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2 Timothy Chapter Two

 

I. Content of the Chapter

 

God’s Workers should Be Strong and Strive for the Truth

I. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (v.1-6).

  A. be faithful men who will be able to teach others (v.2).

  B. be a good soldier of Christ Jesus (v.3-4).

  C. be the athlete who is crowned (v.5).

  D. be the hardworking farmer who is first to partake of the crops (v.6).

II. Consider the words of the apostle and remember Jesus Christ (v.7-13).

  A. consider the words and examples of the apostles (v.7, 9-10).

  B. remember Christ’s being raised from the dead, reigning and faithfulness (v.8, 11-13).

III. Be diligent to be a worker who does not need to be ashamed (v.14-18).

  A. not to strive about words (v.14).

  B. rightly divide the word of truth (v.15).

  C. shun profane and idle babblings (v.16-18).

IV. Cleanse oneself from the latter so as to be a vessel for honor and useful for the Master (v.19-23).

  A. be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master (v.19-21).

  B. flee lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace (v.22-23).

V. Be able to teach and patient (v.24-26).

 

II. Verse by Verse commentary

 

2Tim. 2:1 “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

   YLT: “Thou, therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that [is] in Christ Jesus,”

   Literal Meaning: You therefore, my son” It shows that the following exhortation is based on the good example of Onesiphorus at the end of the first chapter (See 1:16-18). As the most beloved spiritual son of Paul, Timothy should overcome all difficulties and move forward with courage more. 

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” the word “be strong” in the original is the imperative passive voice and it refers to letting God work and make him strong through grace in Christ. 

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) First of all, we must have the will to be strong. The Lord cannot make us strong if we do not have the desire to be strong.

2) Everyone cannot be strong by his own natural strength and he has to appropriate grace in Christ Jesus.

3) God gives Christians responsibility and power at the same time so as to make us fulfill our responsibility. There won’t be power without grace so that men cannot be strong to fulfill the responsibility which God has given him. 

4) Grace itself is God Himself and the life of God and therefore grace not only makes us be saved but also makes us strong.

 

2Tim. 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.

   YLT: “and the things that thou didst hear from me through many witnesses, these things be committing to stedfast men, who shall be sufficient also others to teach;”

   Literal Meaning: And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses” “many witnesses” refers to all believers who were present with Timothy when Paul preached the truth at all previous times. “That you have heard from me” refers to the sound words (See v.13), i.e. healthy words.

“Commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” “commit” refers to the transfer of the truth; “faithful” refers to being faithful to the truth; “men who will be able to teach others also” refers to those who are good at teaching the truth. This sentence shows the basic conditions of preachers: 1) faithfulness; 2) prudence (See Matt. 24:45).

This verse implies four generations of men who inherit and pass on the truth: 1) the first generation----I----Paul the apostle; 2) the second generation----you----Timothy; 3) the third generation----men who will be able to teach others; 4) the fourth generation----others, i.e. who receive instructions. From generation to generation, the truth keeps dateless.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Teachings of the truth are committed to those who are faithful to pass on from generation to generation. Though everyone has the Bible in the hands, not everyone is able to read the light from the Bible directly. And therefore we should respect the spiritual light that was handed down from previous generations and prove (1Thess. 5:20-21).

2) I often hear many preachers say that we do not need to read anyone’s spiritual books except the Bible. It is the extreme statement unworthy to be accepted by us. Actually if we cannot consult any spiritual books indeed, we even could not hear the message preached orally by preachers.

3) The aim of service that preachers should pursue is the propagation of the truth and the building-up of the church instead of their own fame. And therefore there should not be the so-called “the domain of work” which one occupies for a long time and in which he does not allow other fellow-workers to work.

4) Preachers should pay attention to cultivating successors, besides shepherding common believers so that the truth and the work of the Lord could be passed down from generation to generation. Any preacher who is unwilling to hand the ball to others is not the faithful servant of the Lord.

5) It is committed to those “who will be able to teach others also” instead of those to whom we are close in an attempt to cultivate the greater influence.

6) A servant who is faithful and used by the Lord trusts that not only he by himself is used by the Lord but also many others will be used by the Lord.

 

2Tim. 2:3You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

   YLT: “thou, therefore, suffer evil as a good soldier of Jesus Christ;”

   Literal Meaning: “You therefore must endure hardship” refers to enduring hardship for the truth of the gospel (See 1:8).

