Overview
Rev. Bob Moynihan presents 2 Timothy 2:8-19 as direct instruction for biblical leaders. Timothy is told to remember Jesus Christ, endure for the elect’s sake, remind believers of faithful truths, avoid destructive disputes, diligently handle the Word accurately, shun profane babblings, and stand upon God’s sure foundation while departing from iniquity.
Transcript
Biblical Leaders Follow Biblical Instruction
To continue in 2 Timothy chapter 2, Reverend Bob Moynihan. God bless you, please be seated. Please turn in your Bible to 2 Timothy chapter 2. We don't have this instruction in God's word in 2 Timothy chapter 2 just to ignore it.
Those who lead in the church should read, study, practice, and live what God says about leading in the church of the mystery. We want biblical leaders. That is, men and women who follow the instructions given to leaders in the Bible.
It only makes sense. I was freezing. My eyes were closed and I was heading head first, trying to push up and stand up.
It was fruitless. I couldn't get up because the cold water kept pushing me downstream. And any attempt to stand was overcome by the rushing cold water.
Finally, my body ended up in a place where the people on the raft could come and help me to safety. A bunch of friends and I, with no one familiar with this river, and no one who had ever been on a white water rafting trip, decided to take a raft and go down the river. One guy said he would lead the trip because, and he'd steer the raft and shout instructions because he had been a canoeing instructor on a lake during camp.
All went fairly well until one guy, the only soccer fan in our group, saw a brand new soccer ball bobbing in the water on the right side of the river and we were on the left side. He said, let's get that ball! And the guy steering the boat changed the direction of the raft immediately and swung right. With the sudden move toward the ball, Bob was sitting on the back left of the raft.
And as soon as he did that, I went back and into the water without a life vest. I'm a swimmer and at that time I wasn't afraid. I should have had much more respect for that river.
But the one thing I was concerned about, I wasn't afraid of the water, I wasn't afraid of the speed of the river, I didn't even know how fast it was going, but I had contact lenses on so I didn't want to lose them. So I kept my eyes closed. I needed Melody there to lead me.
Oh, that's deaf, isn't it? Anyway. Since that fateful day in 1978, I've been rafting maybe 20 to 25 different times with qualified raft guides. These guides had taken classes, they studied a manual, they had hours of training on the river, and they had a safety first attitude.
On each subsequent trip, regardless of where I sat on the raft, I have never fallen in with a life vest. In mystery-minded leadership, we want to lead and those who support and follow want biblically qualified leaders so no one falls out of the raft spiritually. Your assignment during this brief presentation here in 2 Timothy is to find one highlight that you can share with another person.
And I suggest you participate in this with the intent of sharing it and doing it. Among the many things we'll read together. In 2 Timothy 2, we'll begin in verse 8, where God instructed Timothy via Paul's pen and vocabulary to, number one, remember.
Number two, put others in remembrance. Number three, study, be diligent. Number four, shun.
And number five, remember the foundation of God stands sure. We'll start with remember. These are all elements that qualified biblical leaders follow.
Verse 8. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds. But the word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake. That they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying.
For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. It's a lot to remember. Verse 8. Remember is the first word in that verse.
Remember. Remember is to have in one's mind or be able to bring to one's mind an awareness of someone or something. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David, meaning David was his forefather. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. Paul didn't have his own separate gospel going.
How this is better understood would be according to the standard of the gospel that Paul proclaimed. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to the standard of the gospel that Paul proclaimed. Wherein, wherein, in what? That gospel that Paul proclaimed.
Remember Jesus Christ
Wherein, that gospel, in his proclaiming of it, I suffer what? Trouble. To suffer trouble means to endure evil or hardships. In proclaiming that gospel, Paul endured evil or hardships.
As a what? An evildoer. The word translated evildoer here is also translated in the gospels, malefactor. Remember there were two malefactors crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's a pretty extreme penalty to be a malefactor, and Paul endured or suffered evil like a malefactor. Even unto bonds, all the way unto being in chains like a criminal. The end of that verse says, but the word of God is not bound.
You can put a man or a woman in chains, but the word of God is not bound. Therefore, he just said he endured evil like a malefactor, he's in chains, and the word of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure.
I'm putting up with it. I endure all things for the elect's sake. The elect are those who are chosen of God.
It's the believers. Paul was a biblical leader, and he endured how many things? All things for the believers. Why? That they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
The word obtain can be translated attain or hit or strike, attain unto the mark or hit the mark. Therefore, I endure all things for the believers that they may also hit the mark with respect unto salvation or wholeness which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It's a lot to remember.
Timothy, the letter was penned by Paul, but it's God's word to this young man. He's to remember about Jesus Christ of the seed of David who was raised from the dead according to the gospel that was proclaimed by Paul. Which gospel, by the way, had him enduring evil which isn't a pretty picture.
He was like a malefactor unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure all things for the believers. He loved the believers.
He endured all things for the believers for he loved God's people. In the counseling session today, I believe they talked about the Lord's portion is his people. It comes up in Deuteronomy.
The Lord's portion. It's not your portion, not my portion. It's the Lord's portion.
