ADVICE TO A CHRISTIAN LEADER
2 Timothy 2:22–26 …paraphrased
Flee from youthful passions; run in pursuit of righteousness in the company of those who call on the Lord from a clean conscience. Have nothing to do with foolish and stupid arguments, for you know that they only breed quarrels. The servant of the Lord must not fight, rather he must be kindly to all, apt to teach, forbearing, disciplining his opponents by gentleness. It may be that God will enable them to repent, so that they will come to know the truth, and so that they will escape from the snare of the devil, when they are captured alive by God’s servant that they may do God’s will.

HERE is a passage of most practical advice for Christian leaders and teachers.

Timothy is told to flee from youthful lusts. Many commentators have made suggestions as to what these youthful lusts are. They are far more than the passions of the flesh. They include that impatience, which has never learned to make haste slowly and has still to discover that too much haste can do far more harm than good; that self-assertion, which is intolerant in its opinions and arrogant in its expression of them, and which has not yet learned to see the good in points of view other than its own; that love of debate, which tends to argue long and act little, and which will talk the night away and be left with nothing but a litter of unsolved problems; and that love of novelty, which tends to condemn a thing simply because it is old and to desire a thing simply because it is new, underrating the value of experience. One thing is to be noted – the faults of youth are the faults of idealism. It is simply the freshness and intensity of the vision which makes youth run into these mistakes. Such faults are matters not for austere condemnation but for sympathetic correction, for everyone has a virtue hidden beneath it.

Christian teachers and leaders are to aim at righteousness, which means giving both to other people and to God their due; at faith, which means loyalty and reliability which both come from trust in God; at love, which is the utter determination never to seek anything but the highest good of our neighbors, no matter what they do to us, and which has put away forever all bitterness and all desire for vengeance; and at peace, which is the right relationship of loving fellowship with God and with one another. And all these things are to be sought in the company of those who call upon the Lord. Christians must never seek to live apart and aloof from others. They must find their strength and their joy in the Christian fellowship. As John Wesley said: ‘A man must have friends or make friends; for no one ever [goes to the Kingdom] alone.’

Christian leaders must not get involved in senseless controversies which are the curse of the Church. In the modern Church, Christian arguments are usually particularly senseless, for they are seldom about great matters of life and doctrine and faith, but almost always about unimportant and trivial things. Once leaders become involved in senseless and un-Christian controversy, they have forfeited all right to lead.

Christian leaders must be kindly to all; even when they have to criticize and point out a fault, it must be done with the gentleness which never seeks to hurt. They must be apt teachers; they must not only know the truth but also be able to communicate it, and they will do that not so much by talking about it as by living in such a way that they show Christ to others. They must be forbearing; like their Master, if they are criticized they must not respond with similar criticism; they must be able to accept insult and injury, slights and humiliations, as Jesus accepted them. There may be greater sins than touchiness, but there is none which does greater damage in the Christian Church. They must discipline their opponents in gentleness; their hands must be like the hands of a surgeon, unerring to find the diseased spot, yet never for a moment causing unnecessary pain. They must love people, not browbeat them into submission to the truth.

The last sentence of this passage [verse 26] is in very complex Greek, but it seems to be a hope that God will awaken repentance and the desire for the truth in people’s hearts, so that those who are trapped by the devil may be rescued while their souls are still alive and brought into obedience to the will of God by the work of his servants. It is God who awakes the repentance; it is the Christian leaders who open the door of the Church to all who have [repentant] hearts. ~Barclay's commentary

Now to the other commentaries. As usual, we will begin with the general and go to the specific.

First to the Matthew Henry Main:

(1.) Repentance is God's gift. [verse 25]
(2.) It is a gift with a peradventure in the case of those who oppose themselves; and therefore, though we are not to despair of the grace of God, yet we must take heed of presuming upon it. To the acknowledging of the truth.
(3.) The same God who gives us the discovery of the truth does by his grace bring us to the acknowledging of it, otherwise our hearts would continue in rebellion against it, for we are to confess with our mouths as well as to believe with our hearts, Romans 10:9-10. And thus sinners recover themselves out of the snare of the devil; see here,

Quoted verse:
Roman 10:9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

[1.] The misery of sinners: they are in the snare of the devil, and are led captive by him at his will, 2 Timothy2:26. They are slaves to the worst of task-masters; he is the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, Ephesians 2:2. They are taken in a snare, and in the worst snare, because it is the devil's; they are as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare. Further, They are under Ham's curse (a servant of servants shall he be, Genesis 9:25), they are slaves to him who is but a slave and vassal.

