2 Timothy
Chapter 2
Soldier of Christ
You, my child, be strong with the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Entrust to reliable people everything you have learned from me in the presence of many witnesses, so that they may instruct others.
Work hard like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier gets involved in civilian affairs; the soldier’s goal is to please his commanding officer.
Similarly, no athlete is crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
And again, the farmer who tills the land is the first to enjoy the fruits of the harvest.
Think about what I am saying, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Remember Christ Jesus, risen from the dead, Jesus, son of David, as preached in my gospel.
For this gospel, I work hard and even endure chains like a criminal, but the word of God is not chained.
And so, I suffer everything for the sake of those who are chosen, that they too may obtain the salvation given to us in Christ Jesus, and share in eternal glory.
This saying is true:
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;
If we endure, we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him, he will deny us;
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful
for he cannot deny himself.
Remind your people of these things and urge them in the presence of God not to fight over words, which do no good but only harm those who listen.
Be a committed and proven worker for God, correctly handling the word of truth, and lead a blameless life.
Do not get involved in useless arguments that are foreign to faith, as they lead to greater corruption.
Such teachings spread like gangrene; among them are Hymeneus and Philetus.
They have strayed from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already happened, which has shaken the faith of some.
But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”
The Church, the Big House
In a large house, we see not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay. Some are reserved for special uses, and others for ordinary.
All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become a noble vessel, useful to the Lord, prepared for any good purpose.
So avoid the passions of youth and seek righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord with a pure heart.
Refrain from stupid and senseless debates, as such things lead to misunderstandings.
God’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, always teaching and patient with those who do not understand,
gently correcting opponents; perhaps God may grant them repentance and help them discover the truth,
by pulling them away from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Commentaries
Soldier of Christ.
Paul begins the main theme of this letter-testament with three recommendations for his disciple. The first: It is not only his duty to faithfully preserve the “memory of Jesus” that he received from Paul, but also to ensure this memory stays intact from generation to generation. Second: since this “memory of Jesus” is the memory of a ‘crucified’ man, the suffering his followers will experience has evangelical value. The third reminder touches on the main theme of the “pastoral letters”: false teachers and how community leaders should respond to them. He compares the deceptive and dangerous talk of these people with the truth of the Gospel.
The Church, the Big House.
This house, whose sole owner is the Lord, contains its human furnishings for various more or less honorable tasks: “vessels of gold and silver… of wood and clay” (20). And all are called, especially those responsible for the community, to become “noble vessels… useful to the master” (21), not through useless discussions and dialectical disputes, but through the witness of a life that practices “righteousness, faith, love, peace” (22). Only in this way will it be possible to draw the straying back to repentance and truth.