And if they're God's people, like Paul, Timothy could endure all things for those wonderful believers. To the end that they might hit the mark in regard to the wholeness that's available through Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The next five words in the English are, it is a faithful saying.
These five English words are translated from three Greek words. Literally translated, the word is faithful. This phrase appears four times in the leadership epistles, three times in Timothy, once in Titus.
And it's like a banner over all. It's like a big banner. The word is faithful.
And what follows, you can count on, just like we heard the song a little while ago. The faithfulness of our God. Timothy's still to remember all these things.
The word is faithful. And it goes on to say, if, no, for if we be dead with him, referring to Christ Jesus with eternal glory, it is a faithful saying, if we be dead with him, Christ, we shall also, what? Live with him. And this is a great verse, a great phrase here in 2 Timothy chapter 2. I'd like for you to momentarily, we're going to be right back, turn to Romans chapter 6. Romans is the first doctrinal epistle to the church.
And it gives us the clear picture of who we are as believers in Christ. And the picture says in verse 8, Romans 6 verse 8. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also, what? Live with him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more.
Death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin. How often? Once.
So those who endeavor to crucify Jesus Christ again in the flesh, in their church worship or whatever, is it valuable? It's fruitless. He died unto sin how many times? That's the word of the Lord. And it is faithful.
Endure for the Benefit of Others
But in that he liveth, died unto sin, in that he liveth, he lives unto God. Likewise reckon ye also, now you believers, Bob, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God, just like Jesus Christ, through Jesus Christ our Lord. He paved the way.
Go ahead and live that way. Back to 2 Timothy. In 2 Timothy, the word is faithful, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.
Got to remember this, Timothy, got to remember this. And where had Timothy maybe come across it before? Someone might have told him a little bit about a letter to the Romans. But here it is written again.
And then it goes on in verse 12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. To reign means to reign as a king with regal authority.
If we suffer with him, if we suffer we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, which means to disown him, he will disown us, he will deny us. And the word disown in that phrase, if we disown or deny him, that's referring in our practice, if we deny him, if we disown him, it goes on to say he will deny us.
He can't deny us as his brothers and sisters because that's eternal life. What gets affected would be the rewards, and we're talking leadership here. Verse 13.
If we believe not, or if we're not faithful, yet he abideth faithful. He abides what? He abides faithful. He remains faithful.
He cannot deny himself. A lot to remember. The beginning of verse 11 says that the word is what? Faithful.
And here God's word is faithful because of what it says in verse 11. And here it says, who else is faithful? He abideth faithful. It's referring to Jesus Christ.
He abides faithful. God's faithful, Jesus Christ is faithful. If you want to be on the same team, what should you be? What should I be? Faithful.
It's a lot to remember. Jesus Christ was raised according to my gospel. Raised from the dead according to my gospel.
In which, in that gospel, Paul endured evil, but he endured all things for the elect's sake. The word is not bound. We endure, we reign as kings.
If we suffer, the endurant. If we endure the suffering, we shall reign with him. And if we deny him, he'll deny us.
So we don't want to get into that. But if we understand that he abides faithful and he does not deny us. That's the first thing Timothy's supposed to do in this section.
Remember. The next thing he's supposed to do begins in verse 14. Of these things put them in remembrance.
Charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Of these things put them in remembrance. Now we just went over verses 8 through 13.
And then it says of these things. What things? The things in verses 8 through 13. Of these things put them in remembrance.
Them is an italics. It's properly supplied. Put them in remembrance.
So put others in remembrance of those very same things I just told you about. So whether you're a leader, a supporter, or follower, remember this stuff. And Timothy wants to obey God, I'm sure.
And he's getting this information from God via the pen of Paul. And he is to put others in remembrance of those things. Then it says charging them.
Avoid Striving About Words
Charging comes from the Greek word diomarturomai. Don't write it down. It comes from the Greek word martus.
Martus is a good word to write down. It means witness. Diomarturomai is a verb form with a prefix.
But anyway, it means to testify through and through. So of these things put them in remembrance. Charging or testifying through and through.
Bear solemn and complete witness to them, Timothy. In front of the Lord, before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit. I just paused for effect.
I mean words to no profit. Don't. Tell them not to do that.
Charge them. Testify through and through, Timothy. That they strive not about words.
That means they don't contend about words to no profit. No profit means fit for no use. If you're going to speak words, speak words that are profitable.
Those words are not only to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. The word subverting comes from a Greek word from which we get our English word, catastrophe. When people strive about words to no profit, it ends up subverting or causing catastrophe for the hearers.
What good is words to no profit? Zip and harmful if it continues. And you listen. Number one, remember.
Number two, put others in remembrance. And it's got something to say about the words we speak. And God wants us to speak profitable things.
Verse 15 is a familiar one to most of us. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. And here comes our third word or encouragement to Timothy.
Study. It can be translated, be diligent. Put forth a diligent effort, Timothy, to show yourself approved unto whom? God.
That's whom we all desire to serve and to stand approved before. Show thyself approved unto God. The one great requirement of the word for mystery-minded leaders is to rightly divide the word of truth.
