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By Roland H. Worth,
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Busy Teacher’s Guide to the New Testament:
Quickly Understanding 2
Timothy
by
Roland H. Worth, Jr.
Copyright © 2021 by author
Introduction
For the reasons discussed at the end
of the fourth volume of my detailed analysis of First Timothy, I will not
attempt the kind of in-depth treatment that I did on that epistle of Paul. I figured now was a good time to see how the
approach I used in regard to the gospels would work in analyzing the letters of
Paul and to do so by beginning with the one that came next in Paul’s
writings. I hope the different treatment
will still benefit you!
I have altered the “running title”
of the series to Busy Teacher’s
Guide to the New Testament for I am
including additional materials that may prove especially useful to those
intending to teach classes on the subject.
What I wrote in the Introduction to
the gospel volumes remains relevant here however. It is only slightly modified in order to
better explain both what continues from the earlier analyses and how it
has been modified and expanded with the special intention of benefiting
teachers:
When the great scholar Jerome was producing what came to be known as the “Vulgate”--the authoritative Latin text for the Roman Catholic Church--the equally renowned Augustine was upset and annoyed: Why do we need another Bible translation? he insisted to his fellow scholar. Quietly Jerome hit at Augustine’s own weak point: Why do we need another commentary? (The production of which was a hallmark of Augustine’s labor.) Augustine reconsidered and backed off from the criticism as being, perhaps, a bit hasty.
Augustine’s question remains relevant to our age, however. You could invest all of your surplus income--assuming you are part of the prosperous but overworked middle class--and still not afford to purchase all that are available. Much less find the time to read them. So why another commentary and why this one in particular?
Historically commentaries have been written more often than not for either the well educated or the self-designated religious “elite” who are so absorbed in the text that they want to learn as much as they can about it and prefer exhaustive analysis. There is a definite place for such commentaries and I am not above writing such myself.
Yet in the past and even more so today, there is also the need for a very different type of exposition: concise and to the point. Even the most devout has only 24 hours a day. The hasty pace of keeping one’s family’s financial head above water takes an inordinate amount of that time. Family obligations and one’s religious interests eat yet further into what is available. In this pressure cooker environment, the time to merely set down and think has become extraordinarily precious.
Hence these Quickly Understanding commentaries have been produced to allow the Biblically interested but time limited reader to get the most out of their restricted study time. First, read a section of the text itself. For your convenience we divide the commentary into such sections; the headings are not intended to be merely descriptive of what is in that section, but, often, interpretive as well—to make plain one or more points that are underlying the discussion.
These are presented in the able New English Translation. They officially permit—rather than unofficially permit or “overlook” the usage--so long as it is done absolutely without any financial charge. (Or read it in your own preferred translation: the commentary will work with just about any except the most paraphrasistic ones.)
Individual verses then follows. All individual verse translations we provide, however, are from the New King James Version--an able update of the KJV and utilizing the same underlying Greek text. In a limited number of cases multiple verses are studied together. A typical cause of this happening is the way certain verses end at awkward places and in the middle of a thought.
Instead of having to wade through highly technical long paragraphs and even multi-pages you find simple and direct language. A matter of a few paragraphs instead of a few pages. Not everything you could find of value of course but, hopefully, a few “nuggets” of something useful in every verse analyzed. . . .
We have
avoided fanciful and far-fetched interpretation. We have assumed that Jesus and Paul intended
to give guidelines for life in the here and now. Realistic.
Reachable. Reasonable. And we have interpreted the text with those
assumptions as our foundation. I have no problem introducing inferences but
we have tried to limit this to the more probable ones unless we include
cautionary language as well. After all,
inferences can range from necessary to probable to possible to conjectural to
fanciful to outright delusional. It is a
tool to be used with caution, common sense, and prudence.
We have supplemented this with a
limited number of side excursions into Alternative Translations, Greek, and
Historical Context. These should
be useful for both those reading the book to gain a better understanding of the
epistle and, perhaps even more so, for those whose responsibility is to teach
on the letter.
For those who wish to grasp the essence of the still living message, this book should provide invaluable assistance.
We have avoided those areas that require elaborate and sustained discussion. Issues of authorship, date, and canonicity are all useful and of value. But here we are interested in the contents of the book. . . . Most importantly, what can we learn that will help us better understand the text or morally improve our own lives? Hence the sometimes obscure scholarly arguments relating to the book’s background are best left for a different context.
A few supplemental thoughts: That still leaves us with the question,
however, of what are the differences between the earlier style of text and what
we have here in the Teacher’s Guide version?
In the others we attempted to provide
a short summary of some relevant thought and idea relevant to each verse
studied. Here we have in mind the needs
of teachers of the text and not just that of readers. Hence we have attempted to provide brief and
concise remarks on virtually every key word or phrase in every verse--something
vastly beyond what was attempted in the earlier works. Even when I wander “longer than I would
prefer”--some verses have so much substance in them that nothing else
would do justice--it is still pages shorter . . . often many pages
shorter . . . than the “writing in
depth” style that I prefer.
