2 Timothy (Part 12)

Chapter 2 v.1. 1. Timothy is here commanded to be strong in a particular manner, “...in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” A. This is not an order for a rigid physical discipline so as to enable Timothy to be a better Christian and minister. 1TI 4:7-8. (1) Physical strength without God's blessing avails little. JDG 16:20. (2) Physical strength does not impress God (PSA 147:10) but neither does foolish or wilful neglect of the body, albeit under pretext of a higher spiritual purpose. 1CO 9:25; COL 2:21-23. (3) There is a need for reasonable balance in all things. PHIL 4:5. B. Neither is this an order for political strength or personal accomplishment as if Timothy should build a ministry so large and secure that none could ever challenge its “success.” ct/w 2CH 26:15-16. C. Strength in grace is actually facilitated by personal weakness. 2CO 12:9-10. D. Gospel ministry is a burden requiring strength in grace. (1) The word of God entrusted to His ministers is a burden. ZEC 9:1; 12:1; MAL 1:1 c/w 1CO 9:16. (2) The care of a church is a burden upon a minister. 2CO 11:28. (3) God's ministers are likened to oxen which are beasts of burden and toil which profit by strength. 1CO 9:9; 1TI 5:18 c/w PRO 14:4. 2. Mark that this verse and exhortation is introduced by a conjunctive adverb, “therefore.” A. This “form of sound words” (2TI 1:13) connects the previous thoughts with what follows and makes them the basis for what follows. B. Paul knew that Timothy was burdened unto tears. 2TI 1:4. C. Paul had just reminded Timothy of his own sufferings and bonds as an example of faithful duty and bearing by grace. 2TI 1:12, 15-16. D. Paul had also encouraged Timothy about the power of God for the believer. 2TI 1:7-8. E. In view of all that, Paul exhorts Timothy to therefore be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 3. Believers are in general commanded to be strong. 1CO 16:13. 4. This epistle shows that Christian life and ministry involve afflictions (2TI 3:12) and the Christian must therefore be strong! PRO 24:10 c/w JER 12:5. 5. Here then is a command to utilize the strength that is available from the presence of God with the believer. JOS 1:9; HAG 2:4; 2TI 4:17; EPH 3:20; 6:10. A. Paul had just pointed Timothy to the resource of God's power. 2TI 1:7-8, 12, 14. B. Therefore Timothy should be strong based upon the power of God. 6. Timothy was to be “...strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” A. Grace is “favour, favourable or benignant regard or its manifestation...” See RUTH 2:8-10. B. This grace is IN Christ Jesus. JOH 1:14, 16. C. This grace or favour is a source of strength that enables believers to withstand afflictions and do their duty. 2CO 12:9; 9:8; 1CO 15:10. D. Without this grace, the believer could not endure or obey and we therefore should exercise ourselves to not do “...despite [outrage, injury] to the Spirit of grace” (HEB 10:29). c/w EPH 4:29-32. E. Without this grace, there would not even be believers to endure or obey! ACT 18:27. 7. The following steps show how a believer may tap additional supplies of grace that will enable him to obey the command to be strong. A. He must pray. HEB 4:16; JAM 4:2. B. He must have faith. ROM 5:2; HEB 11:6. C. He must take in the word of God. (1) Growth in GRACE and peace is by the word of God. 2PE 1:2; 1PE 2:2-3. (2) Growth in GRACE and knowledge is by the word of God. 2PE 3:18. (3) God abounds toward His people IN grace by revealing His word. EPH 1:8-9; 3:1-8. (4) Those who have the word of God abiding in them are accordingly strong. 1JO 2:14. D. He must be humble, that is, he must submit to God. JAM 4:6-10. (1) This humility involves submission to God's commandments. (2) It involves confession of sin and repentance. (3) It involves soberness and gravity. (4) It involves submission to God's will even though He wills sufferings and afflictions. 1PE 4:19; 2SA 15:24-26; JOB 1:20-21; 2CO 12:9. (5) Without this submission, all of the intake of God's word may only condemn one as a hypocrite. ROM 2:17-23. (6) Until one experiences sufferings and submits to the justice of God in allowing them, all of the intake of God's word is so much theory. v.2. 1. Paul commands Timothy, a pastor, to train other men for the ministry. 2. God's order is for men to be trained for the ministry by men who are themselves in the ministry. A. The ministry of the pastorate is a church office. 1CO 12:28; EPH 4:11-12. B. This is a directive for ministerial training in a church context by a pastor, not by manufactured and substituted ministerial academies. C. Neither is this training for ministry meant to be understood as a justification of pseudo-ministries by which or for which someone is trained. D. “Pastor” derives from the Latin pastor-em which means a “shepherd, lit. a feeder, giver of pasture...” and so biblically is “a shepherd of souls; one who has the spiritual oversight over a company or body of Christians, etc.; spec. the minister in charge of a church or congregation, with particular reference to the spiritual care of his 'flock'.” See 1PE 5:1-3 c/w ACT 20:28. 3. Paul taught Timothy who was to teach faithful men who were to teach others. A. This establishes a succession of ministers. B. Jesus promised to be with the gospel ministry until the end of the world. MAT 28:18-20. C. This demands (1) that there would be a perpetuity of Christ's churches and ministers ordained in such churches throughout history. (2) that a ministry is only valid if obtained from a validly ordained minister of a preserved true church of Jesus Christ, which annuls any ministries derived from Romanism or those which “sprang up” like so many new gods, per DEU 32:17. 4. Timothy was to commit to faithful men THE SAME THINGS, not some of the things, or a version of the things, or less than the things, but “the same” that he had heard of Paul. 5. These things had been heard among MANY witnesses. These were not occult mysteries transmitted only to the initiated in secret places removed from church observation and scrutiny. 6. Only men are to be trained for the ministry who are faithful AND able to teach. A. God gives a man the aptitude to teach. 2CO 3:6; EPH 4:8, 11. B. A pastor discerns whether one has that aptitude or not by proving him. 1TI 3:1-7, 10 c/w PHIL 2:22