2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2:1

B. To Endurance (2:1-13) 2:1 To be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus means to be courageous with the strength which His grace provides, to go on faithfully for the Lord with the undeserved ability that comes through union with Him. 2:2 Not only is Timothy to be strengthened himself, but he is to provide for the spiritual strengthening of others. He is responsible to transmit to others the inspired teachings which he had received from the apostle. Paul was soon to pass off the scene. He had faithfully taught Timothy in the presence of many witnesses. Timothy’s own day of service would be short at best, and he, too, should so order his ministry that others would be prepared to carry on as teachers. This verse does not support the notion of apostolic succession. Neither does it refer to the present day practice of ordination of ministers. Rather, it is simply the Lord’s instruction to the church to ensure a succession of competent teachers. It has often been pointed out that there are four generations of believers in this verse, as follows:

1. The Apostle Paul.
2. Timothy and many witnesses.
3. Faithful men.
4. Others. This Scripture emphasizes the importance of every-member evangelism. If each believer truly did his part the world could be evangelized within a generation. However, this is merely hypothetical in the light of the perversity of man’s will, the rival evangelism of world religions and the cults, and many other obstacles. Positively, however, one thing is certain: Christians could do a great deal better than the record so far! Notice that Timothy is to commit the truth to faithful men, that is, men who are believers and who are themselves dependable. These men should be able to teach others also. This presupposes some competency as far as teaching ministry is concerned. 2:3 It has often been pointed out that Paul uses a wealth of similes in this chapter to describe Timothy: (1) Son (v. 1); (2) Soldier (vv. 3, 4); (3) Athlete (v. 5); (4) Farmer (v. 6); (5) Worker (v. 15); (6) Vessel (v. 21); (7) Servant (v. 24). As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, Timothy should endure suffering and hardship. (For a list of the many hardships Paul himself endured, see 2Co_11:23-29.) 2:4 The soldier described in this verse is one who is on active duty. Not only so, but he is in the thick of the combat. No soldier in such grim circumstances entangles himself with the affairs of this life. Does this mean that those who are in the Lord’s service should never engage in secular occupations as well? Certainly not! Paul himself worked as a tentmaker while he was preaching the gospel and planting churches. He testified that his own hands ministered to his necessities. The emphasis is on the word entangles. The soldier must not allow ordinary affairs of life to become the main object of existence. For instance, he must not make acquiring food and clothing the main aim of life. Rather, the service of Christ must always occupy the prominent place, while the things of this life are kept in the background. Kelly says: To entangle oneself in the businesses of life means really to give up separation from the world by taking one’s part in outward affairs as a bona fide partner in it.A soldier on duty keeps himself in readiness for orders from headquarters. His desire is to please the one who enlisted him. The believer, of course, has been enlisted by the Lord, and our love for Him should cause us to maintain a light hold on the things of this world. 2:5 The figure now changes to an athlete who competes in the games. In order to receive the reward, he must obey the rules of the game. So it is in Christian service. How many fall out before they reach the finish line, disqualified because they did not maintain an unquestioning obedience to the word of God! What are some of the rules in connection with Christian service? (1) The Christian must practice self-discipline (1Co_9:27). (2) He must not fight with carnal weapons, but with spiritual ones (2Co_10:4). (3) He must keep himself pure. (4) He must not strive, but be patient. Someone has said: A spare-time Christian is a contradiction in terms; a man’s whole life should be one strenuous endeavor to live out his Christianity in every moment and in every sphere of his life.2:6 The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops. According to all principles of righteousness, the one who labors to bring forth the crops has a prior right to participate in them. This would serve as an encouragement to Timothy, should he ever become discouraged in his labor for the Lord. Such toil will not go unrewarded. Although many will participate in the harvest in a coming day, yet Timothy’s labor of love would not go unnoticed. Indeed, he would be the first to partake of the fruit of his own labor. 2:7 But there is more in these three illustrations of Christian service than appears on the surface. Timothy is exhorted to consider them and to meditate on them. As he does so, Paul prays that the Lord will give him understanding in all things. He will realize that the Christian ministry resembles warfare, athletics, and farming. Each of these occupations has its own responsibilities, and each brings its own reward. 2:8 At this point, the apostle reaches the high-water mark in his series of encouragements to young Timothy. He comes to the example of the Lord Jesus, and he can go no higher. His is an example of suffering followed by glory. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel. The thought is not that Timothy is to remember certain things about the Lord Jesus, but rather that he is to remember the Person Himself, alive from the dead. In one sense, this verse is a brief summary of the gospel which Paul preached. The crucial point in that gospel is the resurrection of the Savior. Hiebert writes: Not the vision of a crucified Jesus but the vision of a risen Lord is held up before Timothy.The expression of the seed of David is a simple statement that Jesus is the Christ, the descendant of David, in whom the Messianic promises of God are fulfilled. Constant remembrance of the Savior’s Person and work is essential for all who want to serve Him. Especially for those facing suffering and possible death, there is great encouragement in remembering that even the Lord Jesus Himself reached the glory of heaven by way of the cross and the grave. 2:9 It was for proclaiming the gospel outlined in verse 8 that Paul was now chained in a Roman prison. He was looked upon as an evildoer, as a common criminal. There was much to discourage. Not only was the Roman government determined to put him to death, but some of his own Christian friends had turned away from him. And yet in spite of these bitter circumstances, Paul’s happy spirit soars high above the dungeon walls. He forgets his own dismal outlook when he remembers that the word of God is not chained. As Lenski said so well, The apostle’s living voice may be smothered in his own blood, but what his Lord speaks through him still resounds in the wide world. Not all the armies in the world can hinder the word of God from going forth. They might just as well try to stop the rain or the snow from falling (Isa_55:10-11). Harvey says: With irresistible, divine energy it is advancing in its career of triumph, even while its defenders suffer imprisonment and martyrdom. Men die, but Christ and His gospel live and triumph through the ages. 2:10 Because of the irresistible nature of the gospel, Paul was willing to endure all things for the sake of the elect. The elect here refers to all those chosen by God for eternal salvation. While the Bible does teach that God chooses people to be saved, it nowhere says that He selects some to be damned. Those who are saved are saved by the sovereign grace of God. Those who are lost are lost by their own deliberate choice. No one should quarrel with God over the doctrine of election. This doctrine simply allows God to be God, the Sovereign of the universe, who deals in grace, justice, righteousness, and love. He never does anything unfair or unkind, but He often shows favor that is completely unmerited. The apostle realized that through his suffering for the sake of the gospel, souls were saved and that these very souls would one day participate in eternal glory with Christ Jesus. The vision of guilty sinners, saved by the grace of God and glorified together with Christ Jesus, was sufficient to inspire Paul to bear all things. In this, we are reminded of the words attributed to the godly Rutherford: Oh, if one soul from Anwoth Meet me at God’s right hand, My heaven shall be two heavens In Immanuel’s land. 2:11 Verses 11-13 are thought by some to be from an early Christian hymn. Whether that is so or not, they certainly present some inflexible principles concerning man’s relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Hiebert writes: The central truth of these pithy statements is that faith in Christ identifies the believer with Him in everything while unbelief just as surely separates men from Him. This is the fourth faithful saying in Paul’s Letters to Timothy. The first principle is that if we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him. This is true of every believer. In a spiritual sense, we died with Him the moment we trusted Him as our Savior. We were buried with Him, and we rose again with Him from among the dead. Christ died as our Representative and Substitute. We should have died for our sins, but Christ died in our place. God reckons us to have died with Him, and this means that we shall also live with Him in heaven. Perhaps this verse also has an application to those who die as Christian martyrs. Those who thus follow Him in death will likewise follow Him in resurrection. 2:12 In a sense, it is also true of all Christians that they endure and that they shall also reign with Christ. True faith always has the quality of permanence, and in this sense all believers do endure. However, it should also be pointed out that not all will reign with Christ to the same extent. When He comes back to reign over the earth, His saints will return with Him and share in that rule. But the extent of one’s rule will be determined by his faithfulness during this present life. Those who deny Christ will be denied by Him. Here the thought is not of a temporary denial of the Savior under duress, as in the case of Peter, but a permanent, habitual denial of Him. These words describe an unbelieverone who has never embraced the Lord Jesus by faith. All such will be denied by the Lord in a coming day, no matter how pious their profession might have been. 2:13 This verse also describes unbelievers. Dinsdale Young explains: God cannot be inconsistent with Himself. It would be inconsistent with His character to treat the faithful and the unfaithful alike. He is evermore true to righteousness, whatever we are.The words should not be interpreted to teach that God’s faithfulness will be demonstrated in upholding those who are unbelieving. Such is not the case. If men are unbelieving, He must be faithful to His own character and must treat them accordingly. As Van Oosterzee says, He is just as faithful in His threatenings as in His promises.