“As a good soldier of Jesus Christ” “a good soldier” refers to a soldier who is well-trained and is able to commit himself to the field to accomplish the assignment. It implies that preaching the gospel and bearing witness to the Lord are as partaking in the spiritual conflict and one even may sacrifice in the field (See 4:6). However, the Lord’s workers should take “being good soldiers” as their own responsibility (See 1Cor. 9:7).

 

2Tim. 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.

   YLT: “no one serving as a soldier did entangle himself with the affairs of life, that him who did enlist him he may please;”

   Meaning of Words: “affairs”: affairs in this life, the worldly affairs, the worldly bustle; “entangle”: entwine.

   Literal Meaning: No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life” It means that the duty of soldiers is preparing themselves to meet the combat mission and they should not hold their affairs of civilians at the same time. In other words, no one could serve the army and keep his position of a civilian at the same time.

“That he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” it means that in this way men could achieve the aim of enlisting him as a solider.

The third and fourth verses show the four features of a good soldier of Christ: 1) the mind of suffering; 2) giving one’s mind to serve; 3) pleasing the Lord.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Those who work for God should be loyal and devoted and dedicate themselves to God as soldiers.

2) Only when a server of God always establishes the aim in future definitely will he be a becoming worker.

3) God’s workers should follow the leadership of God’s calling and should not let the worldly affairs hinder or entangle them. 

4) The enemy always utilizes the glory in this life, enjoyments of the flesh, disputes of right and wrong, the rationality of the letter, busy works, the worldly wisdom and others to disorder our aims and consume our mind of conflict.

 

2Tim. 2:5 “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

   YLT: “and if also any one may strive, he is not crowned, except he may strive lawfully;”

   Meaning of Words: “compete”: contest, sports competition; “crown”: garland, wreath.

   Literal Meaning: And also if anyone competes in athletics” “athletics” refers to arena; “compete” refers to competition. Here Paul used the ancient Greek sport as a metaphor to show that the witnesses of the Lord’s faith are like athletes who take part in a match.

“Unless he competes according to the rules” “the rules” includes the rules of the competition, the demands for the exercise and training before the competition, obeying rules, self-discipline and etc. “According to the rules” means that one has to obey some terms when serving the Lord and bearing witness to the Lord and should not do as he pleases.

“He is not crowned” “crowned” refers to the reward for the victory of the competition. Here the meaning is extended and it refers to the reward from the Lord.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Christians should serve God with the attitude of competition------trying our best and not being random or considering service as not indispensible.

2) Christians’ service must be “according to the rules”------confirming with the will of God and the spiritual principles. We should not use the fleshly ways such as advocacy, lassoing or have the spirit of the world such as taking advantage of the weak, fawning on the strong and only seeking to achieve the aim unscrupulously.

3) The proper server would rather sacrifice the benefits at present than do the work which does not conform to the will of God and violates the witness.

4) It is possible for every Christian to have the glorious reward as long as he is attentive to his duty and tries his best to pursue (See 4:8; Matt. 25:21,23).

 

2Tim. 2:6 “The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.

   YLT: “the labouring husbandman it behoveth first of the fruits to partake;”

   Literal Meaning: The hardworking farmer” the feature of a farmer is labor and cultivation and there won’t be harvest without labor.

“Must be first to partake of the crops” it is just for them to “be first to enjoy their achievements”.

The two examples in the fifth and sixth verses show that the faithful and diligent ones will receive reward from the Lord, however, probably the reward is not material but the spiritual enjoyments.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Christians should not muddle or be opportunistic in their service and we must pay the price and spend the efforts and labor.

2) The true service is full of the nature and provision of life and we ourselves are first to have the enjoyments and satisfaction. If we feel dull in the service, probably something is wrong with our service.

 

2Tim. 2:7 “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

   YLT: “be considering what things I say, for the Lord give to thee understanding in all things.”

   Literal Meaning: Consider what I say” “what I say” refers to the principles and teachings that Paul had made previously; “consider” means that we should try to figure out and meditate and then we will comprehend the truth within them.

“And may the Lord give you understanding in all things” “understanding” refers to the intelligence needed to deal with things.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) On one hand men themselves should consider and on the other God Himself will give us the understanding. Men’s exploration and pursuit and God’s enlightenment and opening complement each other and are indispensable.