Yet it also has, I hope, a special
benefit to the individual preparing to teach on these books by providing a
variety of ideas and thoughts around which to center one’s presentation of the
text to the class. Truth be told, it
offers a special benefit to myself as well:
writing “short” is just as much an “art” as writing “in depth.” And one far more adaptable to my health in my
old age.
Roland
H. Worth, Jr.
Alternative
Translations Cited
Amplified = Amplified
Bible
CEB = Common English Bible
CEV = Contemporary English Version
ESV = English Standard Version
GNT = Good News Translation
GW = God’s Word
Holman = Holman
Christian Standard Bible
ISV = International Standard Version
NASB = New
American Standard Version (1977 edition)
NCV = New Century Version
NET = New English Translation
WEB = World
English Bible
Greetings From Paul
(1:-2)
1 From Paul, an apostle of
Christ Jesus by the will of God, to further the promise of life in Christ
Jesus, 2 to Timothy, my dear
child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord! --New English
Translation (for comparison)
1:1 Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life
which is in Christ Jesus. Paul’s apostleship was not given to him by some convocation
of first century Christians. Nor was he self-appointed
to the position either. (Contrast this
was with the arrogance of modern individuals and churches to designate such
individuals!) Indeed he was the least
likely man to choose because of his well known opposition to Christianity.
Although
“Christ Jesus” might be used by Paul to emphasize His role as the
Anointed and appointed messiah and “Jesus Christ” to put the emphasis on
the Lord’s earthly embodiment, it seems far more likely the apostle simply uses
them as synonymous expressions in order to vary the language he writes in.
1:2 To
Timothy, a beloved son: Grace,
mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord. There is a clear emotional and
psychological intimacy between the two for Paul regards him as the spiritual
equivalent of a “son” but he makes that even more emphatic by stressing that he
is “a beloved son.” He is special
in his eyes due to the closeness of their work together and by Timothy’s
persistent effort to be faithful to God under all circumstances.
Divine
favor (“grace”), forgiveness of sins (“mercy”), and reconciliation (“peace”)
are wished for Timothy in the coming years.
He already had these, but Paul wishes to assure Timothy that he
is continuing to receive these.
He need not live in some continuous fear of his spiritual state. He already has what God wants. Now it’s simply a matter of preserving
them.
These
three blessings are clearly interlocked.
It would be impossible for Timothy to successfully have one of these
without having the others as well.
Paul Remembers the Spiritual
Dedication
of Both Timothy
and His Mother and
Grandmother
(1:3-5)
3 I am thankful to God, whom I have served with a clear
conscience as my ancestors did, when I remember you in my prayers as I do
constantly night and day. 4 As
I remember your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with
joy. 5 I
recall your sincere faith that was alive first in your grandmother
Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I am sure is in you. --New English Translation (for comparison)
1:3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure
conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember
you in my prayers night and day. Paul regularly thanked God for Timothy’s
continued service to their shared cause.
It never vanished from his thoughts whenever he prayed. Sometimes we put ideas on the mental “back
burner” and forget its importance over time.
Paul never fell into that mind frame:
He knew that the gospel needed Timothy’s faithful service both now and
into the future. So he regularly made
mention of the man and his needs in his prayers regardless of when they are
given (“night and day”).
Paul
shared with his faithful ancestors (“forefathers”) the determination to serve
God “with a pure conscience.” An
unalloyed dedication, uninfluenced by any earthly priorities at all. Paul sees this not as some unique
accomplishment of his own but as the continuation of a pattern of spiritual
loyalty that had been constantly manifested in his family and its ancestry.
1:4 greatly
desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy. There was a close bond between the two. No matter how important the work Timothy was
doing, he still felt sorrowful at their separation (“your tears”). It was a sentiment that Paul felt quite
sympathetic toward since he himself would be “filled with joy” when they again
were able to work together--or at Timothy’s success in
Which
ever way it was, there was clearly a deep emotional bond between the two based
upon their individual and joint service to the Lord.
1:5 when
I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in
your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you
also. Some people go through the
motions of religion and feel quite “pious” in the delusion that that makes them
acceptable to God. Timothy had never had
that mind frame for it was “genuine faith” that could be seen manifested in his
convictions and behavior. He had
received great encouragement to cultivate that approach since the same thing
was present in both mother and grandmother.
No
mention of his father encouraging him in faith is made. That might be because he is now dead while
the other two are still alive. More
likely it is because he had been a Gentile who never embraced either Judaism or
Christianity. This is argued from the
fact that Timothy had to be circumcised and any Jewish father would have done
it automatically (Acts 16:1-3).
Paul Urges the Continued
Dedication and Service
to the Lord That He Has
Already Seen
Manifested in Timothy
(3:6-14)
6 Because of this I remind you to rekindle God’s gift
that you possess through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of
power and love and self-control. 8 So
do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, a prisoner for
his sake, but by God’s power accept your share of suffering for the
gospel. 9 He
is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based
on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ
Jesus before time began, 10 but
now made visible through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. He has broken the power of death and
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel! 11 For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and
apostle and teacher. 12 Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one
in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has
been entrusted to me until that day. 13 Hold to the standard of sound words that you
heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
14 Protect that
good thing entrusted to you, through the Holy Spirit who lives within us. --New English Translation (for comparison)
1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God
which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Timothy had received a Divine gift when hands
had been laid upon him. By whom and for
what purpose? The main use of laying on
of hands language is as a sign of appointment to a task--of endorsing the
person in their appointed task. Hence
under direct instruction of the Holy Spirit, Paul and Barnabas were appointment
to a ministry taking the gospel to others (Acts 13:1-3). Therefore most interpret this as referring to
Timothy being embraced and appointed to the position of minister of the gospel
as well. The “gift” would then be that
of the honor and responsibility that goes with gospel preaching. Because he had this gift of acceptance
and endorsement, “therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our
Lord” (verse 8).
