2 Timothy 2:1-13 Questions 4-7

 4. God's grace makes possible the rest of what Paul urges in 2:1-13. Paraphrase the process he describes in 2:2.

"Those things I told you in public - the things I stand for and that every follower of Christ needs to know - pass these on to people you can trust, so that they in turn can pass on what I have taught to others too."

"in the  presence of many witnesses" = in public = trustworthy, unchallengable, something we will defend, not secret knowledge.

"teach trustworthy people to teach others"

"teach those who can teach so that others may be taught"

"teach reliable people who won't change the message"

 

What does 2:2 have to do with Paul's purpose in 2:1-13? With the letter's overall purpose?

 2:2 sets the goal of being strengthened to suffer for the gospel It is a plan of continuity for Paul and Timothy's faith. Suffering for the gospel is not the ultimate goal. Rather, it is passing on the gospel. The gospel is that which is to be passed on faithfully by faithful men who are prepared to suffer.

 It is not easy to pass on the gospel message.

As a side note here, the words 'gospel' and 'faith' can refer to the minimum truth content needed for salvation, but can also mean the whole scope of life that is centered around those truths.

 

5. a) How did Timothy learn to be a Christian leader? 

1:5, 3:14-15

He learned from the sincere faith of his mother and grandmother. They acquainted him with and taught him Scripture. 

 

1:2, 13, 2:2, 3:10

He learned from Paul's example: Paul's teaching ("sound words"), manner of life, aim, faith, patience, love, steadfastness and persecutions, as well as how God rescued Paul. Paul was Timothy's spiritual father.

b) In what way does Timothy's training reflect the process in 2:2?

Timothy received instruction from his family and from Paul, and he is asked to pass it on to others who will in turn pass it on. He is part of a chain of believers, as his family was.

  

6. How do Paul's exhortation to endure hardship and his 3 examples (2:3-7) relate to his instruction in 2:2?

The implication is that the instruction is not easy. We need to be "strengthened" (2:1) and to "share in suffering" (2:3). To accomplish the process successfully, the qualities mentioned in the 3 similes must be present. We will be met with persecution and suffering as we pass on the gospel. We are also to display the characteristics that Paul lays out.

7. Paul urges Timothy to "endure hardship with us" (2:3) then uses 3 similes to motive Timothy. What point is Paul making about Timothy's work with each of these 3 similes?

Characteristic	Application
Soldier (2:4) Not entangled in civilian pursuits Aims to please the one who enlisted him "Set apart"  "Single minded"  "Whole-hearted"	Don't get distracted. Be focused Aim to please only the Lord c.f.  Ps 27:4 "One thing have I asked" Phil 3:13 "One thing I do" Lk 10:42 "One thing is necessary"
Athlete (2:5) Competes according to the rules to be crowned (to win) "Disciplined"	Obey God's word. There is a discipline - to keep within the set parameters Do not deviate from teaching  Our lives are formed according to life-long compliance to the rules. Don't cheat - practice integrity.
Farmer (2:6) Hard-working to get the first share of the crops "hard-working"	Put in effort to pass on the gospel, so that we will be first to be rewarded.

 

What kinds of civilian affairs/pursuits can entangle us? How can we avoid such entanglement?

• Work
• Finances
• Different opinions and examples of life
• Leisure
• Relationships

We avoid these by looking at the 3 pictures above: We stay spiritually focused and whole-hearted, we are disciplined and we work hard. And we pray for God's help!

What rules does Paul have in mind in 2:5?

What kind of work does Paul have in mind in 2:6?

It is possible to think of these similies are pictures of the Christian life as a whole, but I think the answers to these questions are clearer when we consider that these 3 pictures relate primarily to the passing on of the gospel in 2:2. In other words, the 'rules' are the principles we must follow when the gospel is taught and shared - we are not to share the gospel and teach the gospel in ways that disgrace the gospel. So Paul in 1:13 and 3:10 can refer not only to the content of his teaching, but his character and the spirit in which he taught it. 

There is no doubt that we are encouraged to work hard at sharing the gospel. "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2 Cor 9:6). Sowing bountifully requires effort!