Quoted verses:
Ephesians 2:2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Genesis 9:25
And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

[2.] The happiness of those who repent: they recover themselves out of this snare, as a bird out of the snare of the fowler; the snare is broken and they have escaped; and the greater the danger the greater the deliverance. When sinners repent, those who before were led captive by the devil at his will come to be led into the glorious liberty of the children of God, and have their wills melted into the will of the Lord Jesus. The good Lord recover us all out of the snare. ~Matthew Henry Main

Video: Watch a Cockatoo get out of a cage with a lock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yd-IuZtRsc 

Now to the Matthew Henry Concise which we have read before as it covers verses 22-26

The more we follow that which is good, the faster and the further we shall flee from that which is evil. The keeping up the communion of saints, will take us from fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. See how often the apostle cautions against disputes in religion; which surely shows that religion consists more in believing and practicing what God requires, than in subtle disputes. Those are unapt to teach, who are apt to strive, and are fierce and froward. Teaching, not persecution, is the Scripture method of dealing with those in error. The same God who gives the discovery of the truth, by his grace brings us to acknowledge it, otherwise our hearts would continue to rebel against it. There is no “peradventure,” in respect of God's pardoning those who do repent; but we cannot tell that he will give repentance to those who oppose his will. Sinners are taken in a snare, and in the worst snare, because it is the devil's; they are slaves to him. And if any long for deliverance, let them remember they never can escape, except by repentance, which is the gift of God; and we must ask it of him by earnest, persevering prayer. ~Matthew Henry Concise

Now to the specific commentaries.

The verse is in three parts:

1] And that they may recover themselves.
2] Out of the snare of the devil.
3] Who are taken captive by him at his will.

As we proceed, take special notice of the two pronouns in this third part, "him" and "his" as it will be shown that the first refers to Satan and the second to God.

1] And that they may recover themselves.

And that they may recover themselves - Or "awake", and come to themselves, and appear to be sober, and in their right mind: the metaphor is taken from drunken men, who are overcharged, and are not in their senses, and being stupefied fall asleep; and like these are persons intoxicated with errors and heresies, who when their minds are enlightened, and they are convinced of their evil tenets, repent of them, come to themselves, and acknowledge the truth, and so escape. ~John Gill

And that they may recover themselves - Margin, “awake.” The word which is rendered “recover” in the text, and “awake” in the margin - ἀνανήψωσιν ananēpsōsin - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means, to become sober again, as from inebriation; to awake from a deep sleep, and then, to come to a right mind, as one does who is aroused from a state of inebriety, or from sleep. The representation in this part of the verse implies that, while under the influence of error, they were like a man intoxicated, or like one in deep slumber. From this state they were to be roused as one is from sleep, or as a man is recovered from the stupor and dullness of intoxication. ~Barnes Notes

2] Out of the snare of the devil.

Out of the snare of the devil - for as carnal lusts and pleasures are the snares and nets, in which Satan, who may be compared to a fowler, catches some; so errors and heresies are those with which he ensnares others: "who are taken captive", or "alive". ~John Gill

Out of the snare of the devil - The snare which the devil has spread for them, and in which they have become entangled. There is a little confusion of metaphor here, since, in the first part of the verse, they are represented as asleep, or intoxicated; and, here, as taken in a snare. Yet the general idea is clear. In one part of the verse, the influence of error is represented as producing sleep, or stupor; in the other, as being taken in a snare, or net; and, in both, the idea is, that an effort was to be made that they might be rescued from this perilous condition. ~Barnes Notes

In the third part of the verse, which we are about to explore, the Wesley Notes says for the word, "Who.":

Who - At present are not only captives, but asleep; utterly insensible of their captivity. ~John Wesley Explanatory Notes

3] Who are taken captive by him at his will.

Again, notice the contrast between the pronouns, "him" and "his."

Taken captive by him at his will. - The English presents no difficulty, but in the Greek the two possessive pronouns are not the same, and are, apparently at least, presented in direct contrast. If we accept them as pointing to different agents, then the probable meaning is, ‘that they may awake sobered from the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him (the devil), unto (i.e. awaking unto) His will (the will of God);’ and this rendering is adopted by many commentators, and appears in the Revised Version of the New Testament. ~Popular Commentary

By him (ὑπ' αὐτοῦ)
The devil.

