| Former half | Relation | Latter half |
| 1 Thanksgiving and encouragement (1:1-18) grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (1:2) | Salutation | 7 Personal instructions (4:9-22) The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with all of you. (4:22) |
| 1 Thanksgiving and encouragement (1:1-18) You know that everyone in Asia deserted me, (1:15) | Person who deserts Paul | 7 Personal instructions (4:9-22) for Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. (4:10) |
| 1 Thanksgiving and encouragement (1:1-18) 1:16 May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed of my chains. 1:17 But when he came to Rome, he promptly searched for me and found me. (1:16-17) | Person who supports Paul | 7 Personal instructions (4:9-22) Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry. (4:11) |
| 2 A good soldier of Christ Jesus (2:1-7) Bear your share of hardship along with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2:3) | Good soldier | 6 Paul's charge to Timothy (3:12-4:8) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (4:7) |
| 3 Living with Christ (2:8-14) Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. (2:10) | Endurance | 5 Godlessness in the last days (3:1-11) persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, persecutions that I endured. Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me. (3:11) |
| Former half | Relation | Latter half |
| 1 Thanksgiving and encouragement (1:1-18) You know that everyone in Asia deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes (1:15) | Heresy | 4 Holy ones (2:15-26) their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus (2:17) |
| 2 A good soldier of Christ Jesus (2:1-7) Bear your share of hardship along with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2:3) | Sharing hardship with Christ | 3 Living with Christ (2:8-14) if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us (2:12) |
| Former half | Relation | Latter half |
| 4 Holy ones (2:15-26) who have deviated from the truth by saying that (the) resurrection has already taken place and are upsetting the faith of some (2:18) | Heresy | 7 Personal instructions (4:9-22) You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching (4:15) |
| 5 Godlessness in the last days (3:1-11) But understand this: there will be terrifying times in the last days (3:1) | Persecution | 6 Paul's charge to Timothy (3:12-4:8) In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (3:12) |