The three pastoral letters or epistles are books of the canonical New Testament: the First Epistle to Timothy (1 Timothy) the Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Timothy) and the Epistle to Titus. They are letters from Paul the Apostle to Timothy and to Titus. They are generally discussed as a group (sometimes with the addition of the Epistle to Philemon) and are given the title pastoral because they are addressed to individuals with pastoral oversight of churches and discuss issues of Christian living, doctrine and leadership. While the title is not technically quite correct in that the Epistles do not deal with pastoral duties in the sense of the cure of souls, yet it is popularly appropriate as denoting the essentially practical nature of the subject matter as distinguished from the other Epistles attributed to Paul. The term "pastorals" was popularised in 1703 by D. N. Berdot and in 1726 by Paul Anton.

2 Timothy 1:8 Not Ashamed

2 Timothy 1:8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
Paul makes several references to suffering in the pastoral letters and here he comes back to the subject once again. He himself is in prison but he does not want Timothy to be ashamed of him (as Onesiphorus was not) or of the testimony about our Lord that has led to him suffering in this way. Perhaps he has the saying in Mark 8:38 in mind (If anyone is ashamed of me ... see also 2 Timothy 2:12). Rather, he says he wants Timothy to join with me in suffering for the gospel .... (see 2 Timothy 2:3 for the only other instance of this wording in the New Testament). Paul is very demanding then, as is the gospel itself. However, it is by the power of God that Paul is doing what he does and that is how he expects Timothy to proceed to. Most ministers do not end up in prison even for the testimony about our Lord but there must be a willingness to join in the suffering for the gospel that so many have known down the ages. This is possible for us by the power of God. 
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