2 Timothy

3:10-17

2. Paul's charge to Timothy, 2:1-4:5

iv] Standing against the heresy in the example set by Paul

In 3:10-13 Paul affirms that Timothy, unlike the false teachers, has followed Paul's example, both in his teaching and his conduct. In 3:14-17 Paul affirms that Timothy has been true to the gospel and goes on to encourage him to remain firm in his beliefs, to remain firm in sound doctrine.

Paul continues with further exhortations related to Christian ministry. The passage is made up of two contrasts, su de, "but you", v10-13, 14-17, controlled by the central imperative verb mene, "you remain / abide / continue". Paul reminds Timothy that they have had a long association, through good times and bad, v10-11, troubled times that have touched others as well, v12, troubles that are compounded through the infection of false teaching, v13. Throughout these years Timothy has remained loyal to Paul, unlike the false teachers. As noted in the introductory notes it is likely that the false teachers are promoting a form of nomistic law-obedience, in fact they may well be Paul's old foes, the members of the circumcision party. So, Paul goes on to encourage Timothy to stand firm in the gospel in the face of those who promote a false gospel, v14. The necessary equipment that will enable Timothy to progress his ministry in the face of these troubles lies in a knowledge of the scriptures, for God's word has the power to teach, reprove, correct and instruct "the man of God", v15-17.

su de "you, however" - but, you. The emphatic personal pronoun with the adversive "but" establishes a contrast between Timothy's loyalty to Paul and that of the false teachers. The passage revolves around this first contrast covered in v10-13, and a second contrast "but as for you", v14-17, where Paul notes Timothy's loyalty to the truth of the gospel and encourages him to "continue in" what he has learned.

parhkolouqhsaV (parakolouqew) aor. "know all about" - followed closely. The verb takes the general meaning of "accompany" and is used here in the sense of "to study at close quarters and apply." Paul goes on to list nine elements of Paul's apostolic example which Timothy has "followed", examples which he has studied and applied.

mou th/ didaskalia/ "my teaching" - Paul's apostolic teaching, the gospel, as opposed to that of the false teachers.

th/ agwhn/ "my way of life" - manner of life. A moral sense is probably intended. Paul's conduct reflects his theology.

th/ proqesei (iV ewV) "my purpose" - Paul's ministry plan, in the sense of something that is planned in advance of an action. Possibly a sense of "resolve" or "single-mindedness" is intended.

th/ pistei (iV ewV) "faith" - Probably faith/reliance on God rather than "the faith" (what is believed); "absolute dependence on God", Knight.

th makroqumia (a) "patience" - A patient endurance toward others, their struggle in the Christian life.

th/ uJpomonh/ (h) "endurance" - Steadfastness, perseverance, sticking at the "way" throughout the difficulties of life.

oiJa "what kind of things" - which / such things [happened to me]. Relative pronoun referring to the troubles which Paul has endured, v10; "of the things which befell me", Cassirer.

oi{ouV "the [persecutions I endured]" - what kind of [persecutions I endured]. Qualitative relative pronoun agreeing with "persecutions". Note how Paul identifies centers of persecution.

errusato (rJuomai) aor. mid. "rescued" - delivered. The Lord delivers his servants from the powers of darkness. Such deliverance does not necessarily entail a deliverance from harm, nor even death. It is just that evil does not prevail over God's will enacted through his servants.

ek + gen. "from" - [rescued] out of. The sense is of Paul being brought through the troubles.

kai .... de "in fact" - and also.

panteV "everyone" - all. The "all" being "all Christians." Timothy is here identified with Paul's troubles by means of a general principle, namely, that all believers face persecution because of their association with Christ.

oiJ qelonteV (qelw) pres. part. "who wants" - desiring, wanting. The participle is adjectival, limiting "everyone", as NIV. Those wanting to live in a godly way will be persecuted. Evil always rises up in the face of goodness. "Anyone who tried to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be persecuted", NJB.

zhn (zaw) pres. inf. "to live" - The infinitive is complementary, completing the verbal sense of the participle "wanting".

