now refers to the young man's tears, evidently at their last parting. He was

obviously deeply attached to the Apostle and felt the severance keenly. Paul does not

disguise his own pleasure at the prospect of seeing Timothy again `greatly desiring to see

thee' (1: 4), "that I may be filled with joy". As we have seen, the word `fill' (pleroo) is

one of the great words of the Colossian epistle and Paul uses it no less than 23 times.

Here his joy would abound as he contemplates their meeting once more if possible, and

he is reminded, as he contemplates Timothy's "unfeigned faith", of his Christian

background, his godly grandmother and mother. These powerful home influences and

the saintly atmosphere had evidently greatly impressed Timothy, and many a believer

today has to thank God for the influence of an out and out Christian home.