2 Timothy 2.8-Paul Commands Timothy to Continue Remembering Jesus Christ as Risen From the Dead, David's Descendant According to His Gospel
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday April 9, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 2:8-Paul Commands Timothy to Continue Remembering Jesus Christ as Risen From the Dead, David’s Descendant According to His Gospel
Lesson # 32
2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel. (NASB95)
In Second Timothy 2:8, Paul is once again employing the figure of asyndeton, which means that he is not using a connective word between the command and emphatic statement in verse 7 and his command here in verse 8.
Paul uses this figure in order to emphasize the solemn nature of this command here in verse 8 and its importance in the life and ministry of Timothy.
“Remember” is the second person singular present active imperative form of the verb mnēmoneuō (μνημονεύω), which pertains to recalling information repeatedly from memory but without necessarily implying that the person has actually forgotten.
Therefore, this verb indicates that Paul is commanding Timothy to continue making it his habit of remembering or recalling again and again Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, a descendant of David according to his gospel.
The present imperative form of the verb mnēmoneuō is a customary present imperative whose force is for Timothy to simply continue making it his habit of remembering Jesus Christ risen from the dead and a descendant of David according to Paul’s gospel.
The present imperative is a command for action to be continued, action that may or may not have already been going on and is often a character building command to the effect of “make this your habit,” “train yourself in this, discipline yourself.”
This is the use of the present imperative in general precepts.
The present imperative of mnēmoneuō means, “to continue making it your habit of” remembering Jesus Christ risen from the dead, a descendant of David in accordance with Paul’s gospel.
Second Timothy 2:8 Continue making it your habit of remembering Jesus who is the Christ as risen from the dead ones, David’s biological descendant in accordance with my gospel. (My translation)
The apostle Paul issues Timothy yet another command here in verse 8 to continue making it his habit of remembering Jesus Christ as risen from the dead ones, David’s biological descendant in accordance with his gospel.
This command like the one in verse 7 would demand that Timothy meditate upon Jesus Christ as risen from the dead and that He is David’s descendant.
It would demand that Timothy meditate upon the content of Paul’s gospel.
In this command in Second Timothy 2:8, Paul is making the assertion that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and is a descendant of David in accordance with his gospel.
In fact, the perfect tense of the verb egeiro, “risen” emphasizes that Jesus Christ was alive at the time Paul wrote this epistle.
In other words, it was a present reality which would serve as an encouragement to Timothy as he went through various trials and tribulations.
The Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ was brought back from the dead by three categories of divine omnipotence.
First of all, the omnipotence of God the Father raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:21).
The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit also was an agent in Jesus Christ’s resurrection (Rom. 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18).
The omnipotence of God the Son raised His physical body from the grave (John 2:20-23; 6:39-40, 54 10:17-18).
In this command in Second Timothy 2:8 the apostle Paul is also identifying Jesus Christ as an individual who descended biologically from David who was the second and greatest King of Israel.
He reigned over Israel forty years, seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.
His dynasty ruled in Judah for over four hundred years (2 Samuel 5:5; 1 Kings 2:11).
He was born in the town of Bethlehem (House of Bread) (1 Samuel 16:1; 17:12; Luke 2:4).
He was the youngest of seven sons of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:10; 1 Chronicles 2:13-15) and has two sisters (1 Chronicles 2:16; 2 Samuel 17:25).
He was from the tribe of Judah (Ruth 4:18-22).
David was a direct descendant of Judah, Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (the husband of Ruth), Obed, (the son of Boaz and Ruth) and Jesse his father (1 Chronicles 2:5-16; Matthew 1:3-6; Luke 3:31-33).
That Jesus Christ in His human nature descended from King David is a fact that is pointed out in other places in Scripture (Romans 1:3 Revelation 5:5; 22:16).
This is why He is identified in the Gospels as the “the Son of David” (Matt. 1:1; 20:30; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 1:32; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 3:7; 5:5; 22:16), which is a royal title referring to the fact that He is the Ruler of Israel (Matt. 1:1; 20:30; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 1:32; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 3:7; 5:5; 22:16).
The fact that Paul identifies Jesus Christ in His human nature as descending biologically from David indicates that the apostle Paul is marking Jesus Christ as the one fulfills the unconditional promises God made David and Israel in what is called by theologians “the Davidic covenant.”
This covenant deals with the dynasty that will rule the nation of Israel and refers to God’s promise to David that a descendant of his would sit on his throne forever, which will be literally fulfilled by Jesus Christ during His millennial reign. (See 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:34-37).
That Paul is identifying Jesus Christ as David’s descendant is also an affirmation of the incarnation of the Son of God.
In other words, Paul is affirming that it was an historical reality and did in fact take place contrary to many false teachers who reject the incarnation.
The apostle reminds Timothy that he was to continue to remember Jesus Christ as risen from the dead ones, a descendant of David in accordance with the teaching of Paul’s gospel.
His gospel proclaims authoritatively that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and is a descendant of David who has and will fulfill the Davidic covenant.
Obeying this command which Paul issues him here in Second Timothy 2:8 would enable Timothy to endure undeserved suffering and persecution since it would remind him that His sovereign, Jesus Christ has given him the victory over all his enemies including death.
It will provide him the courage needed to persevere through all his trials and tribulations because it will remind him of the victory that was accomplished for him by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Timothy is serving Jesus Christ by proclaiming the gospel.
His enemies are ultimately those of Jesus Christ.
Those who oppose Timothy are those who oppose Jesus Christ because he is serving the latter.
Yet Timothy can be comforted knowing that these enemies led by Satan and his kingdom will not triumph over him if he remains faithful.
In fact, ultimately he will triumph over them at the rapture or resurrection of the church.
Timothy need not fear death if Nero kills him along with Paul at the instigation of Satan since Jesus Christ has given Timothy and all Christians victory over physical death (cf. Romans 8:38-39; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57).
Therefore, when Paul says that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and is a descendant of David “according to my gospel” he is telling Timothy that God will vindicate him since he is teaching the truth.
By identifying the gospel as his, Paul is in effect saying that he will be vindicated since the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His incarnation are facts of history that have witnesses and evidence which support them.
Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead vindicates the apostle Paul since it demonstrates that the gospel he proclaimed throughout the Roman Empire and was consequently imprisoned for was the truth.
Thus, he was imprisoned for proclaiming the truth and so consequently, Timothy would be vindicated for proclaiming Paul’s gospel if he were to be imprisoned and put to death like Paul for teaching the truth.
This in turn would condemn those teaching false doctrine in Ephesus and demonstrate they are teaching lies.
Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead vindicated Him and demonstrated that the Father had accepted His spiritual and physical deaths as the payment for the sins of all of humanity.
1 Timothy 3:14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (NASB95)
“Was vindicated in the Spirit” refers to the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit raising Jesus of Nazareth from the dead on the third day in fulfillment of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies and according to the Father’s will.
This act “vindicated” Jesus of Nazareth in the sense that it demonstrated that His claims that He was the Son of God were true and that the accusations of His enemies were false and that His execution was a travesty of justice (cf. Acts 2:22-36, 3:11-15, 4:10-12, 10:34-43, Romans 1:4, 1 Corinthians 2:1-9, Ephesians 1:20-21, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 2:8-15, and 1 Peter 3:21-22).