eusebwV adv. "a godly life" - in a godly way. "All who would live the religious life in Christ Jesus", Moffatt.

de "while" - but, and. Adversative seems best, "but wicked men and imposters", Berkeley.

gohteV (hV htoV) "impostors" - A hapax legomenon (once only use in NT) meaning "sorcerer", but probably used here of one who habitually fools or deceives people through pretense*, an imposter, swindler, cheat. The false teachers "deceive" members of the Christian fellowship through their faulty theology and so lead them into sin. They are themselves deceived and so deceive, ie. they are blind guides.

prokoyousin (prokoptw) fut. "will go [from bad to worse]" - will advance, progress [to the worse]. It is extremely difficult to identify what is driving this advance into sin. Verses 1-9 give us a good description of the "evil men" (false teachers). As already noted, it is likely that these "deceivers" are nomists, pietists like the Pharisees. Nomism is the belief that law-obedience both restrains sin and promotes holiness, thus allowing full access to God's promised blessings in Christ. Paul, working from the words of Jesus, has certainly gone to great lengths to make the point that those who shape "the way" by means of the law undermine the way of grace, in that the law not only exposes sin, but promotes sin, making the believer more sinful. To counter this consequence, the nomist buries their rebellion, redefining the laws demands and covering their guilt by exposing the sin of others.

planwnteV (planaw) aor. part. "deceiving [and being deceived]" - deceiving, misleading. This participle, and the one following, could be adverbial, modal, expressing the manner of their going from bad to worse, or adjectival describing the evil men and imposters.

planwmenoi (planaw) pres. pas/mid. part. "being deceived" - The participle as above. The difficulty lies in whether to treat the participle as passive, as NIV, or middle, ie. they are self-deceived and therefore prone to mislead others; "imposters and dupes", Cassirer.

su de "but you" - See v10 above. mene (menw) pres. imp. "continue" - continue, abide, remain. Timothy is to continue in the truths which he has learned by having been taught by Paul +.

oi|V dat. pro. "[in] what [you have learned]" - the things which. "The things", assumed, take the dative after the preposition en with the pronoun agreeing with "the things". "You must refuse to move from the things you have been taught", Barclay.

epistwqhV (pistow) aor. pas. "have become convinced of" - were convinced of, firmly believed. What Timothy, through Paul, had come to firmly believe, namely the truth of the gospel.

eidwV (oida) perf. part. "because you know" - having known. The participle is adverbial, causal, as NIV.

para + gen. "from" - by. Used after verbs of learning to identify the person/s from whom they have learned, cf. BAGD p615, I.3c.

tinwn (tiV ti) pro. "whom". Here plural, although some manuscripts have a singular, implying Paul is the teacher.

kai "and" - Here coordinative, "and".

oJti "how" - that. Here forming a dependent statement of perception expressing what Timothy knows, v14; "because you know ..... and [know] that ....."

apo + gen. "from [infancy]" - "Infant" here refers to a child of 5 years as this was the age from when a young person could be taught the scriptures.

iJera grammata pl. "holy Scriptures" - A very Jewish reference to the Old Testament, a reference commonly used by Paul. They are "holy" in that they have divine authority. The plural usage can apply to the scriptures as a whole, but may also refer to those texts concerning the messiah which are fulfilled in Christ.

ta dunamena (dunamai) pres. pas. part. "which are able" - being able. The participle is adjectival, limiting/describing "holy scriptures", as NIV.

sofisai (sofizw) inf. "to make you wise" - to give wisdom, make wise. The infinitive is complementary, completing the verbal sense of the participle "being able." Used here in the sense of "teach", "instruct".

eiV "for" - to. The instruction of scripture has as its end "salvation", ie. salvation is the goal of the instruction. The teaching does not achieve salvation, but rather points "to" it, leads toward it, enabling a person to grasp it "through faith in (believing, trusting) Christ Jesus."

dia + gen. "through" - through, by means of. Carrying an instrumental sense, faith is the means by which salvation is achieved, or possibly the whole process of coming to salvation is by means of faith, so Marshall, yet see below.

