2 TIMOTHY LESSON 2


     We will begin in II Timothy 2:1 "Thou therefore, my son, be
strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

     This is the same Scripture as the following one, just worded a
little differently. Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in
the Lord, and in the power of his might."  It is not in our strength
that we do anything, it is in the strength of the Lord. In our
weakness, He is strong.

     II Timothy 2:2 "And the things that thou hast heard of me among
many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also."

     It seems, to me, that Paul is more concerned about the work being
carried on after his death, than he is of dying. He is, also, very
concerned that they do not teach another gospel, than the gospel that
he had taught. Paul knows that Timothy will bring what he has taught
him. He is telling Timothy to seek out later ministers that had begun
under his ministry, and encourage them to teach the pure gospel that
he had brought. Paul was afraid that many of the doctrines would be
affected too badly by the customs of the people who they were
ministering to. Paul felt that his converts would follow his teachings
better, when they were teaching others.

     II Timothy 2:3 "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier
of Jesus Christ."

     There is a battle going on between the flesh and the Spirit, and
it has been going on ever since Paul spoke this and before. Every
person who ministers in any capacity, is a soldier in God's army. We
are in this war to the death. Paul knew this, as he faced death. Since
Paul was martyred, there have been many believers who have given their
lives for the gospel's sake. This war is real. We are told, in the 6th
chapter of Ephesians to put on the whole armour of God in this battle.
The war is real. We must be willing to face any hardship in the name
of Jesus. Jesus is our Commander and Chief. We march at His orders.
Paul speaks with full knowledge of this war that rages. He faced many
hardships in his ministry, and is warning Timothy to be prepared.

     II Timothy 2:4 "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the
affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to
be a soldier."

     Paul is explaining to Timothy the necessity of having nothing
else on his mind while he is a soldier of the gospel. He cannot
divide his attention with other things of the world and win the
battle. Soldiers must concentrate on one thing, and that is winning
the war. This means that his thoughts cannot be divided with a job, or
any other affair at hand.  A good soldier must be well trained. He
must keep his weapon {Bible} with him at all times. He must watch his
powder {Word of God} and not let it get wet. It greatly concerns me
that many ministers today are using watered down versions of the Word
of God.  Any version of the Bible that leaves out the blood, or that
indicates in any way that Jesus was not God in the flesh, is
dangerous. That would be getting our powder wet. The power of our
weapon is the Word of God within its covers. The two edged Sword is
the Bible, Old and New Testament. When over 30,000 Israelites were
with Gideon to fight, God had Gideon send all of them home but 300.
This 300 did not even lay their weapon down to drink. It is important
for a soldier of the Lord's to keep his Bible with him all the time.
Only one out of 100 pleased the Commander and Chief. They were all
Israelites {symbolic of believers}. Are you the 1 in 100 who will take
up the battle for our Lord Jesus Christ?

     II Timothy 2:5 "And if a man also strive for masteries, [yet] is
he not crowned, except he strive lawfully."

     Paul is saying, whatever you do, do it within the law. Do not
take shortcuts. Fight the good fight within the law. Then when you
win, you have done it honestly.

     II Timothy 2:6 "The husbandman that laboureth must be first
partaker of the fruits."

     You cannot be a teacher of the Word of God, until you know the
Word of God yourself. You can not win people to Christ, until you are
a Christian yourself. You must know how to work, before your work is
productive.

     II Timothy 2:7 "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee
understanding in all things."

     Paul wants Timothy to read between the lines and understand what
he is really saying to him. Jesus spoke in parables and then told His
disciples the meaning of the parables. Paul is saying, let the Holy
Spirit within you open your understanding to what I have said. You
have ears to hear. Understand in your inner man.

     II Timothy 2:8 "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead according to my gospel:"

     There are some things that are basic to Christianity. One of the
things is to believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Romans 10:9
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved."  You see, believing that Jesus rose from the dead is
basic to salvation. Paul throws in that Jesus fulfilled the law of the
Jews {He was seed of David}. Mary was descended from David.
"According to my gospel", just means that Paul preached and taught the
resurrection of Jesus.