However
there is another use of the language as well.
Although we read of Divine powers being given by the apostles’
laying on of hands (Acts
What
may tie both of these approaches together is a reference found in 1 Timothy
Indeed
if it only refers to Timothy’s acceptance as a minister of the gospel then “the
gift of God” would seemingly have to refer just to the privilege of publicly
serving the Lord. How this could be
described as “in you” is difficult to conceive. On the other hand this might refer to the
fact that every faithful preacher has been the recipient of sound doctrine and
instruction and that teaching--which ultimately originated in God--indwells
him. Cf. 1 Corinthians 4:7: “What do you have that you did not receive?”
Even
in our day and age when the period of genuine miracles is far past, there is a
principle here that is useful for all Christians and not just
preachers. Whatever “gift” of ability or
skill that we have in us should be periodically “stir[red] up.” We should not ignore it but use it. We should not allow it to slumber when we
could effectively use it to become better Christians and be of benefit to others.
The
instruction has often been used to argue that Timothy’s enthusiasm had waned
under concern over what Paul was going through.
He could not take as seriously as he should what was happening in the
Ephesian church due to preoccupation with his old friend and mentor. Perhaps . . . but the instruction remains
applicable to anyone with prolonged service to the Lord: Enthusiasm levels inevitably vary within
one’s life. Periodically it needs to be
“reved up.”
Alternate
translations: “The verb [= stir up] may be rendered fully, dwelling on
the metaphor, ‘kindle the glowing embers of the gift of God,’ or as margin of
R.V. ‘stir into flame.’ ” (A. E. Humphreys). “The metaphor is taken from kindling
slumbering ashes into a flame by the bellows. . . .” (Pulpit)
1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but
of power and of love and of a sound mind.
In verse 6 Paul discusses the special gift God had given Timothy in
particular; here he generalizes to the gifts plural that God has given all
believers. He has given us spiritual
“power,” an attitude of “love,” and the ability to think clearly (“a sound
mind”). “ Love is added, as showing that the servant of Christ always
uses power in conjunction with love, and only as the means of executing
what love requires.” (Pulpit)
The
fact that He has given us these things proves that “God has not given us
a spirit [= mind-frame] of fear.” He’s
given us the tools to deal with any such fear because we live in a world where
dangers exist (next verse).
“A
spirit of fear” equates roughly to cowardiness.
“A spirit . . . of power” indicates we have the ability to overcome
whatever obstacles we face. We are not
outmatched. “A spirit . . . of love”
indicates that He provides us the ability to be of value to others in a world
that will often despise us. “A ‘simple, self-forgetting, self-sacrificing love’ that
can lay itself out to win even ‘the uninteresting, the hard, cold, rude,
ignorant, degraded.’ ” (How quoted by
Humphreys) Their unconcern, annoyance, and even contempt will not crush
our love.
“A
spirit . . . of a sound mind” indicates that just as our love overcomes the
temptation to hate our foes, our intellect remains firm in dealing with the
mental gymnastics used to emotionally seduce us into evil. They may twist facts and reality, but we will
be able to “think our way through” their fog of misunderstanding and
misrepresentation.
1:8 Therefore
do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His
prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the
power of God. Even though the world
is potentially dangerous for any Christian--even more so for those who work as
their leaders--Timothy is to never allow this ongoing pressure to break his
spirits . . . and he become “ashamed” of what the Lord had taught or of his own
responsibility for sharing it. Remember
Jesus’ own warning, “For
whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory,
and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). But
the principle goes even further; it includes being embarrassed by Paul’s
imprisonment, as others had been (
1:9 who
has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which
was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. God did not call us to discipleship because
of our pre-existing behavior (“works”) but in order to carry out His “purpose”
and that purpose was to faithfully serve Him and be the beneficiaries of Divine
favor (“grace”). Both of these
opportunities were set apart for our benefit “before time began.” Note that it was not you and I personally
that were set apart for salvation from eternity but “His own purpose and
grace” that were ordained at that time.
He foresaw clearly the future and what we would need and determined how
He would deal with it long before the need for action actually arose.
His
“holy calling” is twofold. First of all,
the One who calls is the embodiment of absolute purity. (“Which of you convicts me of sin?” John
8:46. “If I have spoken evil, bear
witness of the evil,” John
The
Old Testament system has been described, with justice, as the means by which
God “rolled forward” the sins of His people through animal sacrifice until
Jesus arrived and provided His own blood to actually obtain and finalize
forgiveness. Hence the ability to be forgiven
now rather than at some time in the future became available only
at the time of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Everything before had simply been a
preparation for it.
