2 Timothy

Fight the Good Fight, Finish the Race, Keep the Faith

Paul S. Jeon

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781725269330
  9781725269323
• eBook ISBN:
  9781725269347
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

2 Timothy offers a fresh approach to the letter through the use of an innovative chiastic outline. Interacting with the most insightful voices from the past and present, this commentary reflects on the "aftermath" of 1 Timothy, pondering the question of endurance in the face of apostasy: What do you do when you lose after having done everything possible to pursue righteousness? The apostle answers this question from a uniquely personal and richly theological perspective, offering wisdom equally applicable to all today that aspire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus.

1

Introduction1

Explanation of the Message of the Letter and Title of the Book

The title of this book, 2 Timothy: Fight the Good Fight, Finish the Race, Keep the Faith, reflects what I believe was Paul’s main burden in scripting this letter.2 Despite fiery trials, Paul himself has endured in the faith because God remained faithful to him even when all had abandoned him (2 Tim 4:16–17). Now Paul prays and hopes for the same for his spiritual son Timothy, and all the believers with him.

This theme of struggling to finish the race and uphold the faith reminds me of Phil Knight’s fascinating memoir Shoe Dog.3 Many know Knight as the founder of Nike and one of the most generous billionaire philanthropists. Few know of the many battles he fought, including those with himself, to establish one of the most iconic and influential companies in the world. His story is very much about fighting, about running, and about staying the course until his dream was realized. While far less glorious, at least in this life, 2 Timothy reflects these themes of struggle, doggedness, and faith in implicit and explicit ways.

Later in this book we will examine more carefully what I dub as the chiastic arrangement of the letter. For now, a basic survey of the four chapters will show how pervasive this theme is. In the first chapter, Paul begins by identifying Timothy as his “beloved child” (1:2). This is certainly deliberate. By doing so, he reiterates the bond between them and hopes that Timothy will share not just in his father’s sufferings for the gospel but also in his expectation of future redemption and glory. Paul then reminds Timothy of their respective spiritual lineages (1:3–6). Their faith is an inherited faith, the fruit of their predecessors who kept the faith in the face of opposition. Having reminded Timothy of his spiritual ancestry, Paul proceeds to exhort his son to remember his calling (1:6) and the Spirit of power and love that dwells in them, and to share “in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (1:8). In typical Pauline fashion, the apostle presents himself as a model of endurance to the revealed gospel (1:9–12) and challenges his son to imitate him through the Holy Spirit (1:13–14). This challenge is made in the context of general apostasy: all except Onesiphorus have abandoned Paul (1:15–18). Paul hopes that Timothy will not follow in the steps of “all who are in Asia” (1:15) but will adopt Onesiphorus’s example of fighting to keep the faith.

Following the command to entrust this same gospel to other faithful men (2:1–2), Paul gives a myriad of rich images that furthers the theme of fighting, finishing, and keeping. Perhaps most notable is the image of a soldier who does not get bogged down in civilian affairs but lives to please the one that enlisted him (2:3–4). But no less compelling are the analogies of a world-class athlete (2:5) and hard-working farmer (2:6). All three persons cannot succeed unless they display grit in the face of struggle. After presenting himself again as an example of endurance (2:8–13), Paul reminds Timothy of his task to shepherd those under his care (2:14–19). Central to Timothy’s own endurance is being deliberate and careful around troublemakers whose talk had “spread like gangrene” (2:17). They represent the opposite of Onesiphorus and what Paul highlights as the theme of enduring in the faith. Such persons are likened to dishonorable vessels in God’s house (2:20). In stark contrast, Timothy and all the believers with him are to continually purify themselves by fleeing passions and pursuing righteousness. Only in this way can they become vessels for honorable use (2:21–22). Nevertheless, in all his conduct, even toward the troublemakers, Timothy is to display perfect patience in hope that his character and instruction might lead even the rebels to repentance (2:23–26).

In the first half of the third chapter, Paul does not shy from underscoring the difficult arena in which Timothy must run the race of faith. “There will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money . . . lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (3:1–5). Such persons who constantly learn but never change because they never repent are the sons of “Jannes and Jambres” (3:6–8). But Paul also does not shy from highlighting their fate: “they will not get very far” (3:9). Paul then reminds Timothy of the apostle’s own example and Timothy’s relationship to him. In perhaps the most sobering declaration of the letter Paul plainly states: “Indeed, all who desire to live in-a-godly-manner in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (3:12). Such is the normal existence of those who have been brought into the kingdom of God and confess Jesus as Lord. With this reiteration of both the fates of the sons of “Janes and Jambres” and the sons of Moses and Paul, the third chapter ends with another summons to fight to keep the faith in such a battlefield (3:14). This is done especially by rooting oneself more deeply in God’s inspired Scripture, which is able to equip Timothy for the successful completion of every good task (3:15–17).

The final chapter begins with an explicit summons for Timothy to complete the work he has begun, especially in the face of opposition (4:1–4). Once again, Paul could not be clearer about the ensuing battle: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passion, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (4:3–4). Timothy, however, is to swim against this current and “fulfill your ministry” (4:5) irrespective of what people de...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: The Chiastic Structures of 2 Timothy
• Chapter 3: 2 Timothy 1:1–12
• Chapter 4: 2 Timothy 1:13—2:3
• Chapter 5: 2 Timothy 2:4–19
• Chapter 6: 2 Timothy 2:20—3:6
• Chapter 7: 2 Timothy 3:7–17
• Chapter 8: 2 Timothy 4:1–8
• Chapter 9: 2 Timothy 4:9–21
• Chapter 10: 2 Timothy 4:22