2) The Bible usually gives us the revelation of the principle and as for how the principle is applied to the practical life, we who read the Bible should consider carefully and may receive understanding from God.

3) Before we believed in the Lord, we behave by our own abilities, intelligence, stratagems and etc. Now we have been saved, we should learn to walk by the understanding given by the Lord in everything and then we shall fell relaxed and it is effective.

 

2Tim. 2:8 “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,

   YLT: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised out of the dead, of the seed of David, according to my good news,”

   Literal Meaning: Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David” “Jesus” stresses on His identity of a man------He is Jesus of Nazareth who was the word coming into the world, humbled Himself and took upon Him a form of a servant; “Christ” stresses on the position of His work------He was the Messiah who was appointed by God, sent by God to accomplish the will of God and do His work.  

    The word “the seed of David” stresses on the humanity of the Lord Jesus------He is “the Son of Man” and He indeed has the life and disposition of a man (See Matt. 1:1; Rom. 1:3). And therefore He is qualified to stand in the position of man and replace men to receive the judgment of God and be crucified on the cross.

“Was raised from the dead” Death reigns upon men through sins (1Cor. 15:55-56) and no one is able to get into the power of death and come out because everyone is under sin (Rom. 3:9). Only Jesus Christ manifests that He is different from the world through His being raised from the dead because He is the Son of God. And therefore the word “was raised from the dead” stresses on His divinity------He fully has the life and disposition of God (See Rom. 1:4).

“According to my gospel” the central message of the gospel that Paul the apostle had preached is as follows: 1) Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts. 9:20); 2) He came to be a man and bore sins for men on the cross so that men could be reconciled to God (Eph. 2:16); 3) He gave the life of God to those who believe in Him through His being raised from the dead (Acts. 26:23; Rom. 4:25; 5:18).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The Lord Jesus came into the world and took upon Him the form of us. He was in the likeness of us with the aim of letting us be like Him. 

2) Jesus Christ who is spoken in the gospel is both the Son of Man and the Son of God and therefore He is able to give men the perfect salvation and the gospel is the perfect gospel.

3) We were dead in trespasses and sins, however, God made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:1, 5) and be born from above to become sons of God.

4) If the Lord Jesus was not raised from the dead, He was one of the great ones at most. However, He was raised from the dead and lives forever so that we are able to experience this true and living Lord. It is the difference between Him and all the other religious founders.

5) Since the Lord Jesus is the Son of God and has the life and disposition of God, those who believe unto Him and are united to Him have the life of God (1John. 5:12) and are partakers of the divine nature (2Pet. 1:4).

 

2Tim. 2:9 “for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.

   YLT: “in which I suffer evil -- unto bonds, as an evil-doer, but the word of God hath not been bound;”

   Literal Meaning: for which I suffer” Since Paul was saved, he suffered tribulations throughout his life for the sake of preaching the name of Jesus Christ (See Acts. 9:16), i.e. for the sake of preaching the gospel.

“Trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains” It means that he was treated as a common criminal.

“But the word of God is not chained” here “the word of God” and the gospel are synonyms. Men could bind the messenger of the gospel, however, the gospel is not bound. 

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) When we preach the gospel and bear witness towards others, though we ourselves will encounter others’ opposition, the word that we preach spreads as quickly as the wildfire burns a mountain and cannot be held back. Such wonderful fact will eliminate our fear and encourage us to advance bravely.

2) The world may persecute believers who bear witness to the Lord and the Lord’s servants may suffer enough from others’ mockery, however, we should not forget that when we bear humiliation, the word of God is spread by us because the word of God is full of power and cannot be hindered.

 

2Tim. 2:10 “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

   YLT: “because of this all things do I endure, because of the choice ones, that they also salvation may obtain that [is] in Christ Jesus, with glory age-during.”

   Meaning of Words: “obtain”: hit a target, achieve the aim; “with”: together, after.

   Literal Meaning: Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect” “the elect” refer to the Jews in the narrow sense, however, it refers to all those who believe in the Lord and are saved (Col. 3:12) in the broad sense. “Enduring all things” refers to enduring the persecution and tribulation added upon them by the opposed.