“The
gospel’s” role in this was to provide those who came next the information that
was necessary to provide it for themselves as well. The ability to obtain it was spread out for
all nations to take advantage of--if they dared (Matthew 28:18-20). But it involved a change in attitude and
behavior that many would find impossible to make. But that sprung from their weakness
and not that of the gospel.
1:12 For
this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I
have committed to Him until that Day.
Just as Paul had urged Timothy not to be ashamed of Christ and His word
(verse 8), the apostle emphasizes that he isn’t either. In other words he is an example of
what he advocates. None of that “do as I
say rather than as I act” nonsense!
Furthermore
no matter what Paul might suffer, he is convinced (“persuaded”) that the Lord
is able to preserve everything he had committed to Him--his soul, his faith,
his intellect, his commitment--until the climatic “Day” of existence. That could be the day of death, the day of
the resurrection of the human race or the day of the final judgment. Truth be told, if Paul can preserve his
commitment to the first of those (death), then having it at the others comes
automatically. The same is true of us.
After
all, since he was inspired by God, why should it be changed? “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received
it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the
revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians
But
Paul was always an honest man. When he
did not have a specific instruction from the Lord he was willing to give his
opinion, his best judgment and to stress that it was exactly that. But even there he was confident of its
validity because “the Lord in His mercy had made [me] trustworthy” (1
Corinthians
Also,
since he spoke by inspiration, God chose to speak certain truths through the
apostle that the Lord had not dealt with during His earthly ministry. For example, Jesus had dealt with the
marriage of believers (1 Corinthians
An
alternative to both of these approaches:
The gospel had been “committed” into Timothy’s hand and he was to teach
and preserve its influence within by cultivating internally the kind of “holy
(purified) spirit” that God intends for His people to have. Our job is to keep our spirit holy. If we do it, we vastly simplify and make
easier our discipleship to the Lord.
Though Paul Had Encountered
Large Scale Abandonment,
There Were Also Those
Those Who Stood by Him
(1:15-18)
15 You know that everyone in
the province of
1:15 This
you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are
Phygellus and Hermogenes. This
pervasive rejection of Paul refers to what the apostle was facing in
We
have taken the reference to “in
He
had visited and “refreshed” (brought supplies?
encouragement?) to Paul not merely once or twice but on many occasions
(“often”). If this is a reference
back to the apostle’s first imprisonment in Rome: He would have found this quite useful
because he had been allowed to have his own living quarters outside of jail for
at least two complete years. Although
Acts 28:30-31 tells us that he “received all who came to him” to discuss the
gospel, not even a dedicated preacher like Paul “lives by his sermons
alone!” He needs food and supplies for
the household!
Furthermore
there is more to life--an emotional aspect of existence that is heightened by
contact with others to discuss things and to pass the time. I write these words in April 2020 and I have
been isolated due to age because of the plague called coronavirus. For a full month it has been this way and it
will last at least for two more weeks.
If isolation, even with modern conveniences, is driving me and millions
of other Americans “up the wall,” imagine what it would be like to be a
prisoner and wearing a chain! The
presence of friendly visitors would be an “emotional lifeline” to an
emotionally well balanced life. No
wonder Paul cherished such a pattern of helpfulness!
If
this is, like is normally assumed because of the “eminent death” references in
4:6-8, a reference to his second imprisonment: There seems no reason to assume that
conditions this time around were anywhere near as lenient as during the first
jailing. Hence the helpfulness would
have been even more appreciated. A
prisoner’s physical health and dietary needs were of minimal interest to the
guards. Hence anything someone could do
to help him would be deeply appreciated.
The fact that he saw every reason that the guards would permit him to
receive his cloak and other goods when Timothy delivered them (
Historical
context: It should be remember that
the imprisonment at the end of Acts was extraordinarily generous in light of
the variety of places the Romans had to imprison a person. The remarks of A. E. Humpheys describes the
alternatives this way:
Where did Onesiphorus find
1:18 The
Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that
Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at
Ephesus. Here we find the reason why
the example of Onesiphorus would be especially
of interest to Timothy and those in the city where he labored: he was from their own community. He was a name and person they were well
acquainted with. In fact he had helped
the apostle when he had been there. Now
he was going out of his way to continue to do so in a different and faraway
metropolis.
Not
only had Onesiphorus deserved praise, it was good for those from the
biggest city in
Some
assume that Onesiphorus had been martyred in
To
pray for even a dead Onesiphorus would be no more than telling the Lord,
“He really deserves the reward awaiting him. Grant it to him!” Not a prayer of doubt but of
passion--something profoundly different.
Greek: “Very well: The sense is comparative; better than
I can tell you.” (Vincent’s Word
Studies). In a way Timothy
understood it better than anything Paul could add.
Faithfulness Must Be Held Onto
In Spite of Difficulties and
the Hard Work That Is Required
(2:1-7)
1 So you, my child, be strong
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And what you heard me say in the presence of many
witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be competent to
teach others as well. 3 Take
your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one in military service gets entangled in matters
of everyday life; otherwise he will not please the one who recruited him.
