Summary Messages

2:1-26 Timothy should develop a ministry characterized by suffering, hard work, and righteousness.  His teaching should be performed humbly and patiently to all men.  This ministry will earn eternal rewards and cause Timothy to be pleasing to God.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:1-13"]2:1-13[/v]  The motivation for suffering during ministry is a guarantee of eternal rewards.  Timothy should endure suffering just as Jesus and Paul had before him, pleasing the Lord who enlisted him as a soldier.  Paul employs an early Christian hymn to summarize these principles of eternal security and eternal rewards.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:14-26"]2:14-26[/v] Timothy must zealously seek to please God by handling the Word correctly.  By avoiding disputes, fleeing ungodly influences and seeking after righteousness with other believers, Timothy will be a useful vessel in the household of God.  Further, a straying believer may be granted repentance from the Lord through the humble and patient teaching of the faithful minister.

Outline

[v ref="2 Tim 2:1"]2:1[/v] Timothy must rely on Christ for his strength to persevere in his ministry.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:2"]2:2[/v] Timothy must entrust the true gospel and sound doctrine to other faithful men capable of teaching the church.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:3-6"]2:3-6[/v] Paul exhorts Timothy to suffer hardship by living in active, disciplined, consistent hard-working service for the cause of Christ.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:7-10"]2:7-10[/v] Paul exhorts Timothy to meditate on his words, and reminds him that the gospel will never cease to go forth for the sake of the elect.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:11-13"]2:11-13[/v] An early Christian hymn provides encouragement by focusing on the believer’s security in Christ and reward for faithful service.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:14"]2:14[/v] Paul commands Timothy to teach these things to the faithful men, and to charge them not to be involved in useless disputes with negative results.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:15"]2:15[/v] Paul commands Timothy to be diligent in godliness and accurate with the Word in order to stand unashamed before God.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:16-19"]2:16-19[/v] Paul describes the devastating results of believers who have strayed from the truth.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:20-22"]2:20-22[/v] Timothy must avoid ungodly influences and youthful lusts while pursuing righteousness in order to be a vessel for honor in the household of God.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:23"]2:23[/v] Paul commands Timothy to avoid those disputes which drive other believers and unbelievers away.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:24"]2:24a[/v] A godly minister will avoid having a quarreling, harsh attitude with others.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:24"]2:24b[/v] A godly minister will be gentle and patient as he effectively communicates God’s truth to all men.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:25"]2:25a[/v] A godly minister will contend for the truth with a humble, gentle spirit.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:25"]2:25b[/v] Only God can ultimately bring a disobedient Christian back to a knowledge of His truth.

[v ref="2 Tim 2:26"]2:26[/v] Disobedient Christians have been caught in the snare of the devil.

Verses 1-6

Verse 1 Paul begins the second chapter of this very personal letter to Timothy by turning his attention directly to Timothy’s faith and actions.  By beginning with “You therefore,” after discussing his own ministry in Chapter 1, Paul is expressing to Timothy his responsibility to continue the ministry which Paul began.  The address is very emphatic in the original Greek, and compares Timothy with Paul and Onesiphorus in [v ref="2 Tim 1:16-18"]1:16-18[/v], a stark contrast to those who deserted Paul in [v ref="2 Tim 1:15"]1:15.[/v]¹  It is important to note Paul’s use of “my son” to refer to Timothy.  Paul and Timothy had a very close personal relationship with Paul acting as Timothy’s spiritual father, preparing and training him for ministry.  Paul knows that he will soon depart to be with Christ ([v ref="2 Tim 4:6"]4:6[/v]), so his perhaps final instruction and encouragement to his most trusted successor ([v]Phil. 2:20[/v]) emanates with great intensity and emotion. Paul exhorts Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”  Paul previously reminded Timothy that his boldness flows from the resurrection power granted by Jesus Christ, and not of his own efforts ([v ref="2 Tim 1:7"]1:7[/v]).