At his will (εἰς τὸἐκείνου θέλημα)
Better, unto his will: that is, to do his (God's) will. The whole will then read: “And that they may return to soberness out of the snare of the devil (having been held captive by him) to do God's will.” ~Vincent's Word Studies

By him at his will - such are taken in his nets and snares, as creatures are taken alive, by fowlers, and huntsmen; and they are held fast, and become his captives, and his slaves, and do his will, being led by him to whatsoever he pleases; he works powerfully in them, and they readily comply with him, and obey his lusts. Though some understand this, not of the will of the devil, but of the will of God; and that the sense is, that such persons are held captive by Satan, as long as it is the pleasure of God, and no longer; when the prey is taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive is delivered; and so it is an encouragement to the ministers of the word to go on in instructing, hoping this may be the case. Others connect this phrase, "to his will" or "according to his will", as they differently render it, with the word, "recover": and then the meaning is, that such, repenting of their errors, might escape out of the snare of Satan, in which they were taken alive; that so they might do the will of God, by professing and holding fast his truths; or that their repentance, recovery, and escape out of Satan's snare and captivity, are according to the will of God, and his sovereign good pleasure. ~John Gill

Who are taken captive by him at his will - Margin, “alive.” The Greek word means, properly, to take alive; and then, to take captive, to win over Luke 5:10; and then, to ensnare, or seduce. Here it means that they had been ensnared by the arts of Satan “unto (εἰς eis) his will;” that is, they were so influenced by him, that they complied with his will. Another interpretation of this passage should be mentioned here, by which it is proposed to avoid the incongruousness of the metaphor of “awaking” one from a “snare.” It is adopted by Doddridge, and is suggested also by Burder, as quoted by Rosenmuller, “A. u. n. Morgenland.” According to this, the reference is to an artifice of fowlers, to scatter seeds impregnated with some intoxicating drugs, intended to lay birds asleep, that they may draw the snare over them more securely. There can be no doubt that such arts were practiced, and it is possible that Paul may have alluded to it. Whatever is the allusion, the general idea is clear. It is an affecting representation of those who have fallen into error. They are in a deep slumber. They are as if under the fatal influence of some stupefying potion. They are like birds taken alive in this state, and at the mercy of the fowler. They will remain in this condition, unless they shall be roused by the mercy of God; and it is the business of the ministers of religion to carry to them that gospel call, which God is accustomed to bless in showing them their danger. That message should be continually sounded in the ears of the sinner, with the prayer and the hope that God will make it the means of arousing him to seek his salvation. ~Barnes Notes

Quoted verse:
Luke 5:10
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

Notice the commentary on, "shalt catch men."
 

Shalt catch men - Thou shalt be a minister of the gospel, and thy business shall be to win people to the truth that they may be saved. ~Barnes Notes

Now notice these from the Biblical Illustrator:

2 Timothy 2:26
And that they may return to sobriety from the benumbing intoxication of false philosophy and bad habits, here represented as a snare of the devil, in which, though held captive, they were not yet killed—“out of the snare of the devil, being made living captives of by him.” So far, there is no difficulty, but the last clause, “according to the will of Him,” leaves the reader in doubt as to its meaning, since two pronouns are used which generally, if not universally, refer to two different subjects. De Wette, Huther, and Davidson disregard the difference of the pronouns, and make them both refer to the devil. But the contrast of the two pronouns is remarkable, and the sense of the passage very obscure, the “will of the devil” being an otiose addition, unless it he translated, as by Davidson, “to do his will.” If ἐκείνου refers to the more remote antecedent, then “God’s will” is suggested as the gracious accompaniment and occasion of this gift of repentance, or as the exposition of the state of new life, into which such [converted individuals] may be brought. The passage will read as follows:—“Whether haply God would grant them repentance, and also whether haply they may return to society, into harmony with His will, out of the snare of the devil, seeing they have been made living captives by him.” ~Biblical Illustrator

Snared through over-confidence
Naturalists tell us that amongst birds and butterflies, the swiftest, strongest fliers approach man much nearer than those with weaker wings, feeling confident that they can dart away from any threatened danger, and this misplaced confidence brings them into the net of the collector. ~Biblical Illustrator

Caution necessary
In mountain ranges there is often a loose detritus especially dangerous to mountaineers; these loose or crumbling stones being called “the devil’s stones,” for, owing to their treacherous character, if you step on one incautiously you may be precipitated into the depths. There are many such stones in the path of life. False maxims with sophistical colorings; license stealing the name of liberty; harmful speculations, luring as grand chances; methods of trade outlined square, yet full of betrayal; sandy doctrines simulating the rock; friendships which are flowery graves; occupations, recreations which promise rest and serve only to slip us into mire; these are the things of peril: life is full of them; and he only walks surely who walks discreetly. ~Biblical Illustrator

Recap:
---If one is caught up in sin, he is captive.
--One can escape sin only through repentance.
--Repentance is a gift of God.
--God is in total control of repentance regarding When, Where and How.
--Being in sin is like being asleep and/or intoxicated.
--“recover” in verse 26 means “awake” or “awaken.”
--Satan dulls the victim’s senses and often brings in the false doctrines.
--People holding false doctrines are in a cage or snare.
--The world is both asleep and captive.
--God will recover us from the snare of the devil by His will.  It begins with God bringing enlightenment to our minds.
--In repentance we awaken unto the will of God.

Stay on the path of life and avoid the devil’s stones.