Rev. Doug Floyd

Pentecost+18 2025
Rev. Doug Floyd
2 Timothy 2:1-15

In the early 1970s, Richard Wurmbrand came to speak at our church in New Jersey. As many of you know, he spent 15 years in a Romanian prison, persecuted as a minister of the Gospel by the communist regime. I was six or seven years old. He told stories of the torture he endured. I decided then and there that I never wanted to be a minister especially a missionary. I was terrified.

Church history is filled with stories of Christians dying on the mission field and sometimes with no apparent success. My family kept a copy of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs on hand, I guess to remind us about all the Protestants that suffered at the hands of Roman Catholics. A few years ago, I discovered a book by historian Brad Gregory called, Salvation at Stake: Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe. He recounts how Protestants, Anabaptists, and Roman Catholics all kept books of how their community was tortured and killed by the other Christian communities during the 30-year war. Sadly, even Christians have a bad track record of being cruel to one another.

Last week, Fr. Les talked about Timothy’s fear and shame. I totally get it. This is why I was convinced that God had not called me to preach but to make movies. Something odd happened on my way to Hollywood, the Spirit of God touched me so profoundly I could only think of becoming a minister. In fact, I wanted to go behind the Iron Curtain and face the dangers with the Gospel. My and my friends were convinced we would be martyrs for the Gospel of Christ.

As it turns out, the passion of youth changes over time. The routine of laying down of lives became a “long obedience in the same direction” to quote Eugene Peterson who was quoting Friedrich Nietzsche.  Faithfulness in our callings and our relationships can be difficult. I’ve watched ministers leave the ministry. I have had dear friends suffer in divorce. Life is hard. Suffering is real. And sometimes, people, callings and relationships are caught in the struggle.

As Fr. Les shared last week, Timothy is caught in this struggle. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul is encouraging Timothy to remain faithful. Just think, we are here because of the faithfulness of our fathers and mothers who passed the Gospel down to us over countless generations.

Paul begins chapter two, by reviewing the various forms of faithfulness in soldiers, athletes, and farmers. It takes shape in different ways. The soldier submits to his commander. His focus is on obedience, and he does not allow the distractions of life keep him from obeying. The athlete disciplines his body. He sets his sight on the goal ahead and trains his body, competing according to the rules of the sport. The farmer works hard day and night, all through the year, and year after year. His faithful discipline is repaid with a harvest that both he and many others will enjoy.

These images of faithfulness are common Roman tropes used in arguments like Paul’s exhortation. Timothy would probably have been familiar with these types of arguments. Paul encourages Timothy to meditate upon these examples and let the Lord use them to encourage him.

Then Paul shifts the argument. He writes, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel.”[1]

Remember Jesus Christ.

This is the focus on Paul’s arguments throughout the letter. Last week, Fr. Les reflected on the opening blessing of 2 Timothy, “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” [2]

This week, Paul opens chapter two with the words, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”[3] He reiterates this grace, this gift that proceeds from Jesus and is revealed by the Holy Spirit. In the second clause, Paul’s tells Timothy to remember what he has heard Paul proclaim and entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others.

Remembering. So many stories in the Bible warn about forgetting and focus on remembering.

Some writers believe Paul is exhorting Timothy, because he has prepared Timothy to take over his ministry after he dies. Timothy has traveled with Paul, assisted Paul, been sent on various missions with Paul. In fact, it is not clear where Timothy is at the time of this letter. In 1 Timothy, he is helping pastor the community at Ephesus. In 2 Timothy 4:11-13, Paul says, “Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”[4] It appears that Timothy is no longer at Ephesus. He is on another mission.

Paul is giving Timothy specific instructions for his return. Timothy has been in training to lead for many years. He has walked with Paul through difficult situations, and after Paul dies, he will face many more difficult situations. It may be that Timothy’s eventual martyrdom is not as big a threat as facing the false teachers.

Paul is preparing him to be a faithful leader. The center is this faithfulness is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul tells Timothy to remember Jesus Christ. What is he to remember? The Gospel Paul preached particularly that Jesus is risen from the dead and that he is the offspring of David. In other words, Jesus is the King of Israel eternally. He is king of God’s chosen people: Jews and Gentiles. Jesus is not simply the model of faithfulness; he is absolute faithfulness. No one else has risen from the dead. No one else reigns in the house of David eternally. The faithfulness of Jesus Christ is beyond measure, and all our faithfulness is rooted in his faithfulness.

Paul roots Timothy and us in this faithful love. He offers a “trustworthy saying.”

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself. [5]

Notice there are two pairs. One positive and one negative. If we die, we will live; if we endure, we will reign. And if we deny him, he will deny us; if we are faithless, remains faithful. I’m going to start with the third line because this is the one that will throw people off. Some people’s eyes will jump right to that third one and become obsessed. I know because I was one of those people.

“If we deny him, he also will deny us.”

Yipes. When I was young, I would think that what happens if someday, somehow I deny him? Oh no! I’m in danger of hell fire now! Jesus says this in Matthew 10:33:

“Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”[6]

I have this one committed to memory because after we moved to Tennessee, we attended a hell fire and damnation church. The pastor could preach a whole sermon on this verse. And he did so regularly. “If someone pointed a gun to your head and told you to deny Jesus, would you do it?” Then Jesus would deny you.

My childhood fears of torture overseas was now coupled with the possibility that someone will hold a gun to my head and force me to deny Jesus. Consider this fear in light of Peter. Peter denied Jesus. Three times. Yet, Jesus restored him.

What’s going on here? What does it mean to deny Jesus Consider 1 John 2:22-23. John writes,

“Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.[7]

Some people that started out in John’s community of faith were leaving the community and denying Jesus Christ. They claimed to be offering a better gospel. They were actively trying to seduce people away from faith in Jesus Christ. John calls these people antichrists. Timothy will have to deal with people like this. Some are confused teaching wrong things, but others are actively trying to discredit the Gospel. If they don’t repent, they will face the judgment.

Now back to the other three, if we die with Christ, we will live in Christ; if we endure, we will reign with Christ. These promises are rooted in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Finally, if we are faithless, he will be faithful. Jesus is, was, and will be faithful because that is who he is.

Yet we will be faithful sometimes, discouraged other times, distracted many times, weary other times, and so on. We are faithful on some days or maybe only some moments. He is faithful all times, and by His grace, we are becoming faithful in Christ. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”[8] He is faithful to the end and will present us blameless before the Father.

By God’s grace, Timothy remained faithful and died as a martyr.

Now as we look back over the history of our faith, we rejoice in the faithful people who passed on the Gospel. At the same time, we rejoice in Jesus because He remains faithful even when His people have been faithless. He has preserved the witness of the Gospel from age to age, and He has done so through people who were weak and faltering but who ultimately become faithful witnesses to the Gospel.

If you feel weak and weary and unsure of yourself, look to Jesus. He is sure. He is trustworthy. And he will lead you into the purpose for which He called you.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ti 2:8.

[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ti 1:2.

[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ti 2:1–2.

[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ti 4:11–13.

[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ti 2:11–13.

[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 10:33.

[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 2:22–24.

[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Php 1:6.