Verse 2 Next, Paul addresses Timothy’s theology and teaching.  Timothy’s message should be identical to that which Paul taught him.  Paul emphasizes that his message remained consistent throughout his ministry, and many witnesses will be able to discern if Timothy remains true to Paul’s teaching.  Further, with knowledge of the Truth comes sacred responsibility. Timothy must invest in others as Paul invested in him.  Faithful men must be chosen to teach the brethren with Timothy, and he should train these men in the proper doctrine taught to him by Paul.  These were indeed only men, for Paul uses anthropos in its specific sense of an adult male, in contrast to a woman.²  It would have been inconsistent for these to be women, for Paul forbade them earlier from teaching the entire church ([v]1 Tim. 2:12[/v]).  It is likely that these men would serve the same role as the church leaders described in [v]1 Tim. 5:17[/v] and [v]Titus 1:9[/v].³

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.” – 2:3-6

Verse 3 Paul gives the first of three illustrations which describe “the rigors and rewards of discipleship”⁴.  The exhortation to Timothy is for him to suffer for the gospel as Paul had.  The majority of manuscripts begin this verse with “You therefore,”⁵ linking the call to suffer back to v. 1.  If Timothy remained strong in Christ Jesus, fulfilling and persevering in his ministry, then suffering would come in a world hostile to the Gospel of Christ.  This suffering is similar to the suffering of a soldier, leaving the comforts of life to face enemy hostility for the sake of the one who enlisted him.  In Timothy’s case, he had been enlisted by Christ Jesus, and thus must seek to please Him and follow Him in suffering.

Verse 4 Paul continues his illustration by describing the attitude and goals of a good soldier.  A soldier is characterized by single-mindedness of purpose.  As a soldier, Timothy’s primary aim in life was to please Jesus Christ who had enlisted him.  Paul was not prohibiting Timothy from being involved with the world, but to keep from becoming entangled in it.  Thus Timothy must be in the world, actively participating in ministry, but without becoming tied down and distracted by the worries and temptations that the world offers.  The approval of the Lord Himself proves the worthy reward for remaining focused and staying free from entanglements.

Verse 5 Paul moves on to his second illustration of suffering in ministry, that of an athlete in competition.  If the athlete does not compete according to the rules of competition, he will forfeit the prize.  Thus, Timothy must understand and obey the rules and instructions given by God to the leaders of the church.  The minister must not take short-cuts during the race of his ministry, or he will be disqualified.  This disqualification involves the loss of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ, not eternal salvation from sin.  This second illustration assumes deeper meaning in relation to the previous soldier analogy, as Timothy must realize that the instruction to suffer hardship becomes one of the rules of the race.⁶

Verse 6 Paul’s final illustration is of a hard-working farmer.  The Greek word for “hard-working” carries with it the connotation of working until exhaustion, but also conveys the idea of a difficult struggle.⁷  Just as a farmer does not see the results of his arduous labor until the time of harvest, so also the minister must wait until the judgment seat to see most of the results of his tireless work.  The minister will enjoy the rewards of his labor ([v]1 Cor. 3:5-8[/v]) like a farmer enjoying the fruit of the field.

Barclay summarizes these illustrations well when he writes:

One thing remains in all three pictures.  The soldier is upheld by the thought of final victory.  The athlete is upheld by the vision of the crown.  The husbandman is upheld by the hope of the harvest.  Each submits to the discipline and the toil for the sake of the glory which shall be.  It is so with the Christian.  The Christian struggle is not without a goal; it is always going somewhere.  The Christian can be certain that after the effort of the Christian life, there comes the joy of heaven; and the greater the struggle, the greater the joy.⁸

Verses 7-13

Verse 7 Paul exhorts Timothy to meditate on his words.  The preceding verses are loaded with encouragement for the faithful minister, yet these are powerful words which need to be considered.  The call to ministry is a call to suffering hardship, yet the rewards are greater than the risk.  Finally, to reiterate the glorious source of his joy and strength, Paul promises Timothy that the Lord will give him understanding in these matters. Though Timothy must be resolved to receive suffering, he need not fret nor dread his calling.  The Lord Himself who dwells in Timothy will give him the strength that comes from understanding the all-surpassing worth of the prize laid before us in Christ.⁹

