There is an important contrast expressed in this portion that I want you to recognize. My servant Paul begins by declaring that those who are of the professing believers in Asia have turned away from him. And he mentions in particular Phygellus and Hermogenes. But he contrasts these who were unfaithful to him with Onesiphorus. For while the former were both afraid and ashamed to identify with him because of his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel, Onesiphorus was not only unafraid and unashamed, but went to great lengths to seek out Paul in Rome and to continue to bless and serve him even as he had done in Ephesus. So then, in the light of the great contrast between those who had been so unfaithful and this one who had remained so remarkably faithful, Paul encourages his son in the gospel to remain faithful. In order to do this he must find his strength in the grace that is in My Son. And as he is faithful, he must also choose others who are faithful to carry on and to carry forward the very important ministry of teaching the truth of the gospel. And such faithfulness, he declares, must involve the willingness to endure hardship, to be single- mindedly dedicated like a good soldier, like a successful athlete and like a hard working farmer. For the soldier lives to please his superior, the athlete to gain the victors crown and the farmer to bring in the harvest of which he will be the first to partake. Faithfulness to endure is manifested in the life of My servant Paul, and he reminds Timothy that he does this so that others may be saved. Faithfulness requires discipline in speech, in the handling correctly of My Word and in the maintenance of sound doctrine. And in these matters the faithful one seeks to be approved of Me, and to avoid stumbling others in their faith. My servant mentions those who being unfaithful indulged in speech that increased ungodliness, and those who spread false doctrine like a cancer, causing others to be stumbled in their faith. In spite of all that is mentioned here that was negative and disruptive to the faith, My servant declares that My foundation stands solidly. But though I who search hearts know those who are truly Mine, the faithful ones among those who name the name of My Son must outwardly demonstrate their faithfulness by departing from iniquity.
Consider this, My son and My daughter, that the pattern and the contrast of which My servant Paul speaks here is one that was not confined to the situation in Ephesus or only to the church in his day. But in all the years since, and today and even unto the end of days, there will be this contrasting pattern of faithfulness and unfaithfulness; of those who remain true and those who depart from the truth. And as Paul admonishes and guides his son Timothy in the way of faithfulness, and as he walked steadfastly in that way himself, so would I call you and admonish you to walk in that way, and to follow that pattern that he represented and in which he admonished Timothy to follow. For as he declared in his quote of the faithful, saying, those who follow this pattern will most willingly identify with My Son in His death and most determinedly look to that life which will be with Him now and forever. Such will be willing to endure all that must be endured because they will have fixed their desire, their hope of reward upon reigning with Him. This is the heart of the one who will remain faithful. This is the heart that I would have you possess.
As you consider these words, I want to remind you that they were written by My servant Paul when he anticipated that his earthly work and pilgrimage was coming to an end. And yet I want you to consider what was uppermost in his heart as is demonstrated by these words. For you see in them his deep and loving concern as a father in the gospel to Timothy. One might think that a man facing the end of his life would be more pre-occupied with his own circumstances and condition. But you see here that this was not the case with My servant Paul. For he writes of his unceasing concern and prayer for Timothy, and he both expresses his great concern and his profound appreciation for the godly heritage and genuine faith that was true of Timothy’s background. And so out of this loving concern he encourages him first of all to stir up the spiritual gift which he had received, and secondly to not give in to fear and to be ashamed of the testimony, neither of the gospel, nor of Paul in his imprisonment. Rather he is encouraged to be willing to share in the sufferings that Paul experienced with the assurance that My power was available to enable him to share in those sufferings. And then My servant encourages him even more by declaring that even though he suffered, he knew why, and that he knew that all with which he had entrusted to Me and all that he had believed of that which I had committed to him, and which he in turn had committed back to Me, was being kept safely until the day of my Son. And therefore Timothy is also admonished to hold fast to the pattern of sound words that had been communicated to him by Paul, and to the faith and the love of My Son. For just as Paul was confident of My keeping power for all that he had committed to Me, so is Timothy encouraged likewise to be confident. And what is that which I would have you to consider and to gain from this?
Surely I have called you to parent sons and daughters before concern about your own selves. For if you truly are trusting Me for all things that concern you, you need not be pre-occupied with your own well being, but you can be free as Paul was to invest your concern in those whom I shall give to you. And surely by such an example you can encourage and demonstrate to them that I have indeed granted to you the spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind instead of a spirit of fear. And if indeed you have fully trusted Me for all that concerns you, you certainly will be unashamed of the testimony of My Son and will not be reluctant to share in sufferings for the sake of the gospel. And shall you not in this way demonstrate that it is by My power that you are sustained?
One of the most important responsibilities that My servant Paul committed to Timothy was that of entrusting to reliable men who were qualified, that they should teach others the very things that Timothy had heard Paul teach to many. Notice that Paul declares that Timothy had heard him in the presence of many witnesses. This means that what he had heard and was to pass on to others had been spoken, not just on a few occasions but many times. And you see that Paul shows by other things that he declares in this passage, that his own life was an example of what he taught. But there is an important and vital discipline that accompanies this responsibility. And it is often this particular discipline from which those who are called to serve in this way will demure. This is the discipline of enduring hardship.
You see that My servant Paul says “endure hardship with us”, for he goes on to speak of how he is suffering imprisonment as a result of his faithfulness in proclaiming the gospel. But he declares that his motive is to endure everything that he must endure in order that the gospel may be proclaimed and those who are called to eternal life may obtain salvation.
Now there is a very important lesson in the way that Paul illustrates the consequences of enduring hardship. For first of all he likens it to what is required of a good soldier. He declares that this involves the discipline of remaining disentangled from civilian affairs in order to please the commanding officer. Then he likens this endurance to an athlete’s adherence to the rules of competition. Then he speaks of the reward of a hard working farmer who receives the first share of his crops.
Notice that he merely suggests these analogies as illustrations of what is involved in enduring hardship as a good soldier. But then he adds, reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all of this.
You see that in committing the responsibility of passing on to others the teaching of the truth, that Paul not only illustrates the disciplines involved, but he admonishes Timothy to turn to Me for the insight into how all that he declares is to be applied and worked out. It is very important for you to understand that however well you present the teaching to others and however well your own life is an example of the teaching, that ultimately you must encourage those whom you seek to teach and to whom you discharge responsibility to turn to Me, in order to receive fuller understanding of how to apply in their own lives and in their own situation what is taught. Without this important aspect of the process, without reflection and dependence upon Me to give insight, those who hear and see will lack that personal understanding as to how truly to walk out the truth and to endure the hardship that accompanies faithfulness to the truth.
Consider that this is a fundamental and essential aspect of fulfilling the admonition that Paul here presents to Timothy, and that is of vital importance to the fulfillment of your call and the call of all those to whom the proclamation of the gospel is given.