Charles Spurgeon Commentary 2 Timothy 2

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these same things to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:1–2).

This is the true apostolic succession—one minister brings another to Christ, and then charges the other to train other preachers and teachers to carry on the blessed work of evangelization.

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

This is an exhortation to every one of us, not only to have grace, but to be strong in it. There are many professors who, as long as they are just saved, are content.

We are not content with being barely alive spiritually; we do not wish to have our life shivering with cold, but we seek after comfort as well as existence, and we seek to be in health, as well as to be in life. So it should be with the Christian. He should pray, "Lord, make me strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Oh! that these words might be, not merely an exhortation, but a divine fiat—that as God said, Let there be light, so He may say to His children, "Be you strong," and then oh! how soon shall the weakest of us leap into immortal strength!

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

So, then, there is to be a succession of teachers in the church, and those do wrong who are always speaking against the ministry of God. Timothy receives his ministry from Paul; he is to commit it to faithful men, and these are to hold it in custody to teach others also.

But there are some who say that all Christians should be teachers. To which we answer, if the whole body were a mouth, where would the ear be? The mouth is, after all, only a vacuum; if the whole body were a mouth, there would be no body at all.

If all are to be shepherds, where would the sheep be? If all are to sow, where would we find the ground?

No, brothers, we must be careful to pray God to continue the ministry among us, for without it we miss many blessings. The same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

If you desire delicacy, do not join the army. A soldier's calling is not to be linked with softness, and if you desire ease and comfort, do not join the army of Christ, for a Christian's profession and these do not go together.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sin, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

This is the photograph of the present age, and I do not doubt that Paul spoke of it when, in this way, the spirit of prophecy was upon him.

This is the very motto of the present age, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." It glories in knowing nothing; and its great boast is in its continual progress, "never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."