     II Timothy 2:9 "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, [even]
unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound."

     Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in it proclaiming the
resurrection of Jesus, is what brought Paul to Rome in chains. His
trouble with the Jews, which started his imprisonment, was because he
told them they had rejected their Messiah. Some Jews do not believe in
life after death, and that was another thing he had taught. They had
him imprisoned, and he had appealed to Caesar in Rome.

     II Timothy 2:10 "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's
sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal glory."

     Elect has to do with election or predestination. I do not believe
we are chosen to be saved. I believe that all mankind who believes in
Jesus Christ are chosen to be saved. This is an act of our own free
will. I do believe that Almighty God foreknew who those who would
believe were and wrote their names in the Lamb's book of life. The
"elect", then, would be those who will choose to follow Jesus Christ
as their Saviour. Paul endured these hardships, so that all who would
believe would have that opportunity. Colossians 1:27 "To whom God
would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"
When we are born again, we no longer live this life, but Christ lives
the life within us. Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me."

     II Timothy 2:11 "[It is] a faithful saying: For if we be dead
with [him], we shall also live with [him]:"

     In water baptism, we bury that old man of flesh in that watery
grave and a new man of the spirit rises from that grave. The flesh
represents sins of this life. We rise a new creature in Christ. Our
sin died on the cross on the body of Jesus Christ. Our new nature is a
spirit nature. Jesus is the quickening Spirit. Read the 15th chapter
of 1 Corinthians beginning with the 40th verse to understand this
better. Because He arose, we shall rise, also. To die with Him, is to
put our affections on things in the heavens, and not on things of this
sinful earth.

     II Timothy 2:12 "If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if
we deny [him], he also will deny us:"

     We read of this very thing in Mark 8:38 "Whosoever therefore
shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he
cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."  Romans 8:17
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also
glorified together."  The following Scripture is in the very words of
Jesus when He is saying what will happen to those who recognize Him
and work for Him on the earth. Matthew 25:21 "His lord said unto him,
Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou
into the joy of thy lord."
                        2 Timothy 2 Questions


1.  What does Paul call Timothy in verse 1?
2.  What Scripture, from Ephesians, is saying the same thing?
3.  Where does the strength of the believer come from?
4.  What is Paul more concerned about than his death?
5.  Who did Paul tell Timothy to commit his teachings to?
6.  What was Paul afraid might happen to the gospel?
7.  Paul told Timothy to endure hardness as whom?
8.  What is the battle that is raging even today between?
9.  This war is so real, that many will be ___________.
10. Where do we find what the whole armour of God is?
11. Who is our Commander and Chief?
12. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the ________ of this
    life.
13. What should soldiers be concentrating on?
14. What is the Christian's weapon?
15. What is the powder?
16. How can you tell, if you are reading a watered down version of the
    Bible?
17. How many of the 30,000 Israelites, finally went to war with
    Gideon?
18. Why were these 300 chosen?
19. Are you in the 1 in 100 who will take up the battle for our Lord
    Jesus Christ?
20. Verse 5 says we must war ___________.
21. You can not be a teacher of the Word, until what?
22. What must you be, before you can win someone to Christ?
23. What is verse 7 really saying?
24. Who was Jesus Christ seed of in verse 8?
25. What are some of the things basic to Christianity?
26. What does "according to my gospel" mean?
27. What had brought Paul to Rome in chains?
28. Paul endured all things for the _________ sake.
29. Who are "the elect"?
30. Quote Colossians chapter 1 verse 27.
31. Quote Galatians chapter 2 verse 20.
32. What should happen in water baptism?
33. Where can we read thoroughly about the resurrection of the dead?
34. If we suffer, we shall also ________ with Him.
35. Quote Matthew chapter 25 verse 21.