Timothy was a young and timid pastor with a ministry in avery secular metropolitan area.  The Apostle Pauls encourages him to stand firm in his faith and to confront sin……but to confront it in love…….not like others confront sin.  Paul encourages the young pastor to puthimself in the lives of those that he is ministering to in order to understand them better, to be able to love them as Jesus loves them, and to share the gospel truth with them to change their lives.  We have so much to learn from this small letter