Verse 8 A minister such as Timothy must always remember Jesus Christ first and foremost inorder to have an effective ministry.  “There are two things to note about the verb ‘remember’ (mnemoneue).  It is in the imperative mood which indicates the urgency and importance of this command...secondly, it is in the present tense which means that this is to be a frequent, habitual process.”¹⁰  Thus, Paul instructs Timothy to earnestly, actively remember the person of Christ; both his humanity as the “seed of David,” and His deity as remembered in His victory over death and the resurrection. Remembering both the suffering that Jesus went through while on earth and the heavenly reward that Christ will share with us encourages the minister to persevere through his own sufferings.  Christ was at the center of Paul’s gospel message ([v]1 Cor. 2:2[/v]), and he urges Timothy to make Christ the center of his ministry. He is what we teach, He is why we endure, He is what we long for.

Verse 9 Paul suffered greatly for the gospel, and at this point in time he was imprisoned and awaiting his martyrdom.  How Paul must have found endurance in his captivity by knowing that men may be physically jailed, but Truth, the Word of God, can never be locked away.  Though God’s premier representative on earth at that time was in chains, it did nothing to stop the spread of the gospel.  The truth of salvation in Christ had become more certain and enduring than the gravity which held Paul’s feet to his prison floor.  Timothy was not to be discouraged by Paul’s arrest, but was to be encouraged by the power of God to spread the good news (cf. [v]Phil. 1:12[/v]).

Verse 10 For Paul to endure this suffering and imprisonment, it must be for a reason of eternal significance.  One view of this verse proposes that the purpose for Paul’s suffering is the eternal destiny of the souls of men.¹¹  Paul realized that although the gospel of God does not depend on just one man, God does powerfully use men who are faithful through suffering to spread the good news.  This view asserts that Paul here refers to elect men and women in the world who have yet to hear the gospel, for whom he is willing to suffer for them that they might “obtain the salvation which is Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

An alternate view considers the elect in this verse as Timothy and his faithful men ([v ref="2 Tim. 2:2"]v. 2[/v]).  A word study on “elect” (eklektos) reveals that every other usage in the New Testament (when applied to men) refers to an already justified saint.¹²  It never refers to one who is elect and has not yet come to faith.  In the context of this chapter, Paul is exhorting Timothy to suffer for his task of teaching those faithful men, just as Paul had suffered for Timothy and others ([v]Col 1:24; 2 Cor. 1:5-6; 4:12[/v]).  Since the security of eternal salvation from sins cannot be in question for justified saints (verse), the salvation spoken of here must refer to the sanctification (present salvation from our sinful nature) that comes from perseverance through suffering ([v]Jas. 1:2-4[/v]), in order to receive eternal rewards from Christ.¹³  Paul longed for Timothy and other faithful men to be counted worthy to reign with Christ in His kingdom.

“This is a faithful saying:

          For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.

¹²If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.

          If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

¹³If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” – 2:11-13

Verses 11-13 Paul quotes what is most likely an early Christian hymn in vv. 11-13, a “faithful saying.”  This ancient hymn apparently employs a chiastic construction¹⁴; that is, it begins and ends with the same subject matter, while these thoughts bracket another subject matter.  In this case the verses form this pattern:

A. For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.

B. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.

B¹. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

A¹. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

Point ‘A’ deals with the topic of eternal life.  Points ‘B’ and ‘B¹’ discuss the topic of rewards, both positively and negatively.  Paul then returns to the issue of eternal life in ‘A¹’, and emphasizes the eternal security of the believer regardless of whether the he endures or denies.  Further, the hymn utilizes the pronoun “we,” indicating that Paul is here dealing with truths for all believers, including himself.  Paul’s purpose of citing this hymn is to drive home his message of endurance through suffering.

