12 and all also who will to live piously in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted,
Beloved, think it not strange at the fiery suffering among you that is coming to try you, as if a strange thing were happening to you, but, according as ye have fellowship with the sufferings of the Christ, rejoice ye, that also in the revelation of his glory ye may rejoice -- exulting; if ye be reproached in the name of Christ -- happy `are ye', because the Spirit of glory and of God upon you doth rest; in regard, indeed, to them, he is evil-spoken of, and in regard to you, he is glorified; for let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil-doer, or as an inspector into other men's matters; and if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; and let him glorify God in this respect;
for what renown `is it', if sinning and being buffeted, ye do endure `it'? but if, doing good and suffering `for it', ye do endure, this `is' gracious with God, for to this ye were called, because Christ also did suffer for you, leaving to you an example, that ye may follow his steps,
if of the world ye were, the world its own would have been loving, and because of the world ye are not -- but I chose out of the world -- because of this the world hateth you. `Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his lord; if me they did persecute, you also they will persecute; if my word they did keep, yours also they will keep; but all these things will they do to you, because of my name, because they have not known Him who sent me;
And there came war in the heaven; Michael and his messengers did war against the dragon, and the dragon did war, and his messengers, and they did not prevail, nor was their place found any more in the heaven; and the great dragon was cast forth -- the old serpent, who is called `Devil,' and `the Adversary,' who is leading astray the whole world -- he was cast forth to the earth, and his messengers were cast forth with him. And I heard a great voice saying in the heaven, `Now did come the salvation, and the power, and the reign, of our God, and the authority of His Christ, because cast down was the accuser of our brethren, who is accusing them before our God day and night;
I, John, who also `am' your brother, and fellow-partner in the tribulation, and in the reign and endurance, of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, because of the word of God, and because of the testimony of Jesus Christ; I was in the Spirit on the Lord's-day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying,
whom resist, stedfast in the faith, having known the same sufferings to your brotherhood in the world to be accomplished. And the God of all grace, who did call you to His age-during glory in Christ Jesus, having suffered a little, Himself make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle `you';
And what shall I yet say? for the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, Barak also, and Samson, and Jephthah, David also, and Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith did subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of infirmities, became strong in battle, caused to give way camps of the aliens. Women received by a rising again their dead, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that a better rising again they might receive, and others of mockings and scourgings did receive trial, and yet of bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins -- being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated, of whom the world was not worthy; in deserts wandering, and `in' mountains, and `in' caves, and `in' the holes of the earth;
that no one be moved in these tribulations, for yourselves have known that for this we are set, for even when we were with you, we said to you beforehand, that we are about to suffer tribulation, as also it did come to pass, and ye have known `it';
`If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple; and whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.
and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end, he shall be saved. `And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come. `A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord; sufficient to the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord; if the master of the house they did call Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household?
`Happy those persecuted for righteousness' sake -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens. `Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake -- rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward `is' great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
The wicked is devising against the righteous, And gnashing against him his teeth. The Lord doth laugh at him, For He hath seen that his day cometh. A sword have the wicked opened, And they have trodden their bow, To cause to fall the poor and needy, To slaughter the upright of the way. Their sword doth enter into their own heart, And their bows are shivered.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Timothy 3
Commentary on 2 Timothy 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
In this chapter Paul tells Timothy how bad others would be, and therefore how good he should be; and this use we should make of the badness of others, thereby to engage us to hold our own integrity so much the firmer.
2Ti 3:1-9
Timothy must not think it strange if there were in the church bad men; for the net of the gospel was to enclose both good fish and bad, Mt. 13:47, 48. Jesus Christ had foretold (Mt. 24) that there would come seducers, and therefore we must not be offended at it, nor think the worse of religion or the church for it. Even in gold ore there will be dross, and a great deal of chaff among the wheat when it lies on the floor.
2Ti 3:10-17
Here the apostle, to confirm Timothy in that way wherein he walked,