5 Also, if anyone
competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner unless he
competes according to the rules. The
farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops 7 Think about what I am saying and the Lord will
give you understanding of all this. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
2:1 You
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. We speak in terms of
God giving us grace and He certainly does by forgiving us our sins. But there is still the question of how are we
going to use that Divine favor?
Will we simply take it for granted, thereby running the danger of not
taking the obligation for continued faithfulness with the seriousness we
should? Or will we recognize that its
availability provides us a reason to grow in spiritual commitment . . .
knowing that the Lord will be standing with us in our “growing pains” while we
increase our service and spirituality?
The
Lord will help us, but we still must do our part as well. This, after all, had been Paul’s own
experience: “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened
me, so that the message might be preached fully through me,
and that all the Gentiles might hear. . .” (
2
Corinthians 12:9 (“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength
is made perfect in weakness”) has been appealed to to show that it is Divine
favor that provides us the strength of purpose and action that we would
otherwise lack. 1 Peter
2:2 And
the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to
faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Paul wasn’t into covert teaching: what he said to one person he was quite
willing to share with any and all who were willing to listen. Hence there were “many witnesses” to what he
had to say and it could be verified by a large array of listeners.
The
purpose of teaching was not only to increase the knowledge of the listeners,
but to enable them to share it with others as well. Paul would have regarded it as a strange
delusion to believe that teaching was uniquely confined to a small elite. To whatever extent and skill they possessed,
he would have wanted all of them to use it in sharing the gospel with others as
well. One does not have to have the
skill of a twenty year veteran of the pulpit to do it, but to have a sufficient
knowledge base--like in what book chapter and verse various doctrinal points
are made--in order to share it with others.
2:3 You
therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ. The “therefore” in this
verse seems odd indeed: how in the world
does it grow out of what is contained in the previous verse? Perhaps it is present to convey the implicit
message that not everyone Timothy teaches will take it well . . . that
some will misunderstand or outright reject what he has to say although he had thought
these to be among the “faithful men” mentioned in verse 2. Alternatively the point would be that by the
very act of developing spiritual depth among others he himself will land up
facing “hardship.” On a spiritual level
that becomes a parallel with what a combat soldier does for his country.
A
soldier’s life is not uniformly easy. At
the best there’s going to be a lot of strenuous and difficult labor and long
hours of service. There is going to be
absolute “hardship” as well as difficult circumstances and foes are faced. Faithful preachers will face that same
danger. Rather than feel sorry for
himself, he is recognize that this comes with his job as a minister of the
gospel. A “duty of office” if you will.
2:4 No
one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that
he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. Gospel preaching involves the preacher in
spiritual warfare against moral evil.
Popular preferences will encourage a wide spectrum of evil ranging from
annoying to outright depraved. In
Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul develops this imagery at length and stresses that all
faithful church members are engaged in that kind of conflict. Fascinatingly that extended description was
written to the very place Timothy was currently preaching!
Paul
is not condemning the act of being involved in various “affairs of this
life” but of them becoming our only priority.
The obligations of support of family, to give but one example, make such
involvement inevitable. That very
obligation Paul stressed in the preceding epistle (1 Timothy 5:8). Unless we believe that Paul is repudiating
what he had previously written to the young man, such a scenario is
impossible. Likewise becoming married
doesn’t have to involve a repudiation of such responsibilities nor does earning
a living. Paul endorsed the first though
he personally did not practice it (1 Corinthians 7:6-9). He practiced the latter as he worked in the
trade of tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3; 1 Corinthians
But
there is a point where such things become the center of existence and all that
we are really interested in. At the
point where priorities shift in such a manner, one has betrayed one’s
obligations as a spiritual warrior and traded our soul for what provides only
temporary value.
2:5 And
also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes
according to the rules. Just as
there are “rules” that soldiers must follow (verse 4), that is even more obvious
in athletics. There will be those
overseeing the competition and they will not permit those rules to be violated
and declare you the winner when you are acting in defiance of them. Not even when you claim “I meant well!” That doesn’t in any way change the fact that
you knew what the standards were and willfully did not go by them.
The
spiritual lesson is the same. Although
every person must “work out your own salvation” (Philippians
Historical
context: Paul’s argument was
obviously true of all athletic contexts, but the most famous to us--and
his first century audience--was the Olympic Games:
. . . They, their fathers, brothers,
and trainers had to take oath that they would be guilty of no misconduct in the
contests; and they had then a month’s preliminary exercises in the gymnasium at
2:6 The hardworking farmer must be first to
partake of the crops. Soldiers (verses 3-4), athletes (verse 5),
and farmers share a major characteristic in common no matter how vastly
different their pursuits: They are all
“hardworking” people. However it takes
not merely effort, but ongoing effort to accomplish their tasks the way
they should.
In
the case of the farmer his reward is to get the first pickings of the crops he
has harvested. Paul does not tell us how
this principle of reward applies to him as a minister, but the allusion to
having food to eat “first” would almost certainly convey the idea that the
congregation should regard their providing for a preacher’s survival needs to
be at the top of their priority list.
