II
Timothy 2:1
The Apostle Paul wrote in the Bible in Second Timothy 2:1, Thou
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. One of the
purposes of life is to become strong. When we are born into the world, we do
not have much strength. We depend upon others to care for us until we become
old enough and strong enough to care for ourselves. Of course, Second Timothy
2:1 is not talking about physical strength. It is talking about spiritual
strength. In regards to spiritual strength we need to be reminded of where
spiritual strength comes from. It comes from the same place that salvation
comes from. It comes from the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus. Grace
happens when Jesus gives you what you do not deserve and cannot earn. If we
rely upon ourselves and our own strength, then we will not be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus. Grace refers to Gods unmerited favor because of
Jesus. If you realize that you are nothing and that you can do nothing except
by the grace of God, then you have a chance of being strong in the grace that
is in Christ Jesus. You must also believe that God operates on the principle of
grace through Christ for everything in your life.
Paul taught Timothy many things especially related to the grace of
God that is in Christ Jesus. Concerning the wonderful spiritual things that
Paul had taught Timothy, Paul said in Second Timothy 2:2, And of the
things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to
faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Of course,
this is one of the great verses of the New Testament that shows clearly how the
gospel and how the doctrines of the Bible are to be spread around the world.
You tell a few people, and then each of them tell a
few, and then each of them tell a few, etc. God is not going to raise up one
person who tells everyone. We each have something to do. As it turns out this
is a very good method that will work in any culture and in any century. This
method does not require television or radio or a budget. It does require some
of your time, because it involves more than just a few words of witness. Paul
said, The things that you have heard of me
the same commit to
faithful men. The things are the Pauline doctrines. It is going to take some
teaching and some time to commit these things to others.
Notice that Paul said to commit them to faithful men. In order to
accomplish this, there must be some discernment of who to try and teach. Not
just anyone can be taught the wonderful doctrines of the New Testament. Until a
person becomes saved and becomes a person of faith, they cannot learn the
doctrines. We must have wisdom from the Lord to find someone who is faithful
and teachable. This is similar to an important
principle in sharing the gospel. When you go forth to share the gospel,
remember that there are a lot of different kinds of people out there. Some do
not want the gospel. Some have already made their decision and set their sail
away from God. That is what Jesus was talking about when He said, Cast not your
pearls before swine. Do not waste your words about the wonderful riches of
God upon those who do not have ears to hear. An important part of witnessing
and of teaching is finding someone who wants to hear.
In Second Timothy 2:3 the Bible says, Thou therefore
endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Starting with
this verse, in the next few verses Paul uses the symbolism of three different
things to explain the Christian life. He speaks of the symbolism in a soldier,
an athlete, and a farmer. One thing about a soldier is that a soldier must
endure hardness. The words that are translated endure hardness come from the
Greek that means literally to suffer afflictions or to suffer evil and malice.
Paul was sitting in a Roman prison and no doubt had constant reminders from his
Roman guards of the life that was lived by the Roman soldiers. A soldier is
much different than other members of a society.
One of the main characteristics of a soldier is given in the next
verse, and that is the fact that a soldier fights in the wars. Not all of the citizens fight, just the soldiers. Of course, we
are reminded throughout scripture that the entire Christian life is a war and a
battle: a battle of spiritual forces. Ephesians 6:11-18 says, Put on the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto
you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about
with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
If you are not involved in a spiritual warfare, it means that the
enemy has conquered you. If you are fighting the spiritual warfare, then there
is an important principle to keep in mind. Second Timothy 2:4 says, No man that warreth entangleth himself with
the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. A soldier
cannot go back and work in his hometown, if there is a war going on. He must
give his attention and his time and his efforts to joining in the fight. The
danger for some Christians is that they might get preoccupied with other things
and be drawn away from the fight. Be careful do not get entangled with the
affaires of this life. Do not get entangled with anything that takes you out of
the fight.
At the end of Second Timothy 2:4 Paul wrote, that he may
please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. The emphasis here is on the
reason that we are willing to be soldiers and to suffer the hardships and afflictions
that are a part of being involved in the spiritual warfare that is raging
around us. We are willing to do it because we want to please the Lord. The Lord
is the one who drafted us into this army, and now we want to be able to please
Him with our efforts.
