2 Timothy 2:4

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 'No one while serving as a soldier' [ strateuomenos (G4754)]. THE AFFAIRS ... [ tais (G3588) tou (G3588) biou (G979) pragmateiais (G4230)] - mercantile, or other than military. [Zoee is the opposite of death, thanatos (G2288): and as sin caused death, where life, zoee, is, there sin is not, or ceases to be. So zoee is the nobler term in Scripture, expressing holy...

4_No man who warreth _He continues to make use of the metaphor which he had borrowed from warfare. Yet, strictly speaking, he formerly called Timothy “a soldier of Christ” metaphorically; but now he compares profane warfare with spiritual and Christian warfare in this sense. “The condition of military discipline is such, that as soon as a soldier has enrolled himself under a general, he leaves his house and all his affairs, and thinks of nothing but war; and in like manner, in order that we may be wholly devoted to Christ, we must be free from all the entanglements of this world.” _With the affairs of life _By “the affairs of life”, (159) he means the care of governing his family, and ordinary occupations; as farmers leave their agriculture, and merchants their ships and merchandise, till they have completed the time that they agreed to serve in war. We must now apply the comparison to t...

1-7 As our trials increase, we need to grow stronger in that which is good; our faith stronger, our resolution stronger, our love to God and Christ stronger. This is opposed to our being strong in our own strength. All Christians, but especially ministers, must be faithful to their Captain, and resolute in his cause. The great care of a Christian must be to please Christ. We are to strive to get the mastery of our lusts and corruptions, but we cannot expect the prize unless we observe the laws. We must take care that we do good in a right manner, that our good may not be spoken evil of. Some who are active, spend their zeal about outward forms and doubtful disputations. But those who strive lawfully shall be crowned at last. If we would partake the fruits, we must labour; if we would gain the prize, we must run the race. We must do the will of God, before we receive the promises, for wh...

Verse 2 Timothy 2:4. _NO MAN THAT WARRETH ENTANGLETH_, c.] It is well remarked by _Grotius_, on this passage, that the legionary soldiers among the Romans were not permitted to engage in husbandry, merchandise, mechanical employments, or any thing that might be inconsistent with their calling. Many _canons_, at different times, have been made to prevent ecclesiastics from intermeddling with secular employments. The who _will_ preach the Gospel thoroughly, and wishes to give full proof of his ministry, had need to have _no_ _other work_. He should _be wholly in this thing_, that his profiting may appear unto all. There are many who sin against this direction. They love the world, and labour for it, and are regardless of the souls committed to their charge. But what are they, either in number or guilt, compared to the immense herd of men professing t...

NO MAN THAT WARRETH ENTANGLETH HIMSELF WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE - Having alluded to the soldier, and stated one thing in which the Christian minister is to resemble him, another point of resemblance is suggested to the mind of the apostle. Neither the minister nor the soldier is to be encumbered with the affairs of this life, and the one should not be more than the other. This is always a condition in becoming a soldier. He gives up his own business during the time for which he is enlisted, and devotes himself to the service of his country. The farmer leaves his plow, and the mechanic his shop, and the merchant his store, and the student his books, and the lawyer his brief; and neither of them expect to pursue these things while engaged in the service of their country. It would be wholly impracticable to carry on the plans of a campaign, if each one of these classes should undertake...

EXPOSITION 2 TIMOTHY 2:1 _Child _for _son_, A.V.; _strengthened _for _strong, _A.V. BE STRENGTHENED (ἐνδυναμοῦ)_; _more exactly (as Huther), _become strong, _or, which is the same thing, _strengthen thyself; _implying, perhaps, though gently expressed, some previous weakness, as m Hebrews 11:34, "From weakness were made strong;" where the image seems to be that of recovery from sickness. In Ephesians 6:10, however (ἐνδυναμοῦσθε ἐν Κυρίῳ), there is no evidence of preceding weakness, but only a call to use the strength they had; and it may be so here too. The strength, Timothy is reminded, by which he was to f

NO MAN THAT WARRETH,.... Who is a soldier, and gives himself up to military service, in a literal sense: the Vulgate Latin version, without any authority, adds, "to God"; as if the apostle was speaking of a spiritual warfare; whereas he is illustrating a spiritual warfare by a corporeal one; and observes, that no one, that is in a military state, ENTANGLETH HIMSELF WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE; with civil affairs, in distinction from military ones. The Roman soldiers might not follow any trade or business of life, or be concerned in husbandry, or merchandise of any sort, but were wholly to attend to military exercises, and to the orders of their general; for to be employed in any secular business was reckoned an entangling of them, a taking of them off from, and an hindrance to their military discipline: and by this the apostle suggests that Christ's people, his soldiers, and especiall...

2 Timothy 1:1. _Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also._ This is the true apostolical succession,-one minister brings another to Christ, and then charges that other to train other preachers and teachers to carry on the blessed work of evangelization. 2 Timothy 1:3. _Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier._ The man who has given himself wholly to the service of Christ must not undertake any other business that would prevent his giving his

II. FAITH'S CONFLICT AND THE BELIEVER'S PATH CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The apostle's charge (2 Timothy 2:1)_ 2. As soldier and husbandman (2 Timothy 2:3) 3. Identification with Christ (2 Timothy 2:8) 4. Exhortation and warning (2 Timothy 2:14) 5. The great House (2 Timothy 2:19) 6. The believer's path (2 Timothy 2:23) 2 T

(_d_) 2 Timothy 2:1. THE APPEAL RENEWED. Thus enriched in his ordination, challenged by Paul's example, and warned by the Asian defection, Timothy, for all his work, must find continual strength in his _Divine_ equipment. He must (_a)_ conserve the truth by depositing it with trustworthy teachers (2 Timothy 2:2), and (_b)_ face the hardships involved in his present administration (2 Timothy 2:3). In every sphere success demands endurance and self-discipline. This is true in _secular_ affairs: the successful soldier is restricted from pleasures, the successful athlete restricted by rules, the successful farmer restricted in his ease ...