Las Vegas, Nevada Church
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 Survey of the Letters of Paul:  2 Timothy 2:11  
  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
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2 Timothy 2:11
It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
 
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Survey of the Letters of Paul

Lesson: 2 Timothy 2:11

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

This section has three verses:

2 Timothy 2:11-13
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

We will begin with the Barclay Commentary.

THE SONG OF THE MARTYR
2 Timothy 2:11–13

This is a saying which can be relied upon:

If we die with him,
we shall also live with him.
If we endure,
we shall also reign with him.
If we deny him,
he too will deny us.
If we are faithless,
he remains faithful
For he cannot deny himself.

THIS is a particularly precious passage because in it is enshrined one of the first hymns of the Christian Church. In the days of persecution, the Christian Church put its faith into song. It may be that this is only a fragment of a longer hymn.

There are two possible interpretations of the first two lines – ‘If we die with him, we shall also live with him.’ There are those who want to take these lines as a reference to baptism. In Romans 6, baptism is likened to dying and rising with Christ. ‘Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.’ ‘But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him’ (Romans 6:4, 6:8). No doubt the language is the same; but the thought of baptism is quite irrelevant here; it is the thought of martyrdom that is in Paul’s mind.

Quoted verses:
Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:8
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

The hymn goes on: ‘If we endure, we shall also reign with him.’ It is the one who endures to the end who will be saved. Without the cross [stake], there cannot be the crown.

Then comes the other side of the matter: ‘If we deny him, he too will deny us.’ That is what Jesus himself said: ‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven’ (Matthew 10:32–3). Jesus Christ cannot vouch in eternity for someone who has refused to have anything to do with him in time; but he is always true to those who, however much they have failed, have tried to be true to him.

Quoted verse:
Matthew 10:32-33
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

These things are so because they are part of the very nature of God. We may deny ourselves, but God cannot. ‘God is not a human being that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind’ (Numbers 23:19). God will never fail those who have tried to be true to him; but not even he can help someone who has refused to have anything to do with him.

Quoted verse:
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Jesus died to be true to the will of God; and Christians must follow that same will, whatever light may shine or shadow fall. ~Barclay commentary [with some edits]

Now to the other commentaries. First the general and then the specific.

From the F. B. Meyer:

The elect, 2 Timothy 2:10-13 : The Apostle sketches the experiences of the elect soul. It must endure, suffer, and die with Christ, that out of its surrender may come the truest, richest life, John 12:25. There is no path to lasting success save that of the cross [stake] and grave of Christ. It has been allotted to the redeemed in the divine program; each must tread it separately and with resolute purpose. But there is no doubt as to the sequel of a true life. The world of men may count it a failure, but God pledges Himself that as the pendulum swings here in the dark, it shall swing equally in yonder world of light. Three things are impossible with God-to die, to lie, and to fail the soul that trusts Him. Even when we cannot muster faith enough, His word of promise cannot be frustrated in the case of those whose faith is weak and trembling as the smoking flax. ~F. B. Meyer

Quoted verse:
John 12:25
He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Now the Matthew Henry Main:

Another thing with which he encourages Timothy is the prospect of a future state.  Those who faithfully adhere to Christ and to his truths and ways, whatever it cost them, will certainly have the advantage of it in another world: If we be dead with him, we shall live with him, 2 Timothy 2:11. If we be dead with him, we shall live with him, 2 Timothy 2:11. If, in conformity to Christ, we be dead to this world, its pleasures, profits, and honours, we shall go to live with him in a better world, to be for ever with him. Nay, though we be called out to suffer for him, we shall not lose by that. ~Matthew Henry Main

Now the Matthew Henry Concise which covers verses 8-13:

Let suffering saints remember, and look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God. We must not think it strange if the best men meet with the worst treatment; but this is cheering, that the word of God is not bound. Here we see the real and true cause of the apostle's suffering trouble in, or for, the sake of the gospel. If we are dead to this world, its pleasures, profits, and honours, we shall be for ever with Christ in a better world. He is faithful to his threatenings, and faithful to his promises. This truth makes sure the unbeliever's condemnation, and the believer's salvation. ~Matthew Henry Concise

Now from the Cambridge Bible covering verses 8-13:

Just as in the first chapter Paul appeals first to Timothy’s sympathies and experiences of an earthly kind to brace him up—his own strong feelings moved even to tears, his mother’s and grandmother’s faith and piety, the touch of the vanished hand in the solemn rite of ordination (2 Timothy 2:4-7), and then paints for him ‘the power of God,’ ‘the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus who abolished death,’ as the chief and strongest motive for keeping up heart and hope, since His must be the winning side, He must be able to keep that which is committed to Him (2 Timothy 2:8-12): so now, after the appeal to earthly analogies and common human experiences as to the necessity and the reward of pains and perseverance, he rises from the earthly to the heavenly, from the human to the Divine. ‘Remember, God’s plan—even the old, old promise to “the seed of the woman”—came out complete in the fullness of time. Jesus Christ of the seed of David bruised the, old serpent’s head when He rose “victor over the tomb.” True, I, or any one of us His humble servants, may for a time seem trodden under, but ’tis only for a time; the salvation, the eternal glory, is assured in His power; if we endure we shall also reign with Him. This is the motive of motives to play the man; this is indeed being strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ~Cambridge Bible

The verse is primarily in three parts:

1] It is a faithful saying.
2] For if we be dead with him.
3] We shall also live with him


1] It is a faithful saying.

