2 Timothy 2:1-13
In reading this letter from Paul, we must remember it
is probably his last letter before his martyrdom. He was a prisoner in Rome and
was writing to his “son in the Lord.” Timothy had walked with him as Paul
spread the Gospel westward. Timothy learned how to preach the gospel,
how to train men and
women to become mature in the faith, and how to rely on God for everything
knowing his future is secure in the kingdom of God. Many times Paul stated he
endured suffering so others
would not suffer and so others could hear of the love of God
brought to them through Jesus Christ. Paul is reminding and exhorting Timothy and those
others who read this epistle to stand strong, to run the race, and to keep spreading
the Word.
From verse 1, we hear Paul’s adamant statement that
Timothy must continue to be strong. He is giving Timothy a reason to stand
strong; he is reminding Timothy why. This “why” was spoken of in chapter 1. Timothy
is to stand strong because Jesus has saved him and
called him. Paul is telling Timothy things he had listened to before in
Ephesus, “be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10 NASB). He is
not telling Timothy to be strong in his own power; Paul is telling him to be
strong in the strength of God’s might. This is the God who created everything
and who beat Satan, beat death, and made a way for His children to return to
Him. Nothing can sidetrack His plans; He is God! Remember, that is what Paul is
telling him. Paul continues this verse by saying, you, Timothy, can be strong;
Jesus Christ’s grace enables you to
be strong. You did not earn Jesus’ favor, but He has given it to you because of
who He is and what He has done. Paul says to stand strong.
Paul continues to
mentor Timothy by saying, do not just stand strong but also tell, convince, and
teach what you have learned about Jesus to many witnesses. Set forth this teaching to
others who will exhort and teach it to others. As you, Timothy, are preaching, keep your spiritual eyes open for the ones with
whom you are to go the extra mile, to teach and disciple in depth so, they, too, can exhort, teach, and
pass on the gospel. Paul says to preach, teach, and explain.
Paul makes sure to remind Timothy that while he is
standing strong and preaching, teaching, and explaining, he will suffer
hardships, too. Paul encourages Timothy not to shrink back from them and recant
his faith but to stand
strong and consider himself a soldier for the cause of Jesus. He tells him to
suffer these troubles as a commendable soldier of Christ. If Jesus did not escape suffering, we who chose to die with Him will also experience
hardships in this world. Paul says to remember a soldier receives his payments
and just rewards from the one for whom he works. Therefore, if you work for
Christ and let Him guide you in that work, He pays you with a currency that can
never corrode, rust, or fade away. Jesus pays you with eternal life. Paul says to suffer hardships with him for
Christ.
Timothy is familiar with Roman and Greek culture. He
had a Greek Father and a Jewish
mother and grandmother. Timothy walked with Paul throughout the Roman Empire. He
saw soldiers, athletes, and farmers. Paul begins his discourse with a strong
negative, as in, you would not be a strong soldier if you did these things. By
saying this negative, he is implying Timothy will be a strong soldier, athlete,
and farmer, people who work for Christ. An active soldier, like the Roman soldiers, he
says, is hired to obey his commander and not become encumbered by
everyday dilemmas and affairs. This soldier does not become entangled in
everyday life, which would remove him or distract him from his work. The soldier
is told what to do, what to eat, where to go, and when to sleep. He is trained,
discipled, as Paul means to convey, to be a warrior for his commander and
emperor. No soldier for Christ should become so entangled in everyday affairs
that their attentions are removed from Christ and His work. Paul tells Timothy
to follow his commander, his Master.
The second example Paul gives is of an athlete. Timothy,
being half-Greek and having walked a part of the Roman Empire, has seen
athletes. Athletes are not given to excess. They train their bodies
to endure and to push on to reach a goal or prize. These trained athletes know they
must compete following prescribed rules or be disqualified. Their prize is a
wreath made of leaves or a trophy or another day of life. Paul speaks of this
in 1 Corinthians 9:25 when he says, “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They, then, do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (NASB). Paul is telling Timothy he must be his
own trainer. Timothy must take control of what he reads, hears, and does. He
must push on for Christ, for the prize. Timothy
can choose to be average or lazy and not prepare himself for the coming days
and, therefore, not be strong and endure for his chosen Lord, Jesus Christ. Alternatively, he can have
self-control and self-discipline and become a
strong cedar that will never fall even in the face of long, hard days of
ministry, persecution, or death. Paul tells Timothy to strive for the glory of
Christ and to win the crown of glory, the imperishable crown, eternal life with Christ.
Paul tells Timothy to train, become strong, and endure.
The third example Paul
gives Timothy is of a farmer. A farmer’s life is not easy. He has long hours
and he does all the work, plowing, sowing, weeding, watering, and harvesting. Sometimes
he takes on workers, trains and leads them, so they will be good workers for him.