The “right to support” is developed at length in 1 Corinthians 9:3-14 though
Paul stresses there that he had been known to avoid using it--in particular in
regard to the Corinthian congregation (verses 15-18)
2:7 Consider
what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. Timothy may well not understand everything
Paul is driving at in his first reading of the epistle. Hence he is to “consider” (meditate) on what
has been said--its ramifications and implications. Even preachers need to continue learning! Note that thinking carefully on the written
message is presented as the prerequisite for God giving him the
“understanding” of what the text is driving at.
God will, so to speak, bless Timothy as he drives from
Whatever Adversity We Have To Go Through,
Jesus Christ Will Never Desert Us
(2:8-13)
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a
descendant of David; such is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship to the point of
imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not
imprisoned! 10 So
I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may
obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory.
11 This
saying is trustworthy:
If we died with him, we will also
live with him.
12 If
we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we
deny him, he will also deny us.
13 If
we are unfaithful, he remains faithful,
since he cannot deny himself.
--New English Translation (for comparison)
2:8 Remember that Jesus
Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to
my gospel. That Jesus was a descendant of King David
(“of the seed of David”) was a prerequisite for being the Messiah who was to
come. However that created a paradox
because the Messiah was also supposed to be superior to David (as
Jesus Himself points out in Mark
The
Pharisees had no problem with believing in a resurrection but Sadducees were
pure materialists and that disagreement could drive them apart from joint
action even when both sides were angry at the same man: Acts 23:6-10 provides the vivid case where
both thought Paul deserved the severest of punishment but were so involved in
their doctrinal disagreement on this matter that the Romans rescued the apostle
from the immediate danger.
He
describes the resurrected Christ as being part of “my gospel” not because he originated
that gospel but to show that it was embedded in the system that he routinely shared
with one and all. One did not have to
wonder what Paul thought on the subject.
One only had to pay attention to what he preached. This is “‘a
solemn way of speaking, identifying these truths with the preaching which had
been the source of Timothy’s belief.’ ”
(Alford as quoted by A. E. Humphreys)
2:9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Paul was enduring the kind of treatment that could justly happen only to a true “evildoer” rather that one whose only crime is trying to serve God. But that unjust chain he wore only impeded his body; it did nothing to stop the spread of the gospel . . . and it was that message which was the important thing for it provided the path to salvation for those who would heed it.
His
enemies regarded it as “evil” that he taught the resurrection. In regard to his arrest, we know that the
Roman authorities landed up treating him as “an evildoer” (= criminal) because
those who opposed him were willing to throw a community into chaos and the only
thing the Romans were certain of was that he had been at the center of the
conflict. (See the account in Acts of how
he was arrested: Acts 21:27-36.) If this, as usually believed, refers to a second
imprisonment, it is a way of stressing that the same preaching that gotten him
in trouble with the authorities the first time had done so a second.
Greek: “The
Greek word rendered ‘endure’ is our Lord’s word in His charge to the Seventy
(Matthew
The
first adage lays the condition for the second:
“if we died with Him”--an act that we perform in our baptism according
to the apostle (Romans 6:3-5). The
second one is that we must then “live” our life in a way that is acceptable to
Him as the result of that conversion.
Paul’s repeated insistence that disciples remain faithful to the
Divine standard argues that this is an obedience that we never dare end if we
wish to harvest the promised eternal reward.
Our unending steadfastness produces joyful eternal life as its
compensation (cf. Revelation
However
in light of the seriousness of Paul’s situation in prison (2:9), death was a
real possibility. Hence the first truism
could refer to if we imitate the Lord’s loyalty to God in our own death,
like Him we shall survive death and be resurrected just as surely as He was (=
“shall also live with Him”). Even our
death will not remove the reward; if anything it assures it, a point
Paul mentions in that same Romans passage (verse 6).
The
Lord himself had implicitly embraced the first half of Paul’s statement
and explicitly the second half: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before
men, him I will also confess before My
Father who is in heaven. But whoever
denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven”
(Matthew
In
other words, success is not guaranteed; that is determined by our actions or
inactions: our denial of Him will
produce His inevitable rejection of us as well.
We had a “bargain with the Lord” and we have broken our joint
commitment. He “denies” us by no longer
recognizing us as part of the faithful.
In
Matthew 25 Jesus drives home that point by describing an ultimate day of
judgment in which our behavior will have determined whether we have the kind of
eternity any wise person wishes after (25:31-46). However if we demonstrated our unwillingness
to be reliable in the current world, how could He possibly consider it
wise to joyfully accept us into the next world?
While Deep Dedication Is Required,
That Does Not Justify Needless Wrangling
(2:14-19)
14 Remind people of these things and solemnly charge
them before the Lord not to wrangle over words. This is of no benefit; it
just brings ruin on those who listen. 15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as a
proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth
accurately. 16 But
avoid profane chatter, because those occupied with it will stray further
and further into ungodliness, 17 and
their message will spread its infection like like gangrene. Hymenaeus and
Philetus are in this group. 18 They
have strayed from the truth by saying that the resurrection has already
occurred, and they are undermining some people’s faith. 19 However, God’s solid foundation remains standing,
bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and
“Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”
--New English Translation (for comparison)
Of
course these excesses threaten to poison the soul of the person launching the
“holy war” as well. The “hearers”
include those spewing out the venom.
