2:1 Paul's charge in this verse is a general one. Specific responsibilities follow. On the basis of what he had already written Paul urged his son (Gr. teknon, lit. child, an affectionate term) to let Christ's grace empower him. The present tense of the Greek passive imperative endunamooindicates the need for continual dependence on God. One does this as he or she walks in submission to the Spirit of God and in harmony with the will of God. God then can and will provide strength.
2:2 As Paul had passed the torch of ministry on to Timothy, so now Timothy should do so to other men who gave evidence that they too would be faithful. These should instruct others who would follow them.
"Faithfulness negatively consists in their not losing, neglecting, ignoring, or falsifying (like the false teachers mentioned in this letter) what Paul has said, and positively consists of their handling accurately the word of truth' (2:15).
"Since the task committed to these faithful ones is that of teaching others also, it is certain that they are the same group of whom Paul wrote in 1 Timothy, the presbyters who work hard in word and teaching' (5:17), and also in Titus, the presbyters/overseers who are holding fast the faithful word that is in accordance with the teaching' so that they are able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict' (1:9)."21
This discipling process involved instruction in the truths of the faith and companionship in ministry. The reference to "witnesses"would have reminded Timothy of Paul's bold preaching on many occasions. It would have encouraged him to renew his commitment to Paul's life-changing gospel and to Paul personally.
"This is the true apostolic succession of the ministry: not an uninterrupted line of hands laid on which extends back to the apostles themselves so that all ordinations which are not in that line are null and void; but a succession of true apostolic doctrine, the deposit of what we still hear from Paul in his writings, this held by us in faithful hearts with competency to teach others the same things. The apostle did not evidently expect the future teachers of the church to produce new or different teaching."22
2:3-4 Paul's long ministry with Timothy had included many hardships. Now as Timothy looked forward to training other younger men he could expect more of the same. Paul urged him to submit to difficulties as a good soldier.
The apostle used three illustrations to help Timothy appreciate the logical consistency of this exhortation (cf. 1 Cor. 9:7, 24).
The first illustration is the soldier. Paul's emphasis in this illustration was on the importance of remaining free from entanglement with other lesser goals and activities while serving the Lord. This is something about which Paul had previously warned Timothy (1 Tim. 6:3-16; cf. Matt. 13:22; Luke 8:14). Obviously Paul did not mean that a minister should always give all of his time to preaching and teaching to the exclusion of any tent-making activities. He meant that he should not let other duties drain off his energies or interests or divert him from his primary responsibilities as a Christian soldier. As a soldier must be single-minded in his purpose, rigorous in his self-discipline, and unquestioning in his obedience, so must every soldier of Christ.
"Paul's appeal shows the importance of developing an ability to distinguish between doing good things and doing the best things. Servants of Christ are not merely to be well-rounded dabblers in all types of trivial pursuits. They are tough-minded devotees of Christ who constantly choose the right priorities from a list of potential selections."23
2:5 The second illustration, the athlete, emphasized the need to minister according to the rules that God has prescribed. To do this we must minister with proper motives, with purity of life, and obedience to all of God's will to win His approval.
". . . competitors at the Olympic Games had to swear an oath before the statue of Zeus that they had been in strict training for ten months (Pausanias, Graec. deser.v. 24. 9)."24
As an athlete must deny self, endure hardship, and persevere to the end, so must every spiritual athlete.
2:6 The illustration of the farmer, Paul's third, emphasized the toil necessary if one wants to enjoy the fruits of his or her labors.25A farmer must continue to sow seed and water it if he or she wants to harvest its fruit. Likewise the farmer for Christ must plant and nourish the gospel seed if he or she eventually expects to reap the fruit of God's Word in the lives of people.
All three illustrations imply dogged persistence and hold out the prospect of reward for the faithful.
2:7 Paul encouraged Timothy to meditate on what he had just written knowing that the Lord (probably God the Father, cf. Eph. 3:2-4) would help him see the wisdom of his words. Paul's illustrations yield many practical lessons as one meditates on them.
"The apprehension of spiritual truth is not primarily a matter of mental acumen but of spiritual teachableness."26
