2 Timothy 2:22, commentary and pictures

Fleeing youthful cravings means turning entirely from evil desires and pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace together with those who sincerely call on the Lord from a pure heart. It carries forward the charge that all who name the Lord must depart from wrongdoing, so that being cleansed they become honored vessels set apart and fitted for His use and for every good work. To flee is to leave every edge of evil, resist the tempter and keep the soul guarded against what debases mind and character, while to follow is to draw near to God, look to Jesus to be changed into His likeness, and stand wholly on His side in rescuing others. That change comes by bringing the thoughts into captivity to Christ and by beholding Him, with the heart cleansed and taught to judge rightly through diligent study of the Word. It shapes the young to sober, pure and self-governed lives, ministers to gentle, patient teaching without quarreling over foolish questions, and all believers to turn from sinful pleasure and worldly corruption to a steady life of kindness, humility and service.

Meaning and Context

The command is to flee youthful lusts and to follow after righteousness, faith, love and peace in fellowship with those who call on the Lord sincerely out of a pure heart. It is addressed to young people as a call to sober, faithful living, fitting their high calling as co-workers with Christ in self-denial, sacrifice, forbearance and gracious benevolence. The same pursuit belongs with a pure heart and a life set apart for honorable service, and is to be practiced in the church's work.

It continues the seal that everyone naming the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity. Everyone who names Christ must avail himself of Christ's proffered gifts and purge himself to become a vessel unto honor, sanctified and fit for the Master's use and prepared for every good work. This is a rising from a low earthly state through faith in Jesus Christ, lest he come short of the promised rest. The word is pressed upon the young under faithful reproof and rebuke, requiring cleansing to become a vessel unto honour fit for the Master's use.

Its context forbids striving about words to no profit because that subverts the hearers, and commands avoiding foolish and unlearned questions because they produce strife. The Lord's servant must not strive but be gentle to all, apt to teach, patient, and in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves, so that God may grant them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and freedom from the devil's snare. Church members who depart from Christ's principles need repentance and conversion just as much as those who do not know the way. Foolish questions raised from new and strange ideas of human imagination are met by waiting for what is essential to be known, since salvation does not depend on side issues.

Fleeing means leaving every border of evil and refusing to venture heedlessly near evil lest the Spirit of God be grieved and the soul be left to its own way. It means being on guard every moment, resisting the devil, refusing to enter the path of evildoers but passing by and turning from it, and keeping the barriers of the soul unbroken. The temptations to be shunned are those that debase mind and character, wreck life like a vessel adrift, eat away the affections, and overwhelm with fatal perplexity like a flood. Following with a pure heart means drawing nigh to God, beholding Jesus to be changed into His image, gaining a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin and discernment of its character, rebuking Satan in the name of Jesus, refusing self-righteousness toward those overcome, and standing fully on God's side as a co-worker to rescue souls from death.

The change comes by bringing mind and thoughts into captivity to the will of Christ so He can put His own superscription upon the life, and by beholding Christ to be changed from glory to glory and from character to character. When God is the theme of thought and Jesus the pattern kept before the mind, the heart is cleansed from all moral defilement and the soul becomes an accurate judge of right action. This departing from iniquity is the seal that the Lord knows those who are His, learned by studying the Word of God and applying its teachings. That Word gives warnings, defines sin as transgression of the law, and keeps believers from missing the way, and safety is found only in deep searching of the sure word of prophecy and making that Word the counselor rather than turning to human agents.

Life It Shapes

Fleeing youthful lusts and pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace is a call to young people to live soberly and faithfully as co-workers with Christ, sharing in His self-denial, sacrifice, forbearance and gracious benevolence, which fits their high calling. Jesus' call to young men is a call to obey this command. It requires them to govern themselves, to preserve the purity God has given them, and to reject everything that has the character of wickedness as they prepare to bear serious responsibilities. Human abilities and faculties as gifts from God are to be kept pure and holy and devoted to Him.

The same turning from youthful desires to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace in fellowship with pure-hearted believers directs ministers, and especially young ministers. It calls them to avoid foolish disputes and to teach opposers gently, patiently and meekly. Those who educate the young need these qualities, and must keep learning and growing in grace and in knowledge of Christ.

These instructions are to be practiced in the church's work. God's Spirit never leads to contention, strife or alienation, but enables divine and human agencies to walk together in companionship by the light of God's Word. Striving about words to no profit is forbidden because it subverts hearers, and foolish and unlearned questions are to be avoided because they produce strife, while the Lord's servant must not strive but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, and meekly instructing opposers so God may grant repentance to acknowledgment of the truth. Church members who depart from Christ's principles need repentance and conversion just as much as those who do not know the way. True religion is a steady influence shown in kind words and deeds, concern for the salvation of others and good works, with modest, humble conduct and restrained, gracious speech that represents Christ and speaks truth.

Souls are worth saving, and canvassers who have not known conversion and have let down to a low level are called to drink the Holy Spirit instead of the wine of Babylon, the doctrines of error. This means placing a right estimate upon humanity under God's controlling power, standing to the front, speaking the words God gives, and falling upon the Rock to be broken so Christ's power is felt. The whole chapter is to be impressed on the heart and brought into practical life when special effort is made to proclaim the truth. That means every member drawing near to God, searching the heart by light from the Word, confessing and repenting of sin, being in good working order, clearing the King's highway, helping with means, showing harmony, attending meetings armed and equipped for service, speaking with the interested, praying and working for the lost, refusing indifference and backsliding in the time of blessing, sustaining the work, praying amid daily duties, drawing strength from Christ with gratitude, and laboring with Him so the season does not pass without influence.

It means turning from the pleasures of sin, self-gratification and carnal security that imperil eternal welfare in a world deluged with sin, violence and corruption as in Noah's day. Honesty, nobility, purity of soul, fellowship with God and angels, heavenly hope, eternal inheritance and immeasurable joy are not to be bartered for sinful pleasure, and priceless time is to be rightly improved instead of squandered. Even fleshly defilement is to be hated, temptation is not to be trifled with, personal strength is not to be boasted in, but God is to be confided in with Christ as everlasting strength to conquer and wear the crown of victory. Worldly pleasures will avail nothing when the Son of man is revealed as Sodom was overwhelmed and Gomorrah destroyed, when those who sold their birthright will find it too late as the crown they might have had shines on another brow and the inheritance they might have had is lost. Running from youthful lusts preserves physical health, vigorous intellect and sound morals by refusing the downward steps of immodesty and licentiousness that follow breaking God's commandments. Warning beacons are to be heeded instead of joining the multitude on the fatal path contrary to reason, God's law and fear of His vengeance, and zealous effort to check bold wickedness brings hatred from wrongdoers but honor and recompense from God.