Glory be to Jesus Christ!
🌞
For the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18122023.html
For the reading from the Gospel, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/04122023.html
To the apostle of 70 Timothy:
The reading from the Apostle precedes and is a direct continuation of the reading from the Apostle, having two verses in common (8-9), which I wrote about here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08122023.html
2 Timothy I, 3 — 'ἡμέρας' — 'emeras' - 'day'.
2 Timothy I, 7, 9 — 'ἡμῖν' — 'emin' - 'to us'.
2 Timothy I, 8, 9 — 'ἡμῶν' — 'emon' - 'us' (our). 'ἐμὲ' - 'eme' - 'me'. 'συνκακοπάθησον' - 'synkakopatheson' - 'suffer hardships together with'.
The final words of today's reading mean that with God's help, strength, and grace, we need to patiently overcome difficulties, to be enduring with the Gospel, that is, to always remember it, including in difficulties and sufferings, to overcome all these by the power of Christ, the power of God through the Gospel virtues and faith.
The apostle Paul, as Timothy's elder and teacher, reminds Timothy of his history of receiving Christ and his godly family, and encourages him to grow in faith. He expresses his faith in Timothy, in his strength and faithfulness to Christ.
Verse 7 is to be understood as a contrast — what human, not God's, fear reduces and does not go well with is what Paul is saying here — strength, love and wisdom give people the power to overcome and get rid of human fears.
The fear of God is not mentioned here, but human, ordinary fear is. This latter does not come from God, but can even lead a person to destruction if they give in to it completely. The apostle Paul, as in some other places, following the Old Testament people, does not distinguish between God's permission and God's will, as I have written about elsewhere, see in particular the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15072023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30062023.html
For readings from the Gospel, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/11102023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!