TEXT: II Timothy 2:1-13

SUBJECT: Exposition of II Timothy #6: Grow, Prepare, Endure

The subject of II Timothy is "How to be a faithful minister of Jesus Christ". Written by an old preacher nearing the end of his life, it is full of sage advice to a young man in the ministry. Paul had finished his course"; now it's time for Timothy to start his. And, by implication, time for you and me to get going of our course as well.

The first chapter deals with character. What sort of man is needed in the ministry? Paul leaves no doubt: a man zealous, bold, and firm in his doctrine. "Stir up the gift of God which is in you..."Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord..."Hold fast the form of sound words..." These are the personal traits required of every preacher. And needed in every Christian.

In chapter 2, Paul continues the theme, but shifts the focus from what Timothy must be to what he must do. The first thirteen verses present three ministerial duties: grow stronger, prepare others, and endure hardness". Let's look at each in turn.

The preacher's first duty is to grow stronger, v.1. "You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus". "Be strong" is in the present tense and the passive voice. It means "Keep on becoming stronger". It assumes that Timothy needs strength; that he must daily grow in power. The priority is worth noting. He has much to do for the church, but he can't do it unless he himself is "renewed day by day". A weak man cannot make others strong--no matter how well he preaches. Water cannot rise above its source. If a man wants to be a better preacher, let him become a better man. The same is true of others--spouses, parents, workers, students, and so on. It is not technique that we lack--but piety. Draw nearer to Christ and you'll be better at whatever you do.

The source of Timothy's strength is "the grace that is in Christ Jesus". As he draws near to Christ, His grace will strengthen him in his varied and difficult obligations.

This "Growing stronger", of course, is an internal grace; it's not visible in the way that bulging biceps are. But it is no less obvious! In I Timothy 4:15, Paul urges his friend to "Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all".

You must, therefore, be ever stronger spiritually. Are you? I don't mean you don't have occasional lapses--every one does. You mustn't become neurotic about them. But--in general--is your Christian life becoming stronger? What do I mean by "stronger"? More conformed to Jesus Christ. Humbler. More loving. Holier. More zealous. And so on. The promise is given to all who trust His grace,

"But those who wait upon the LORD

Shall renew their strength

They shall mount up with wings

like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint".

The preacher's second duty is to prepare others for ministry, v.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". Paul is about to die. But the Gospel ministry will not die with him. Why not? Because he has trained Timothy for the work. Now, Timothy is a young man, but he won't be for long. Thus, he too, must equip men to carry on the work of the ministry. What kind of men? Paul tells us: "faithful men who will be able". "Faithful" in this place doesn't mean "full of faith", but trustworthy or reliable. "Able" refers to the gifts of teaching. Timothy mustn't hog the ministry for himself. He mustn't fear others displacing him or robbing him of his salary. He must find good and gifted men in the church and prepare them for the Gospel ministry.

The preacher's third duty is to "endure hardship", vv.3-7. The word "endure" is better translated "share". This points to the sort of "hardships" Paul has in mind: those similar to his own. Paul has suffered much in the ministry. He has lost much: wealth, reputation, ease. He has borne much: vilification, beatings, imprisonment, even death. He now invites Timothy to join him in suffering for Christ's sake. This duty was no more appealing in the First Century than it is now. To encourage him in the work of suffering, Paul uses three illustrations: the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer, vv.4-6.

The point of the illustrations is this: If the soldier is willing to suffer so as to please his commanding officer and if the athlete is willing to suffer so as to win his race and if the farmer is willing to suffer so as to fill his belly, why can't preachers suffer so as to honor Jesus Christ? If we ask this much of other men, dare we ask any less of ourselves? Paul's demand is not unreasonable. If others suffer to achieve their low and passing goals, why can't preachers suffer for matters of infinite and eternal consequence?

In v.7, Paul urges Timothy to think on these things. "Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things". This suggest the importance of meditation. It is good to read the Bible daily; it is better to "meditate (on it) day and night".

These are the preacher's duties. He must grow strong himself, disciple others, and suffer with grace.

"But who is sufficient for such things?" No one is. Not Timothy, that's for sure. And so, Paul motivates him to his duties with four thoughts, vv.8-13.

The first is the exaltation of Jesus Christ, v.8. "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my Gospel..." Nothing will motivate us to suffer more than a reminder of "who we're working for". Timothy is not working for himself, for Paul, for the church, or for the world. He is working for Jesus. What "Jesus"? that was a common name. The One who was "of the seed of David". What does this mean? He is a king. What sort of king? a glorious, heavenly, and present king. Timothy's suffering will not be wasted on a covetous boss, a fickle church, or a thankless world; he suffers for,

"The blessed and only Potentate;

The King of kings and Lord of lords".

The second motive for working and suffering is the example of Paul, v.9. "For which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains..." Has Paul's life been wasted? Timothy could never say such a thing. Can you? Of course not. Yet his life was suffering for Christ's sake. If you suffer as he did, you'll find meaning to your life, too.

The third motive is the good of souls, v.10. "Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory". God has chosen some men for salvation. But His choice is not salvation itself, but unto salvation. The elect must be brought to repentance and faith. And this is what will demand such work of Timothy and cause so much grief. But it's worth it, isn't it? A few years of suffering in exchange for the "eternal glory" of God's people!

The final motive is also the most solemn, the Day of Judgment, vv.11-13. "This is a faithful saying:

"For if we died with Him,

We shall also live with Him.

If we endure,

We shall also reign with Him.

If we deny Him,

He will also deny us.

If we are faithless,

He remains faithful;

He cannot deny Himself".

If we are willing to "die with Him" and "endure with Him", we'll be amply rewarded on the Last Day. No one who suffers for Christ now will be unhappy about it them. But, if we choose another sort of life--if we deny Him--He will deny us on that Day. He will remain faithful to the faithless, but exacting His just punishment. Thus, we have no choice: suffer now and rest then, or rest now and suffer then.

May God give wisdom in making the right choice. For Christ's sake. Amen.