This is a message from Bobby:
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Please notice how apostle Paul uses the personal pronoun “I” – his personal suffering is contributing for the salvation of the people of God. What do you think this means?
One possible interpretation would be that Paul endured great amount of hardship when he went around the world and spread the gospel to the Gentiles. Indeed, we can read in the book of Acts that he suffered greatly when he preached the gospel and converted many Gentiles to Christ. That’s how many theologians interpret this verse today – it implies that the sufferings of Paul contributed to the spreading of the gospel and winning more souls for Christ.
However, in this verse Paul refers to the “elect” – that is, to the chosen people of God, to believers in Christ. If these people are already believers chosen by God, are they not already saved? Why would Paul need to suffer on their behalf for their salvation?
Moreover, Paul is writing from prison (2 Timothy 2:9; 2 Timothy 1:8) and it is hard to imagine how his suffering in prison would help multiply believers in the church.
There is a simple answer to these seemingly puzzling questions. We usually use the word “saved” to refer to someone who has accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and thus, has eternal life now and is saved from God’s eternal judgment and condemnation (Romans 10:9, John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8). The Bible, however, speaks also of salvation as the ongoing process of believers being saved from the power of sin (1 Cor 1:18). It also refers to it as future salvation for all believers on the day of the Lord (1 Peter 1:5), when Jesus will returns and all believers will be transformed at the last trumpet and will meet the Lord in a new glorified body (1 Cor 15: 52; 1 Thess 4: 17). We can see the latter in Paul’s letter by the way he uses the words “save” and “salvation”:
2 Timothy 4:18
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Our English Bible translates the Greek word “sozo” as “preserve”, but the correct translation would be “save” or “make whole”. This is the same Greek word, which almost everywhere else in the Bible is translated as “save” – e.g., “saved through faith” (Eph 2:8). In other words, Paul is praying that Jesus will “save” him for His heavenly kingdom – hoping that he will be saved from the troubles he is currently experiencing when Jesus gloriously returns and establishes his heavenly kingdom on the earth. At the same time, however, Paul is absolutely certain in his right standing in the Lord – he knows that he will be with Christ the moment he dies and he will receive a crown (2 Timothy 4: 8). Therefore, he does not feel insecure at all about his eternal life in Christ.
And not to have any doubt about the correct interpretation of the word “salvation” in Paul’s letter to Timothy, let’s consider a couple more verses:
2 Timothy 3:14-15
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 4:16
Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Timothy is a disciple of Paul, who is commissioned by Paul to lead and teach other believers in the faith (2 Timothy 2:2). He is definitely not someone who needs to be converted to the Christian faith and to be “saved” in that sense of the word. However, Timothy, like Paul, is waiting for the salvation that will be revealed when Christ returns and establishes His rule on earth (Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5), when our bodies will be finally redeemed and believers will be glorified together with Christ (Romans 8:23; Philippians 3:21; Col 3:4; 1 John 3:2).
Please also note that the Holy Scriptures, i.e. the Bible, are able to give Timothy wisdom through faith for that final salvation. How is that possible – one person to gain such wisdom which will enable him to see the Lord’s return?
The answer to that question lies within Paul’s instructions to Timothy, charging him to endure hardship as a soldier, to compete as an Olympic athlete striving for the winner’s crown, and to work hard as a farmer, who would be the first one to partake in the fruit of the crops (2 Timothy 2:3-6). Paul is not telling Timothy to work hard so that he must be accepted by God and “earn” his standing with God, being afraid that God might somehow reject him and condemn him to hell. (We know that our righteous standing with God is by grace through faith in Christ alone.) Instead, Paul is encouraging Timothy as his disciple and fellow heir in the kingdom of God, to seek the highest honor, the most glorious crown and the greatest reward among the believers – attaining eternal glory.
And the diligent study of the Bible would equip the believer to please God and help speed up the return of Christ (as in 2 Peter 3:12 – “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God”). Thus, in my opinion, Paul’s words take on a new dimension, given the context that Timothy’s actions and obedience to the word of God can speed up the return of Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:10
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Here, Paul is literally saying that his personal suffering would help bring the salvation of the Lord to all believers. Suffering plus diligent study of the Bible can enable any individual believer to attain eternal glory and hasten the return of Jesus. WOW! This is quite a shocking revelation if this indeed is what he is saying! And also, very encouraging to any believer, who is going through hardship or trial in their life.
