2 Timothy 2:2, commentary and pictures

Paul gave this as his dying charge to Timothy, his son in the gospel, when shut in a prison dungeon under Nero with infirmities and no hope of release except by death, desiring to see him yet fearing his own life would be cut short.
It commands that the gospel message and principles of truth heard from Paul among many witnesses be committed to faithful people who are able to teach others also, forming a continuing chain that carries truth forward through successive teachers for the salvation of the lost.
What is received is not to be neglected or kept to oneself but to be treasured, faithfully preserved, taken into the heart and brought into practical life, for the treasure grows by being used to bless and save others.
Faithful men able to teach are those strong in grace, humble learners who first partake of it themselves, whose fitness rests not on extensive education but on knowing the true God and Jesus Christ, gained by diligent daily study of Scripture with prayer and thorough training, so that God's plan is fulfilled as experienced workers teach younger workers and all believers learn in order to teach others.

Setting and Surrounding Charge

Paul's instruction is a dying charge to Timothy, given when Paul was shut in a damp prison dungeon under wicked Nero with infirmities and no hope of release except by death. He greatly desired to see Timothy and feared his life would be cut short before Timothy could come, though he urged him to come without delay. What he would have spoken to Timothy was therefore dictated to a fellow laborer in bonds to be written down. The charge was given to Timothy as a youth, Paul's son in the gospel, as his special work from his father in the gospel. It is not for Timothy alone but contains lessons for all servants of Christ, and everyone anticipating the solemn work of ministry should give heed to it.

The verse is joined to the command to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus, which it is the privilege of God's servants to have as power and grace. God requires more from those who profess to understand the way to life and take up guiding others in it, requiring them to improve the talents committed to them. To be strong in that grace they must entrust what they have heard to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also, so that knowledge of the way of life is preserved and spread through faithful teachers. This includes holding fast the form of sound words in faith and love, and keeping the good thing committed to them.

The same charge joins committing the truth onward with enduring hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. That soldier's endurance means refusing entanglement with the affairs of this life in order to please him who chose him to be a soldier. It means striving lawfully in order to be crowned, laboring as a husbandman who must be first partaker of the fruits, and receiving understanding in all things from the Lord by considering these things. A man who is avaricious yet excuses himself by saying he works for the cause of God obtains no reward, for God does not want money obtained by overreaching or any semblance of dishonesty.

Preserving Truth Through Successive Teachers

The things heard from Paul among many witnesses — the gospel message, spiritual light and principles of truth — are to be committed to faithful people who are able to teach others also. The gospel is to be preserved and passed on through reliable, qualified teachers, forming a continuing chain in which truth is received, passed on, equipped to be passed on again, and carried forward through successive teachers and further generations. This is God's plan for diffusing light and for the salvation of the lost: those who preach the gospel also teach and educate, entrusting what they have learned to faithful people who can teach others in turn. It is a charge to ministers and to all workers for God to pass on Christian teaching carefully through trustworthy, capable teachers, learning from experienced teachers and preparing trustworthy workers to carry responsibility in gospel ministry.

What was heard is not to be neglected or kept to oneself but to be entrusted onward to faithful people able to teach it to others. Grace in Christ enables the minister to be a faithful witness and to pass on received knowledge, so it continues through successive teachers. Attention must be given to the things communicated, treasuring up those truths and gathering up the fragments of all that was heard, making the best use of the ability to hear, preserving the words faithfully, and entrusting the principles of truth onward. The truth heard must be taken into the heart and brought into practical life by faithful people who will teach it to others also. Those enlightened by the Holy Spirit hold an important talent and must impart their knowledge, for teaching God's Word requires receiving its divine treasures and sharing them with others.

Those enlightened by the Holy Spirit hold their knowledge as a most important talent and treasure in keeping that must be entrusted onward to faithful people who will teach it to others. It has height and depth and breadth, like the householder who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old. The treasure of truth grows by being used to help, bless and save others. Imparting instruction enlarges the capacity to receive it, keeping spiritual growth and the flow of divine fullness alive.

