2 Timothy 2a
May 13, 2017
2 Timothy 2
Shawn Bumpers / General
Introduction
Last week we finished up the second part of chapter 1.
Paul was in prison, and he was writing his final thoughts to Timothy … final instructions to the man who would continue what he had started.
2 Timothy 1:4 NKJV
greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,
2 Timothy 4:21 NKJV
Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.
2 Timothy 4:6 NKJV
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
Colossians 4:7 NKJV
Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.
However, in this case, there is no reason to believe that Timothy ever returned to Ephesus.
Paul wanted Timothy to come to him before the winter of 68AD.
I believe that Paul’s intent was to hand off his ministry to Timothy.
Ephesians 2:19–20 NKJV
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
Acts 2:42 NKJV
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
1 Corinthians 15:3 NKJV
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
He uses the term παραδίδωμι Paradidōmi (Para-DEE-doh-mee) … conjugated form of paradosis, which is the Greek term we translate as “tradition.”
1 Corinthians 11:2 NKJV
Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 NKJV
But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.
Acts 17:10–11 NKJV
Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Galatians 1:8–9 NKJV
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Paul always pointed people to the Bible as the final authority.
We will see in verse 2 how Paul instructed Timothy to hand down what he learned from him to faithful men who can instruct others.
Paul had instructed Timothy and it is now Timothy’s responsibility to instruct others.
v1
With this “therefore” Paul is pointing back to Onesiphorus.
In the previous paragraph, Paul bragged on Onesiphorus and how he had ministered to Paul in his chains.
But the word ἐνδυναμόω Endynamoō (endoo-nay-MOH) and better means “be strengthened.”
Grace here is χάρις Charis (hah-RIS) and means both “gift” and “grace” and in this instance speaks of the “gift of grace” that is in Christ Jesus.
Paul had already referenced Timothy’s tears.
Ministry was hard and Timothy desired to do it well, as Paul did.
This is one of 20 times that Paul encourages Timothy to be strong and endure in his work in Ephesus.
Galatians 2:21 NKJV
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
In chapter 1, Paul had said that he was mindful of Timothy’s tears … that the knowledge of Timothy’s faithful work in the ministry brought him joy.
v2
Paul knew that he would be executed.
He had ministered the Gospel and sound doctrine over many years.
Galatians 1:12 NKJV
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We are stewards of the spiritual treasure God has given us.
“Commit” is a Greek word that means, “To set before.”
v3
Paul often used military illustrations in his letters.
This is not surprising.
Paul says that Timothy should endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:3 NASB95
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Majority Text is one method of determining the original reading of a scripture by determining what reading occurs in a majority of manuscripts.
Another method called “Critical Text” says that earlier manuscripts should have greater weight when compiling a translation.
It is important to note that the testimony of the thousands of manuscripts over 1500 years is entirely consistent on all the key issues of the Christian faith.
There are no doctrines that are no doctrines of the Christian faith that are put into doubt over misspellings and prepositions.
John 15:20 NKJV
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
I believe that Paul’s point here is to point to his own suffering and the difficulties that Onesiphorus endured in contrast to Phygellus and Hermogenes who left when things got tough.
And the message is for Timothy to press on, as a good soldier does, with the other soldiers.
v4
Timothy was enlisted as a soldier of Christ.
His call to service is found in Acts 16.
Acts 16:3 NKJV
Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
The Greek word for “enlisted” is στρατολογέω Stratologeō and speaks of enlisting soldiers, literally “Called to the army.”
A soldier is called to be just that … a soldier … and not be entangled in civilian affairs.
He is to be a man of one mind, we might say … not double minded.
Christian soldiers must not entangle themselves with the world.
Instead, their first loyalty is to Christ.
v5
Paul switches from soldier to athlete.
What’s the connection?
“According to the rules” is all in one Greek word … νομίμως Nomimōs which literally means, “lawfully” but in certain contexts can also mean, “Legitimately.”
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 1:13 NKJV
Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
From the human point of view, Paul was a loser.
There was nobody in the stands cheering him, for, as he said in chapter 1, they had turned away from him.
v6-7
We have a triathlon of illustrations here from Paul.
But consider that while the victorious soldier might receive commendations, and the winning athlete might receive a ribbon, the toil of a farmer often goes unnoticed.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul compared the local church to a cultivated field in which all the believers worked together.
In fact, the word here is “Hardworking” or κοπιάω Kopiōnta literally means “to toil to extreme fatigue.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Paul wasn’t just called … Paul also worked hard … he labored in the word and in doctrine … and he gained great understanding.
Some say Paul was telling Timothy to take a living wage here, but that seems to be out of left field given the chapter to this point.
v8-9
2 Timothy 2:8–9 LEB
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David according to my gospel, in connection with which I suffer misfortune to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but the word of God is not bound.
The word “that” as it occurs in the KJV and NKJV should not be there.
“Remember Jesus Christ!” is how Paul intended the beginning of this verse.
Hebrews 2:10 NKJV
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Our purpose is to bring honor and glory to Him.
A Christian who is faithfully living out his enlistment as a soldier … who is running the race … who is toiling in the fields … will endure hardship.
And check out verse 9 … even though following in the footsteps of Paul would mean chains for Timothy, the Word of God is not.
The Greek word for evildoer that Paul chose to use here is κακοῦργος Kakourgos (kah-KOO-er-ghos) and means “common criminal.”
Paul was bound, but God’s Word cannot be bound.
Psalm 147:15 NKJV
He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly.
v10
“The elect” are God’s people, chosen by His grace and called by His Spirit (2 Thes. 2:13–14).
2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 NKJV
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v11-13
This is another of the “faithful sayings” that were likely treated like creeds or a statement of faith in the early church.
It is not a part of the previous section, but belongs more to the next set of verses that begins with, “Remind them of these things.”
Romans 8:38–39 NKJV
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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