Devote Yourself to the Ministry
2Tim 2:5-7 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
In chapter 4 Paul will again call upon this analogy of competing in an athletic competition. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day— and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2Tim 4:7,8
Though there is the question as to whom we are competing against, seeing Paul desires to see all Christians win the race. You don't get a sense in his writings that he's competing against other Christians. So perhaps that's where the analogy breaks down. Rather it seems here to emphasize the idea firstly that there are rules to follow. This is not to say that we are under the regulations of the Law. But rather that there are general principles to Christian ministry, primary of which is to comply one's doctrine and practice to that which Paul teaches. And secondly he uses this analogy to communicate the concept of devotion. For as an athlete must devote himself to training, so must those involved in ministry.
Likewise the hardworking farmer works laboriously, and must follow the rules of farming, sowing in season, watering, and reaping in season. But in addition Paul adds that such a farmer be the first to receive a share. This he mentions elsewhere, such as in 1Tim 5:17,18 "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,' and 'The worker deserves his wages.'" And also this passage:
1Cor 9:6-14 "Is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel."
So reflect on that!
2Tim 2:5-7 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
In chapter 4 Paul will again call upon this analogy of competing in an athletic competition. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day— and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2Tim 4:7,8
Though there is the question as to whom we are competing against, seeing Paul desires to see all Christians win the race. You don't get a sense in his writings that he's competing against other Christians. So perhaps that's where the analogy breaks down. Rather it seems here to emphasize the idea firstly that there are rules to follow. This is not to say that we are under the regulations of the Law. But rather that there are general principles to Christian ministry, primary of which is to comply one's doctrine and practice to that which Paul teaches. And secondly he uses this analogy to communicate the concept of devotion. For as an athlete must devote himself to training, so must those involved in ministry.
Likewise the hardworking farmer works laboriously, and must follow the rules of farming, sowing in season, watering, and reaping in season. But in addition Paul adds that such a farmer be the first to receive a share. This he mentions elsewhere, such as in 1Tim 5:17,18 "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,' and 'The worker deserves his wages.'" And also this passage:
1Cor 9:6-14 "Is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel."
So reflect on that!
