23 November 2008 – Faithful Men

To endure hardness means to suffer evil, to endure affliction at the hand of the enemy. Christians are to act like soldiers of the King, as well as bearing the agape love of our Father in heaven. We are to comfort one another with the comfort we have received from the Holy Comforter. And, we are to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, for the harvest is great, and there will be rejoicing in heaven over the sinner who repents. However, there is still the need for a soldier’s armor in this world of darkness and strife. We are to put on the whole armor of God that we might be able to stand against the evil devices of the devil (Ephesians 5:10-12).

To endure hardness means that faithful men are to be prepared through the Word and Spirit, to do battle, to withstand the evil arrows of the unregenerate. A superficial understanding of the Gospel cannot meet this need. We need the wisdom and full counsel of God, and a soul which cries out for the “living God” (Psalm 84:2). “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the ways of them. … They go from strength to strength” (Psalm 84:5-7).

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Be Strong -2 Timothy 2:1-3

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Paul encourages Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Our strength lies not in us, but in the Holy Spirit who has given us of God’s grace in Christ. This does not negate our part in the work of sanctification. It encourages us not to be sluggish in our service for our King. To be strengthened in grace, Paul “intends to shake off sloth and indifference; for the flesh is so sluggish, that even those who are endued with eminent gifts are found to slacken in the midst of their course, if they be not frequently aroused” (John Calvin).

Paul continues to move Timothy to action, saying, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” The minister of the Word has a responsibility to teach the truth as revealed in God’s Scriptures, especially to those who are faithful elders or teachers in the congregation, that they should be able to teach others. Sometimes the emphasis has been wrongly put on the gift of teaching rather than on the ability to teach the truth as revealed in God’s Word. As Paul has transmitted the truth to Timothy, Timothy is to transmit this truth to others, and so on and on. This means that there must be much preparation in the Word of God, whether we are teachers, evangelists or parents, etc.

It is in this faithful transmission or teaching of God’s Word that we are to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Those who are obedient servants of Christ endure the “fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph. 6:16), for they have taken up the shield of faith.

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Discussion: What responsibility has been given to the minister of the Word?

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Be Lawful -2 Timothy 2:4-7

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Paul continues to speak of the Christian as a warrior whose King is Christ Jesus. If kings is at the forefront of this battle as he is building his church and the gates of hell will not prevail.

If a Christian is to strive for mastery over the things of this world, and claim a crown of victory, he must “strive lawfully.” He must not become slothful, enduring to the end. His goal must be to finish the race, not to give up in the middle of it, looking for excuses or rationalizations that hinder his continuing the race (1 Cor. 11:24-27). Paul’s example of one who strives lawfully is the farmer who labors and partakes of the first-fruits of his labor. He cannot start the tractor and then claim that there will be fruits. The Christian cannot claim, by faith, that Jesus is the Christ, and leave his task to be a servant of his Lord. Let us consider these things and pray that our Lord will give us grace to serve, and his Word to nourish our walk.

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Discussion: What does it mean to strive lawfully?

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Be Faithful -2 Timothy 2:8-13

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Paul further encourages his son in the faith, Timothy, to be strong in his faith and service. Timothy is to remember “that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bond. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

A Christian is one who has faith, looking unto Jesus the author of that faith (Heb. 12:2). The faith of a Christian says that he or she is fully convinced that what God has revealed is true (Heb. 11:1-3). There are those, as in the day of Paul, who would lead believers to doubt the resurrection of Christ, and therefore his saving grace. Therefore we are reminded that God’s promise is kept, Christ is the seed of David; his resurrection is true. Though Paul is in bonds because of false accusations, the Word of God is not hindered in its power to redeem. Paul is free to endure all things, even false imprisonment, for the sake of Christ and his elect. The elect are delivered from evil because of the efficacy of the Gospel, which is in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, we can trust the Word of God, for if we die with Christ, we will also live with him; if we suffer with Christ, we shall reign with him. We must not deny him, for he will deny us. We must believe, for even in our weaknesses he is always faithful and cannot deny himself. This encourages our daily repentance and faith in Christ our Savior. Our faith rests upon the unchangeable Christ and his Word.

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Discussion: What is faith in Christ?

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Dr. Robert LaMay

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Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2009 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.