2. The argument of the Epistle.
The sum of the Epistle comes to this. Saint Paul gives thanks to God for Timothy’s faith, and exhorts him to stir up the gift bestowed upon him, and not to regard his chains as shameful to himself: to hold fast the form of sound words, to keep the deposit, to deliver the doctrine received to faithful men, to conduct himself as a good soldier of Christ, not to strive over words, to avoid youthful lusts, to study gentleness. Then he, having prophesied concerning the last times, commands Timothy to continue in the things that he has learned, to pursue preaching, to study sobriety. Finally, he, expressing the nearness of the time of his ἀναλύσεως/departure, commands Timothy to hasten to him.