I wrote this sermon on 2 Timothy 2:1–7 for a preaching class at Bob Jones University.
Introduction. Paul begins in chapter 2 to show Timothy what a minister of the gospel should be like. He knows personally that being a minister is not easy. It takes much effort and discipline. Yet this high calling is very important, and others are in great need of Timothy’s ministry. So Paul exhorts Timothy first of all in what he is to do as a minister of the gospel; then he gives him examples of what it is like to be a minister; and lastly he concludes with an encouragement that God will enable him to fulfill his responsibilities.
I. Exhortation to Ministers of the Gospel. (vv. 1–2)
Just as a father teaches his son and passes on his knowledge to him, so a minister of the gospel must pass on what he has been taught to the next generation of believers. Paul begins with strong exhortations regarding the minister personally and regarding his relationship to others.
A. Be Strong. (v. 1)
The first exhortation is to be strong. The minister of the gospel must have strength. And immediately Paul points ministers to the only source of our strength: grace. He shows that grace is an enabling power for service that is essential for every minister if he is to be effective for his Lord. And, as Paul normally does, he ties that grace to the One who dominates his life, Jesus Christ. This is where this grace comes from. Christ is the source of all grace. So to ministers Paul exhorts: go to Christ, and there you will find the grace to be strong.
B. Teach Others. (v. 2)
The second exhortation has to do with the minister’s responsibility to other believers, especially younger converts. He is to find those who are faithful, those who demonstrate a commitment to the gospel, and teach them and commission them to go out and do the same. Just as Paul had done with Timothy, Timothy was to do with others, who would likewise do with others. This is the way the gospel spreads.
II. Examples of the Minister of the Gospel. (vv. 3–6)
Paul moves into analogies from physical occupations and compares them to the minister of the gospel. One thing that all three of these analogies have in common is that they all require much labor and intensity and effort. Being a soldier or an athlete or a farmer is not an easy job. So being a minister of the gospel is hard work and will in no wise be easy.
A. The Dedicated Soldier. (vv. 3–4)
Paul, who knew much about suffering, begins by warning ministers that suffering is guaranteed to come. The minister must be ready for the worst kind of persecution for the gospel, because the Christian life is a war. Warfare is probably Paul’s favorite way to describe the Christian life. He wants to instill into Timothy and all ministers that just as war is hard, so the ministry is hard and demands a lot of effort and a lot of fighting. This mentality runs cross-grain to the mentality of most of Christendom. The main thing he stresses is that the minister of the gospel must not get caught up in civilian affairs but must fight in the war to please his Master. Getting caught up in the things of this world is one of the main reasons that ministers fail in the ministry.
B. The Law-abiding Athlete. (v. 5)
Another favorite analogy of the Christian life that Paul brings up is athletics. He compares the minister to an athlete. What he stresses here is the necessity of competing lawfully, or according to the rules. The minister of all people cannot cut corners to get visible growth and success. He must not sacrifice truth on the altar of results. In our day of compromise, how needful is this message. No rewards will be given for cheating in the race.
C. The Hardworking Farmer. (v. 6)
Commentators take this verse two different ways, but I think the idea is that labor must precede enjoyment of the results. A farmer must spend hours upon hours of hard labor and toil to prepare and care for his field, and then in the end the hard work pays off and a bountiful harvest is his reward. The harvest will not be there without the hours put in previously. So also the minister must put in hours upon hours of labor and toil in the ministry before he will see results. He cannot enjoy the fruits of a labor which he does not put in.
III. Encouragements to the Minister of the Gospel. (v. 7)
Paul does not leave Timothy with merely telling him what to do and giving him analogies on how to do it. He finishes with the encouragement that God will enable him to fulfill this great calling.
A. Think on these things. (v. 7a)
He first emphasizes the minister’s responsibility. You can do it, but you must meditate on your calling and your duties. You must carefully consider what you are to do and how to do it. Pay much attention to the instructions that you have received. It is your responsibility to be a good minister of the gospel.
B. God will enable you. (v. 7b)
Paul concludes with this blessed encouragement: God will do it. He will teach you and show you what you are to do. He will enable you to fulfill your calling as a minister. You are not left to your own abilities and strength. Without God you would fail. But God is for you, and He will enable you to be a faithful minister of the gospel.