“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).
2 Timothy 2:10 reveals Paul the Apostle’s attitude towards his imprisonment: “I’m willing to suffer on behalf of God’s people if that’s what’s necessary.” Thus, Paul was willing to endure the pain, suffering, and indignity of prison for the benefit of those who had yet to hear and believe the gospel message of Christ. He also set an example for others within the first-century Christian community as well as those who read this account today.
We should also give careful consideration to Paul’s reference to “the elect” within this passage. The following commentary offers a simple definition of this important term and a balanced view of its implications…
“The elect here refers to all those chosen by God for eternal salvation. While the Bible does teach that God chooses people to be saved, it nowhere says that He selects some to be damned. Those who are saved are saved by the sovereign grace of God. Those who are lost are lost by their own deliberate choice. No one should quarrel with God over the doctrine of election. This doctrine simply allows God to be God, the Sovereign of the universe, who deals in grace, justice, righteousness, and love. He never does anything unfair or unkind, but He often shows favor that is completely unmerited.” (1)
Another source offsets the serious nature of this discussion with an aside to the academics who have struggled to reconcile the doctrines of divine election and human responsibility…
“The Scriptures in a very natural way combine the doctrines of divine election and human responsibility, apparently not concerned with the problem this would later seem to pose to generations of theologians. Paul was willing to suffer countless difficulties and persecutions so that the elect might hear and believe and receive the salvation for which they already had been chosen by God before the world began.
The apparent paradox is only resolved in terms of the infinite mind and ability of the Creator. We may not be able to understand how both can be true, just as we cannot see both sides of a coin at the same time. However, both sides are real, and both doctrines are true. We can believe and rejoice in both truths, even though we don’t yet comprehend how each supports the other.” (2)
(1) William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, pg.2116
(2) Institute for Creation Research, New Defender’s Study Bible Notes [2 Timothy 2:10] https://www.icr.org/bible/2Timothy/2/10/