Yet, does Paul mention the same truth elsewhere in the Bible?
Yes, he does.
Colossians 1:24
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church…
2 Corinthians 1:6*
Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation andsalvation.
*Paul is writing to the church together with Timothy
Philippians 2:17
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
Please notice that in the letter to the Colossian church, Paul again uses the personal pronoun “I” and emphasizes that his suffering is for the sake of the Colossian believers as well as for the sake of the entire worldwide church. This is quite a bold statement to make. And again, Paul is a prisoner (Col 4:10), so he is not referring to his global evangelistic outreach.
Is there anywhere else where Paul uses the personal pronoun “I” in the same context? Let’s look at one more passage:
Philippians 3:10-14
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to theresurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In these verses, Paul is expressing his desire to reach a certain goal as a Christian and gain a prize. He is willing to share in Christ’s sufferings, even to the point of death, if he could reach that coveted prize. However, he is not worried about his spiritual salvation and his standing with the Lord. Instead, he is trying to attain to something else, to press on and lay hold of something vital. In fact, the very reason why Christ has laid hold of him and Paul has become a Christian (please remember that Paul became a believer when Christ revealed himself to him on the road of Damascus) is for Paul to reach that highest goal.
But what is the prize he’s talking about?
Paul’s statement that he is not already “perfected” gives an indication of what he is referring to. The Greek word which is translated “perfected” (teleioo) has a variety of meanings, some of which include: to fulfill, to make complete, to reach full maturity, etc. And in the next few verses, it becomes obvious what the right translation of this word should be:
Philippians 3:15-17
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind…
16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained…
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.
The Greek word translated “mature” (teleios) is the adjective of the Greek verb translated above as “perfected” (teleioo). In other words, what Paul is trying to say is that he has not reached “full maturity” in Christ yet.
One of Paul’s highest goals is to reach full maturity in Christ. But why? Paul also shares that he wants “to attain to the resurrection from the dead”. What does this mean? The Bible says that when Christ returns at the last trumpet, the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thess 4:16). Thus, “the resurrection from the dead” refers to the day of the Lord when the Lord will come. In other words, that’s another way of saying that Paul’s desire is to attain to the day of the Lord, when Christ returns and brings final salvation.
But please note again how many times Paul is using the personal pronoun “I” in Philippians 3:10-14. This is very similar to the way he speaks in 2 Timothy 2:10, where he declares that his personal sufferings may bring salvation to the whole church. James writes that trials produce patience and patience in turn will make believers “perfect” (teleios) and complete (James 1:2-4). Even Christ himself was “made perfect” (teleioo) through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10). There are many other verses which indicate that Spirit-filled believers are called to be led by the Spirit, grow and reach full maturity in Christ (Philippians 1:6; 2 Cor 7:1; Gal 3:3). Moreover, suffering can lead to glory and joy when Christ returns (Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 4:13-14). But what makes the verses we looked at so shocking is not that suffering can lead to spiritual growth and produce maturity in Christ, which is a clear concept in the Bible. What is so interesting is that the personal suffering of one individual believer can benefit the whole worldwide church.
The Bible often refers to the church as one body and one temple (Jesus being the head of the body and the cornerstone of the temple (Eph 1: 22-23; 1 Pet 2:4-7)), where each individual part has its own unique function and is contributing to the growing of the whole (Eph 4:16). Each believer is given at least one spiritual gift that can help build himself up and build others up in the faith. But the love which believers share is what would ultimately lead the body as a whole to reach full maturity in Christ (Col 3:14; 1 John 4:12). And when this happens, the bride of Christ (the church) would be ready to receive her bridegroom for the wedding supper of the Lamb. Yet, in the verses we examined, we saw that the example of one person, the sufferings of one believer, the love of one believer, can help that believer reach full maturity in Christ, and thus, help the whole body of Christ, the whole worldwide church, also to attain to full maturity in Christ. Perhaps, one spark would start the fire that sets the whole body of Christ ablaze for the glory of God. For those who are in Christ, and for those who are experiencing great trial and tribulation, that’s very encouraging news.
To wrap up, Paul is expressing his confidence that by studying and knowing the Bible and by enduring suffering, a believer can attain to full maturity in Christ. This would hasten the return of Jesus, thus bringing this important aspect of salvation to the whole church. This would restore man’s dominion over the entirety of God’s creation, including over all the angelic and heavenly host. What wonderful, marvelous good news!
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