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Sunday 01/19/25
Title: Those who endure will reign
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Those who endure will reign
So this week we are back in 2 Timothy where we were examining the instructions of Paul to Timothy as he was fulfilling his role as Paul’s apostolic delegate in the very well established church of Ephesus.
We came here to draw wisdom for living out the Great Commission empowered by the Holy Spirit upon us.
Paul had established this church in between 48-50 AD during his second missionary journey. On his third journey he stayed there between 2-3 years and established elders (pastors). Later in 57 ADPaul visited these elders and warned them that false teachers would come in and seek to lead the flock into error as is recorded by Luke in Acts 20:17-28. Sometime between then and 62 AD this foretelling began to come true so he sent Timothy there to re-establish them in the truth.
While there, Timothy himself needed encouragement so that the testimony of Jesus which he lived out could continue to be empowered by the Holy Spirit towards the stability and furtherance of the kingdom of God in Ephesus.
It is for these reasons I thought it a great example to turn to for our learning.
We began 2 Timothy early in December but then took a side journey these past 3 weeks in order to explain who Paul was talking about in the mentioning “the elect” in chapter 2 verse 10.
So today we will begin again in 2 Timothy 2:1 just to read up to where we left off four weeks ago and then move on in our learning.
2 Timothy 2:1-26,
“(1) You, therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2) And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
(3) Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
(4) To please the recruiter, no one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of everyday life.
(5) Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
(6) It is the hardworking farmer who ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.
(7) Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
(8) Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, according to my gospel. (9) For this I suffer, to the point of being bound like a criminal; but God’s message is not bound.
(10) This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”
Now Paul is about to lay some theology on Timothy which appears (at least when translated into English) to be written in a format which was intended to make it easy to remember and repeat.
My initial thought was that this was poetic or hymnic and when I checked this thought against scholars who would be in a better position to know, many agree.
The early church had some simple liturgies which were either recited by all in their gatherings or sung. The purpose was to condense solid biblical truths into a memorable construct so as to make it easy to remember and share with others.
I believe this to be an example of such a verbal construct.
The beginning words actually support this idea. It is interesting that this exact phrase is found 4 other times ALL OF WHICH were written to either Timothy or Titus – both of whom were in positions of establishing order and sound doctrine in preexisting churches. So having quick phrases which are rhythmic and often arranged in couplets, makes sense! These truths were especially important for Timothy and Titus to remind these saints of regularly.
“(11) This saying is trustworthy:
- For if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him;
- (12) if we endure, we will also reign with Him;
- if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
- (13) if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
(14) Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers.”
What do these short statements address?
The nature of our relationship to God through Jesus!
Paul emphasizes first the proof of being in Christ. “If we died with Christ, we will also live with Him.” In Romans, Paul worded this truth like this,
“(8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.”– Romans 6:8-9
This has a primary meaning and a suggestive secondary meaning. The reason why I say “suggestive” is because that secondary meaning is the very point of the next phrase we haven’t covered yet.
First this means that if we died with Christ through Faith in His person and redemptive work which we illustrated through a public confession of Him in baptism, then we are raised with Him into a new life or to a new way of living or as a new man. As a result, we no longer live as we once did – for our flesh and its passions, but unto God in righteousness and holiness.
Secondly it means that if Christ was raised from the dead, then if we die with Him, then in the resurrection we will rise to new life as well.
The teaching being underscored is the need to live out our confession of Jesus as Lord by living a new life conformed to Him.
The next phrase is – “If we endure we will reign with Him”. This is a teaching which is all but lost on the modern church so far as I can tell.
Jesus affirmed the truth of this in his letters to the 7 churches in Revelation though it is taught all throughout the New Testament.
It is in perfect step with the heart soils Jesus described in His parable.
The wayside heart paid no real attention to the gospel and therefore perished.
The stony heart was a fair weather heart. It was committed to Jesus so long as it didn’t really cost them anything. The moment that opposition came – they renounced Him and so they will perish also.
The thorny heart is one who was committed but unlike the good soldier mentioned by Paul earlier in chapter 2 to Timothy, these get entangled in the affairs of this life which chokes out the word and causes them to produce no fruit. These also perish.
Finally is the good heart which hears the word, receives it, is devoted to it and will not let go regardless of the cost due to their devotion to Christ. These will reign with Him.
Jesus said this in His closing words to all the 7 churches but used the word “overcome” instead of endure, but the idea is the same. Interestingly enough the first church addressed by Jesus in Revelation was this church of Ephesus.
To the Church in Ephesus
Revelation 2:7,“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
To the Church in Smyrna
Revelation 2:11,“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
To the Church in Pergamum
Revelation 2:17,“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”
To the Church in Thyatira
Revelation 2:26-29, “(26) And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— (27) ‘HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON; THEY SHALL BE DASHED TO PIECES LIKE THE POTTER’S VESSELS’— as I also have received from My Father; (28) and I will give him the morning star. (29) “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
To the Church in Sardis
Revelation 3:5-6, “(5) He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (6) “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
To the Church in Philadelphia
Revelation 3:12-13, “(12) He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. (13) “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
To the Church in Laodicea
Revelation 3:21-22, “(21) To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (22) “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
So while all of these statements are worded differently and bring up different rewards for enduring – the clear result is the same.
The entire idea of Paul’s second statement here and their corresponding examples in scripture is that all who actually live out their confession of Jesus as Lord have reason to know that they will take part in the resurrection at the end and enjoy eternal life with Him.
The next phrase is “if we deny Him, He will also deny us”. This is nothing less that what Jesus Himself said in Matthew 10:32-331
Now this can be a difficult one because the meaning is actually pretty specific.
What Jesus is NOT saying is that if someone denies knowing Him in an act of passion, that no forgiveness is available. Peter did this 3 times and was forgiven. Though one has to consider that this was PRIOR to actual salvation.
The idea is to willingly and decidedly renounce Him. Verses which talk about this are abundant and add various and further understandings of this sin. Some include the notion that this is done with a clear mind out of animosity towards Him. Some, like in Titus, include living a life outside of union with Him which would mean that they produce NO fruit. In Titus these are said to “profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” – Titus 1:16. Disqualified for every good work would mean they bear no fruit but only briars and thistles as other passages warn.
The point Paul is conveying is sobering and profound. God WILL NOT be mocked. It does not matter what you confess with your mouth if the way you live your life does not back it up.
The final phrase is – “(13) if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
From our perspective this seems a bit of an odd thing to mention but here is its meaning. Jesus’ faithfulness to His Own nature and character is immutable. It cannot and will not ever change and this is true regardless of the faithfulness of those who are in union with Him. As Christians we often are unfaithful to our confession of Jesus as our Lord and to our New Nature in Him. But Jesus is always and ever faithful.
What this passage does NOT mean is that if we remain faithless, God will still prove faithful to us. The previous phrases make that clear!
This is a statement of God’s nature as faithful. He is faithful to Himself and He cannot deny His nature. That is of great and eternal comfort and assurance to those who love Him even if they often fall into sin. It is a great warning to those who would renounce Him.
Such are described in 2 Peter 2:22 and addresses people who are very much like the false teachers Timothy was sent to protect the saints of Ephesus from.
Let’s read that passage,
2 Peter 2:9-22, “(9) …the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, (10) and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.
They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, (11) whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
(12) But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, (13) and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime.
They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, (14) having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.
(15) They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (16) but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
(17) These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
(18) For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.
(19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
(20) For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again ENTANGLED in them and OVERCOME, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
(21) For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
(22) But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
Now returning to the letter to Timothy. Paul follows this doctrinal citation with this charge to Timothy…
“(14) Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers.”
Arguments are never productive. Disagreements CAN be, if they are between reasonable people who possess a genuine love and pursuit of the truth. But for those who are committed more to their own thoughts than to truth, even disagreements become arguments. These things have a ruinous effect on the faith of others especially when they are arguments between leaders in the Faith. The Spirit’s instruction through Paul is to STOP IT!
Stop fighting with others and instead turn your efforts towards being diligent yourself…
“(15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
(16) But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness. (17) And their word will spread like gangrene, among whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus.
(18) They have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, andare overturning the faith of some.
(19) Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription:
The Lord knows those who are His, and Everyone who names the name of the Lord must turn away from unrighteousness.
(20) Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and earthenware, some for special use, some for ordinary.
(21) So if anyone purifies himself from these things, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”
And it is THIS that Paul was talking about in verse 10 which sent us on our study of predetermination and freewill. Paul was telling Timothy that the preaching of the gospel is hard and devoted work. That he endured all things – conflict, confrontation, defense of the Gospel, the hostility of the Gentiles and his own countrymen, verbal and physical abuse as well as imprisonment for the sake of the purity of sound doctrine.
The “things” Paul was specifically pointing to in this context that they needed to purify themselves from was false teaching, though it undoubtedly included any expression of sin.
Paul says that if we will forsake arguments which split hairs regarding doctrine, irreverence and speech which conveys no point leading to God’s grace then we will become vessels of honor who can be used in the furtherance of God’s kingdom.
As Paul continues he builds on this point by saying…
“(22) Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (23) But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. (24) The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, (25) instructing his opponents with gentleness.
Perhaps God will grant them repentance to know the truth. (26) Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, having been captured by him to do his will.”
This is another key truth. The ability to change the mind comes from God. We as the created cannot simply choose to repent or change our minds any time we please – it is a powerful mercy granted by the Creator and Judge of our hearts – as was done with Pharaoh.
Blessings!
Tri
