2 Timothy 2:8-13
Chapter 2
8
Remember Christ Jesus, risen from the dead, Jesus, son of David, as preached in my gospel.
9
For this gospel, I work hard and even endure chains like a criminal, but the word of God is not chained.
10
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.
11
This saying is true:
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;
12
If we endure, we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him, he will deny us;
13
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful
for he cannot deny himself.
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.