The work of passing on Christ's teaching calls for diligence and faithfulness, without sluggishness or delay. It belongs to the obedience and faithful service expected of Christ's soldiers, because neglect can harm both the worker and others. Neglecting the work of passing on received teaching and developing the ability to impart it allows the talent for teaching to be lost.

The teaching to be passed on is to be clear, firm gospel truth that encourages steady, progressive work through successive teachers. It is not to be replaced by human theories or speculation. Those who seek new and strange ideas based on human imagination should turn to the plainly revealed Word, avoid foolish speculation and disputes over unessential matters and side issues, and remember that salvation does not depend on side issues.

Qualifications of Faithful Teachers

The faithful who are able to teach others are those strong in the grace in Christ Jesus, who endure hardness as good soldiers, who refuse entanglement with the affairs of this life in order to please Christ who chose them, and who strive lawfully in order to be crowned. This means first becoming humble learners before God, walking humbly without boasting, first partaking of the fruits as the grace of God essential to all service, and giving evidence by the quality of fruit borne that the tree is good before being placed in positions of trust. Those who have entrusted ability but unsanctified zeal, who violate conscience and move by erroneous opinions, do not strive lawfully but counterwork God, while those who walk in the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment under God's direction in harmony with Him receive understanding in all things from the Lord and fruits follow them.

Fitness for this trust does not depend on extensive education or advantages, but on a heart able to know and understand the true God and Jesus Christ. That knowing and understanding God is the source of spiritual power to receive the word, to practice it, and to impart what has been received from Christ to others.

No one should go out to teach the truth unless trained and knowing how to use the ability God has given, as no one would hire an untrained man to put up a fine building. This training is diligent daily study of the Scriptures with humble prayer for an understanding heart, so ministers entrusted with unpopular truth become qualified to teach the way of life more perfectly and to commit it to others. It means attending schools where Bible lectures are given to learn and be prepared to stand at the head in giving Bible instruction, going to the Scriptures as Daniel did to understand all God would have understood, with mind elevated, ennobled and sanctified and heart burning with truth. Teaching the Word is more than giving pupils head knowledge, for teachers must know the true God and Jesus Christ themselves and care for their pupils' spiritual welfare. They must know the Bible and handle the words of inspiration at least as readily as Satan-driven opposers who quote Scripture, meeting Scripture with Scripture as Christ did and searching daily like the Bereans, so that their counsel, prayers and example are a savor of life unto life, without which they are unqualified to point out the way of life. Each student is to make all of himself that he possibly can, receiving under God special training and individual culture, taxing every mental power to reach the highest possible development, making constant study to become more intelligent and to qualify for the work, mastering difficulties and grasping principles, overcoming indolence, apathy, irregularity and mere routine by thoughtful determined effort, refusing rest in ease and inaction, seeking to elevate and ennoble himself, and claiming by faith the power of Christ and the wisdom that comes from God. With powers undisciplined workers can only do bungling work and lower the work to their own finite standard, but when trained by godly teachers and by the power of God they become able to do good work themselves and to give the right mold to others connected with them. This multiplying of drilled, trained teachers is the very work to be done, as in New York, so that ministers are not worked to death but prepared workers can carry the truth to others.

Being able to teach others means being knowledgeable, intelligent students of Scripture who bring from the treasure-house things new and old, experienced in faith and patience, and able in meekness to instruct those who oppose the truth. Those placed in oversight, especially conference presidents, must not be novices but men of good repute and thorough integrity, whose integrity, character, words, conduct and deportment honor Christ by teaching the truth and living the truth. They are to keep growing up to the full stature in Christ through the development and strengthening of every faculty by exercise, so they become qualified to bear larger responsibilities as the work increases.