“That they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” this sentence does not mean that “the salvation which is in Christ Jesus” and “eternal glory” are two things of different categories. It means that the salvation will give us eternal glory because the ultimate purpose of the salvation is leading us into the realm of eternal glory (Rom. 8:21; Heb. 2:10).

 

2Tim. 2:11 “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.

   YLT: “Stedfast [is] the word: For if we died together -- we also shall live together;”

   Literal Meaning: This is a faithful saying” the verses from v.11 to v.13 may be a short song spread in all the churches at that time or the creative writing of Paul the apostle.

For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him” the word “if” does not imply the negative “doubt” but mean the positive “it is proved on this ground” . If we have been in the likeness of Christ’s death, we shall be in the likeness of His living (See Rom. 6:5, 8).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) It is not quickened, except it die (1Cor. 15:36) and death is before life. We experience the fact that we die with Christ together and then experience the fact that we live with Christ together (2Cor. 4:10-11).

2) Dying with Christ is negative and living with Him is positive. Dying with Him brings in living with Him. If there isn’t dying with Him, living with Him is of no meaning.

 

2Tim. 2:12 “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

   YLT: “if we do endure together -- we shall also reign together; if we deny [him], he also shall deny us;”

   Literal Meaning: If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.” Here “endure” refers to suffering with Christ; “reign” refers to having glory with Christ (See v.9-10). If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Rom. 8:17).

If we deny Him, He also will deny us” “deny” refers to not confessing Him before men. Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven (Matt. 10:33).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Whoever endures unto the end in tribulations and trials shall be rewarded when Christ comes again.

2) “The mouth confession” is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10) and in like manner, confessing Him is made unto victory------declaring the truth bravely and being acceptable to God (See Rev. 12:11).

 

2Tim. 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

   YLT: “if we are not stedfast, he remaineth stedfast; to deny himself he is not able.”

   Meaning of Words: “faithless”: be unbelieving, dare not believe; “deny”: disavow, contradict.

   Literal Meaning: If we are faithless, He remains faithful;” “if” indicates that whatever condition we are under. “Faithless” has two explanations: 1) being unfaithful to Him; 2) rejecting the faith. “Faithful” refers to being faithful to His own words (See 2Cor. 1:19-20).

He cannot deny Himself” means that the Lord’s faithfulness is based on His nature and it cannot be changed by our faithfulness. He cannot deny Himself forever.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) God’s faithfulness is built upon God Himself. God Himself is the support of His faithfulness. The reason why God’s faithfulness keeps steady and unchangeable is that God Himself is unchangeable.

2) We always fail and fall down in the environment of temptation because of naivety and weakness and we even dare not turn to the Lord. It is indeed the wrong idea! Because the Lord once told us by Himself that having loved us, He loved us to the end (John. 13:1). Whatever condition we are under, we could have boldness to turn to Him and He will forgive us and give us a shelter.

 

2Tim. 2:14 “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.

   YLT: “These things remind [them] of, testifying fully before the Lord -- not to strive about words to nothing profitable, but to the subversion of those hearing;”

   Meaning of Words: “remind”: call attention to, bring to remembrance; “ruin”: subvert, overthrow, overturn, turn down.

   Literal Meaning: Remind them of these things” “these things” refers to “a faithful saying” from v.11 to v.13, i.e. the Lord shall respond to our attitude to the word of God according to His faithfulness.

“Charging them before the Lord” refers to commanding in earnest.

“Not to strive about words” there is only one word in the original concerning “strive about words” and it could be translated into “disputes about words” which means not disputing ceaselessly about the trifling letters unrelated to the truth.

“To no profit” means that the positive effort cannot be achieved.

“To the ruin of the hearers” refers to making the hearers be confused in mind so that they cannot discern right and wrong and suffer great harm and loss in faith.

 

2Tim. 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

   YLT: “be diligent to present thyself approved to God -- a workman irreproachable, rightly dividing the word of the truth;”

   Meaning of Words: “diligent”: earnest, industrious, long, serious; “rightly”: straightly; “dividing”: cut, dissect, break a path.

   Literal Meaning: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God” “diligent” is the imperative in the original and it refers to the attitude of preaching. “Present yourself approved to God” refers to the motive for preaching; “approved to” originally refers to being qualified after test.

