2 Timothy

Be strong in Christ's grace, 2:1-7

Most of Paul's second letter to Timothy consists of a charge, encouraging Timothy for his ministry in Ephesus. Paul begins his charge by touching on three issues: first, that Timothy look to the grace of God in Jesus Christ to progress his ministry; Second, that he teach the teachers Pauline theology; Third, that he face the difficulties of gospel ministry square on.

v1. Paul has just given Timothy examples of believers who are both unworthy and worthy to emulate. Like Onesiphorus, rather than Physelus and Hermogenes, Timothy needs to stand strong in his Christian life, particularly since he serves as a minister of the gospel. The exhortation "be strong" is probably better read as a passive, "let yourself be strengthened." This strengthening is an act of divine grace realized through a believer's relationship with Christ Jesus.

v2. Paul is encouraging Timothy to throw himself into the work of of gospel ministry for Christ. Given that this is best achieved in team ministry, Paul tells Timothy to teach the teachers. Paul has fully instructed Timothy in his understanding of the gospel, a gospel confirmed by the apostles, and so Timothy must make it his aim to instruct other believers who are worthy of trust so that they too can teach gospel-truth.

v3-4. In the remaining verses of this passage Paul tackles the issue of suffering, of the daily struggle to live for Christ. He uses three images to make his point. A minister of the gospel must expect hardship and endure it as if a soldier in service, a hard-working farmer, or an athlete in training. Like a soldier, dedication, effort and a willingness to suffer in order to accomplish a goal are essential qualities in service to Christ. Single-minded service is required to carry out the commander's orders. As Eugene Peterson in his paraphrase puts it, "a soldier on duty doesn't get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders."

v5. The second illustration makes the point that a professional athlete has no hope of winning unless they train hard. In the ancient Olympics, the rules required a competitor to train for at least ten months. Self-denying service under a strict regime is required of those who serve Christ.

v6. The third illustration makes the point that it is only the farmer who labors to the point of exhaustion who gets to bring in a crop - no effort, no crop.

v7. Paul encourages Timothy to reflect on the illustrations and, with Christ's guiding hand, draw an applicable truth from the them. William Barclay suggests the point is simple enough; "join the company of those who are prepared to suffer for their faith."

I'm not quite sure that "suffering" is a word that Christians in Western societies can rightly use. There are those who suffer for their faith in the world, but few are found in Western societies. So, I am inclined to J.B. Phillips' paraphrase of verse three; "Put up with your share of hardship as a loyal soldier in Christ's army." Yes, hardship, difficulty, this better describe the pointy end of service to Christ. So today, in the passage before us, we are being encouraged to join the company of those who are prepared to face the difficulties of the Christian life square on.

Let us be like a soldier in service, striving to carry out the commander's orders. In the later years of the Roman Empire, rather than living in fortified encampments, the legions were stationed in major cities. They grew lazy and spent their spare time extorting the citizenry. In fact, it was said of some legions that they were no longer able to fight in full armor. No, a soldier of Christ "doesn't get caught up making deals in the marketplace."

Let us be like a professional athlete, pushing through the pain barrier. In the ancient Olympics no person was allowed to enter the competition unless they trained full-time for at least ten months. I well remember my own very short athletic career, daily pushing through the pain of lactose-legs and the ever-present stitch. So yes, self-denying service under a strict regime is required of those who serve Christ.

Let us be like the hardworking farmer striving to bring in his crop. I live next door to the local dairy and I often see the light blazing in the milking shed before dawn and after sunset. And of course, that's not the half of it, rounding up, moving from paddock to paddock, cropping, pasture improvement, and so on. For a dairyman there is no slacking. So yes, laboring to the point of exhaustion is required of those who serve Christ.

Paul's words are directed specifically to a minister of the gospel, but they apply to all believers; they apply to us just as much as they apply to Timothy. Life is full of distractions: sad, happy, ugly, beautiful distractions. These distractions divert us from our struggle to serve Christ, our struggle to live a moral, faithful and prayerful life, our struggle to build up our Christian fellowship, and our struggle to reach out to the lost. So today, be encouraged again to be that good soldier for Christ, that athlete in training, that hardworking farmer.

1. The strength to live for Christ is ours through divine grace. How do we facilitate that strengthening?

2. It is often stated that the effectiveness of a church is related to the size of the minister's collar. How does v2 dispel this myth?

3. Discuss the three illustrations and apply them to the business of serving Christ.