2 Timothy 2:1

 2 Timothy 2:1 says, Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  Paul called on Timothy to be strong in the grace of God which came by His sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.  We are still under the grace of God today if we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord and we need to be strong under that grace.  The grace of God that saved us will also sustain us if we only live by faith.  

Verse two adds, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.  Paul said that Timothy was to commit the things that he had heard from Paul, concerning salvation through faith in Jesus Christ I believe and obedience to God through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and from others, to faithful men.  He was to do this so that they would be able to teach others.  As followers of Christ, we are to know that God’s word is the truth and teach it to other Christians so that they might teach it to others as well.  This is the way the truth of God has always spread.  If we don’t share the gospel with others, it will one day no longer be known.  

Verse three continues, Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  aul calls on Timothy to endure hardness like a good soldier.  Paul does not promise Timothy wealth and pleasure in life, but hardship and suffering for the gospel's sake instead.  This should be our understanding of living the Chrisitan life today.  We are called to battle against the forces of evil as a part of the army of God.  

Verse four concludes, No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.  Paul said that a good soldier didn’t entangle himself in the affairs of life so that he could please the one who had called him to be a soldier.   I don’t believe that Paul meant that Timothy wasn’t to at all be involved in the affairs of this life, but that he wasn’t to allow them to keep him from doing what God had called him to do.  Some people believe that this means we aren't to be involved with the affairs of the government while they are still entangled with other material things in life, but I believe that it means we aren’t to allow anything in the world to entangle us so much that we are not faithful to God.  We are to live to please the One Who has called us, Jesus Christ, but we have to be aware of what is going on in the world around us to do so.  

2 Timothy 1:15

2 Timothy 1:15 says, This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.  Paul said that all the people of Asia had turned against him, which means they would have turned against his preaching the gospel.  He named two people in particular who had turned against him and were leading others away from the truth.  There are still many false teachers today and we must lead people to the truth of God so they will know when someone is preaching a false gospel.  We may or may not be led to call them out by name, but if the Holy Spirit leads us to do so, then we should.  We should never let false doctrine stand.  

Verse sixteen adds, The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:  Paul then singled out a man whose house Timothy was to show mercy to because he had helped Paul and was not ashamed of Paul’s chains.  Mercy comes from God, but as followers of Christ we are to show His mercy to people.  Like Onesiphorus, we should help those who are proclaiming God’s word and never turn away from them if they are in trouble because of their faith.  

Verse seventeen continues, But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.  Paul then gives an example of how Onesiphorus had refreshed him.  While Paul was in prison in Rome, Onesiphorus had diligently sought for him, even though this might have caused him problems because he was identifying with Paul, who was in prison because of his faith.  If other believers are falsely imprisoned, we should never be ashamed to be identified with them and must do all that we can to help them.  

Verse eighteen concludes, The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.  Paul asked that Onesiphorus have God grant him mercy when judgement came.  Paul said this was because of what he had done for him, but I believe that Paul knew that this was done in obedience to God.  People will not find God’s gift of salvation simply by being good to preachers in their time of trouble if they have not put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. 

 

2 Timothy 1:11

 2 Timothy 1:11 says, Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.  Paul said he was appointed, or called as we would say, to be an apostle, or preacher and teacher to the gentiles.  We are called to be a witness to everyone we encounter, even if we aren’t called to be a preacher or teacher.  

Verse twelve adds, For the which cause 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 that which I have committed unto him against that day.  Paul said he was suffering physically at the hands of the lost people he was witnessing to because of his faith in Christ and witnessing for Him, which is the opposite of what many preachers proclaim today.  Some Christians seem to think that God allowed early Christians to suffer for their faith but that He wants Christians today to be materially successful and happy.  Paul said He was not ashamed of being a Christian because of what was happening to Him, yet we sometimes seem to be ashamed of being a Christian simply because the people of the world might think we are strange.  Paul said he felt this way because he knew in Whom he had believed, Jesus Christ, and was persuaded that He was able to keep that which he had committed to him until the day of his death or until the return of Christ.  We should have that same faith today, knowing that we are forever saved by our faith in Jesus Christ and that should be what is the most important fact in our lives, no matter what is happening to us in the world. 

Verse thirteen continues, Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  Paul asked Timothy to hold fast to the gospel, which he had heard from Paul.  Timothy was to do this in faith and love in Jesus Christ as he proclaimed the gospel to the world.  As followers of Christ, we must reach out to the lost people of the world today with the gospel out of our faith in and love for Jesus Christ.  

Verse fourteen concludes, That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.  Paul told Timothy to keep the truth of the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, Who dwelt in Him.  This is the same way that we are to hold fast to our relationship with God today, through the power of the Holt Spirit, Who indwells all Christians from the time they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  The Holy Spirit does not come later and only to certain believers, but He indwells all believers from the time they accept God’s gift of salvation.

2 Timothy 1:6

2 Timothy 1:6 says, Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.  Paul reminded Timothy that he was to stir up the gift of God, his spiritual gift from God, which Paul said was in Timothy by Paul putting his hands on him.  I don’t believe that Paul meant he somehow gave Timothy his spiritual gift, but by putting his hands on Timothy, Paul had acknowledged that he recognized that God had given Timothy this gift.  We cannot give anyone a spiritual gift, by laying our hands on them or any other way, but we can lay our hands on them to help them acknowledge their gift and to show our unity with them.  

Verse seven adds, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  Paul then told Timothy that God had not given the followers of Christ a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.  This is still true today.  As Christians we shouldn’t live in fear but in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are to do so with love for God and others, since through our faith in God, we have been given a sound mind.    

Verse eight continues, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;  Paul then told Timothy to not be ashamed of the gospel.  I believe sometimes Christians today live in such a way that they seem to be ashamed of the gospel.  We keep it hidden away instead of sharing it.  Paul also told Timothy to not be ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment, but to be willing to be a partaker himself if it became necessary.  Our afflictions for the gospel’s sake as Christians are for the glory of God and the gospel.  

Verse nine states, Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,  Paul then told us that we should not be ashamed of the gospel, because God had saved us through it.  The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and our putting our faith in it.  We all have a holy calling and should do the work that God calls us to, and this is given to us by God’s grace in sending His only begotten Son to die in our place.  Redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ sacrificing Himself for us was not a new plan, but had been in existence before the world began, not because God knew mankind would sin, but because He knew they could.

Verse ten adds, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:   Paul then states that these gifts were given to believers because Jesus Christ had defeated death giving us everlasting life with God if we will only accept His gift.  This is the gospel that we need to proclaim to the world- the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of sin for all people and to defeat death spiritually for all time.  Even though He died for the sins of everyone, we must accept Him as our Savior and Lord to claim that gift of salvation.