“A worker who does not need to be ashamed” “does not need to be ashamed” refers to blameless; “A worker who does not need to be ashamed” refers to a work who is not ashamed of preaching the truth, holding fast to the truth that he believes and is unwilling to compromise at all, lest he humiliate the name of the Lord.

“Rightly dividing the word of truth” refers to the way to preach. “Rightly dividing” originally means that a tailor cuts out the cloth straightly, a farmer plows the land straightly, a carpenter cuts the wood straightly or a mason paves a stone path straightly. And here it is used as a metaphor for preaching the word of God with the right way and attitude------one never distorts the word of God to depart from the original meaning. 

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Only those who try their best to be approved to God instead of men will be able to divide the word of God justly and honestly.

2) False teachers distort the truth according their own will and the faithful workers of God should rightly divide the Bible without prejudice.

3) There are many different truths in the Bible. They have boundaries respectively and though they connect with each other, they cannot be mixed up. We must cut these truths straightly and clearly and should not distort or preach the truths randomly.

4) All those who are committed to serve the Lord should rightly divide the word of God before the children of God according to His meaning in order to give the church of God the “sincere” provision (See 1Pet. 2:2). If one has not been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he had better keep back and be silent. We should not give a strained interpretation or repeat what others say. We should never interpret the Bible according to our own opinions instead of God’s meaning in the Bible. It is also a testimony that a server should bear in the last time.

 

2Tim. 2:16 “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

   YLT: “and the profane vain talkings stand aloof from, for to more impiety they will advance,”

   Literal Meaning: But shun profane and idle babblings” “profane and idle babblings” refers to the heretical fallacies which lead men into the ungodly life and the unholy and worldly ideas.

“For they will increase to more ungodliness” “they” refers to those who specially make profane and idle babblings; “they will increase to more ungodliness” because they march forward in the wrong direction------the counter direction of godliness.

 

2Tim. 2:17 “And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,

   YLT: “and their word as a gangrene will have pasture, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,”

   Literal Meaning: And their messagelike cancer” “cancer” refers to the rotten ulcer, i.e. a malignant tumor.

  “Will spread” it could be translated into “will have pasture” according to the original. “Pasture” is the medical term and it is used to describe the place where cancer has nutrition and therefore the state of the illness worsens and spreads.

Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort” Paul once mentioned the name of “Hymenaeus” and had delivered him unto Satan as a punishment (See 1Tim. 1:20); “Philetus” was not seen in other scriptures and probably he worked together with Hymenaeus to deny the truth of resurrection (See v.18).

 

2Tim. 2:18 “who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

   YLT: “who concerning the truth did swerve, saying the rising again to have already been, and do overthrow the faith of some;”

   Meaning of Words: “stray”: miss the mark, deviate from the line.

   Literal Meaning: who have strayed concerning the truth” the main content of the truth of the gospel includes resurrection (See v.8) and therefore those who have said that the resurrection is already past indeed have strayed concerning the truth of the gospel.

“Saying that the resurrection is already past” it means that there is not resurrection at all. And it is the extremely grave heresy because it denies the hope of the world to come (See 1Cor. 15:52; 1Thess. 4:16; Rev. 20:4, 6).

“And they overthrow the faith of some” “the faith” refers to the individual subjective faith. If a believers has lost the subjective faith, he won’t have the works of faith and therefore such faith is dead (James. 2:17, 26).

 

2Tim. 2:19 “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’”

   YLT: “sure, nevertheless, hath the foundation of God stood, having this seal, `The Lord hath known those who are His,' and `Let him depart from unrighteousness -- every one who is naming the name of Christ.'”

   Literal Meaning: Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands” “Nevertheless” shows that there are some who have strayed concerning the truth saying words that overthrow the faith of men (See v.17-18), however, there is another group of men who are completely different from them.

    Here “foundation” does not refer to the foundation of the church but the foundation of the truth. Concerning the former, Christ is the foundation of the church (1Cor. 3:10) and concerning the latter, the church is the foundation of the truth (1Tim. 3:15). The church is the solid foundation of the truth that God has established because the church is built up by Christ’s life of resurrection and such life cannot be corrupted or conquered (Heb. 7:16; Acts. 2:24). And therefore the standing (existence) of the church could withstand all the corruptible elements so as to hold and manifest the truth of God.

