2-Timothy-Chapter-2

Paul gives a 4-pronged tool to keep the believers in godliness. Timothy was an young  person whom Paul loved him to be his spiritual son. He had many challenges to face   just as we are in the present circumstances. The 4-pronged tool that  Paul gives some  very useful points to all believers of both young and old.

1. Flee: Timothy has to do the opposite of fleeing from all unrighteousness but chase after personal virtues that are of eternal value. Timothy has to flee from the proud arguments of the elders and temptations of young man.  It is a very good attitude for any young person to flee from the source of sin. Many young people wantonly get involved to test their self-control  and finally yield to the temptations. Satan brings temptations in very attractive perspectives for young people. So we must learn to flee from the sin.
2. Pursue: Timothy must chase after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance    The list may be compared to the “fruit of Spirit” (Gal.5:22-23).
3. Fight: It is  an athletic or military language. Paul was asking Timothy to give best effort for the furtherance of Gospel. Some think  that Christianity is  defensive and passive to act upon. But in actual we must be active, aggressive and take courage to face the situation for the cause of the upright values. We must take the full armour of God (Eph.10:13-17).  Let’s not be timid in doing things.  We need to be proactive in our faith, religion and in actions.
4. Take hold: It is holding fast of our faith and committing to others. We are called for eternal life and we must prepare others to follow Christ.  Timothy’s good confession in the presence of many witnesses could refer to his ordination but more likely speaks of his baptism. During baptism, we make a public confession to follow Christ and bring others too.

For honouring God one must be clean and available. This is what is required from every believer.  A clean vessel can easily be contaminated and made unserviceable to the master. He must be ready to do good works. He must maintain a sanctified life.  The sanctification includes 2-fold process:

1. Cleansed and separated from evil. Eg. we are the consecrated vessels like a surgeon operating the patient with his instruments.
2. Separated for doing good things. we must involve in rescue act.

God cannot use a contaminated vessel. For God to use us for His glory, we must be clean, holy and available. If we are not clean, God will purge us which is a painful and costly process.  Therefore we must do Spiritual exercise everyday to keep away  from contamination.  King David said: “I have hidden your word so that I might not sin” (Ps.119:11).

Advice to young pastors and leaders:  (2:22-23):

Timothy was an young man. A man is considered young up to the age of 40 years.  Timothy must have been between 30 and 40 years old.  It is not wrong to have desires, but it is sin to yield to wrong desires. Paul is urging Timothy and for that matter all young men  who are involved in the ministry to flee from the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Although Timothy was mature beyond his age, he must exercise control. Viz. impatience, intolerance, selfish ambitions,  arguments, self-assertion, partiality etc.

1. He must do what is required to please God.
2. He must trust God and put his confidence in him.
3. He must love God and try to love other people.
4. He must do all that he can to live in peace with all people.
5. He must continue to oppose false teachers and be at peace with the brethren who were honest before God. He must refuse to get caught up in foolish and stupid arguments which only produce quarrels.

More qualities of the Lord’s servant:  (2:24-26)

Paul calls himself a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.  A slave has no will of his own,  he is totally under the command of his master. Once, we Christians were  slaves of sin, but now we are the slaves of God (Rom.6:16 ff).  Some of the qualities we can see are:

• Ready to bear evil treatment without resentment.
• Must treat even his opponents and those who fall into false teaching, with gentle instruction with the hope that god will grant them repentance.
• He must exercise rescue act for those who are in Satan’s captivity. False teaching and all its negative consequences in the church are always the handiwork of Satan, but God in His grace often salvages the situation through the Christ like ministry of His servants.
• He must not engage in arguments but to win souls.
• He must recover the people who are coming out of drunken stupor in Satan’s fold (2:26). Satan makes people drunk with His lies, and the servant’s task is to sober them up and rescue them. It can be understood in 2-ways:

1. 1. They are to be delivered from the snare of the devil who took them captive to do his will.
   2. They must be taken captive by God’s servant to do God’s will

The ministry is much demanding. Our task must be completed.

Yes, it is the responsibility of all the  believers to pray for their pastors and leaders and encourage them in the work of the Lord. The church should provide  enough financial support for the ministers so that they can fully devote themselves to the work of the ministry.  (thoughts taken from Wiersbe’s  Expository outlines).