Sometimes they become such good workers they can strike out on their own and
become farmers, too. This farmer analogy can be compared to the vinedresser, God, who calls us, waters and feeds us, and protects us
so we can become farmers. Paul is telling Timothy he has become that farmer,
too. It is his duty to plow and sow, water and feed, and then to harvest and
spread the seed more from those seeds, which have matured under his care. Timothy
is to train up others
who train up others, to multiply, so all people can be informed and know Christ and His
gospel. Paul reminds Timothy what he will reap is not just more fruit, which will bear more fruit; he will reap eternal
life. Timothy has become a
partner in the sharing of the crop, the message. Now he must spread the word
through his seed, his fruit. Paul tells Timothy do not grow weary, work and
bear reproducing fruit.
Paul now stops Timothy
and says think on these things, consider them and make them a part of you. Stand
strong, endure and persevere with hope. You are under a commander, Christ Jesus, but you are also to
discipline yourself for the task like an athlete. Not only
that, you are to plant, sow, and reap for the eternal granary. See how you have
gone from being mastered, to mastering yourself, to being master and training others. Train
up others to do likewise and command them to continue this cycle of learning,
believing, growing, sowing, and harvesting. Multiply for the kingdom.
As final
considerations, Paul wants Timothy to think upon and ponder what Paul has said
and what he is saying for the Lord. Paul reminds Timothy to ask God to give him
understanding in all things. Paul knows he will not be around for much longer
and he wants to remind Timothy to ask the Lord for understanding in everything.
He tells Timothy to seek the Lord’s knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in every
matter. Let Him be his mentor and master now and
always. He tells Timothy to hold in his memory and call to mind what he, Paul, has been told,
considered, and found to be true, that Jesus Christ, the One who is risen from the dead, who is a
descendent of David, is not just affirmed in history but in the gospels. His
message is the gospel. He is why Paul willingly suffers hardships and
afflictions, even to being considered a trouble to the government, even to
imprisonment. On the other hand, remember, the Word of God, Jesus Christ, cannot be imprisoned. He has proven nothing can
take Him as a prisoner when He beat death and rose from the grave.
Paul perseveres for this reason, with hope in good and bad
times, because of the hope of eternal life with Jesus Christ. It is because of those, whom God has chosen
to be His children, Paul endures, so they may listen to, reach for, and attain
salvation, deliverance from evil now and forever, through Christ, and so they may obtain eternal
glory. Paul has often spoken in this manner and Timothy has without doubt taken
notice of it. Paul wanted to say it again for Timothy, his “son.” “Now I
rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf
of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s
afflictions” (Colossians 1:24 NASB). Paul
suffers with rejoicing and he wants to remind Timothy he continues to rejoice
even knowing this imprisonment will end with his death. Paul’s suffering has
been for eternal good and glory so others could acquire a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ. Paul tells Timothy to
rejoice in suffering for Christ
so others may come to Him.
Paul ends with four
conditional statements. These “if, then” statements show our humanity
juxtaposed to God’s divinity. Paul tells Timothy this teaching he
and you can trust; listen well and
know with a deep heart knowledge.
If we died with Him, gave up our old ways and died
to them,
Then we will live with Him forever.
If we endure for Him, persevere with hope,
Then we will reign with Him, we will live in
blessedness with Him.
If we deny Him, turn our backs on and reject Him,
He will deny us also.
If we are faithless to Him, if we deny and betray him,
He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.
Humanity without God is dead,
without hope, and rebellious. We are sinful and have no
hope beyond earth without Him. God is deity, not a man who sins and needs
repentance. He is not unfaithful, for that is against His nature, His being. Our
rebellion and unfaithfulness breaks His heart. The greatest juxtaposition ever
is that God is God (I AM) and we are just humans, created by I AM.
Paul, in summation, told Timothy, several things,
which boils down to being a disciple of Christ. He starts with three physical actions for Timothy
to take, be strong, teach and explain the gospel, and endure suffering. Paul said to do these things as a soldier,
athlete, and as a farmer for Christ, obeying, strengthening, and harvesting for
Him. Paul then tells Timothy to do two mental actions, think upon, consider
what I taught you, and remember Jesus Christ and His love for you and
His chosen ones. Paul says to remember this is for whom I suffer hardship as a
criminal; the gospel cannot be chained or bound. The gospel will be spread
whether we suffer and die or whether we live in freedom. In addition, this is
why he has endured in everything, bad and good, so the chosen children will obtain
salvation and eternal
glory. Is that not enough to make enduring persecution a reason to rejoice and
live?
Finally,
Paul says, “It is a trustworthy statement for if we
die with Him, we will also live with Him…” (vs.11, NASB) This teaching we can rely
upon with our full trust; Jesus is the Christ who died for
our sins and rose
again so we could have eternal life and live
with Him forever in His kingdom. This is enough for which to die. Since that is
so, eternal life with Christ is reason enough for which to tell others and risk
being slandered, persecuted, tormented, or killed. Paul tells Timothy this letter
is probably his last word to Timothy before his death, but his momentary
persecution and death will have been worth it if even a few people come to know
Christ and gain eternal life with Him. Rejoice at their understanding and
acceptance. Keep standing strong and teaching others so Jesus may be
proclaimed, accepted, and glorified through you, whether in life or death. Endure,
persevere with hope, knowing Jesus has won and through Him, you have
victory. God is faithful.
What is your response to Jesus?
What is your response
to His calling on your life?