Verse 11 This “faithful saying” begins with a statement concerning the believer’s salvation and eternal destiny.  Paul often uses the picture of dying with Christ to signify our conversion ([v]Rom 6:1-11[/v]).  The result of dying with Christ is that we will live with Him.  Because Christ was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, we know that we too will live forever in heaven.  The inspired Word of God does not here, nor ever, attach any prerequisites to receiving salvation.¹⁵  Our future existence in heaven is guaranteed, and we receive the Holy Spirit as a down payment of this destiny ([v]Eph. 1:13-14[/v]).  Dwight Edwards eloquently comments on this verse in regards to righteous living:

It is of no small significance that the first motivation given Timothy here is that of complete assurance in his eternal destiny.  This assurance is the foundation for all spiritual service since it determines the real motive for our service.  We serve the Lord not to gain heaven; but we serve Him because we are already guaranteed heaven.¹⁶

Verse 12a The hymn now changes the subject from the fact of our existence in heaven to the quality of our existence in heaven.  The first part of v. 12 deals with the positive side of our rewards.  The faithful Christian will be rewarded for his service on earth.  If we have been faithful to our calling and responsibilities on earth, persevering to the end, then Christ will give us a proportionate place to serve in His eternal kingdom.¹⁷  Paul’s use of the word “also” indicates, though they seem so different to us, that reigning is the end result of enduring.¹⁸

Verse 12b Conversely, a negative consequence for our life choices also exists.  If the Christian is unfaithful to his calling and is ashamed of the Lord who died for him, then Christ will deny him the opportunity to reign in His kingdom.  If denying Him is the opposite of enduring, then Christ denying us is the opposite of reigning with Him.  Thus, the unresponsive Christian will forfeit his chance to have a significant role in the future kingdom.¹⁹  Nothing in these verses indicates that the believer who fails to persevere will be denied entrance into heaven.  However, this passage offers a stern warning that consequences exist for those true believers who deny Christ with their words and actions.

Verse 13 Finally, the subject turns back to the believer’s eternal security.  No matter how unfaithful, no matter how many times we deny Him as Peter once did, He will remain faithful to His promise of eternal life to those who believed.  Christ cannot deny Himself, nor the members of His body, the precious gift of eternal life once it is granted.  George Knight remarks:

Paul does not mention God’s faithfulness as a basis for the certainty that the faithless will be punished, but as the basis for the assurance of the gospel promises ([v]2 Cor 2:18-20[/v]), for safety in temptation ([v]1 Cor 10:13[/v]), for protection from the evil one ([v]2 Thes. 3:3[/v]), and for the sanctification and preservation of God’s people ([v]1 Thes. 5:24[/v]).  This understanding is also suggested here by meno, “he remains,” which with pistos, “faithful,” implies that Christ continues as the faithful one in his relationship to Christians.²⁰

Verses 14-19

Verse 14 Timothy must remind the “faithful men” of these words from Paul.  “These things” may only refer to [v ref="2 Tim 2:11-13"]vv. 11-13[/v], but most likely it refers to all of the preceding 13 verses.  Paul was encouraging Timothy to suffer for the faith, and certainly he would have wanted those truths communicated to other church leaders.  Timothy is then to charge the men not to become involved in wars over words.  Certainly this does not involve correction of important doctrine or battles for truth against the false teachers, but a war among believers over non-essential interpretations.  Most every believer will be a participant or witness to one of these battles, and can attest to Paul’s conclusion that it holds “no profit.”  In addition to a lack of benefit, Paul concludes that these wars will damage the faith or potential for faith of the hearers.  He does not designate whether the hearers are believers or non-believers, but it can affect both in equally devastating ways.  The weaker brethren may become disenchanted with the church or with the faith, and it may drive the non-believer further away from the truth of the gospel.  Simply put, the consequences far outweigh the personal satisfaction that will come from winning the argument.