If you “poison the well” the others are drinking out of, you poison your
drink as well.
These
needless internal disputes can also distract attention from even greater
external dangers. For example, it is
said that at the time of the Soviet Revolution the Russian Orthodox Church was
bitterly divided over . . . church vestments.
At the very time that dangerous adversaries wanted to destroy their very
existence!
Greek: “To no profit. Literally ‘a course useful for nothing. . .
.” (A. E. Humphreys)
Alternative
translations of “to no profit:” “of
no value,” NIV; “is useless” (NASB).
The
result is being “approved to God.” Being
“approved” by our own minds is secondary; if we leave out being sure we are
measuring ourselves by God’s standards, we are going to be a religious
failure no matter how much we deceive ourselves.
If this is to be our standard, we obviously have an
obligation to properly (“rightly”) use and interpret the Divine revelation “of
truth.” That is what tells us what God’s
standards are. If we don’t we have
failed to be the kind of Christians we should be. This is far from an insignificant matter that
can be glossed over. Instead it should
cause us to be “ashamed” at our failure.
“Rightly
dividing the word of truth” seems such an obvious truism that is applicable to
stressing the division in authoritativeness between the Old and New Testament
that there is no proper way to avoid that application. However the point being driven home by the
words applies to all other Biblical truths as well: we have to use them rightly . . . interpret
them rightly . . . rather than bending them to some purpose other than that for
which they were intended.
This
reality is echoed in many recent translations.
For example the New English Translation speaks in terms of “teaching the
message of truth accurately.” That this
broader point is intended--rather than just teaching Old Testament/New
Testament differences--can be seen in the consequences of not
“rightly dividing” that are stressed in the next verse.
Other
applications: “Various
homiletic fancies have been founded on the word[s] (rightly dividing / ὀρθοτομοῦντα ),
as to divide the word of truth, giving to each hearer what he
needs: or, to separate it into its proper parts: or, to separate it from error:
or, to cut straight through it, so that its inmost contents may be laid bare. Others, again, have found in it the figure of
dividing the bread, which is the office of the household steward; or of
dividing the sacrificial victims; or of cutting a straight furrow with the
plough.” (Vincent’s Word Studies)
What
Paul is concerned with is not only meaningless rhetoric in itself--though it is
undeniably bad--but the kind of broad sweeping overgeneralizations and exception
making that is used to justify various specific evils. Hence though the words will multiply, what it
will still produce is yet additional “ungodliness.” There is always some exotic way of justifying
every human behavior imaginable. Having
begun to justify our own departures from the Divine standard, it becomes
the mindframe to justify yet others.
Paul
stresses that others will do this but Timothy is to carefully avoid and
reject all such excursions into “fantasy land.”
Alternate
translations of “cancer:” “spread
like gangrene” (ESV, ISV, NASB, NIV); “is like a sore that won’t heal” (CEV);
“is like an open sore that eats away the flesh” (GNT).
How
they rationalized the physical resurrection had already occurred we aren’t
told. One means would be to argue that
the only people to be physically resurrected were those that were given that
blessing at the time of the Lord’s death (Matthew 27:50-53). Hence the “promise of resurrection” had been
fulfilled decades ago.
Another
means would be to contend that since Christians are collectively Christ’s body
(Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians
The
previous scenario attempts to create a bridge uniting two different types of
resurrection--physical and symbolic. Of
course they may have instead insisted that the believer resurrection is entirely
symbolic and non-literal. If so they
would have faced the weighty load of explaining why Jesus’ physical
resurrection could meaningfully be given as evidence for our purely spiritual
one. Especially when, to the extent that
we have a symbolic resurrection at all, it is presented as through
baptism at our conversion (Romans 6:3-5).
What we now wait for is something far different and quite literal.
Not
so was the opinion of at least some later ancients. Irenaeus and Tertullian both refer to the
belief held by some in their day that the resurrection consisted of our
bursting forth from the grave of our sinful bodies at our conversion. They settled for symbolism; Paul insisted
upon cold, hard, and inevitable literalness.
Whatever
was the exact nature of their teaching, some had been convinced by it. Instead of liberating themselves from a major
misunderstanding, it had destroyed (“overthrow[n]”) their faith. That could carry either the connotation of
their faith in the true teaching about the resurrection or destroying their entire
Christian faith. Most likely the latter
since it is such a pivotal element.
Although
the Lord is well aware of who His people are, those people still need to
remember their obligations that flow out of that unique relationship: One and all (“everyone”) needs to leave
behind (“depart from”) any sinful behaviors.
Paul makes no specification of which sins--and how could he? They would vary from person to person. Rather he is laying down a guideline for
general behavior.
The
first of Paul’s two truisms--“the Lord knows those who are His”--reflects
a principle found in Numbers 16:5 and in the words of Jesus Himself (John
The
second axiom--“Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from
iniquity”--reflects the Old Testament principle of living a moral life
(consider Psalms 37:27) and not being contaminated by the sins of others (as in
Isaiah 52:11). Note Paul’s own
insistence that believers do such (2 Corinthians 7:1; Colossians 3:5-8). Paul is quoting no one; he is summing
up in his own words fundamental truths of both Testaments.
