Jesús, Señor y Cristo

Esta es, de todas las instrucciones estudiadas hasta ahora, la más extensa, pues ocupa la totalidad del capítulo 3. Esto no significa que sea la instrucción más importante o contundente de todas, pero sí revela que es la que demanda mayor atención y desarrollo, porque contiene elementos proféticos que, entre otras cosas, sirven de fundamento para comprender el mensaje que después será dirigido a las siete iglesias del Apocalipsis.

Of all the instructions studied so far, this is the longest, as it takes up the entirety of Chapter 3. This does not mean that it is the most important or compelling instruction of all, but it does reveal that it is the one that requires the most attention and elaboration, because it contains prophetic elements that, among other things, serve as the foundation for understanding the message that will later be addressed to the seven churches in Revelation.

El trasfondo de esta segunda carta es determinante para comprenderla correctamente. Pablo la escribió estando prisionero en Roma, consciente de que se aproximaban sus últimos días. De ahí surge el valor particular de esta epístola: el apóstol quiere dejar sus últimas instrucciones para asegurarse de que Timoteo no abandone el ministerio, sino que continúe desarrollando la obra evangelística que le fue entregada por la imposición de las manos de Pablo y del presbiterio.

The background of this second letter is decisive for understanding it correctly. Paul wrote it while a prisoner in Rome, aware that his final days were approaching. From this arises the particular value of this epistle: the apostle wants to leave his last instructions to make sure that Timothy will not abandon the ministry, but will continue developing the evangelistic work entrusted to him through the laying on of Paul's hands and of the presbytery.

In this teaching we continue our study of the instructions the apostle Paul gives to Timothy — the last ones contained in the second epistle — and we now arrive at the fourth of them. It is important to keep in mind that the purpose of these instructions, in Paul's heart, was to secure that Timothy would be able to continue, to remain firm in the ministry he had begun as a very young man at the apostle's side.

In this chapter we will study the third instruction that the apostle Paul gives to Timothy, contained in the second epistle he addresses to him. It is important to remember, and it is worth reemphasizing, that this second epistle is not the same as the first. In the first epistle, Paul gives Timothy instructions of an operational nature: how a minister should behave, how he should conduct himself, what a minister must do — instructions that, by extension, also reach the man and woman of faith,

En esta enseñanza continuamos con el estudio de las instrucciones que el apóstol Pablo le entrega a Timoteo —las últimas contenidas en la segunda epístola— y llegamos ahora a la cuarta de ellas. Es importante tener siempre presente que estas instrucciones tienen un propósito claro en el corazón de Pablo: garantizar que Timoteo pudiera continuar, que pudiera mantenerse firme en el ministerio que había iniciado desde muy joven al lado del apóstol.

This second instruction contains three clearly identifiable elements: first, “be strong in the grace” (v. 1); second, “the things you have heard from me among many witnesses” (v. 2); and third, “commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (v. 2). Of these three elements, the foundational instruction, the primary one, is the first: be strong in the grace.

En este capítulo estudiaremos la tercera instrucción que el apóstol Pablo entrega a Timoteo, contenida en la segunda epístola que le dirige. Es importante recordar, y conviene reenfatizarlo, que esta segunda epístola no es igual a la primera. En la primera epístola, Pablo le da a Timoteo instrucciones de carácter operativo: cómo debe comportarse un ministro, cómo debe conducirse, qué es lo que debe hacer, instrucciones que, por extensión, alcanzan también al hombre y a la mujer de fe en general,

The phrase "stir up" carries the image of rekindling a fire—bringing back to life something that has begun to go cold. Paul would not have told Timothy to stir up the gift if that gift were already burning brightly. The very existence of this instruction reveals a serious pastoral diagnosis: Timothy had entered a process of spiritual decline, weariness, and numbness, and Paul was moving to stop that process before it became irreversible.

Esta segunda instrucción contiene tres elementos claramente identificables: primero, “esfuérzate en la gracia” (v. 1); segundo, “lo que has oído de mí entre muchos testigos” (v. 2); y tercero, “esto encarga a los hombres fieles que serán idóneos para enseñar también a otros” (v. 2). De estos tres elementos, la instrucción fundamental, la mayoritaria, es la primera: esfuérzate en la gracia.

Throughout these reflections we have already examined the first characteristic — the work of faith — and the second — the labor of love. We will now focus on the third: the patience of hope. Reading the Word carries a concrete demand for each one of us: what is the Spirit of God requiring of us today through this text?

Versión más concisa:En algunas versiones se traduce como «aviva el fuego», traducción acertada porque la expresión implica reavivar algo que se está apagando. Pablo no le pediría a Timoteo que despertara el don si este estuviera plenamente encendido. Esta exhortación revela un diagnóstico serio: Timoteo había entrado en un proceso de decaimiento y agobio espiritual, y el apóstol actúa para detenerlo antes de que sea irreversible.

In this teaching we are going to study the second characteristic that the apostle Paul identified as a manifestation of the kingdom of God in the community of faith at Thessalonica. To set the proper framework, let us recall that Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians is, as far as we know, the first epistle the apostle wrote, addressed precisely to the community of faith at Thessalonica.

Informações sobre migração

A lo largo de estas reflexiones hemos examinado ya la primera característica —la obra de la fe— y la segunda —el trabajo del amor—. Ahora nos concentraremos en la tercera: la tolerancia de la esperanza. La lectura de la Palabra tiene una demanda concreta para cada uno de nosotros: ¿qué nos está exigiendo el Espíritu de Dios hoy, mediante este texto?

The Gospel is the doctrine and message of the kingdom of heaven. It was that same message that John the Baptist proclaimed and that Jesus announced at the beginning of His ministry: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:2). It is not a restoration of Judaism or a ritualistic reform; it is the spiritual message already contained in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, which Jesus opened to His disciples so that they might understand it in all its depth.