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

Verse 15 The young minister must be diligent to remain faithful and seek his approval from the Lord alone.  This diligence carries the idea of “zealous effort.”²¹  God’s approval is the only one the believer should seek, and we should work hard to be able to stand unashamed before Him.  After seeking to please the Lord, we are to treat His Word with the care and respect that it deserves as the eternal utterances of God.

The final phrase contains the only use of the word orthotomeo, translated as “rightly dividing.”  Much debate surrounds this phrase, with some even using it to justify theological systems that decimate the Word of God by subdividing it until all unity is lost.²²  Köster offers a translation that is consistent with the overall context of its use:

In his conduct Timothy must “speak the word of truth aright,” i.e., follow it.  When he puts his acts under the word of truth he is worthy before God and he need not be ashamed.  He is superior to the false teachers, not because he can present the word better, nor because he offers it in a theologically legitimate form, but because he follows this word aright in the own life, and thus confirms it.²³

“Accurately handling the word of truth” (NASB) will thus enable Timothy to discern the matters of greatest importance to the faith, and keep him from arguments and striving over words.

“But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. ¹⁷And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, ¹⁸who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. ¹⁹Nevertheless 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.’” – 2:16-19

Verse 16 Paul continues addressing his concern over foolish and corrupt speech in church leadership.  First, he describes the conversations as profane (bebelos), which describes the spirit of the conversation.  Second, they are idle babblings (kenophonia), which describes the value of the conversation.²⁴  These words lead to ungodliness for those who speak them, for they treat the things of God irreverently and inaccurately, furthering the cause of  evil and the darkness of untruth. 

Verse 17 Paul now gives a second reason for avoiding the “profane and idle babblings”: the message affects the hearers like a deadly disease.  The word here translated “cancer” is gangraina, from which comes the English word “gangrene.”  Dwight Edwards comments:

The metaphor here is very striking.  Gangrene is a disease which "breeds death" and its only remedy is amputation.  The ungodly message of the false teacher breeds spiritual death in its victims and their only hope of recovery is to remove the teacher and his message from their body.  Thus the Lord's servant is not to leave the vitalizing influence of God's word to stand under prolonged exposure to these men's cancerous doctrine.  To do so is to insure that ultimately our own spiritual life will become infected in one way or another.²⁵

Verse 18 It is important not to cover for such men and speech, but to expose it and amputate it from the church body. Paul does not hesitate to point out men who were spreading a faulty teaching, giving both their names and the nature of their doctrine.  This Hymenaeus is almost certainly the same man mentioned in [v]1 Tim. 1:20[/v], whom Paul had already delivered over to Satan as an act of church discipline ([v]1 Cor. 5:5[/v]).  These men had willfully strayed from true doctrine, teaching that the resurrection had already taken place, truly blasphemous in the Christian faith ([v]1 Tim. 1:20[/v]).  Paul placed great emphasis on the bodily resurrection of the believer ([v]1 Cor. 15; 1 Thes. 4[/v]), linking it to the ultimate hope of the believer²⁶ ([v]1 Cor. 15:19, 32[/v]).  The results of this teaching were devastating, causing others to be weak in their faith.  Their teaching most likely involved the idea that the resurrection was only a spiritual one at conversion.  This doctrine would have carried with it the Gnostic idea of the lack of value of the material world, especially the body.²⁷

Verse 19 Despite the fact of false teaching upsetting some, the solid foundation of God’s church remains.  Paul paraphrases statements from Numbers 16, the dispute between Moses and Korah.  God knows the hearts of men, and knows who has put their faith in Christ alone for salvation.  However, men know us by our actions, and we are to avoid iniquity in order to demonstrate that we are true men of faith ([v]Jas. 2:15-17[/v]).

Verses 20-26

Verse 20 In the great house of God, the church, there are only two types of vessels, those for honor (eis time), and those for dishonor (eis atimia).  The gold and silver vessels are responsive believers, reflecting the glory of Christ, whom the Lord is proud to display.  The vessels of wood and clay are those believers living an earthly lifestyle.  The Lord can still use these believers, but it will be behind the scenes or in spite of their actions, and they will not receive honor. 