Beware of Human Weaknesses
That Can Lead to Sin
(2:20-22)
20 Now in a wealthy home there are not only gold and
silver vessels, but also ones made of wood and of clay, and some are for
honorable use, but others for ignoble use.
21 So if someone
cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use,
set apart, useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue
righteousness, faithfulness, love, and
peace, in company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart. --New English Translation (for comparison)
2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for
dishonor. Even in the mansion of
earthly monarchs and economic tycoons there is a wide variety of items. Some are very expensive and others are, in
comparison, of little value. Some are
things that bring prestige (“honor”) to the household while others embarrass or
degrade (“dishonor”) it. This seems to
be a way of warning that Christians who are unfaithful may remain in the church
but their behavior that is hidden from others still discredits them in the eyes
of the Lord. But their past does not
have to be their future, as Paul immediately points out in the next verse.
Alternate
translations: Since “honor” and
“dishonor” are words that normally carry moral overtones, it is hard to see how
they apply to household items.
Facing this problem, some translations suggest a different kind of qualitative
difference: “for special purposes /
common use” (NIV); “for special occasions / ordinary use”; “are honored /
others aren’t” (GW).
(1) He is not bringing “honor” to his
Master.
(2) He has not set himself aside for His service
(“sanctified”).
(3) He will not be truly “useful” in the Lord’s
service. He may still go through the
motions, but his lack of full commitment has crippled his potential.
This
means that one must pray (“call on the Lord”) from a heart that is undefiled
with evil. Paul gives four standards to
help determine whether one has that kind of heart. Each requires “pursu[ing];” in other words,
they do not come automatically but are the result of ongoing effort:
(1) “Righteousness” = moral character, moral
excellence; these become the defining essence of the person’s nature.
(2) “Faith” = confidence in God’s reliability and
willingness to help us.
(3) “Love” = positive attitudes and actions that
help ourselves and others. See Paul’s
description of the nature of love in 1 Corinthians 13.
(4) “Peace” = a stable, tranquil, and
non-confrontational relationship with others.
It so often does not come “naturally” to people that Paul labels this as
a trait that all Christians should cultivate and develop.
The
result of this four fold development is that we are dedicated to the Lord from
“a pure heart.” Not out of gaining some
type of advantage but out of the recognition that it is praiseworthy in and of
itself. Then when we pray we “call on
the Lord” with the right internal character to have our wishes granted.
Beware of Needless Controversies
and Always Treat Others
With Restraint
(2:23-26)
23 But reject foolish and ignorant controversies,
because you know they breed infighting. 24 And the Lord’s slave must not engage in heated
disputes but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient, 25 correcting opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and
then knowledge of the truth 26 and
they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap where they are held
captive to do his will. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
The
classic would be, “How many angels can dance [or stand] on the head of a
pin?” Wikipedia makes the
relevant remark, “In modern usage, the
term has lost its theological context and is used as a metaphor for
wasting time debating topics of no practical value, or questions whose answers
hold no intellectual consequence, while more urgent concerns accumulate.” It strikes me that
pretty well sums up the attitude Paul is rebuking!
Needless
argument over trivial . . . secondary . . . almost useless matters run the very
real danger of “generat[ing] strife.”
Not just strife but needless strife. The church didn’t need that in the first
century and doesn’t today either.
This
is relevant not just to others but to Timothy in particular. He is urged not to yield to any obsession
with such marginal, irrelevant, or speculative matters. That would also involve not being drawn into
them if members came asking for his “opinion” on the matters. A good response in many cases would likely
be: “Even if you are right, what real
difference in everyday life would it make?”
The
guidelines for any good teacher--or any faithful Christian for that matter--are
well spelled out:
(1) You don’t seek or engage in needless
arguments (“must not quarrel”).
(2) You are restrained (“gentle”) toward everyone
(“all”). Not just toward the richer
members or the more important members but toward everyone regardless of status
or age.
(3) You need to be “able to teach,” to share the
gospel in a meaningful way with others.
Not everyone has to be an expert or a scholar, but they need to know
what the truth is and where to find key textual evidence that supports it. Then others can examine it and see for
themselves whether you know what you are talking about--as was done in Acts
17:11.
(4) One must have a “patient” disposition. Not everyone “sees” things as quickly as
others. One person sees the text and the
argument and immediately grasps that it makes full sense. Others may have to do considerable thinking
and meditating upon the argument(s) before making up their mind. The wise person learns this important lesson
about how people differ. Otherwise one may
prematurely give up on reaching them.
But
your worst impulses he gleefully uses to make you even worse. Once the devil “has you” he hardly wants to
lose you! Therefore to rescue him will
take all the mature believer’s efforts to move him back in the right direction.
But
if you have done your part, should you feel guilty if you fail? When all is said and done, it ultimately comes
down to the other person’s reaction.
That you have no control over. If
they “come to their senses” and recognize what they have done, then you will
get them back. Otherwise, as the old
saying goes, they are “in God’s hands.”