Christ Cannot Deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

Peter Barnes:  Christ Cannot Deny Himself Matthew 10:16-33; 2 Timothy 2:1-13 (Sunday 16 August 2020) Morning Sermon Notes, 9.00 a.m.

This is chronologically the last of the five faithful sayings in the Pastoral Epistles – 1 Tim.1:15; 3:1; 4:9-10; Tit.3:8. in 2 Timothy 2:11- 13. Many have said that this faithful saying began life as a hymn, but it could be based on a saying of Jesus (Luke 12:8-9). There are four ‘if’ statements and they can be read as the first two (2:11-12a) being directed at believers, and the last two (2:12b-13) being directed at false Christians who are in the end unbelievers. But in verse 13 the faithless unbelievers are probably true Christians who display unfaithfulness.

1. If Christ is ours, His victory is ours. – 2:11-12a. This is the language of Scripture – 2 Cor.5:14-15; Gal.2:20. – Luke 22:29-30; Rev.3:21. Paul drives home the point in Romans 8:18. In 1554 Princess Elizabeth was imprisoned for about a year under Queen Mary, She heard a milkmaid singing outside, and envied her. Little did she know that she, Elizabeth, would become queen.

2. If we reject Him, He will reject us. – 2:12b; an echo of Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:33. – e.g. 1 Tim.5:8; 2 Pet.2:1. Deny Christ, and it is like a drowning man latching himself onto the ballast instead of the lifeline.

3. If we fail in faith, He will uphold us. – 2:13. This could be saying the same thing as verse 12b, as Patrick Fairbairn says, in which case, Paul means that Christ remains faithful to His justice. If so, it seems an odd way to express that. There is a difference between Judas and Peter. – Mark 4:40 (in Matthew 8:26 it is ‘O you of little faith’ but the meaning is the same). See John 10:28.

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