2 Timothy 2
1 Therefore, you, my child, be empowered by the generositya that is connected with Christ Jesus, 2 and present the things you heard from me among many witnesses to faithful people who will be capable ofb teaching others as well. 3 Share in suffering hardship like an honorable soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier on active duty gets enmeshed in the practicalities of life, so they can focus on pleasing the one who recruited them. 5 As another analogy, if someone competes as an athlete, they will not be awarded the laurel wreathc if they compete without following the instructions. 6 It’s right for the farm workerd who labors over them to be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Think over what I am saying, and the Lord will teache you to put it all together.f
8 Keep in mind Jesus Christ, raised from among the dead, who is from the seedg of David, which corresponds to my triumphant message.h 9 It is in connection with this that I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal; however, God’s message is not imprisoned. 10 That’s why I endure everything for the sake of the chosen ones, so they can also hit the targeti of the liberation that is connected with Christ Jesus with agelong expectation.j 11 This is a trustworthy saying:
You see, if we died together, we will also be alive together.k
12 If we endure, we will also reign together.
If we refuse, he will also refuse us.
13 If we are unfaithful, he stays faithful,
Because he’s unable to refuse himself.
14 Keep these things in mind, having been provided with evidence in the Lord’s presence not to fight over ideasl—a benefit to no one—resulting in the demisem of those who listen. 15 Be diligent in presenting yourself to God as genuine, a worker with no cause for shame, staying in alignment with the conversation of the truth. 16 Avoid conventional,n empty voices because they will push forward into more and more disrespectfulness,o 17 and their conversation will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of that group. 18 They diverged from the truth, saying the Reawakeningp has already happened and putting an endq to some people’s faithfulness. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation continues intact, having this signr: “The Lord knows those who are his,”s and “Everyone who openly acknowledges the name of the Lord should separate themselves from injustice.”
20 In a grand house, there are not only gold and silver containers but also wood and clay ones, and some are for valuable contents while others are for worthless contents. 21 Therefore, if someone cleanses themselves out from these things, they will be a container for valuable contents, designated for sacred purposes,t useful for the owner, and prepared for every helpfulu action.
22 Out of a cleanv heart,w avoid immaturex desires, and pursue justness,y faithfulness, love, and peace alongside those who call for help from the Lord. 23 Decline to participate in irresponsiblez and naïveaa investigations,bb having learned that they generate fights. 24 It’s necessary for a worker enslaved to the lord not to fight but to be gentlecc toward everyone, skilled at teaching, and patient, 25 peaceablydd rearing up like childrenee those who set themselves in opposition in case God ever brings about the transformation of their mindff toward an understanding of the truth. 26 Then, they could come to their senses and out of the trap of the False Accuser, having been captured for his purposes.
FOOTNOTES:
a Traditionally, ‘grace’
b Or ‘competent’
c Winners in athletic games were awarded a laurel wreath to wear on their heads.
d This is referring to the one who works the field, not the owner of the farm.
e Traditionally, ‘give.’ The word didomi has a wide range of meanings, the most basic of which is ‘give’ but it often is better translated with a more specific meaning in context.
f Traditionally, ‘understand’
g Or ‘descended from’
h Or ‘news of victory’ or literally, ‘good news’ or traditionally, ‘gospel.’ The historical context of this phrase was the message being announced to a city by a herald who ran ahead of a returning king or general after a battle, telling the residents that their champion had been victorious in battle, inviting them to greet the returning hero outside the city and escort them inside in triumph.
i This is the literal meaning of tunchano. It is used figuratively to mean reaching a goal.
j Traditionally, ‘glory.’
k Most translations replace ‘together’ with ‘with him’ for clarity; however, ‘with him’ is not in the Greek.
l The word logomacheo is a compound of ‘fight’ and logos, which can mean ‘word’ or ‘conversation’ or the message or concepts being discussed.
m Or ‘overthrow’ or ‘destruction’
n Or ‘common’ or ‘ordinary’ or ‘accessible to the public’
o Traditionally, ‘ungodliness.’ It is more specific of a term than that, however. It refers to being unlike God in the ways that God values and treats people with dignity and respect.
p Traditionally, ‘resurrection.’ Both ‘resurrection’ and anastasis literally mean ‘getting up again’ often from sleep or a sitting/lying position and possibly from death, as here.
q Or ‘overthrowing’ or ‘destroying’ or ‘subverting’
r This word refers to a signet or stamp used to press into wax to identify the sender of a letter or ruler authorizing a decree.
s Quotation of Numbers 16:5
t Traditionally, ‘holy’ or ‘set apart’
u Traditionally, ‘good’
v The word ‘clean’ here refers to ritual purity, being anointed, prepared, or consecrated for a sacred purpose.
w The term ‘heart’ in this culture was more specific than how it is used in 21st century American culture. Instead of representing all emotion or inner experience, it was specific to representing desire and motivation.
x Or ‘youthful’
y Traditionally, ‘righteousness’
z Traditionally, ‘foolish’
aa Traditionally, ‘ignorant.’ This word means one who has not been guided by a guardian or caregiver, related to the word translated as ‘nanny’ in Galatians 4.
bb This word’s most basic meaning is ‘seeking’ and can be used for pursuing controversy or ‘conspiracy theories,’ to use a modern term.
cc Or ‘kind’ or ‘generous’
dd Or ‘calmly’ or ‘gently’ or ‘soothingly’
ee Or “peaceably childrearing those…”
ff Traditionally, ‘repentance.’ Metanoia literally means ‘change of mind’ and can be to reverse a decision or decide on a different course of action on the lighter side, or on the weightier end, it can mean a transformation of one’s whole perspective and way of thinking about the world and how to live in it. It rarely carries the emotional remorse implied by the word ‘repentance’ though it is not opposed to it.