“Think about what I am saying and the Lord will give you understanding of all this” (2 Timothy 2:7 NET).
Paul the Apostle offered three illustrations in the preceding verses of this letter: a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Each illustration related to Timothy’s relationship with Jesus and each communicates something important regarding our relationship with Christ today.
For instance, soldiers who lay down their arms before the battle is over will never experience victory. Athletes who never leave the starting line will never reach the finish line. Farmers who neglect to plant, water, or cultivate a crop will never receive a harvest. These examples have a common denominator- they each require perseverance and endurance in order to achieve success.
The following passage from the New Testament book of Hebrews underscores the importance of those qualities in a spiritual sense…
“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. ‘For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away'” (Hebrews 10:35-38 NLT).
We should also note Paul’s encouragement to reflect upon these illustrations. We can follow this counsel by prayerfully asking a few simple questions whenever we read the Scriptures…
1.) What does this portion of Scripture say? We can begin by making some observations regarding the passage in question. Examine the context of the passage or “the part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.” (1) We can also apply the six basic questions of investigative journalism: who, what, where, when, why, and how when reading God’s Word.
2.) What does this portion of Scripture mean? The next step involves interpreting the passage. This requires careful consideration for there are no subjective interpretations of the Scriptures. In other words, the Bible does not necessarily mean whatever we think it means. Instead, we want to grasp the primary Author’s (God’s) meaning as communicated through His secondary human agents (the human authors of the Biblical Scriptures).
3) How should I apply this portion of Scripture in my life? The final step involves putting our observations and interpretations to work. It is not enough to simply know what the Bible says; we must put that knowledge into action as we encounter the choices, decisions, and events of daily life. As we’re reminded in the Biblical book of James, “…don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22 NLT).
(1) “Context” The American Heritage Dictionary, third edition