Freshman Retreat

2 Tim 2:1-17
Key Points:

2:2- "And these things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."

This is a very important verse at the BSU. Apparently, you earn brownie points if you memorize it.... Ha. The reason it is important is because Paul is stressing the importance of investing in others who will in turn be able to invest in someone else. This way the teachings of Christ can be spread quicker.

2 Tim is imporant because it shows Paul's courage in the face of death, gives us many helpful word pictures about how a disciple should live, and empahsizes that our response to salvation demands commitment and endurance.

Christ is our powersource.

The next part of this passage gives some helpful pictures. We are to follow Christ as a soldier, farmer, and athlete. The soldier analogy stresses that there is never an army of one. You need community of other believers to make it. Also a soldier is only concerned with what his commanding officer wants. He is disciplined and single-minded. Eph. 6:14-17; Heb. 4:12; 2 Cor. 6:3-13 all relate to the soldier. As an athlete we are called to be disciplined and run the race in such a way that we get the prize. As a farmer we work hard to bring the harvest in.

God's word is not chained. Isa. 55:10-11. God's word accomplishes what he wants it to accomplish.

It is important to accurately handle the word of truth and not spend time arguing about things you will never figure out.