Verse 21 Paul encourages us with the fact that it is possible to be cleansed, to become a golden vessel of honor through repentance, turning from dishonor or sin and actively seeking to live a holy, righteous life.  The sanctified believer is set apart from the other vessels because he is prepared to be used in whatever way God chooses. For a vessel of honor, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

The phrase “the latter” is referring to the “vessels for dishonor.”  This is first seen by the use of “therefore” (oun), indicating the follow sentence is an inference from the final clause of v. 20.  If the possibility exists to be an honorable vessel, then one should seek after that goal while avoiding other dishonorable vessels.  Secondly, the nearest antecedent for “these things” (touton) is “vessels for dishonor” in v. 20.²⁸  Therefore the first step for a believer to be set apart is to flee ungodly companions, for “bad company corrupts good morals” ([v]1 Cor. 15:33[/v])

Verse 22 The next, deeper step for a believer to become a vessel for honor is to “flee also youthful lusts.”  Paul always uses the word “flee” when one should avoid a particular sin, not simply sin in general.²⁹  Once we have removed ourselves from ungodly influence, then we must remove sinful motivations from our hearts.  The responsive believer must literally run from temptation and sinful situations.  This is well illustrated by the use of “flee” in the Septuagint.  It is the same word used in [v]Genesis 39:12-13[/v] for Joseph fleeing the lustful advances of Potiphar’s wife.³⁰

The next step in becoming a vessel for honor is to “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace,” all common virtues for Christians to seek after.  As we are running from temptation and ungodly influence, we must at the same time be pursuing this righteous living “with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”  Thus we see the final ingredient in the recipe for being useful to the Master: being involved in godly relationships that aid us in growing spiritually.  Christ did not send out the disciples alone, but sent them out in pairs in order to strengthen and encourage one another ([v]Lk. 10:1[/v]).  While the believer is still responsible for the condition of his heart and his individual relationship to God, he is to pursue this righteousness in the company of other strong believers.

“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵in humility correcting those who are in opposition...” – 2:23-25a

Verse 23 Paul returns to what was apparently a “youthful lust” or temptation for Timothy, the urge to engage in arguments with other believers.  Paul characterizes these particular types of disputes as “foolish and ignorant.”  Thus, they are not a healthy debate that ends with the believers feeling edified, understanding the importance of relationship over non-essentials.  On the contrary, these disputes would “generate strife,” that is, they would leave the participants feeling bitter, angry, estranged, and further from the Lord.  Those to whom Timothy ministers must know him as a loving shepherd, seeking to unify the body of Christ ([v]Eph. 4:3[/v]).

Verse 24a Paul continues with his definition of a useful servant of God, the standard that Timothy was to remember in his ministry.  The minister must not seek to be involved in arguments, especially avoiding the temptation to have the last word.  It is important to correct, rebuke and to speak truth, but if we encounter an argumentative person, someone who does not honestly hunger for the truth, we must disengage and turn them over to their error rather than mar our character by becoming like them.  Dwight Edwards comments on Paul’s use of “quarrel”:

The word used for "quarrel" (machomai) normally refers to "fighting or combat."  There is also an interesting use of this word in secular Greek to describe a wind of such high intensity that it leveled everything in its path, much like a hurricane.  The servant of the Lord must not "blow away" those who block his path in one way or another.³¹

Verse 24b Setting aside aggressive argumentation, the minister must thus be gentle to all, both those who we naturally get along with as well as foes and those with conflicting personalities.  The use of the word “but” indicates a contrast with the previous phrase, further defining quarrelling as harsh and unkind.  When a dispute arises in the church that demands the minister’s attention, he must approach all in gentleness and always speak with love ([v]1 Cor. 13[/v]).  Additionally, the servant of the Lord must be able to teach others.  This may range from individual discipleship to small groups, and even large conferences.  Paul’s concern is not with the recipient of the teaching, but with the minister’s ability to communicate God’s truth intelligibly in any circumstance.  Finally, the servant is to remain patient with those who may seek to quarrel or who do not understand his teaching.  The word that Paul here uses for “patient” is anexikakos, which means "to bear evil without resentment."³²  Certainly the servant of the Lord will have to bear much evil if he is an honorable vessel in the Lord’s house.

