2 Timothy 2

1. So, my son be strong in the grace that is in Jesus.

In our day, people say, “We are saved by grace, so do not do not say anything about the fact that I am hardly wearing any clothes, or that I am drinking, or watching and playing with demonic pictures on my screen."

If you say something about these things these people will say that you are a legalist. They say this because they think that anyone who disagrees with them is trying to take away their freedom.

We are saved by grace and our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus, but we should act and dress and live like it.

Now what shall we say is our response to God? Shall we sin as much as we want so that we can see how far we can take advantage of the grace of God? Romans 6:1

Paul is saying, "Timothy, live like someone who has been forgiven by God's grace.”

2. Everything that you have heard me teach to others you should pass on to faithful men, who will be able to pass it on to others also.

Jesus did not tell us to make converts, that is His job (Matthew 28:19). The original words here say, “While we are going everywhere that we are going, we should make disciples.” Making a disciple means spending time with someone to explain the Gospel and how to walk with Christ. When a person becomes a Christian and a disciple, then he knows how to pass it on to someone else.

3 – 4

Be patient with the hard things that you go through as a faithful soldier for Jesus. No soldier who is on duty allows himself to be dragged down with the things of everyday life, so that he can do a good job for the one who called him to be a soldier.

Soldiers give up their home their hobbies, their family time and their dreams so that they can do what needs to be done with a clear mind. God will provide everything they need.

Who goes to war at his own expense? 1 Corinthians 9:7

5. A man who is in the Olympics does not win a prize unless he plays by the rules.

The Greeks started the Olympics long before Paul's day. Paul is using an example that everyone knows about. Yes, we are free from the law, so that we are not saved by keeping rules. Those who are in the ministry can find out very quickly what happens when they use their freedom to offend people.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Every athlete uses self-control in all things. They do it to receive a fading wreath, but we will be given a crown that does not fade. So, I do not run without a goal; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, so that after preaching to others I myself should not be disqualified.. 1 Corinthians 9:24 – 27

6 – 7

The farmer who planted the crops must eat from the harvest also. Think about what I have just said, and the Lord help you to understand what I mean.

When you are reading the Bible you need to keep your attention on what is being said in the surrounding verses. Paul is talking about working in the ministry. If a leader does not take the time to feed himself from the Word, and only looks for ideas to feed the sheep, he will become very weak in his spirit.

Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? 1 Corinthians 9:7

8. Remember that Jesus was born in the line of David, and was raised from the dead as I have taught the Gospel.

No one ever thought of a God like the one we serve! There are no religions who serve a god who loves them, and took their punishment, and came back from the dead to give them new life.

9. Because of this Gospel I am chained in prison as if I were a lawbreaker, but no one can chain the Word of God!

In the 1500s, some Bibles were chained in some churches. This was done because not many people could afford to buy a Bible and to prevent the Bibles from being stolen.

Today we can bring the Bible outside of the church. We can explain it in a way that people can understand what it is saying. Some people say that the Bible is full of mistakes, or has been changed over the years, or that they cannot understand it. This is because they have not surrendered their lives to Christ and they do not have the Holy Spirit to explain God's words. For these people the Bible is still chained.

10. God has given me the patience to live through these things so that the ones that He is calling can hear about being saved through Christ, and the glory of life in eternity.

Here are some of the things that Paul was given the patience to live through:

Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:23 – 28

For a short time, this light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. 2 Corinthians 4:17

11. I trust in this saying: if we died with Him, we will also live with Him,

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

12. If we are patient, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us.

Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32 – 33

13. If we lose faith He is always faithful. He cannot deny Himself!

Christ lives inside of us. We are now part of Him and He is part of us. He will not work against Himself.

Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

14. Remind your people of these things and say it as if you were standing before God. Tell them not to argue about words with people which does not help anyone, and may destroy the faith of those who hear these arguments.

Someone may have a good point about the meaning of some words, but if they want to argue about it they will only confuse

You do not know what kind of spirit you are. Luke 9:55

15. Keep your mind on winning God's approval and being a worker who has nothing to be ashamed of. Be someone who knows how to handle the Word of God in the right way.

Someone who is skilled in the Word of God knows how to balance Scriptures with other Scriptures. He also knows the danger of changing what God has said to force his own opinion. The original language here means to “cut a straight line.”

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not skilled in the Word, for he is as a baby. Hebrews 5:13

Which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual insights with other spiritual insights. 1 Corinthians 2:13

16. But stay away from but the empty talk of unbelievers, which leads farther and farther away from Christian living.

The original words, "leading farther and farther away" say, "making longer and longer by hammering."

Notice that this empty talk is leading people farther away or backwards instead of forwards.

17 – 18

For their teaching is as dangerous as cancer. I am talking about men like Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the truth and have said that the Lord has already raised His disciples from the dead and they are destroying the faith of some people.

Paul does not mind naming these men. They must have claimed to be Christians or were able to speak “christian” talk about the resurrection. There are details on how to deal with men like this in Matthew 18 and Galatians 6:1.

There are people today saying these same things, just as Jesus said they would. It is one of the favorite teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses cult.

So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:26 – 27

19. God's foundation is still standing with this seal : the Lord knows those who belong to him, and let every true Christian who names the name of Christ have no part in evil.

There are some teachers who say that God's seal means that God planned to create certain people as robots who have no choice except to love Him and live their robot lives. The book of Revelation says that God's seal shows the angels those who belong to Him.

None of the false gods of this world call their believers by name.

The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name. John 10:3

Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:7

They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Revelation 9:4
20 – 21

In any big house there are not only gold and silver dishes, but wooden ones and clay pottery. Some are used for different things than others. If a man keeps himself clean from evil he will be one of the dishes that is used with honor, dedicated and useful for the Master of the household and ready to be used for any good purpose.

Some people think that the leaders of a ministry are the most important people. Paul is saying that that the leaders have their jobs and the rest of us have different jobs to do.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that not many of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 1 Corinthians 1:26

22. Turn your back on the immoral temptations of youth and give your attention to goodness, honesty, love and peace with all those who call on the Lord with a clean heart.

There are certain things that God wants done on the earth. He moves men into a place where they need to be so that we can cross their paths and share Christ with them.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God planned ahead of time that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Joseph turned his back on Mrs. Potiphar so that he could do a job that God had planned for him to do. Genesis 39:12

23. Do not have anything to do with foolish imaginations and arguments which lead to division.

They are not really wanting to Hear your answer, they are only wanting an argument.

A fool does not really want to understand, b ut only in speaking his own mind [hearing himself talk]. Proverbs 18:2

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. Proverbs 23:9

24. The Lord's servant must not argue, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach and not allow himself to be insulted by those who are against his message.

The original wording here means that you make a decision to overlook it when men insult you.

A wise man is slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an insult. Proverbs 19:11

25. God may change people's minds and they may come to know the truth.

You are a mature Christian when you can see the evil that people are trapped in, and pray for them, and feel sorry for them. Do not forget that without God's grace, you could be trapped along with them.

They have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10

26. They may come back to their right mind and escape from the traps of the devil after they have been in the devil's prison to do what he wants them to do.

The best prayer is to ask God to open their eyes.

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

Show mercy on some, making a difference. Rescue others by snatching them from the fires of judgment, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. Jude 22-23

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4


Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17