2 Timothy 2

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

1 You then, *See ch. 1:2my child, *See Eph. 6:10be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and *ch. 1:13what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses *1 Tim. 1:18entrust to faithful men,*2:2 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women, depending on the context*[Titus 1:5]who will be able to teach others also. 3 *ch. 1:8;4:5Share in suffering as *1 Tim. 1:18a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier *2 Pet. 2:20gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 *See 1 Cor. 9:25An athlete is not *[ch. 4:8]crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is *1 Cor. 9:10;[Heb. 6:7]the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, *1 Cor. 15:20risen from the dead, the *See Matt. 1:1offspring of David, *See Rom. 2:16as preached in my gospel, 9 *ch. 1:8,12for which I am suffering, *See Phil. 1:7bound with chains as a criminal. But *[ch. 4:17]; See Phil. 1:13the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore *Eph. 3:13;Col. 1:24;[1 Cor. 13:7] I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain *2 Cor. 1:6the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with *1 Pet. 5:10eternal glory. 11 The saying is *See 1 Tim. 1:15trustworthy, for:

*[1 Thess. 5:10]; See Rom. 6:8If we have died with him, we will also *Rev. 20:4live with him;

12 *[2 Thess. 1:4,5]; See Rom. 8:17; Heb. 10:36; Rev. 20:4if we endure, we will also reign with him;

*See Matt. 10:33if we deny him, he also will deny us;

13 *See Rom. 3:3if we are faithless, *See 1 Cor. 1:9he remains faithful—

for *Num. 23:19;Titus 1:2he cannot deny himself.

A Worker Approved by God

14 Remind them of these things, and *1 Tim. 5:21;6:13charge them before God*2:14 Some manuscripts the Lord*1 Tim. 6:4;[ver. 23] not to quarrel about words, *Titus 3:9which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,*2:15 That is, one approved after being tested a worker *[Phil. 1:20]who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But *Titus 3:9avoid *1 Tim. 6:20irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are *1 Tim. 1:20Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, *[1 Cor. 15:12]saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: *Num. 16:5;Nah. 1:7;John 10:14,27;[Luke 13:27]; See 1 Cor. 8:3"The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone *Isa. 26:13who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."

20 Now in *See 1 Tim. 3:15a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, *Rom. 9:21some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, *[Prov. 25:4;Isa. 52:11] if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,*2:21 Greek from these things he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, *ch. 3:17;Titus 3:1;[1 Tim. 5:10]ready for every good work.

22 So *1 Tim. 6:11flee *[1 Tim. 4:12] youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with *Acts 7:59;9:14those who call on the Lord *1 Tim. 1:5from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant *See 1 Tim. 6:4controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And *[1 Tim. 3:3] the Lord’s servant*2:24 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface must not be quarrelsome but *1 Thess. 2:7kind to everyone, *1 Tim. 3:2able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents *Gal. 6:1;Titus 3:2;[1 Tim. 6:11;1 Pet. 3:15] with gentleness. God *Dan. 4:27;Acts 8:22;See Acts 5:31may perhaps grant them repentance *See 1 Tim. 2:4leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from *1 Tim. 3:7the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.