THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapter 2)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). I’m Timothy Sparks.
Ben Bailey:
And I’m Ben Bailey. Welcome to our study of 2 Timothy 2.
Today’s lesson is brought to you by individual members and congregations of the
Timothy Sparks:
Paul begins 2 Timothy 2 by telling Timothy, “You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Grace is God’s free gift to us. It is a gift that we neither deserve nor earn. Yet He extends it to us all the same. This is the message, in fact, of 2 Timothy 1:8-10, where we learn that God “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” The Gospel brings to us God’s grace, which makes salvation possible. Paul tells Timothy to be strong in that grace. Elsewhere in his epistles (such as in Ephesians 6:10), Paul admonishes Christians to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” This is an admonition for Timothy, who, although he is a young man at this particular time, is not to let anyone despise his youth (1 Tim. 4:12). Rather, he is to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
Ben Bailey:
God does not want us to be spokesmen for Him who are timid, who “beat around the bush,” and who don’t know which way we are going half the time. God wants somebody who is fully committed to the truth. As a man of God, Timothy needed to be the type of person who, according to 2 Timothy 1:12, was not ashamed, who knew in Whom he believed, and who could be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” The same is true for each one of us today. As the old saying suggests, “We must stand for something, or we will fall for anything.” We must stand up for Jesus. We cannot be ashamed of Christ and His message. Rather, we must find strength in the Word of God. We can do this, because the Bible tells us in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” We are told in Ephesians 6:10, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” We will not find the necessary strength within ourselves, but when we latch on to God’s grace and saving power, then we have true strength, and we are able to do the things that God would have us to do. Paul tells Timothy, “Be strong,” and “the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). As we learn the message of the Bible, we are commanded to take that message and teach it to other people, who then can teach others. The teaching of the Gospel is intended to have what we might call “a domino effect.” As we learn the message, we are not supposed to keep it to ourselves or hide it. Jesus used the illustration that no one takes a lamp and puts it under a basket, but instead sets it out for everyone to see (Mt. 5:15). The same is true about the Gospel being taught to others. As we learn the message of God’s Word, we are to take that message, commit it to other people who are going to be faithful to God, and allow them to share it with others. This is really the idea behind evangelism. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:19-20). We, as members of the Lord’s church who know God’s Word, should always be on the lookout for people to whom we can commit the Word of God.
Timothy Sparks:
If we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, then we will do exactly as He did. Luke 2:49 tell us that Jesus was “about His Father’s business” from a young age. We know, too, that He came “to seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). Paul affirmed in 1 Timothy 1:16, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” So yes, we must be seeking to bring the lost to Jesus. From the three accounts of the parable of the soils (Mt. 13, Mk. 4, and Lk. 8), we learn that we sometimes have to sow the Gospel in different types of soils—wayside soil, stony soil, and thorny soil—in order to eventually find the good soil. We are going to have to do a lot of preaching and teaching. Paul is trying to impress upon Timothy that he is going to have to be strong in the grace that is in Christ. He’s not going to be able to carry out the preaching of the Gospel by himself, but is supposed to commit the things that he has been taught from the Word of God to other faithful men who will be able to teach others also. This, in essence, is “a passing of the torch and a spreading of the fire.” Enthusiasm has been said to be “as contagious as the measles and as powerful as dynamite.” When you get excited, other people will get excited, but if you are not enthusiastic, then other people won’t get enthusiastic either. Paul wants to encourage Timothy to commit the sound teaching of God’s Word to other people, who can help spread God’s Word. Paul then tells Timothy, “You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3). Some translations say, “You must share hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Paul’s point is that there are going to be some rough times in Timothy’s life. Living the Christian life—especially as one who teaches and preaches the Word of God—is not always easy. Why is this the case? When you preach the truth to people who do not want to hear the truth, truth becomes offensive to those who never intend to obey it. So, as a good soldier in the spiritual warfare against Satan, Timothy is going to have to endure hardship and share in such sufferings.
