2 Timotius 2:9

2:9 for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment ¹  as a criminal, but God’s message ²  is not imprisoned! ³ 

2 Timotius 2:11

2:11 This saying ⁴  is trustworthy: ⁵ 

If we died with him, we will also live with him.

2 Timotius 2:24

2:24 And the Lord’s slave ⁶  must not engage in heated disputes ⁷  but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient,

2 Timotius 4:5

4:5 You, however, be self-controlled ⁸  in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry.

2 Timotius 4:7

4:7 I have competed well; ⁹  I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!

[2:9]  ¹ tn Or “chains,” “bonds.”

[2:9]  ² tn Or “word.”

[2:9]  ³ tn Or “chained,” “bound.”

[2:11]  ⁴ sn This saying (Grk “the saying”) refers to the following citation. See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase.

[2:11]  ⁵ sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

[2:24]  ⁶ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[2:24]  sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”

[2:24]  ⁷ tn Grk “must not fight” or “must not quarrel.” The Greek verb is related to the noun translated “infighting” in v. 23.

[4:5]  ⁸ tn Or “sober,” “temperate.”

[4:7]  ⁹ sn The expression I have competed well (Grk “I have competed the good competition”) uses words that may refer to a race or to a boxing or wrestling match: “run the good race” or “fight the good fight.” The similar phrase in 1 Tim 1:18 uses a military picture and is more literally “war the good warfare.”