2 Timothy 2:1-7

BE STRONG FOR THE GOSPEL

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  ²And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.  2 Timothy 2:1-2

You then, or you therefore, be strong.  Paul is telling Timothy, ‘never mind what other people may be thinking or saying or doing.  Never mind as well how weak and shy you yourself may feel … be strong.

?  How was Timothy to be strong??

?  Is Timothy to look to all that is good within himself and summon the courage to be strong??

?  And what does Timothy need the strength to do??   Why does he need strength??

Up until now Paul has been telling Timothy to guard the truth.  Many in Asia were unfaithful.  Given the unfaithfulness of the church and given Paul’s approaching death Paul wants to make sure that arrangements are made to pass the gospel down to the next, and coming generations.

Follow the flow of Paul’s logic:

1. The gospel was entrusted to Paul by Christ. I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.  ¹² I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.  Galatians 1:11-12

2. Paul entrusted the gospel to Timothy.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.  ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.  2 Timothy 1:13-14

Notice that there is no room for secret teachings.  There is no hidden doctrine.  What Paul taught he taught openly in front of many witnesses.

3. Timothy was now to pass along what he had heard.

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.  1 Corinthians 4:1

4. Timothy was to pass the gospel along to faithful men.  They must have integrity.  They must be men of character who could, in turn, faithfully teach others.  2 Timothy 2:24

For the remainder of chapter two (2) Paul explains the nature of the Christian life by using six (6) metaphors.

Metaphor #1:  THE DEDICATED SOLDIER

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  ⁴No-one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs — he wants to please his commanding officer.  2 Timothy 2:3-4

?  What did Paul know about soldiers??

?  What could the good soldier expect to experience??

“No soldier comes to the war surrounded by luxuries, nor goes into action from a comfortable bedroom, but from the makeshift and narrow tent, where every kind of hardness and severity and unpleasantness is to be found.  Similarly, the Christian should not expect an easy time.  If he is loyal to the gospel, he is sure to experience opposition and ridicule.  He must share in suffering with his comrades in arms.”   Tertullian

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  1 Timothy 4:4 

What Paul forbids is not secular activities.  We all must live and work in this world that God created and gave to us.  We are, however to avoid secular entanglements. Christians are never told to withdraw from the world.  Rather they are to be in the world but not of the world; not taking their marching orders from the worlds way of life. 

 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.  1 Tim 6:17-19

 

 Metaphor #2:  THE LAW ABIDING ATHLETE

Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.  2 Timothy 2:5

The Christian life in other contexts is compared to a race.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.  ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  ²⁶ Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air;  ²⁷ but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.  1 Corinthians 9:24-27 

1. 1. The athlete must train.  This takes self-discipline. It is strenuous,  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2
   2. We think of athletes as competing against each other, trying to show that they are better.  Trying to win.  However …

 Love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.  Romans 12:10

?  How are we to outdo one another?

3. But it takes more than training, endurance and effort to be successful.  The athlete must compete according to the rules.

 ?  Since Christians know that they are no longer under the law, What do you think Paul is teaching here??

… a person is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.  So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no-one will be justified.  Galatians 2:16

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

 ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.   Galatians 5:18-26

 

Metaphor #3: THE HARD WORKING FARMER

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  2 Timothy 2:6

 The soldier must be dedicated, the athlete must compete according the rules, the farmer must work hard.  However poor the soil, however bad the weather the farmer works hard.

?   What happens if the farmer does not work hard??

He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.  Proverbs 10:5

A sluggard does not plough in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.   Proverbs 20:4

 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;  ³¹ thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.  ³² I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:  ³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — ³⁴ and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.  Proverbs 24:30-34

?  What does the Bible mean when it speaks of harvest??

1. The harvest of character.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

 ⁸The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  Galatians 6:7-10

 I will never shrink from declaring my belief that there are no spiritual gains without spiritual pains.  I should as soon expect a farmer to prosper in business who contented himself with sowing his fields and never looking at them till harvest, as expect a believer to attain much holiness who was not diligent about his Bible reading, his prayers, and the use of his Sundays.  Our God is a God who works by means, and He will never bless the soul of that man who pretends to be so high and spiritual that he can get on without them.   Ryle

2. The harvest of unbelievers.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Matthew 9:36-38 

 This notion that Christian service is hard work is so unpopular in some happy-go-lucky Christian circles today that I feel the need to underline it … The verb means to become weary, tired, and so to work hard, toil, strive, struggle.  It goes without saying that the word can be used of manual labour, and Paul applied it to his tent making.  “We labour working with our hands.”  But in his view spiritual work involved exertion too … ”Mary who has worked hard among you”   “Persis who worked hard in the Lord.”  Paul gave and did not count the cost; fought and did not heed the wounds; toiled and did not seek for rest; labored and asked for no reward except the joy of doing his Lord’s will.   Stott

Unless we are willing to give ourselves to the battle like a dedicated soldier, train and keep the rules like an athlete, and toil like a farmer we cannot expect to see results.

 

THE WAY TO UNDERSTANDING

Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.  2 Timothy 2:7

?  What does Paul want us to do with this information??

If we are to know and really understand the truth we are to think over, ponder, reflect on, seriously study, and then meditate on God’s word.  Like the committed soldier, athlete, or farmer we must work at and put effort into reading, understanding, learning and putting into practice God’s truth.

Many Christians today think, with an attitude of spiritual superiority, that simply because they are Christians God will grant them insight and understanding.  They try to sound pious as they say that they are waiting for the Spirit’s leading on a matter.  But in truth this attitude is either misguided or just plain lazy.

Notice Paul tells Timothy to reflect on God’s teaching and then the Lord will give you insight into all this.  It takes work, concentration, intention.

 

REMEMBER

?  What does an ambassador do?

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  2 Corinthians 5:20

Paul has just explained that we, as believers, are responsible to not keep the gift that God has given us, the knowledge of salvation and the Christian life, to ourselves.  We are responsible to pass this along to others.  This is not optional.  What we have heard and seen, we are to pass along to others.  And they, in turn are to pass the truth on to others.

Paul left us with three metaphors to illustrate that though we have been given this responsibility we must not be fooled into thinking that our task will be easy.  No soldier, or athlete, or farmer can expect results without hard work, dedication, suffering, exertion, and labor.

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