“Having this seal:” “seal” includes three meanings: 1) it shows whom it belongs to (See Rev. 20:4); 2) it shows its connation and essence (See Eph. 1:13); 3) it shows its nature (See Gal. 6:17).

“‘The Lord knows those who are His,’” the first nature of the church is the tie of life. The Lord has the tie of life with all true believers in the church and therefore not only the Lord knows them but also they know the Lord (John. 10:14).

“And, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’” The second nature of the church is the manifestation of life. Concerning everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord and becomes the Lord’s true believer (Rom. 10:13), the sanctified life in him has the power to make them depart from iniquity.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) His seal is upon us, showing that we belong to the Lord and He shall take the complete responsibility upon us.

2) In the church, probably others do not know or even misunderstand us, however, it is enough for us to rejoice that the Lord knows who are His.

3) Believers should not only call the name of the Lord with the mouth but also get rid of the lowliness and inferiority so that what we do on the outside could be congruent with the state of our hearts, bearing glories witness to the Lord.

 

2Tim. 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.

   YLT: “And in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour, and some to dishonour:”

   Literal Meaning: the word “but” shows that the real state described in this verse does not agree with the definition of true believers mentioned in v.19.

“In a great house” refers to in the house of God, i.e. in the church (1Tim. 3:15), the abnormal phenomenon has appeared unexpectedly.

“There are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay” “gold” symbolizes divinity, “silver” symbolizes redemption, “wood” symbolizes the natural character of men and “clay” symbolizes the earthly nature. When the church----“little flock” (Luke. 12:32) becomes “a great house”, concerning the members in it there is the adulterated case. On one hand, the devil has mixed “the wheat” with “tares” (Matt. 13:38-39) and on the other believers themselves are unwilling to pursue and have not “taken oil in their vessels” (Matt. 25:3-4). And therefore there is the distinction between good and bad and honor and dishonor.

  “Vessels of gold and silver” typifies true believers whose inner life has been renewed and changed. And they manifest “the divine nature” (2Pet. 1:4) and “the salvation of souls” (1Pet. 1:9) upon them. “Vessels of wood and clay” typifies the false believers and failing believers. They merely manifest their reprobate natural character upon them.

“Some for honor and some for dishonor” “honor” refers to vessels useful in the hand of God. “Dishonor” refers to the vessels of little use or even no use.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) You and I are only vessels in the hand of God. Vessels cannot belong to themselves or be used by themselves and vessels must be used according to the will of the master.

2) There is distinction of honor and dishonor concerning vessels and the distinction lies in the inner nature instead of the outer abilities. And therefore we should pay attention to the growth and change of the inner life.

 

2Tim. 2:21 “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

   YLT: “if, then, any one may cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified and profitable to the master -- to every good work having been prepared,”

   Meaning of Words: “useful”: more useful.

   Literal Meaning: Therefore” shows that since there is the distinction of honor and dishonor, the following paragraph shows the features of vessels for honor according to the context.

“If anyone cleanses himself from the latter” “cleanse” means “departing from iniquity” (See v.19) and it is the outer testimony to the inner divine life of believers. “From the latter” refers to both the dishonorable things and men.

“He will be a vessel for honor” “honor” refers to the elevation of nature.

“Sanctified” refers to being sanctified to God. In the original this word is the perfect passive participle, implying that it has already existed and one obtains such position when he believed in the Lord.

  We believers have been sanctified by God when we are saved, however, it is the objective fact and it should turn to be our subjective experience. Here it stresses on the substantiating of position.

“And useful for the Master” here it stresses on the change of function.

“Prepared for every good work” “prepare” refers to being well-prepared and ready to start. Here it stresses on the level of training.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Whether we are useful for the Lord is determined by how we “cleanse” ourselves. The Lord only uses those who esteem themselves and are willing to make effort at improving themselves.

2) Only when one equips himself well will he be able to do every good work for the Lord. Whoever is unwilling to train himself and make effort at preparing is of little use in the hand of the Lord.

 

2Tim. 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

   YLT: “and the youthful lusts flee thou, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those calling upon the Lord out of a pure heart;”

   Literal Meaning: Flee also youthful lusts;” “flee” is the imperative verb in the present continuous tense and it implies “carrying out continuously”. “Youthful lusts” stresses on the flesh and lusts.

