2 Timothy 2:1-13(NIV84)
2You then, my son, be strong in
the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according
to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11 Here
is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also
live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign
with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Using several comparisons (solider, athlete, and farmer), Paul calls Timothy to find other faithful men who are able to share in the pastoral office. Christians—including pastors—need one another, bearing one another’s
burdens. Paul describes his love for others with the words “I endure everything for the sake of the elect.” These words also describe Christ’s love for all people. He bore all things for us, so we would not be crushed beneath our overwhelming
load of sin and death.
I pray: Thank You, Lord, that You bore all things for me. Give me strength and love to help my neighbors bear their burdens. Amen.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 2082.