2 Timothy 2

Bible Study with Pastor Terry Gray


2 Timothy is the last letter that Paul wrote while he was on death row, before he was martyred. Paul encouraged Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.





Paul's commandments to Timothy

1. Be strong in doctrine; in grace relationship with God

2. Grow the church by word of mouth, by multiplying through one-on-one evangelizing relationship with each others: Paul to Timothy to faithful men to others -- 4 generations of multiplication

Timothy appeared to be very stressed, and it's not hard to imagine why. Paul, Timothy's mentor, was being persecuted, and many responsibilities now rested now his shoulders. As of that's not enough, many anti-Christian Jews were more than ready to persecute the Christians. However, Paul encouraged Timothy to be strong in God's grace.


Why?


I think this was to remind Timothy of the ultimate sacrifice that God has made to make us righteous again: the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ. We are alive and can enjoy free will BECAUSE of Jesus, BECAUSE of God's grace! We know more than anyone the amazing power of God, and we should never forget that God protects us. Anything we suffer in our mission inspired by God is nothing when compared to the suffering of Jesus. Jesus died for us so that we can be saved. Before His death, He told His disciples to spread His Word. WE ARE HIS DISCIPLES. So, how can we let a bit of suffering prevent us from carrying out our mission?


This passage paints 3 pictures of a follower of Christ:


1. A good soldier engaged in warfare
- one who must endure hardship
- one who do not entangle himself in the affairs of this life (For example, would a soldier, in the middle of a warfare, be concerned about who wins Dancing with the Stars?); We must remember that we are in the middle of a spiritual warfare. Satan is fighting hard to pull more souls toward his corruption. Our number one priority in this lifetime is to bring the Good News to as many people as we can. The Word is our best weapon against Satan! And so, while we're fighting this world, how can we afford to be bogged down with what car to buy, what house to get, or what clothes to wear? God will provide. Trust that and focus on our mission: Preach the Word!
- one whose top priority is to please his commanding officer (i.e., Jesus)


2. A competing athlete
- one who races according to the rules, that is, the Bible (Can't make up our own rules! We can't just pick and choose which verses we would rather obey!)
- one who is disciplined like soldiers


3. A hard-working farmer at harvest
- one who is hard-working
- one who is patient: Just like a farmer is patient to wait for the full harvest of the seeds he's sown, we should be patient in our work in the name of God. We may not see results right away, but if we continued to be guided by God, we will reap what we sow!
- one who is willing to work in absolute obscurity: We work in the name of God, in the glory of God. We do not work in the name of ourselves.




Paul then told Timothy to reflect on what he told him and that God will provide him insight. I think this is extremely personal and touching. Here, we see that even the best of us have moments of doubt and weakness. Timothy was a great pastor, but he was human. It's hard not to fear during dark times. And we see here that Paul reminded Timothy to pray and allow God to work through him. When we are in the darkest moments of our lives, I think this is the best advice ever. We should just lift up our faces to God and pray for guidance. We should remember what Jesus did for us, and what we are to do with our second chance. Life is difficult, but when we place our trust in the Lord and truly understand we are in the middle of a spiritual warfare, things become much clearer: There is nothing more important than fighting on Team Jesus and decimate Satan.




Commandments to Christians
1. Always mind the Message (2 Timothy 2:14-19)
- Never lose focus on God's Word
- Stay dedicated and committed to the Bible
- Remind people of the essence of the Gospel
- Correctly handle the Truth of the Bible


2. Always mind our behavior (2 Timothy 2:20-22)
- Obey the Lord Live the Holy life
- Stay clean
- Maintain the will to live a holy life
- Make ourselves useable to the Lord


3. Mind our manners (2 Timothy 2:23-26)
- Be a servant of the Lord
- Be gentle to all, be meek (Meek does not mean weak; meek means great power under control)