2 Timothy 1:4 (DRB)

Passage

Desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy:

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son. Grace, mercy and peace, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Timothy 1:3 I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers, with a pure conscience, that without ceasing I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day.

2 Timothy 1:4 Desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy:

2 Timothy 1:5 Calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also.

2 Timothy 1:6 For which cause I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by the imposition of my hands.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "desiring", "thee", "mindful", "tears", and "filled". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "desiring" and "thee", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "I give thanks to God whom I..." into verse 5's "Calling to mind that faith which is...", so "desiring" and "thee" belong inside that flow. In 2 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "desiring" and "thee" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.