Verse 25a Although the minister is patient and gentle, the time will arise when he must contend for the truth.  Certainly this would involve an essential issue to the faith, such as the deity of Christ or the fact of the resurrection, an issue that could “upset the faith of some.”  The word here translated humility (praotes) is better translated “meekness.”  Dwight Edwards describes its usage:

In the Greek language, this was a graphic word.  It was used to describe a gentle breeze or voice.  Aristotle put it as the midpoint between great anger and no anger at all.  It describes the person who is never angry at the wrong time but always angry at the right time.  It was used also of a wild horse which had been tamed and brought under control.  One man has well defined it as "strength under control."³³

The minister must learn to “be angry, and do not sin” ([v]Eph. 4:26[/v]), adequately representing the patience and strength of character that Jesus Himself showed while on earth. 

 “…if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” – 2:25b-26

Verse 25b Paul changes the subject here from the Timothy’s responsibility as a minister to God’s sovereignty in ministry.  These words are extremely important for the minister to understand, for Paul is reminding us that our only responsibility is to communicate the truth.  It is up to God to effect a change in the individuals.  However, it is still vitally important to speak the truth patiently, gently, and meekly.  Paul knew this truth well when he wrote to Corinth that “neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” ([v]1 Cor. 3:7[/v]).

It is important to understand who Paul is referring to when he speaks of the “opposition.”  (v. 25a) Paul uses the same phrase “knowledge of the truth” (NASB) in Titus 1:1, and notes that it is “according to godliness.”  This truth, then, is necessary for believers to live godly, sanctified lives.  The context of the passage is Timothy’s relationship as a minister to those in the church, both the vessels for honor and those for dishonor.  Thus men such as Hymenaeus, believers in Christ, had abandoned the truth ([v]1 Tim. 1:20[/v]), and needed to

repent³⁴ concerning their incorrect teaching³⁵ in order to become a useful vessel in the house of the Lord. Most importantly, Paul emphasizes the restoration of the false teachers and their followers, to always be working toward their repentance.

Verse 26 Paul concludes with two powerful metaphors for understanding the condition of those in opposition to the truth.  First, the word for “come to their senses” (ananepho) is more accurately translated as “to be sober again.”³⁶  Paul compares those opposing truth to drunkards in order to illustrate the blinded and foolish state of mind of one who actively counters truth.  Secondly, Paul illustrates their condition with a hunting metaphor.  The words “and escape” do not appear in the Greek text, so this phrase should more accurately be translated “come to their senses from the snare of the devil.”³⁷  After alluring a believer into a snare of drunken, willful error, they are then the devil’s captive until the Lord frees them. Paul’s use of the phrase “snare of the devil” is significant, for it further identifies these men as believers.  The other New Testament occurrence of this phrase is in [v]1 Timothy 3:7[/v], as part of the qualification for elders.  Paul speaks of the possibility of an elder falling “into reproach and the snare of the devil.”  It is therefore consistent to interpret this passage as referring to true believers being deceived by Satan.³⁸ 

Finally, some debate exists over whose will is being accomplished by those caught in the snare.  Some take it to be God, so that they have been taken captive by the devil to do God’s will.³⁹  This view concentrates on the use of significantly different pronouns to refer to “him” (autou) and “his” (to ekeinou), and emphasizes the sovereignty of God in the life of the believer and over Satan.  So to ekeinou  refers all the way back to “God” in v. 25.  Although ekeinou often refers to a distant antecedent, it is not grammatically necessary and is not always used in that fashion.  So then others accept the interpretation that the believer does the will of the devil until he is freed from his snare by God.⁴⁰