2 Timothy 2:3-6: A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ
2021-12-24
The Spirit likens the Christian life to being a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer in this section. Let us look at each of these.
2 Timothy 2:3
As a soldier, we must “endure hardness.” Certainly, Timothy would have to, considering his job. There would be insults and harassment. Even fellow Christians would be against him at times. Our phrase is having “thick skin.” Consider a bad example and a good example.
King Saul was a bad example. One silly song by women changed Saul’s attitude forever:
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? (1 Samuel 18:7-8)
After that, Saul made it his life goal to destroy David: “And Saul eyed David from that day and forward” (1 Samuel 18:9). You do not want to be like this. He could no longer function as a king, it affected his relationship with his son Jonathan, and he murdered innocent people via the toady Doeg the Edomite, including the high priest. He could not stand being second best. Anything that harmed his primacy was a threat he had to eliminate.
Stephen was a good example of enduring hardness.
For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. (Acts 6:14-15)
Stephen stood his ground amid false witnesses accusing him of blasphemy. We see here that he had a face like “the face of an angel.” We often hear that means that he was calm and composed. This is likely true, but boldness and possibly striking fear into his enemies might also be the case. Consider this, in the case of Manoah and his wife, Samson’s parents who saw an angel:
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name (Judges 13:6)
By “terrible” we mean terrifying. Strength was in his face. Stephen was not moved by false accusations. On the contrary, he preaches a very hard sermon against his accusers to his face. He died that day, praying for their forgiveness, and he was received into heaven. He had thick skin. He endured hardness. His confidence in Christ could not be shaken by anything on earth.
2 Timothy 2:4
Moreover, the soldier of Christ also does not get involved in the worldly affairs (2 Timothy 2:4). He wants to please His master. Not being a military man, I would find it unlikely that a soldier would also take on a fulltime job and have a bunch of other commitments on the side. A soldier devotes to his military branch a period of time and is going to faraway lands with the possibility of losing his life. You do not do any activity that would compromise your mission.
The same is true for us. We cannot be involved with things that would compromise our mission. This would include things that are sinful, but not just that. We do not let the good be the enemy of the best.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1)
There are things that are not sinful, but they detract from the mission. For example, if you have a hobby that usurps a lot of time, maybe it is worth cutting back on it, unless you can turn it into an asset for the kingdom.
Who has called us to be soldiers? The Lord Jesus Christ. As a military superior, He gives us our orders. We order our entire lives around those orders. We would not indulge in major undertakings that would detract from His mission.
2 Timothy 2:5-6
Enduring hardness is also likened to an Olympic athlete. The preparation involves hard work, seven days a week, lifting weights, running the distance, and whatever else that may be required for the sport. It requires discipline. You show up even when you do not feel like it. When you get to the competition, you follow the rules; you do not cheat. If you are caught cheating, you are disqualified, and all the work you did is ruined.
We also have all the preparation of prayer and Bible study to live the Christian life. One sin or even the appearance of indiscretion can ruin your testimony.
Enduring hardness is finally likened to a farmer. The farmer works hard for months. Because of this, he is the first to benefit from the harvest. Consider the farmer that does nothing; the results are poverty like in Proverbs 24:31-34.
Just like in both the cases of the athlete and the farmer, without proper preparation and correct execution, it seems like our encounter at the judgment seat of Christ will be affected.