2 Timothy 2:1-13

This nights study had many good insights from you all. We delved into verse 13, a difficult verse, together and came up with many good insights, insights that never even entered my mind (thanks Nick!). The theme of 2 Timothy is becoming pretty clear, as many of you have mentioned to me both during and outsiden of the study.

Next week is Valentine's Day. I am planning on being there but we will NOT be studying 2 Timothy that night. We will be studying Psalm 32, as it is what the Lord has put on my heart. I figured it would give a little bit of a break from 2 Timothy and would be good to do because many people might not be there because of Valentine's Day.


Read Psalm 136

Verse 1
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,”
1. After Timothy is reminded of what has been occurring in and among the church, Paul moves on to exhort Timothy about what he should do and how he should respond to all that is going on.
2. “What God requires from us in His Word, He also supplies by His Spirit, so that we are strengthened in the grace that He provides” (Calvin, p.305, Commentary on 2 Timothy).
3. What does “being strong in the grace” or being “strengthened by the grace” “that is in Christ Jesus” mean?
4. How are we strengthened by God’s grace?

Verse 2
“and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
1. When the verse 2 speaks of entrusting faithful or qualified men with the task of teaching, what is meant by the word faithful or qualified?
2. What qualifies a person to teach?
3. Why is it important that the men who Timothy entrusts to teach the church be faithful or qualified?

Verse 3
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
1. If a person was a good soldier, how would they share in suffering to help their side win?


Verse 4
“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”
1. If a person was a soldier who was off at war, why would they not want to get involved in civilian affairs?
2. What consequences might getting involved in civilian affairs have on you or the war that you are there fighting?
3. Going back to 2 Timothy, how does the metaphor in verse 4 apply to our spiritual life?

Verse 5
“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
1. Why would an athlete not be considered the winner unless they competed according to the rules?
2. Why would doing sinful things to advance God’s Kingdom be a bad thing to do?
3. What application does this verse have for our lives?

Verse 6
“It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.”
1. If you are a farmer, what must you do to have a harvest?
2. On Judgement Day, if we expect to reap some reward for our service to God, what must we do until Judgement Day comes if we want to have a reward?
3. We are saved totally by grace but in order to be saved we must persevere until the end. While God does demand that those whom He saves persevere, He also enables and causes people who truly know Him to persevere.
a. 1 Peter 1:3-5

Verse 7
“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”
1. Why does Paul specifically tell Timothy to think over these things?
2. How does God usually teach us about who He is?
3. Although Timothy has to be the one to think over Paul has said, how will Timothy get the proper understanding of what is being said?

Verse 8
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,”
1. “risen from the dead”
a. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead gives evidence that what Jesus taught is truthful and that Jesus truly is God. Jesus’ resurrection also shows that because His claims were true, we can share in the benefits that His death and resurrection for us.
2. “Offspring of David”
a. Who was David?
i. David was a king of Israel whom God promised that Christ would be descended from. David was promised that Christ would reign on his throne forever.
b. Why would Paul mention Christ being the offspring of David?
i. Christ is a real person who has a real connection to real people that had real promises made to them by a real God.
3. Why is Timothy being told to “remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel”?

Verse 9
“for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!”
1. What does Paul mean he says that the Word of God is not bound?
2. Isaiah 55:1-11

Verse 10
“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”
1. “Therefore”
a. What’s it “there for”?
i. Because the Word of God is not bound…
2. Why does Paul want the elect to obtain salvation?



Verse 11
“The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;”
1. What is the connection between us dying with Christ and us living with Christ?
Verse 12
“if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;”
1. What is the connection between us enduring and us reigning with Christ?
2. Why will Christ deny us if we deny Him?

Verse 13
“if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”
1. God is always faithful to do what He says He will do.
a. Isaiah 48:9-11
b. Ezekiel 36:16-32
2. What does it mean that God “cannot deny Himself”?

Overview
1. How would verses 1-13 of this chapter best be summarized?
2. How could these verses be applied to our lives?