Ben Bailey:
In the first century, persecution was not something that “might” happen. It was a reality. Christians were going through it on a daily basis. Paul therefore mentions three examples of endurance—a soldier, an athlete, and a hard-working farmer. In 2 Timothy 2:3, Paul writes, “You must endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” He then says in verse 4, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself in the affairs of the world, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” Paul’s point is that a soldier who is engaged in the heat of the battle doesn’t leave to go take care of other affairs. Rather, he stays there and fights. He endures the shots that are being fired at him. He endures the hardships, and does not give up. This is how he pleases the commander who enlisted him as a soldier. He remains true through all the hardships. He may have to walk through the muck and mire, live in cold bunkers, and endure sleepless nights. But he does not give up. The same is true in the Lord’s army. We are in a spiritual army, and we are fighting a spiritual battle. Our enemy is the devil. Ephesians 6 makes it clear that we have the shield of faith and all the armor we need. But if we plan to win, we must endure. Too many people give up. They are like the seed that was scattered on the stony soil (Mt. 13:5-6). After it was planted, the seed sprouted and took root, but it had no depth. Thus, when the Sun appeared, the weak plant withered and died. We must have a “stick-to-it” attitude, so that we can hang in there and not give up. As a solider in the Lord’s army, we must not give up, and we must not get caught up in the affairs of this world.
Timothy Sparks:
Paul then talks about an athlete—a concept that he also
discussed in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. In that context, Paul says, in essence,
that we are running a race, but not as athletes who are striving for an
earthly, physical crown. Instead, we are running for an eternal, imperishable
crown. Paul’s point is that we are not running the race of life to win a crown
that is going to fade and pass away. We are running the race in order to
receive a crown that is eternal in nature. Paul said, “I discipline my body and
bring it into subjection” (1 Cor. 9:27). He brought his body under control,
lest after he had preached to others, he himself should be “disqualified.” James
wrote, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been
approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to
those who love Him” (Jas. 1:12). We will be crowned only when we have proved
ourselves to be faithful and true. In Revelation 2:10, Jesus promises the
suffering saints at
Ben Bailey:
In 2 Timothy 2:6, Paul says, “The hard-working farmer must be first to
partake of the crops.” This is a valid illustration. If you’ve ever been on a
farm or lived on a farm, you know that it is hard work. You get up at daybreak.
You work long hours. It is a very stringent lifestyle. Many times, there are
problems. The weather frequently does not co-operate, causing crops to fail. But
when crops are finally harvested, the farmer receives the firstfruits of his
hard work. The point Paul is making by using the illustration of the
hard-working farmer is that if we work hard in the
Timothy Sparks:
In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul said that he was suffering “trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the Word of God is not chained.” It wasn’t that Paul was an evil doer. Rather, he was suffering as an evil doer. In other words, he was being treated as someone who was evil, but it was all for the sake of the Gospel. Paul wanted Timothy to know that he, too, might have to suffer. In the end, however, no one would be able to shackle the Word of God. People might try to chain the Word of God, and they might try to beat it down. But truth, crushed to the ground, will rise again. Like the blacksmith’s anvil—which wears out many hammers but itself remains unaffected—the Bible wears out the skeptics’ innocuous charges, all the while remaining unscathed. John Clifford (1836-1923), a Baptist minister and social reformer, wrote:
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime.
Then looking, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
“How many anvils have you had,” said I,
“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”
“Just one,” said he, and then with twinkling eye;
“The anvil wears the hammers out, ye know.”
And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon.
Yet though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed…the hammers gone.
Governments come and go. Nations rise and fall. People live and die. Jesus warned that “heaven and earth shall pass away” (Matthew 24:35), but went on to note that “my words shall not pass away.” Isaiah wrote: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever” (40:8). It is the anvil of God’s Word that stands forever. We learn from the Book of Daniel that the Word of God is just like God’s kingdom—it will stand forever. Paul also focuses Timothy’s mind upon remembering that “Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead.” He is telling Timothy, “Remember the resurrection, because that is what will keep you focused and persistent in your faith.” Paul wanted Timothy to know that it was because of the Gospel that he was in prison and was suffering. But he also wanted the young evangelist to know that God’s Word is not “chained.” Why? Because Jesus Christ, Who overcame death, has given power to the Word of God. The writer of the Book of Hebrews said, “The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The resurrection of Christ should help us become enthusiastic and zealous. Paul wrote in Romans 12:11-12 that we are not to be “lagging in diligence, [but] fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.”
Ben Bailey:
In 2 Timothy 2:10, we learn why Paul suffered as he did, and why he was able to endure such suffering. Paul says, “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Salvation is found only in Christ. It is in Him, and through Him, that we are saved. From Titus 2:11, we learn that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” God’s grace is available to all people. But where is that grace? John wrote, “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1:17). Paul wants Timothy to understand that salvation is available only in Christ Jesus. But how does one get “into Christ”? Paul provided the answer in Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We get into Christ by being baptized into Him. Imagine a circle. Christ and salvation are represented as being inside that circle. Without Christ, we are outside that circle, living in sin. How do we get into that circle? We get into it by being baptized into Christ. Romans 6:1-4 teaches the same lesson—that baptism is what puts us “into Christ.” Baptism, of course, is not the only thing we must do to be saved. We must believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus Himself said, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (Jn. 8:24). We also must repent (Lk. 13:3). We have to change our life, and do the things that God tells us to do. We also must confess Jesus as our savior (Rom. 10:10). Baptism, however, is the culminating act of our faith.