“With those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” “a pure heart” indicates that one is pure in his heart and does not have adulteration------there is none that he desires beside God (Ps. 73:25). “Calling on the Lord” refers to seeking for and relying on the Lord.

“But pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace” “righteousness” refers to being just and upright towards God and men. “Faith” stresses on faith towards God (1Thess. 1:8). “Love” stresses on love towards men (Col. 1:4). “Peace” refers to having peace towards God, men and himself.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The so-called “those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” are those who neither mind the flesh nor live according to the lusts.

2) Calling on the Lord is the first step to pursue spiritual. There is not the spiritual growth without prayers.

3) On the spiritual way, it is better for one to pursue with men of the same mind than to pursue by himself and he will yield twice the result with half the effort.

4) In the pursuit of spiritual virtue, Christians should pay equal attention to God, men and ourselves and go forward together.

 

2Tim. 2:23 “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.

   YLT: “and the foolish and uninstructed questions be avoiding, having known that they beget strife,”

   Meaning of Words: “disputes”: guess; “generate”: beget, rear.

        Literal Meaning: But foolish and ignorant disputes” “ignorant” refers to uneducated, uncultivated and untrained. The whole sentence means that one argues with men according to one’s own mind and will instead of the teaching of Christ’s truth (See Eph. 4:21).

“Avoid…knowing that they generate strife” in this chapter “they” includes: 1) “striving about words” (See v.14); 2) “profane and idle babblings” (See v.16); 3) words that “have strayed concerning the truth” (See v.18); 4) “foolish and ignorant disputes” (See v.23); 5) “opposing” the truth (See v.25).

 

2Tim. 2:24 “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,

   YLT: “and a servant of the Lord it behoveth not to strive, but to be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient under evil,”

   Meaning of Words: “servant”: bondman, slave; “quarrel”: strive, combat.

   Literal Meaning: And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel” “quarrel” refers to the attitude of being unwilling to acknowledge defeat and trying to win in everything.

“But be gentle to all” “gentle” refers to the meek, tolerant and kindly attitude; “not quarrel” in the previous sentence is the negative forbiddance and “gentle” in this sentence is the positive exhortation.

“Able to teach, patient” “able to teach” refers to being able to teach others (See v.2) and it is the essential condition of abilities to be the Lord’s servants. “Patient” is the essential condition of attitude to be the Lord’s servants. The abilities that believers accept teachings are uneven and therefore one has to teach patiently. One should bear the contradiction of others because he may face “those who are in opposition” (See v.25).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) True servers have one feature that they are able to deal with “the opposition” of men (v.25) by “gentleness”. It is the most effective weapon and it triumphs finally as the slain lamb------“when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not” (1Pet. 2:23). How gentle He is. And finally He surpasses all, ascends the highest throne and becomes the mighty “Lion” (See Rev. 5:5-6).

2) In the spiritual conflicts, those who stretch out the hands of the flesh to “quarrel” or “oppose” will not last for a long time and those who “are patient” and be ill-treated “gently” are the final overcomers. 

 

2Tim. 2:25 “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

   YLT: “in meekness instructing those opposing -- if perhaps God may give to them repentance to an acknowledging of the truth,”

   Literal Meaning: in humility correcting those who are in opposition” “correcting” refers to advising and admonishing and it implies blame. “Those who are in opposition” refers to those who do not listen to the teachings of the truth or hold the opposite attitude.

“If God perhaps will grant them repentance” “repentance” in the original refers to the change of mind. One’s mind was against God and the truth of God formerly and now he turns to God and the truth of God.

“So that they may know the truth” because once one’s heart turns to the Lord, the veil upon his face will be taken away so that he shall see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (See 2Cor. 3:16; 4:4).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The main reason why men are unable to understand the truth is that something is wrong with their hearts. Whenever their hearts are against God (“repentance” means turning to God), they cannot receive the light.

2) Those who are against the truth actually are ignorant of the truth. They oppose the truth for the sake of opposition and it is not that they know the truth and find the error of the truth.

 

2Tim. 2:26 “and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

   YLT: “and they may awake out of the devil's snare, having been caught by him at his will.”

   Literal Meaning: and that theyhaving been taken captive by him to do his will” From this we know that the devil is the principal plotter at the back who is against the truth. The devil, the enemy of God, captures the mind of men and makes men have the error of hearts to oppose the truth invariably.