Training Workers for Ministry

God's plan for spreading the light of truth is that those who preach the gospel also teach and educate, entrusting what they have learned to faithful people who can teach others in turn for the salvation of the lost. God appoints experienced men to teach youthful, faithful workers how to read the Word and how to explain it to others, charging them to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and to endure hardness as good soldiers. Experienced ministers and overseers are to train younger workers, take them along on missionary journeys so they can gain experience, continue to support their work through letters, select worthy young people to work alongside them, and entrust them with responsibility instead of carrying every burden themselves. Young ministers and canvassers follow this pattern by cultivating God-given talents, maintaining connection with God, depending on angelic help because the work cannot be done in human strength, helping where they can, and opening and rightly interpreting the word of truth to others. The example and sanctified lives of God's servants help prepare others for successful service so they can help win others to Christ.

This charge is an educating principle for every family and school: pass on God's word through trustworthy teachers able to instruct others. Preparing people to teach the truth to others is an important purpose of schools and colleges and of ministerial education. That training is to follow the Lord's order rather than human suppositions, preparing workers for service in the limited time available and not directing prospective ministers into years of study that lead them to abandon preaching.

The same pattern applies to canvassers, publishing workers, and apprentices. The teaching heard in the presence of many witnesses was to be preserved and entrusted to faithful people capable of teaching it to others, so its principles of truth would continue to be imparted. Those trained in God's work should be prepared to pass on the knowledge they have received, so that others can also learn and serve effectively. Apprentices are to learn printing work well enough to share that knowledge with others and strengthen God's work, and all are to learn from experienced teachers while cultivating talents and maintaining connection with God.

All believers are learners so they may become teachers. Every church member should take this to heart, guiding others by example and helping them learn to serve, so they grow in appreciation of the value of each human soul. Those who have been taught are to teach others so that they in their turn may teach others and the good work goes forward, and faithful work of teaching others, even in feeble health, fulfills the charge and should be appreciated. Those who come to learn are to be helped by every possible means to obtain every benefit possible, that they may become God's workmen, channels of light, who teach others also. This applies to men from foreign countries who come to attend college or spend time at the sanitarium to gain knowledge, to be educated out of old established habits and customs and fitted as practical workers, so they can return to their own countries and impart what they learned to others. Investing money, board, favorable circumstances, encouragement, and untiring effort in these souls is missionary work in the highest sense, doing as Christ has done, while exacting every jot and tittle, holding to set rules, or showing selfish economy toward them closes the door to their home fields and brings God's disfavor.

Faithful, diligent young people who prepare themselves through work and study and remain near the Lord can be used by God to carry the truth to many people, near and far, and may be called to positions of great responsibility. This was fulfilled in young people who later served as conference presidents, mission leaders, preachers, translators, editors, teachers, and publishing managers.

Applying the Charge Today

The charge is spoken to the messengers who bear the God-given message to the people in the last days. It commands them to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, to commit the things heard to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also, and to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Those who open Scripture to others carry a serious responsibility under this charge. Their teaching can strengthen hearers in the truth, or it can subvert them and ruin their faith by turning them toward false ideas and principles.

Obeying the charge means the truth heard must be taken into the heart and brought into practical life by faithful people who will teach it to others also. In a time of special evangelistic effort this requires awaking from a self-satisfied, indifferent, backslidden condition, searching the heart by the Word, and confessing and repenting of sin. It requires drawing near to God in daily prayer, drawing strength from Christ with gratitude, and clearing the way for His work. It requires sustaining evangelistic effort by giving means, living in perfect harmony, being present at the meetings armed and equipped for service, talking with any who are interested, and praying and working for the lost sheep and laboring together with Him so the season of blessing does not pass without effect. The church must thus actively support the work of sharing truth by praying and laboring for the lost, helping sustain evangelistic efforts, and being ready to serve those who are interested.

The charge also applies to teaching others, in the strength Christ gives, how to resist and put to death passions that heaven's light shows must be overcome. This work calls for constant watchfulness and unwearied prayer for the Holy Spirit's help. It calls for using the help and light God has given.