2 Timothy 2:14

III. FIDELITY VERSUS APOSTASY (2:14-4:8) A. Fidelity to True Christianity (2:14-26) 2:14 Timothy is to remind them of these things, that is, the things of verses 11-13. But to whom does Paul refer with the word them? He probably refers in a general sense to all of Timothy’s hearers and in a special sense to those who were introducing strange doctrines. This is evident from the remaining part of the verse, where those who obviously occupied the place of teachers or preachers are warned not to strive about words. Apparently there were those in Ephesus who made great issues over the technical meaning of certain words. Instead of building up the saints in the truth of God’s word, they were only undermining the faith of some who heard them. Dinsdale Young warns: It is so easy to become a theological crankso readily are we engrossed with questions that are of no supreme moment. Life is too brief and too busy for the wasting of brain and heart on what is not formative of character. When a world awaits evangelization, it ill becomes us to be forever either sauntering or hurrying along doctrinal byways. Keep to the highways. Be true to the greater verities. Emphasize essentials, not incidentals. Do not emulate the victims of panic in the days of Shamgar and of Jael, who left the highways unoccupied and walked through byways. 2:15 Timothy should be diligent to present himself approved to God. His efforts should be concentrated on becoming a worker who does not need to be ashamed. This he could do by rightly dividing the word of truth. This latter expression means to handle the Scriptures correctly, to hew the line, or as Alford put it, to manage rightly to treat truth fully without falsifying.2:16 Profane and idle babblings are teachings that are irreverent, evil, and useless. It is not profitable for the people of God and should be shunned. Timothy is not instructed to combat these teachings but rather to treat them with disdain, not even dignifying them with his attention. One serious thing about these babblers is that they are never static. They always increase in ungodliness. It is so with all forms of error. Those who teach error must be continually adding to it. This explains the new dogmas and pronouncements that are constantly being issued by false religious systems. Needless to say, the more these doctrinal errors are expanded, the more ungodliness results. 2:17 The way in which evil teachings spread is compared to cancer. Most of us know only too well how this dread disease spreads rapidly in the human body, destroying tissue wherever it goes. The word cancer can also be rendered gangrene. Gangrene refers to the mortification of part of the body when it is cut off from its normal supply of blood and nutrition. Elsewhere in the NT, evil doctrine is likened to leaven, which, if allowed to spread, will eventually affect the whole lump of meal. Two men are named whose teachings were corrupting the local church. They were Hymenaeus and Philetus. Because they failed to handle the word of truth correctly, they take their place with others in God’s hall of shame. 2:18 Their false teaching is here exposed. They told the people that the resurrection was already past. Perhaps they meant that when a person was saved and was raised to newness of life with Christ, that was the only resurrection he could expect. In other words, they spiritualized the resurrection and scoffed at the idea of a literal raising of the body from the grave. Paul recognized this as a serious threat to the truth of Christianity. Hamilton Smith says: If the resurrection is past already, it is evident that the saints have reached their final condition while yet on earth, with the result that the church ceases to look for the coming of the Lord, loses the truth of its heavenly destiny, and gives up its stranger and pilgrim character. Having lost its heavenly character, the church settles down on the earth, taking a place as part of the system for the reformation and government of the world. By overthrowing the faith of some, these men earned for themselves an undesirable entry in God’s eternal book. 2:19 As Paul thinks of Hymenaeus and Philetus and their false teaching, he realizes afresh that dark days are coming upon the church. Unbelievers have been accepted into the local church. Spiritual life is at such a low ebb that it is often hard to tell true Christians from mere professors. Christendom is a mixed multitude, and the resulting confusion is devastating. In the midst of such a condition, Paul finds comfort in the assurance that the solid foundation of God stands. This means that whatever has been established by God Himself will endure in spite of all the declension in the professing church. Various explanations have been given as to what is meant by the solid foundation of God. Some suggest that it is the true church. Others say it refers to the promise of God, to the Christian faith, or to the doctrine of election. But is it not clear that the foundation of God refers to anything that the Lord does? If He sends out His word, nothing can hinder it. Hamilton Smith says: No failure of man can set aside the foundation that God has laid, or prevent God from completing what He has commenced. …

Those who are the Lord’s, though hidden in the mass, cannot be ultimately lost.The foundation of God has a twofold seal. There is a divine side to it and a human side as well. From the divine side, the Lord knows those who are His. He knows them, not only in the sense of recognition, but of approval and appreciation. Lenski says He knows them with appropriating and effective love. The human side of the seal is that everyone who names the name of Christ should depart from iniquity.