    The meaning of “his will” is uncertain in the original. And therefore some Bible exegetes interpreted it as the will of the devil. However, some Bible exegetes interpreted it as the will of God and therefore according to the original it could be translated into “they who have been taken captive by the devil may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil and turn to the will of God”.

  “May come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil” “come to their senses” refers to regain consciousness and come out of a trance.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

Conditions of a good soldier of Christ

I. Being strong (v.1).

II. Being faithful (v.2).

III. Hardship (v.3).

IV. Being single-minded (v.4).

V. According to the rules (v.5).

VI. Being diligent (v.6).

VII. Understanding (v.7).

VIII. Remembering Jesus Christ (v.8).

IX. Denying oneself (v.9).

X. Endurance (v.10).

 

Christians’ Positions

I. A teacher (v.2)------receiving and committing teachings.

II. A good soldier of the Lord (v.3-4)

  A. enduring hardship;

  B. not entangling himself with the affairs of this life;

  C. pleasing him who enlisted him as a soldier.

III. The one who competes in athletics (v.5)------according to the rules (See 1Cor. 9:24-27).

IV. The hardworking farmer (v.6)------labor and cultivation (See 1Cor. 9:10).

V. A worker who does not need to be ashamed (v.15)------rightly dividing the word of truth.

VI. A vessel for honor, and useful for the Master (v.21-23)

  A. cleansing oneself from the latter (v.21).

  B. fleeing also youthful lusts (v.22a).

  C. pursuing with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (v.22b).

  D. avoiding foolish and ignorant disputes (v.23).

VII. A servant of the Lord (v.24)------be gentle to all and able to teach.

 

The Basic Motive Power of Those Who Serve God

I. Pleasing him who enlisted him as a soldier (v.4).

II. Gaining the crown (v.5).

III. Being first to partake of the crops (v.6).

 

The Things Evangelists should Remember (Recall)

I. Remember the center that the word of God declares------the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ (v.8).

II. Remember that the preachers of the word of God are bound, however, the word of God itself is not bound (v.9).

III. Remember that the word of God would make men obtain the salvation with eternal glory (v.10).

IV. Remember the faithfulness of the word of God and it will bring in the eternal rewards and punishment (v.11-13).

 

The Talk Christians should Avoid

I. Striving for words: because it is of profit and ruins the hearers (v.14).

II. Profane and idle babblings: because they make men increase to more ungodliness (v.16).

III. Words which have strayed concerning the truth: because they overthrow the faith of men (v.18).

IV. Foolish and ignorant disputes: because they generate strife (v.23).

 

The Work, workers and ways for Teaching the Truth

I. Work of teaching the truth (v.14-18)

  A. not to strive about words (v.14).

  B. rightly dividing the word of truth (v.15).

  C. shunning profane and idle babblings (v.16-18).

II. Workers who teach the truth (v.19-22)

  A. they know the seal of the foundation of the truth (v.19).

  B. there are vessels for honor and vessels for dishonor (v.20).

  C. they need to train themselves (v.21).

  D. they need to pursue virtue (v.22).

III. The way to teach the truth (v.23-26)

  A. rejecting disputes (v. 23-24a).

  B. the essentials of teaching (v.24b-25a).

1. being gentle (v.24b).

2. being able to use the skills in teaching (v.24b).

3. being patient (v.24c).

4. being in humility (v.25a).

  C. committing to God (v.25a-26).

 

The Way to Deal with Heresies

I. The positive aspect------be workers who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (v.15).

II. The negative aspect------shun those who preach heresies (v.16).

 

The Eight Features of Being Useful for the Master

I. Cleansing oneself (v.21a).

II. Being sanctified (v.21b).

III. Being useful for the Master (v.21b).

IV. Being prepared for every good work (v.21c).

V. Having a pure heart (v.22):

  A. fleeing lusts;

  B. pursuing righteousness;

  C. pursuing faith;

  D. pursuing love;

  E. pursuing peace.

VI. Discerning the good and bad (v.23).

VII. Being friendly to men (v.24):

 A. not quarreling;

  B. being gentle to all;

  C. being able to teach;

  D. being patient.

VIII. Keeping the truth (v.25).

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

   Translated by Sharon Ren