thV en Cristw/ Ihsou "in Christ Jesus" - which [is] in Christ Jesus. The meaning of this phrase is often unclear, particularly here with the introductory prepositional phrase "through faith". It is usually read to mean that Jesus Christ is the object of the faith, as NIV, "believing in Jesus Christ", CEV, although if such was intended the preposition eiV, "to / into", would be expected. It is possible, that the phrase identifies a faith which is given us in union with Christ, so Marshall; "the faith which is grounded in Christ Jesus", Cassirer. Although not widely accepted, there is much to support the view that the "faith" is that which is exercised by (en taken as instrumental rather than local) Jesus Christ. So "faith", ie. Christ's faith in God, or probably better, Christ's "faithfulness", Christ's obedience to the cross which serves as the ground of salvation, so Johnson, cf. Galatians 2:16, dia pistewV Ihsou Cristou: "through faith/faithfulness of Jesus Christ", here with the preposition en, so "through the faithfulness exercised by Jesus Christ."

pasa grafh "all scripture" - "Scripture" may be taken as a collective noun indicating the whole of scripture, or as a reference to selected passages. Up to this point in the New Testament, the word is used to refer to the Old Testament. The adjective "all" underlines the idea of a single whole, but it could also mean "every", in the sense of "every individual part", ie., The Law, Prophets and Writings. It is possible that Paul is extending the cover of "scripture / sacred writings" to include New Testament tradition, written or oral, particularly the gospel, given that it is "the word of God", cf. Mounce p568.

qeopneustoV adj. "[is] God-breathed" - The adjective takes a passive sense, ie. scripture is a consequence of God's inspirational act. It is generally accepted that it is a predicate adjective (as opposed to an attributive adjective, "god-breathed scripture") with the verb "is" understood. With the use of this word, Paul has defined the divine character of scripture.

kai wfelimoV "and is useful" - and profitable. Given that "useful" is probably also a predicate adjective, kai is best taken as a conjunction, "and", rather than an adverb, "also" ("god-breathed scripture is also profitable"). Paul is saying that scripture is God's word and is therefore useful for ...... and as such serves to equip "the man of God" for his ministry.

didaskalian (a) "teaching" - The scripture is useful for sound instruction because of its inspired content.

elegmon (oV) "rebuking" - reproof. Scripture is useful for refuting error.

epanorqwsin (iV ewV) "correcting" - correction. Setting right, probably in regard to truth, but possibly conduct.

paideian (a) "training [in righteousness]" - instruction, discipline. Stott and others see this phrase as promoting a growth in right living, that we might "grow in holiness." The word "correcting" tends to take the sense of training to promote right behavior, but "instruction in righteousness" could also mean instruction in the way to righteousness, in the sense of right-standing in the sight of God. So, a means of justification may be the intention here, rather than a means of sanctification, and in any case, sanctification as a growth in holiness is, in itself, fallacious. Sanctification is commonly defined as "the progressive realization of the person we are in Christ." Yet, the word "progressive" leads to error where obedience to the law is used as the mechanism to "progress" Christ-likeness, holiness. We are on safer ground if we hold that, as a product of justification, sanctification is a state of holiness, which, in the renewing power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ, we seek to realize in our daily life; albeit, always imperfectly.

iJna + subj. "so that" - that [the man of God may be proficient, having been equipped ......]. Either a purpose clause "in order that", or hypothetical result, "so that." Most commentators opt for purpose, but a hypothetical result has much going for it. The inspired scriptures are useful and as a natural consequence, a by-product even, they will equip Christian ministry.

oJ tou qeou anqrwpoV "the man of God" - Given the context, the term refers to Christian ministers such as Timothy.

exhrtismenoV (exartizw) perf. pas. part. "thoroughly equipped" - able to meet all demands, BAGD. The participle functions as a substantive, object complement of "proficient"; "in order that the man of God may be proficient, fully equipped for every good work", Mounce.

2 Timothy Introduction

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