Soldier, Athlete, Farmer
by Edwin Crozier
Keep in mind the last sentence of II Timothy: “Grace be with you.” The “you” is plural. In other words, as with his first letter to Timothy and the letter to Titus, Paul expects the entire congregation to read this letter, not just Timothy. Paul is not merely telling Timothy what work to do and how to do it; He is also telling the Ephesian congregation what to expect from Timothy.
Instead of shrinking back in shame like Phygelus and Hermogenes, Timothy is to be strengthened by the grace of Christ and keep teaching. Further, as Paul is commissioning Timothy to carry on the work, Timothy is to find other men who will carry on the work, who will find other men to carry on the work, and so on. Thus, a generational legacy of faithful preaching continues from spiritual father to spiritual son and so on.
As part of this work, Timothy is to be seen as a soldier. As such, like a soldier, he will suffer for the cause of his King. Neither he nor the brothers and sisters should be surprised or ashamed when that happens.
Paul takes the soldier metaphor in a second direction. An enlisted soldier was not to get caught up in civilian pursuits. That is, because the soldier wanted to please the one who enlisted him, he would not divide his time in other business. He had one job: soldiering. In like manner, Paul calls Timothy to soldier on and devote his life fully to the work of preaching. He must not be distracted from the work. I admit, I’m not sure whether Paul sees himself as the one who enlisted Timothy or is referring to Jesus. Either way, Timothy is to stay focused.
Additionally, Timothy, like an athlete, is no exception to the rules. Not only must he stay focused on the work, but he must also work God’s way. As Paul told Titus, Timothy is to be a model of running the race. Others should be able to look to Timothy as a good example of serving the Lord.
Finally, like a hard-working farmer, Timothy should be supported from the crop he harvests. This helps explain how Timothy could avoid getting caught up in civilian pursuits. Obviously, it is no sin for a preacher to work a “secular” job in order to pay the bills. Paul himself did some tentmaking on the side at times (see Acts 18:3). But Paul is letting the Ephesian church know Timothy has a job to do, and the congregation should support Timothy so he can do it.
One thing should be clear from all three metaphors. Timothy’s role requires work, hard work. Anyone taking up the mantle of evangelist needs to be ready to work like a farmer, discipline like an athlete, and suffer like a soldier. This is not the job for folks who want to phone in a lesson here and there while watching TV the rest of the week.
Preachers, let’s work hard (and I don’t just mean sermons). Congregations, let’s support well (and I don’t just mean financially).