In other words, those professing to be Christians can prove the reality of their profession by lives of holiness and godliness. The true Christian should have no dealings with unrighteousness. A seal is a mark of ownership and also an emblem of guarantee and security. Thus the seal on God’s foundation signifies His ownership of those who are true believers and the guarantee that all who have been converted will prove the reality of their new life by departing from unrighteousness. 2:20 In this illustration, we understand that the great house refers to Christendom in general. In a broad sense, Christendom includes believers and professorsthose who are truly born again and those who are mere nominal Christians. Vessels of gold and silver would therefore refer to genuine believers. Vessels of wood and clay refer not to unbelievers in general, but to those in particular who were evil workers and who taught false doctrines, such as Hymenaeus and Philetus (v. 17). Certain things should be noticed about these vessels. First of all, there is an important distinction between the materials of which the vessels are made. Secondly, there is a difference in the uses to which they are put. Finally, there is the distinction as to their ultimate destiny. The vessels of wood and clay are discarded after a while, but those of gold and silver are retained as valuable. The expression some for honor and some for dishonor has been variously interpreted. Some suggest that dishonor simply means less honor. In that case, all the vessels would stand for true believers, but some are used for the highest purposes and some for the lowest. Others feel that the vessels for honor would refer to men like Paul and Timothy, whereas those for dishonor would refer to such men as Hymenaeus and Philetus. 2:21 The interpretation of this passage largely depends on one’s understanding of the meaning of the latter in Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter.Does latter refer to the vessels of wood and clay? Does it refer to the false teachings that have been mentioned previously in this chapter? Or does it refer in a general way to evil men? The most natural meaning seems to be to connect latter with vessels for dishonor. Timothy is instructed to separate himself from evil men and especially from evil teachers such as those Paul had just mentionedHymenaeus and Philetus. Timothy is not instructed to leave the church. Neither is he told to leave Christendom as such. It would be impossible for him to do this without giving up his Christian profession, since Christendom includes all who profess to be believers. Rather, it is a question of separating from evildoers and avoiding contamination from wicked doctrine. If a man keeps himself free from evil associations, he will be a vessel for honor. God can use only clean vessels in holy service. Be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord (Isa_52:11). Such a man will also be sanctified in the sense that he will be set apart from evil to the service of God. He will be useful for the Mastera quality greatly to be desired by all who love the Lord. Finally, he will be prepared for every good work. He will be ready at all times to be used in whatever way his Master may dictate. 2:22 Not only is Timothy to separate himself from iniquitous men, but he is to separate himself from the lusts of the flesh. Youthful lusts may refer not only to physical appetites but also to the lust for money, fame, and pleasure. They may also include self-will, impatience, pride, and levity. As we have mentioned, Timothy was probably about thirty-five years of age at this time. Therefore, youthful lusts do not necessarily mean such lusts as would be particularly characteristic of a teenager but would include all the unholy desires that would present themselves to a young servant of the Lord and seek to divert him from the path of purity and righteousness. Not only is Timothy to flee; he is also to follow. There is the negative and the positive. He should pursue righteousness. This simply means that his dealings with his fellow men, saved and unsaved, should always be characterized by honesty, justice, and fairness. Faith may mean faithfulness or absolute integrity. On the other hand, it may include a continual dependence on the Lord. Hiebert defines it as sincere and dynamic confidence in God.Love cannot be limited here to love to God alone, but must also include love for one’s brethren and for the world of lost sinners. Love always considers others; it is essentially unselfish. Peace carries the idea of harmony and compatibility. These virtues are to be followed with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Just as in verse 21 Timothy was warned to separate himself from wicked men, so here he is taught to associate himself with Christians who are walking in purity before the Lord. He is not to follow the virtues of the Christian life in isolation, but rather he must take his place as a member in the Body and seek to work with his fellow members for the good of the Body. 2:23 In the course of his Christian ministry, Timothy would often be faced with trifling and stupid questions. Such questions would spring from an ignorant, uneducated mind and would have no real benefit connected with them. Such disputes should be refused because they only stir up strife. Needless to say, these are not questions connected with the great fundamentals of the Christian faith, but rather silly problems that would only succeed in wasting time and causing confusion and arguments. 2:24 The servant of the Lord here is literally the Lord’s bondservant. It is fitting that this title should be used in a verse where gentleness and patience are encouraged. Although the Lord’s servant must contend for the truth, yet he must not be contentious or argumentative. Rather, he must be gentle to all and approach men with the purpose of instructing them rather than of winning an argument. He must be patient with those who are slow to understand and even with those who do not seem disposed to accept the truth of God’s word. 2:25 The Lord’s bondservant must exercise meekness and humility in dealing with opposition. A person wrongs his own soul by refusing to bow to the word of God. Such people need to be corrected lest they ignorantly go on with the mistaken notion that their view is in accordance with the Scriptures. If God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth. At first, this might seem to suggest that there is some question as to God’s willingness to grant repentance to these people. That, however, is not the case. The fact of the matter is that God is waiting to forgive them if only they will come to Him in confession and repentance. God does not withhold repentance from anyone, but men are so often unwilling to admit that they are wrong. 2:26 The servant of the Lord should so deal with erring men that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil. They have been taken captive by him to do his will, and, as it were, bewitched or intoxicated by him.