On the subject of pleasing the Lord with what we do, Paul used the
symbolism of an athlete in Second Timothy 2:5 where the Bible says, And if a man
also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned,
except he strive lawfully. The goal for the
ancient Greek and Roman athlete was to win the prize at the end of the contest,
which was to be crowned with a laurel wreath. We also are trying to win a
crown. That is one of the great goals of the Christian life: to get to the end
and to hear the words from the Master: Well done thou good and faithful
servant. Later on in this book Paul will speak of his
own accomplishments as a follower of Jesus and will say in Second Timothy 4:8,
Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing. There is a certain symbolism between the Christian life
and the ancient Roman athletes. Part of the symbolism has to do with the fact
that in order to win the crown, one must compete lawfully. If one breaks the
rules of the contest, one will ruin ones chance to be crowned. Paul wanted to
obtain more than salvation. He wanted to be saved and to win a crown.
In Second Timothy 2:6 the Bible says, The husbandman
that labours must be first partaker of the fruits. A husbandman
is a farmer. First you have a farmer, then you have a lot of hard work, and
then you have the fruits that are a result of all that work. That is the
progression of events with farming. And the very thing that happens with
farming is symbolic of what happens on this earth in Christian service. You
will not see immediate results when you serve the Lord. You can be certain that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord, but you must be patient. Do not have the
wrong expectations. Do not be disappointed that you do not have a harvest, if
this is a time of the planting of seed that God has put you in.
In Second Timothy 2:7 the Bible says, Consider what
I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. In this verse
are given the two great criteria for increasing in wisdom and understanding.
The first is human effort: spending some time in reflecting upon certain
things; looking for and trying to determine a better understanding of things. But
do not think that you have all the answers about something. Paul told Timothy,
Consider
what I say. There is a human side to gaining more wisdom and understanding,
and there is also a divine side. The ultimate source of wisdom and
understanding is God. James wrote, If anyone lack wisdom, let him ask of
God who gives to all liberally.
Paul wrote in Second Timothy 2:8-10, Remember that
Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my
gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the
word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all
things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead is an important thing to remember. It is a wonderful thing to
remember. The last great enemy of mankind is death. Jesus gives the solution to
the problem of death. One would think that everyone would want to hear what
Jesus has done to conquer death and to bring victory over death. Paul gave out
the good news about Jesus, but Paul said that because of doing so he suffered trouble, as an
evil doer, even unto bonds. But Paul did not stop there. He immediately took his
eyes off of his difficult circumstances and looked at
the spiritual truths that override the circumstances. If you look at people,
places, and things you will get discouraged; but if you look at the promises of
God and spiritual truth about God, you will be more than encouraged. Through
faith you will conquer and rise above your circumstances.
Paul was bound by Roman chains, but he said with confidence, The Word of
God is not bound. The Word of God can never be chained. The Word of God is alive
and powerful. There always have been, and there always will be enemies to the
Word of God; but they cannot stop it. Even if they could, the very rocks would
cry out. No one can stop the truth. Glory, glory, halleluiah, His truth is
marching on!
Paul wrote in Second Timothy 2:10, Therefore I endure all things
for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in
Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Why did Paul willingly suffer all the things that he
suffered as a result of spreading the gospel? We know that he did it out of
faithfulness to the Lord, and we know that he did it out of a desire to not
lose his rewards. And this verse in Second Timothy
Paul wrote in Second Timothy 2:11-13, It is a
faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we
suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. If
we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot
deny himself. If we faithfully witness and help spread the gospel, there will
be both negatives and positives that will result. Paul mentioned one of the
good benefits in the previous verse, the benefit that results in the lives of
those who receive our teachings. Another benefit is the rewards in heaven that
we will be given. That is what Paul was talking about when he said, If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him.
Before you can win rewards, you must be saved. Paul said, For if we be
dead with him, we shall also live with him. This is the basic principle of
salvation. Part of the salvation experience is the repentance from sins and the
forgiveness of sins. Just as important is a willingness to follow Jesus. We can
only have that willingness, if we die to our own will. Once we are saved, God
sees our human life as having died with Jesus on the cross. The better that we
understand that and enter into it through faith, the better that we will be
able to walk with Him in this life. Our own selfish will too easily gets in the
way. Some people never get saved because of their selfish will. Others will
lose their rewards because of their selfish will. Some will even do what Peter
did, and deny Him. But what a wonderful savior we have. Even in those
situations He will remain faithful. The truth marches on: with or without
you.
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Copyright; 2002 by Charles F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved