2 Timothy 2:4

οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος, no one serving as a soldier.

ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματίαις, entangles himself with the affairs of life, sc. the affairs of worldly business, as distinct from the higher life (ζωή) of the soul; see note on 1 Timothy 4:8. ἐμπλέκειν only occurs again in the N.T. at 2 Peter 2:20, where it is also used of entanglement in ‘the defilements of the world.’ The connexion of this and what follows with 2 Timothy 2:3 is in the thought that no one, whether soldier, athlete, or husbandman, can achieve success without toil. Therefore take your share of hardness, &c. remembering that singleness of purpose and detachment from extraneous cares are essential conditions of successful service; cp. Romans 8:8; 1 Corinthians 7:32.

ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι�, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. στρατολογεῖν, to levy a troop, is not found again in the Greek Bible, but is used by Josephus and Plutarch. Ignatius (Polyc. 6) takes up the thought and words of this verse in his exhortation ἀρέσκετε ᾦ στρατεύεσθε.