A Study In Context
Though this series is generally dedicated to dealing with exegetical nuances based on language and words, this time we deal with an issue in general exegesis—an issue in context. Any Bible interpreter worth his or her salt will give adequate consideration to the context of a passage. Sometimes however, a passage can become so common and widely used that interpreters unknowingly overlook the context because of their familiarity with the text. Such is the case with II Timothy 2:15—Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
The context of this text gets left behind on many different levels. The entire pericope in which this text appears is six verses, verses 14-19. Many times, however, verse 15 is sucked out of the context and presented in a manner that does not align with God’s original intention. Therefore, in order to understand II Timothy 2:15 properly, we need to endeavor to understand this verse in light of the verses that surround it in the paragraph.
Examining the Context
An exegetical analysis of the passage reveals that the passage actually contains three imperatives, and verse 15 is just one of them. While the imperative in verse 15 deals with a pastor’s responsibility to give himself to a diligent study of God’s Word, the imperatives in verses 14 and 16 communicate a drastically different motif. These other two verses deal with the use of one’s words. Verse 14 speaks of not fighting about words because these types of arguments are not beneficial and only lead to ruin. Verse 16 talks about avoiding pointless words because they lead to more ungodliness and they will spread like gangrene. While these are important texts on the topic of our speech, one cannot help but ask “what do these have to do with the imperative to diligently study the Word of God that we find in verse 15?
The connection comes in the use of the concept of “words”. All three imperatives found in verses 14, 15, and 16, have to do with words. Paul sort of gives a “play on words” with the word “word” as a means of conveying his message. He gives two unhealthy uses of words and right in the middle he gives a positive. Paul expresses the importance of not fighting about words and avoiding pointless words so that he can point us to the type of word we are to be focusing on—the Word of God. II Timothy 2:15 is sandwiched in between these two admonitions about the negative use of words and Paul is contrasting the two concepts—harmful words and the Word of God so that he can bring about his main point: there is only one “word” that matters!
Examining the Audience
The second matter of context often overlooked in this text is the matter of the recipient. Who is Paul writing to? We know that Paul is writing to Timothy, a pastor, but oftentimes that is forgotten when looking specifically at verse 15. I grew up learning this verse and thinking that based off of this text God wants me to have my own personal time of worship and diligently get into the text so that I may receive God’s approval. Now, I do believe God wants us to diligently spend time in His Word, and I even think that by way of application II Timothy 2:15 can express that desire for all believers. However, we do need to keep in mind here that the text was first and foremost written to a pastor and is most directly applied to pastor’s today. Beyond that, the other imperatives are clearly given to pastors as well. In verse 14 Paul tells Timothy, as a pastor, to remind them and solemnly exhort them in the presence of God not to dispute about words. Timothy as a pastor, and pastors today, are responsible to remind their people of this charge regarding how they use their words. In verse 16 Paul writes but avoid empty worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness. Again, this is given to pastors, reminding them of the importance of not getting involved in the pointless conversations that people might be given to in the church. Though there is some application for all believers that can be drawn from this text, interpreters must remember the original audience and that this passage was written to a pastor of a local church and therefore most directly applies to pastors of churches today.
Final Thoughts
I hope you can see the importance of taking the time necessary to understand and evaluate the context of a passage. We ought not simply take a passage based on our pre-conceived understandings, and we need to be careful when accepting an interpretation of a text simply because it is common or familiar. Each time we come to the Scriptures we need to do our exegetical groundwork so that we can confidently deal with the text and accurately understand what God wants to communicate!