Baptism is not something that “earns”
us our salvation. Rather, when we are baptized, we are simply doing what God
tells us to do. Baptism is critically important, because it is what puts us
into Christ. Throughout the Bible, baptism is something that is seen as being essential
to salvation. There are many in our modern religious world who say, “All you
have to do to be saved is believe on the Lord Jesus. Pray the sinner’s prayer,
and you will be saved.” While we respect the views of people, we respect the Word
of God more. The idea of “praying the sinner’s prayer” is not what the Bible teaches a person to do to be saved. A person
must be baptized to be saved. Think of the account recorded in Joshua 6. God
said to the Israeliltes, in essence, “I give you the city of
Timothy Sparks:
We learn from passages such as Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven, given among men by which we must be saved.” Salvation is only in Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Salvation is in Christ and Christ alone. Paul tells Timothy, “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him” (2 Tim. 2:11). How is it that we die with Christ? In Galatians 2:20, Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Jesus is the One Who gave Himself for me, and I must continue to give myself to Him. I must “be crucified with Christ,” so that I can die to self and live for Christ. Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-4, “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” In 2 Timothy 2:13, Paul says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Christ is going to remain faithful, regardless of what we may do. Our faith is dependent on Christ, but His faithfulness is not dependent on us.
Ben Bailey:
In 2 Timothy 2:14ff., Paul discusses how there are some who are impeding (or stopping) others from securing their eternal home by the things they are teaching. There were some who were teaching false doctrines, which Paul describes as “spreading like a cancer” (vs. 17). There were some (like Hymenaeus and Philetus) who were saying that the resurrection had already passed. In verse 19, Paul says, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’” Paul’s point to Timothy was that athough there may be people who are teaching false ideas that “spread like a cancer,” the foundation of God’s Word stands firm. It reminds us of Matthew 7 where Jesus spoke about building our faith on rocky ground as opposed to sandy ground. When we build on the sandy ground, it will wash away. But if we build on the rocky ground, our faith will stand firm. The same is true of God’s Word. If we build our faith on the Bible, that faith will withstand the test of time. We learn from Proverbs 1:25, “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” We can put our trust in the Word of the Lord. What is “the seal” that shows we are God’s people? It is that we have departed from sin. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:1-2, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Sin separates us from God. Romans 3:23 informs us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Ecclesiastes 7:29 says, “God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” Fortunately, God’s love is extended to all people. God loves you, and wants you to go to Heaven.
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Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST is brought to you by loving, caring members of the church of Christ. The McLish Avenue church of Christ in Ardmore, Oklahoma, oversees this evangelistic effort. For a free CD or DVD of today’s broadcast, please write to:
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1. What situation that existed in the first century might have been responsible for Paul telling Timothy to “be strong” (2 Tim. 2:1)?
2. When Paul told Timothy not to let anyone “despise his youth” (1 Tim. 4:12), what was his point?
3. Explain the connection between Philippians 4:13 and Ephesians 6:10.
4. What was Paul’s point in telling Timothy to “commit these to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2)?
5. What is the main thrust behind such passages as Matthew 5:13-16 and 2 Timothy 2:2?
6. Explain, from the parable of the soils in Matthew 13, the people represented by each of the four types of soil.
7. Paul told Timothy that he would have to “endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3). What hardships might Timothy have to endure?
8. List the pieces of “spiritual armor” that a Christian solder is to employ in his warfare against Satan (Eph. 6).
9. What did Paul mean when he said in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that he disciplined his own body, lest he himself should be “disqualified”?
10. According to 2 Timothy 2:6, a farmer is granted the right to partake of his crops before anyone else. Why is that the case?
11. What is the spiritual application of the hard-working farmer being able to partake of his crops before anyone else?
12. Why, according to Revelation 14:13, are those people blessed “who die in the Lord”?
13. How is the Bible like a blacksmith’s anvil?
14. According to Matthew 24:35, how long will Christ’s words last?
15. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:9 that was treated “as an evildoer.” Who treated him in such a manner? And why?
16. In 2 Timothy 2:10, Paul explained to Timothy why he was willing to endure such ill treatment. What was the reason he gave?
17. What was the false doctrine being taught by Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tim. 2:17-18)?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,