It is a faithful saying - Or, rather, that which he was about to say was worthy of entire credence and profound attention; see the notes at 1 Timothy 1:15. The object is to encourage Timothy to bear trials by the hope of salvation. ~Barnes Notes

Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 1:15 [See Lesson]
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

It is a faithful saying - Literally, Faithful is the saying, as in 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 3:1; 1 Timothy 4:9; Titus 3:8. To close the argument, this rhythmical, perhaps liturgical, strain is quoted. It is introduced by ‘for,’ as is the quotation in Acts 17:28. The R.V. by printing ‘For’ in the text and ‘for’ in the margin thus incline to regarding the conjunction as part of the quotation. If it be not part, it will still have quite a fitting sense, as often in classical Greek ‘indeed’ or ‘in fact’ gives a better translation than ‘for’; cf. Donaldson’s Greek Grammar, p. 605. ~Cambridge Bible

Quoted verses:
1 Timothy 1:15 quoted above

1 Timothy 3:1 [See Lesson]
This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

1 Timothy 4:9 [See Lesson]
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

Titus 3:8
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Acts 17:28
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

It is a faithful saying - This may refer either to what goes before, that all things, all reproaches and sufferings, through the ministration of the Gospel, are endured for the elects' sake; and that shall certainly obtain salvation in Christ, and eternal glory, to which they are predestinated: or to what follows, which being of moment and importance, and difficult to be believed, as that death led to life, and sufferings were the way to the kingdom; the apostle prefaces it in this manner, affirming the truth of it, that it was sure and certain, and to be believed, and depended on as such. ~John Gill

It is a faithful saying. - The rhythmical form of the sentence that follows suggests the thought that we have a fragment of one of the ‘spiritual songs’ of Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, uttered under prophetic inspiration, accepted by the Church, used in its worship, taught to children and to converts. ~Popular commentary of the Bible

Quoted verses:
Ephesians 5:19
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

2] For if we be dead with him.

For if we be dead with him - see the notes at Romans 6:8. ~Barnes Notes

Quoted verse:
Romans 6:8
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Here is the commentary on Romans 6:8:
 

Now if we be dead with Christ - If we be dead in a manner similar to what he was; if we are made dead to sin by his work, as he was dead in the grave. ~Barnes Notes
 

If we be dead with him - That is: As surely as Christ rose again from the dead, so surely shall we rise again; and if we die for him, we shall surely live again with him. This, says the apostle, is πιστος ὁ λογος, a true doctrine. This is properly the import of the word; and we need not seek, as Bp. Tillotson and many others have done, for some saying of Christ which the apostle is supposed to be here quoting, and which he learned from tradition. ~Adam Clarke

For if we be dead with him - with Christ, as all his people are, by virtue of union to him; they are dead with him, He and they being one, in a legal sense; when He died, they died with Him; being crucified with Him, as their head and representative, their old man, their sins, were also crucified with Him, being imputed to Him, and laid upon Him; and through the efficacy of His death, they became dead to sin, both to its damning and governing power, and so are planted together in the likeness of His death; so that as He died unto sin once, and lives again to die no more, they die unto sin, and are alive to God, and shall live for ever. Moreover, this, agreeably to what follows, may be understood of the saints dying for Christ's sake, and the Gospel, whereby they are conformed unto Him, and feel the fellowship of His sufferings, and so may be said to be dead with Him: and such may assure themselves of the truth of what follows. ~John Gill

3] We shall also live with him

We shall also live with him - This was a sort of maxim, or a settled point, which is often referred to in the Bible; see the Romans 6:3-5 notes; John 11:25 note; 1 Thessalonians 4:14 note.

Quoted verses:
Romans 6:3-5
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

1 Thessalonians 4:14
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

We shall also live with him - as many as were crucified with Christ, and buried with Him, rose with Him from the dead, and were justified in Him, as their head and representative; the free gift came on them to justification of life; and they that are dead to sin, through the efficacy of His death, live a life of sanctification, which they have from Him, and is maintained and supported by Him, and is to His glory; and they live a life of communion with Him, in whose favour is life; and though they die, and for His sake, they shall rise again; and because He lives, they shall live also, even a life of glory, happiness, and endless pleasure. And this is part of the faithful saying, and to be believed, and is believed by the saints: see Romans 6:8 [quoted above]. Moreover, since the word "Him" is not in the original text, and the elect are spoken of in the preceding verse, what if the sense should be this, this is true doctrine, and a certain matter of fact, if we and the elect of God die together in the same cause, and for the sake of Christ, and the Gospel, we shall live together in everlasting bliss and glory? ~John Gill

Note:  In the past, we spoke a number of times about the word, "sanctification."  The words means:

1] to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate.
2] to purify or free from sin.
3] to impart religious sanction to; render legitimate or binding
4] to entitle to reverence or respect.
5] to make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing

This is Strong's G37, Hagiazo [hag-ee-ad'-zo]: From G40; to make holy, that is, (ceremonially) purify or consecrate [to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of God]; (mentally) to venerate [to hold in deep respect; revere]: - hallow, be holy, sanctify.

The verse says that if we be dead with Jesus, we shall also live with Him ultimately in the Kingdom of God.  To be dead with Christ is something only possible in the Salvation Process where we are sanctified and justified.  This is the lesson of verse 11.



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