2 Timothy 2.12a-If the Christian Perseveres in Life, They Will Reign with Jesus Christ
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday April 28, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 2:12a-If the Christian Perseveres in Life, They Will Reign with Jesus Christ
Lesson # 38
2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us. (NASB95)
The apostle Paul is once again employing the figure of asyndeton meaning he is not using a connective word between his previous first class conditional statement in Second Timothy 2:11 and the first of two first class conditional statements here in Second Timothy 2:12.
Paul employs this figure in order to emphasize the solemn nature of the first of these two first class conditional statements here in verse 12.
Paul’s statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13 are directly tied to his statements in Second Timothy 2:8-10.
In Second Timothy 2:8-10, Paul is exhorting Timothy to remain faithful to the gospel in the face of undeserved suffering just like he was doing when he penned this epistle.
In Second Timothy 2:11-13, he is teaching Timothy that he will be rewarded for faithful service but will not be rewarded for unfaithful service but even if he is unfaithful, he will never lose his salvation.
Therefore, in Second Timothy 2:12, the apostle Paul employs the figure of asyndeton because he wants Timothy and the Ephesian Christian community and all Christians to understand the eternal implications of remaining faithful to the gospel in the face of persecution and underserved suffering.
In other words, this figure emphasizes how serious Paul viewed his teaching in Second Timothy 2:8-13.
“If we endure” is composed of the following: (1) conditional particle ei (εἰ), “if” (2) first person plural present active indicative form of the verb hupomenō (ὑπομένω), “we endure.”
The conditional particle ei introduces a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
The force of the indicative mood, when properly understood, lends itself to the notion of presentation of reality. In the first class condition the conditional particle turns such a presentation into a supposition. This does not mean that the condition is true or means since! But it does mean that as far as the portrayal is concerned, the point of the argument is based on the assumption of reality.
The idea behind the first class condition is not “since” but rather, “if-and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that, then...”
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that we endure.”
The apodosis is “then we will also reign with Him.”
The relationship between the protasis and the apodosis is cause-effect.
The cause is the Christian enduring and remaining faithful to the gospel up to their death or the rapture whichever comes first.
The effect is the Christian will be rewarded by being given authority by the Lord Jesus Christ in His millennial kingdom.
Thus, Paul is saying that if and let us assume it is true for the sake of argument that we endure.
Then, the effect will be that we will reign with Jesus Christ in His millennial kingdom.
The verb hupomenō means “to endure, to persevere” since it pertains to continuing to maintain a particular course of action in the face of adversity, hardship or opposition.
This verb speaks of a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, and a state and suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties, steadfast and long continued application.
Therefore, this word speaks of enduring various types of adversities in life and remaining faithful to God.
The first person plural form of this verb is a reference to all Christians without exception.
If any Christian endures in life and leaves this earth in a state of being faithful to the Lord, then they will be rewarded by the Lord who will bestow upon them authority to rule with Him in His millennial government.
The first person plural could be taken as a reference to just Paul and Timothy.
However, this epistle is not only directed at Timothy but also the entire Christian community in Ephesus and throughout the Roman Empire.
The first person plural should be taken as being used in a distributive sense meaning if “any of us” endures, then we will reign with Christ.
The present tense of the verb hupomenō is a customary present or stative present used to signal an ongoing state.
This would indicate that the Christian will reign with Christ if they finish their life on earth in a state of enduring adversity in their life.
The present tense emphasizes the Christian enduring to the end of their life on earth.
It expresses the idea of completing their life on earth in a state of faithfulness to the Lord.
The conjunction kai is emphatic meaning it is introducing the apodosis of a first class conditional statement and placing emphasis upon it that the Christian will reign with Christ if they remain faithful to Him and endure to the end of their lives on earth.
“We will also reign with Him” is the first person plural future active indicative form of the verb sumbasileuō (συμβασιλεύω), which means “to reign with” since it pertains to reigning as a king together with someone else.
Specifically the verb speaks of the Christian reigning as king over the earth with Christ during His millennial reign on the earth.
It speaks of the Christian possessing authority over the various nations of the earth in Christ’s millennial government.
The future tense of this verb sumbasileuō is a predictive future indicating something that will take place or come to pass.
The portrayal is external and is summarizing the action as something that “will happen.”
Therefore, the future tense of this verb expresses the certainty that the Christian will be rewarded for their faithfulness in life by being given authority by the Lord to reign with Him in His millennial government.
Second Timothy 2:12a If, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that any of us endures, then we will indeed certainly reign with Him. (My translation)
Second Timothy 2:12 contains two first class conditional statements.
The first of these two first class conditional statements in verse 12 emphasizes with Timothy and the Ephesian Christian community and all Christians in the Roman Empire the importance of persevering through adversity in life as a Christian.
It is imperative that they persevere since if they do, it will result in their being rewarded a position of authority in Jesus Christ’s millennial government.
Paul is not saying that they must “grit their teeth and bear it” since he is not speaking of a passive acceptance of adversity.
Rather he is speaking of remaining faithful and obedient to the will of God in the face of opposition or adversity.
The protasis of this first of two first class conditional statements speaks of a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, and a state and suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties, steadfast and long continued application.
Therefore, it speaks of enduring various types of adversities in life and remaining faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This first protasis emphasizes that it is imperative that the Christian remain under discipline, subjecting themselves to the will of God, which demands the acquiescence of their will to the Father’s will, in which they are inclined to rebel against because of their sin nature.
The apostle Paul is speaking in this first protasis of the attitude of the soldier who in the thick of battle, is not discouraged and quits but rather fights on courageously whatever the difficulties.
It conveys the idea of not permitting their adverse circumstances to get them to surrender or quit on the plan of God and describes a triumphant confident expectation of reward and blessing in the midst of adversity.
So in the first of these two first class conditional statements in Second Timothy 2:12, the apostle Paul is teaching on the subject of rewards for faithful service.
He is teaching that the Christian will reign with Christ in a position of authority with Christ in the Lord’s millennial kingdom.
This is taught in other passages of Scripture (Matt. 19:28; Lk. 22:29-30; 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 2:26; 3:21; 20:4; 22:5).
Revelation 2:26 “He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS.” (NASB95)
Revelation 3:21 “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (NASB95)
