Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

2:2 what you have heard from me. Throughout this letter, Paul emphasizes the message Timothy has received from him (see 1:13; 2:8). As Paul faces death, he encourages Timothy to pass the gospel on to faithful men who will in turn teach others, so that the gospel is preserved for coming generations.

2:4-6 Using three analogies, Paul sets forth the call to service and suffering. Verse 4 calls for single-minded desire to please God. Verse 5 reiterates that one must obey God's rules in order to succeed. Verse 6 is the least clear but seems to encourage hard work by holding out the promise of blessing.

2:4 This verse has at times been misinterpreted as a call away from "secular," civilian pursuits. The Bible, however, does not allow Christians to separate life into distinct realms, "spiritual" and "secular." All of life is to be lived spiritually, in obedience to the Spirit according to the Word of God. Paul does not see secular activities as being out of bounds but is warning Timothy not to allow anything (even perhaps things that could be considered "spiritual") to distract him from his task.

2:7 Paul exhorts Timothy to make the effort to think and meditate on what Paul has written; as he does so, God will give him understanding in everything about which Paul has instructed him. The believer's efforts and God's empowering work together.

2:8 Paul continues the thought of vv. 1-7 by rooting his exhortation in the realities of the gospel (cf. 1:9-11). Remember Jesus Christ. Paul certainly doesn't think that Timothy is in danger of forgetting Jesus! Rather, this is a call to remain mindful of the truths of the gospel, which is centered on Jesus, the risen Messiah (offspring of David).

2:10 endure . . . for the sake of the elect. While there is disagreement among Christians on the doctrine of election, a biblical understanding of the doctrine does not undercut mission work but enables it. Paul endures precisely because of a certainty that, through his ministry, God will save some. See notes on Rom. 8:29; 8:30; Eph. 1:11.

2:11-13 The trustworthy statement moves from comfort to challenge and back to comfort: v. 11b is a reminder of life even in the face of death; v. 12 calls for perseverance; v. 13 is a reminder of God's preserving power and faithfulness. In this context, to deny him must entail a more serious offense than being faithless. Denying Christ envisions final apostasy, in contrast with a temporary lapse in trusting Christ ("if we are faithless"). Those who deny Jesus will be judged forever; but all believers sin, and God is faithful and will pardon, restore, and keep those who are truly his.