Because the word is truth. I think that's John 17, 17. My word is truth.
Or thy word is truth. Thy word is truth. The one great requirement for biblically-minded leaders is to rightly divide the word of truth.
The word rightly divide comes from a Greek word ortho-tomauta. Ortho comes from the word orthos. And tomauta comes from the Greek word temno.
Orthos means straight. If your child or an adult has crooked teeth and wants to straighten them, he goes to what kind of dentist? Orthodontist to get them straight. So orthos is straight and temno means cut.
Right cutting. God wants his leader to be diligent and show himself approved unto no one else necessarily but unto God definitely. As a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed of his workmanship, rightly cutting the word of truth.
Unless the word of God is rightly divided, we will not get the truth. We get the truth of God's word only in proportion to the measure in which it is rightly divided. So you have a straight cutting.
Diligently Handle the Word of Truth
If you have a crooked cutting, you don't have the word of truth. As workmen, our aim is to have no cause to be ashamed in our workmanship. And in order to gain God's approval and avoid any shame, we simply rightly divide the word.
You know, the engrafted word in James chapter 1 is to be received with what? And the faithful word in Titus 1 is to be held fast. And in Philippians 2, the word of life is to be held forth. The word of truth is to be rightly divided.
And we get the truth when we rightly divide the word. And we give diligent effort to this as workmen. Remember, put others in remembrance, study or be diligent, shun.
We're at verse 16. But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some. But shun, the word shun means avoid.
It doesn't say avoid a person. It says avoid profane and vain babblings. Profane means common or unhallowed.
And vain babblings are empty sounds, sounds containing nothing. Why? For they will increase, advance toward more ungodliness. In 1 Timothy 4, God's word says godliness is profitable unto all things.
But this kind of empty sound and common and empty sound increases or advances toward more ungodliness, which is not profitable. And their words, which are empty words, will eat as does a canker. A canker is a cancer, gangrene.
Untreated, we know what cancer gangrene does. It eats away at the physical body. Their word will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus.
Must have been well-known guys in the fellowship in the area, at least to Timothy. And here's what they taught, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and it wasn't. And they overthrow the believing, the faith or believing of some.
Their word, what they speak, will eat away as doth a cancer. I love verse 18 because we're talking about rightly dividing the word of truth up in verse 15. Here we are, regarding the truth, they've what? Erred.
Does it sound like they rightly divided it? Erred. Yeah. We only have the true word or the word of truth in the proportion to the measure we rightly divide the word of truth.
Regarding the truth, these two erred. They missed the mark concerning the truth. Therefore, they must have wrongly divided the word.
And when they did, and others listened to them, it overthrew and overthrow or overturned the faith of some. And the word some comes from a Greek word tis, which means certain ones. Not everybody, but certain ones.
Verse 19, this is our last. Remember, put others in remembrance, be diligent, shun. Now here we are in verse 19.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure. Having this seal, the Lord knows them that are his and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Nevertheless, in spite of those babblings, the cancer, the wrongly divided word being spewed forth, the foundation of God stands sure.
The firm foundation of God stands sure, stable. And the foundation has this seal. Ancient seals had inscriptions on them.
And some foundations of buildings, foundation stones, had these seals on them. And the seals were inscribed to give the purpose for which that building was erected. And here it is, the foundation of God stands sure.
And here's the seal that's on the foundation. The Lord knows them that are his. Are you his? Am I his? How do we know? The Bible tells me so.
We just heard it today in manifestations. This is on the seal of the foundation of our God. And let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
In 2 Timothy 2, verses 8 to 19, God instructed Timothy to remember, put others in remembrance, be diligent, shun, and the foundation of God stands sure. These are all elements that qualified biblical leaders will follow. I believe Timothy followed them to a T because he was an obedient son.
The Foundation of God Stands Sure
Remember your assignment and share something that caught your attention regarding this presentation. Love you.
Key Takeaways
- Biblical leaders are responsible to read, study, practice, and live God’s instructions for leadership.
- Remembering Jesus Christ and the resurrection keeps ministry centered on the right foundation.
- Leaders endure difficulty for the benefit of others and keep putting faithful truths in remembrance.
- Word battles and profane babblings can overthrow hearers and increase ungodliness.
- A leader must be diligent in handling the Word accurately and must live consistently with the sure foundation of God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What instructions stand out in 2 Timothy 2:8-19?
The passage tells Timothy to remember, endure, remind others, avoid word disputes, be diligent, rightly handle the Word, shun profane babblings, and depart from iniquity.
Why are disputes about words dangerous?
The teaching explains that empty verbal conflict does not profit the hearers and can instead unsettle or overthrow them.
What does the sure foundation of God mean for leaders?
It gives leaders a stable basis for doctrine and conduct: God knows those who are His, and those who name Christ are called to depart from iniquity.
Scripture References
2 Timothy 2:8–19; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Timothy 2; Romans 6; John 17; Titus 1; Philippians 2; 1 Timothy 4
Verification Note
Prepared from a recovered transcript with a legacy numeric filename. Verify Greek terms, proper names, quotations, verse references, punctuation, and unclear phrases against the original recording and a Bible before publication.
