2 Timothy 2:7

‘Consider what I say,
and may the Lord give you understanding’
(2 Timothy 2:7)

These are the words of a man awaiting execution for his ‘faith’(2 Timothy 4:7), the apostle Paul. He was a ‘prisoner’(2 Timothy 1:8) in ‘chains’(2 Timothy 2:9), likely in ‘Rome’(2 Timothy 1:17), and knew that the time for his ‘departure’(2 Timothy 4:6) had come. He was writing to one of his successors, ‘Timothy’(2 Timothy 1:2), who he regarded like a ‘beloved child’(2 Timothy 1:2, cf. 1 Corinthians 4:17) in the ‘faith’(1 Timothy 1:2). Moreover, Paul no doubt knew that this dear ‘fellow worker’(Romans 16:21) might well face similar ‘hardship for the Good News’(2 Timothy 1:8) in due course himself. So the whole letter carries the weight of these realities, a weight that all of us who regard ourselves as their successors and ‘who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus’(2 Timothy 3:12) must contemplate too.

So we’re not just to read about, but ‘consider’ such things, and Paul’s words to Timothy here, i.e. think, ponder and reflect, so that we truly come to understand, grasp and absorb what’s being said. In fact, Paul is referring primarily here to three relevant metaphors he’s mentioned in the preceding verses, regarding how, as Christians, we could be compared to a ‘soldier’(2 Timothy 2:3ff.), someone competing ‘in athletics’(2 Timothy 2:5), and a ‘farmer’(2 Timothy 2:6), which we’ll come to. However, as he adds later, all such ‘scripture is God-breathed’(2 Timothy 3:16ff., cf. 2 Peter 3:16), so this verse has wider applications too.

First we should note that it’s the Lord who grants any of us a true and effective ‘understanding’ of scripture, so we’re prayerfully to depend on Him. Paul had prayed for the Christians in ‘Ephesus’(1 Timothy 1:3) earlier, possibly where Timothy was still ministering, that God might give them true spiritual ‘wisdom’(Ephesians 1:17) in this way. We must pray the same for ourselves, and each other, because ultimately these are truths that ‘the Holy Spirit teaches… they are spiritually discerned’(1 Corinthians 2:13-14).

The ‘Holy Spirit’(2 Timothy 1:14) also helps us to ‘hold fast’(Hebrews 10:23) to any ‘sound’(2 Timothy 1:13) ‘doctrine’(2 Timothy 4:3ff.) discerned in this way, even in a hostile environment. As Christians we’ll face such challenges, both from within the visible church and without, just like Paul and Timothy. The apostle’s charge to us all would be the same: ‘preach the word’(2 Timothy 4:2ff.), whatever the circumstances, for ‘God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control’(2 Timothy 1:7), noting the ‘attention’(1 Timothy 4:16) he draws there to ‘Spirit’(Galatians 5:22ff.) shaped ‘conduct’(2 Timothy 3:10) too. It’s a Christ shaped call, in which we’re to take up our ‘“cross, and follow”’(Mark 8:34) Him, ‘strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus’(2 Timothy 2:1ff., cf. 1:8), and so graciously displaying His ‘grace… truth’(John 1:14) and ‘love’(Ephesians 5:2), like a ‘sacrifice’(Romans 12:1, cf. Philippians 2:1-8) ‘offered’(2 Timothy 4:6) up in worship to God.

And so to the soldier-athlete-farmer analogy that we’re to consider specifically here.

Paul declared later to Timothy: ‘I have fought the good fight’(2 Timothy 4:7, cf. 1 Timothy 6:12) although, as above, no doubt he soldiered on in that with the appropriate ‘gentleness’(2 Timothy 2:25) ‘of Christ’(2 Corinthians 10:1). Here Paul draws attention to soldiers enduring ‘hardship’(2 Timothy 2:3ff.) and being dedicated, so not distracted by worldly ‘“cares”’(Mark 4:19; 1 Corinthians 7:32ff.) etc. Elsewhere he considers spiritual ‘armour’(Ephesians 6:11ff., cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and how that’s rightly deployed.

Interestingly, mirroring here, Paul also declares: ‘I have finished the course’(2 Timothy 4:7), i.e. racecourse, like an athlete, including with an eye to ‘the crown of righteousness’(2 Timothy 4:8) that comes from ‘faith’(2 Timothy 4:7). Here he also highlights competing ‘by the rules’(2 Timothy 2:5), probably again meaning with appropriate Christian ‘conduct’(2 Timothy 3:10). Elsewhere he draws attention to the strict training regimens of athletes, which require ‘self-control’(1 Corinthians 9:25).

With the farmer analogy, Paul emphasises ‘labours’(2 Timothy 2:6) and ‘crops’(2 Timothy 2:6), to encourage us that sacrificial dedication to ‘the Lord’s work… is not in vain’(1 Corinthians 15:58). Such ‘patient’(James 5:7) hard work will yield a crop ‘in due season’(Galatians 6:9), including the ‘fruit of sanctification’(Romans 6:22) in this life, which is the ‘first fruits’(Romans 8:23), then ‘eternal’(Romans 2:7) ‘reward’(1 Corinthians 3:8) at the final ‘harvest’(Matthew 13:30). We could also consider the harvest of seeing God’s kingdom ‘increase’(1 Corinthians 3:6) along the way. Perhaps Paul had in mind other ministry ‘fruit’(1 Corinthians 9:7ff., cf. 1 Timothy 5:18) as well?

So let’s ponder our identity as these soldier-athlete-farmers, and through the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit grasp and live out the ‘whole counsel of God’(Acts 20:27) in scripture more generally.

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