2 Timothy 2 is the second chapter of the

Second Epistle to Timothy The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle.. Addressed to Timothy, a fellow missionary, it is traditionally considered to be the last epistle he wrote before his death. Al ...

in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

of the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

. The letter has been traditionally attributed to

Paul the Apostle Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

, the last one written in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

before his death (c. 64 or 67), addressed to Timothy. Some scholars argue that it is the work of an anonymous follower, after Paul's death in the first century AD. This chapter contains a charge to Timothy, to pass on what has been entrusted to him to those who will teach others, to use the message of the gospel to contradict the opponents' teaching, and to counter

heterodoxy In religion, heterodoxy (from Ancient Greek: , "other, another, different" + , "popular belief") means "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position". Under this definition, heterodoxy is similar to unorthodoxy, wh ...

Text

The original text was written in

Koine Greek Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...

. This chapter is divided into 26 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: *

Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus (Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), designated by siglum [Aleph] or 01 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts) ...

(AD 330–360) *

Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII), designated by the siglum A or 02 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 4 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a manu ...

(400–440) *

Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (Paris, National Library of France, Greek 9) designated by the siglum C or 04 {in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 3 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a ma ...

(c. 450; complete) *

Codex Freerianus Codex Freerianus, designated by I or 016 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), α 1041 ( von Soden), also called the ''Washington Manuscript of the Pauline Epistles'', is a 5th-century manuscript in an uncial hand on vellum in Greek. It is named afte ...

(c. 450; extant verses 2–5, 14–16, 22–24) *

Codex Claromontanus Codex Claromontanus, symbolized by Dp, D2 or 06 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), δ 1026 ( von Soden), is a Greek-Latin diglot uncial manuscript of the New Testament, written in an uncial hand on vellum. The Greek and Latin texts are on facing p ...

(c. 550) *

Codex Coislinianus Codex Coislinianus designated by Hp or 015 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), α 1022 ( Soden), was named also as ''Codex Euthalianus''. It is a Greek uncial manuscript of the Pauline epistles, dated palaeographically to the 6th century. The t ...

(c. 550; extant verses 1–9)

Called to Dedication and Faithfulness (2:1–13)

After the initial appeal (in the previous chapter), Paul addresses Timothy's responsibilities in the local church settings.

Verse 3

:''You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.'' *"Soldier": is translated from grc, στρατιώτης, ', which is found in several word forms, but all with the same meaning, 26 times in the New Testament.

Verse 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.'' *"The elects": A certain number of persons whom God has chosen in Christ from everlasting to salvation, who will certainly be saved. For these so-called "the chosen vessels of salvation" Jesus Christ suffered and died; and on their account is the Gospel sent and preached to the world, the ministers fitted for their mission and commission; and since it was for the sake of such, whom God had loved and chosen, that Paul endured all persecutions with cheerful consideration which was a support to him. *"The salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory": The salvation is only through and in Jesus Christ, and published in the Gospel, for the elects to get it in all ages. It is obtained by Christ for them, through his obedience, sufferings, and death; brought near by the Spirit of God, and applied unto them, so they have now a right to it, and will fully enjoy it in heaven; for it has "eternal glory", or "heavenly glory", as the

Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

Latin and Ethiopian versions read, "annexed to it", both in soul and body, and remain to all eternity. Gill, J.
''John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible'' – 2 Timothy 2:10
/ref>

Verse 11

:''It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:'' *"It is a faithful saying" ( gr, Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, '' ''): is a formula assuming 'general acceptance' and is stated five times in the Pastoral Epistles ( 1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8).

Verse 12

:''If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us''. *If we '' endure'':

Revised Standard Version The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1952 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. This translation itself is a revision of the Ameri ...

New International Version The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The ''NIV'' was created as a modern translation, by Bible scholars using the earliest an ...

*If we '' suffer'':

Geneva Bible The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James Version by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th-century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespear ...

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...

*If we are ''patient'': New Matthew Bible. *If we deny him: gr, εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα, ''arnēsometha''. The

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

authority requires the

future tense In grammar, a future tense (abbreviated ) is a verb form that generally marks the event described by the verb as not having happened yet, but expected to happen in the future. An example of a future tense form is the French ''aimera'', meaning ...

: if we shall deny him. The word refers to verbal denial, whereas not believing, with the

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

, follows in the next verse. The same fate is expressed in Jesus' words in : ''Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven''.

Addressing the Challenge of Opposition in the Church (2:14–26)

This passage contains a number of commands addressed to Paul's co-worker (in the second person) about how one to teach or relate to those in disputes pertaining heresy. The teaching of Paul was regarded authoritative by

Gnostic Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...

and anti-Gnostic groups alike in the second century, but this epistle stands out firmly and becomes a basis for anti-Gnostic positions.

Verse 15

:''Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.'' * A part of the

of this passage: ''A Workman That Needeth Not to be Ashamed'' is the

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

for

Clarkson University Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region and Beacon, New York. It was founded in 1896 and has an enr ...

Potsdam, New York Potsdam ( moh, Tsi tewate’nehtararénies) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The town population was 14,901 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 13676. When SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University are in session, the popul ...

Verse 17

:''And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,'' *"Cancer": or "gangrene"; 'the opposite of "healthy" teaching' (cf. 2 Timothy 1:13). *" Hymenaeus": only mentioned here and in 1 Timothy 1:20. *" Philetus": only mentioned here.

Verse 18

:''who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.'' *"Resurrection": from Greek ''anastasis'' is considered a "Pauline term" (e.g., by Collins) and, except in Romans 6:5, always written together with ''nekron'' (to make "resurrection of the dead" as in 1 Corinthians 15:12, 13, 21, 42) or of the "resurrection of Christ" (Romans 1:4; 6:5; Philippians 3:10). Therefore the lack of any qualifier in this verse indicates that the denial of Hymenaeus and Philetus is of the "resurrection after death".

Verse 19

:''But the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who calls on the name of Christ depart from iniquity."'' The citations allude to ,Note on 2 Timothy 2:19 in

NET Bible The New English Translation (NET Bible) is a free, "completely new" online English translation of the Bible, "with 60,932 translators' notes" sponsored by the Biblical Studies Foundation and published by Biblical Studies Press. History and text ...

and , but not exactly cited as appeared in the

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond th ...

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

* King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''
(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{Second Epistle to Timothy 02