Endure as a Leader
Endure to Make Others Faithful (1-2)
Paul wanted Timothy to multiply his ministry by teaching other faithful men what he had been taught (1-2).
Endure Like a Soldier, Athlete, Farmer (3-7)
Timothy was not to get distracted by the worldly ways of making a living (3) but instead use hardship as a training exercise (4). Paul also reminded Timothy that if he was going to enjoy the first share of the crops, he must endure through all the back-breaking work of tilling and planting, weeding and harvesting (6-7).
Endure for the Salvation of Others (8-13)
Paul reminded Timothy of the purpose of suffering—“so others may obtain salvation” (8-10). He then reminded Timothy, by quoting a well-known hymn contrasting the theme of suffering with human failings, that we could suffer and die with Him and finally reign with Jesus (11-12), or we could deny Him and become faithless, while He would remain faithful (13).
Endure Through the Correction of False Teachers (14-21)
In this section, Paul took Timothy through a series of instructions in relation to his dealings with false teachers. He was to charge them not to bicker over the meaning of words (14) but instead prove his authenticity by correctly teaching the gospel (15). Further, Timothy was to stay aloof from sarcasm (16) for it had the power to grow (17) and corrupt faith by birthing huge lies, as Hymenaeus and Philetus did in declaring the resurrection had already happened (18). Timothy was to remind false teachers that it didn't matter what they were doing; God's truth stood, and He knew those who were His because they inwardly called on God's name and outwardly turned away from wickedness (19). He then explained to Timothy that in every house were two kinds of vessels—honorable ones and dishonorable ones. Timothy was to explain to false teachers how they could know which vessel they were. Honorable vessels used by God were continually ready to take up a good work (20-21).
Endure by Pursuing (22-26)
Timothy was also to flee a life of lust obsession and pursue a faith, love, and peace relationship with Christ based on grace, from a fully devoted heart (22). He was to keep himself from biting the bait of controversies leading to quarrels and instead be kind and patient, correcting with gentleness (23-25). His goal was to change minds so people could really know God, come to their senses, and escape captivity in satan's lust-driven world (26).
This chapter begins the third section of Proverbs:.
Purpose of Proverbs (1:1-7)
Parental Proverbs (1:8-9:18)
Perceivable Proverbs (10:1-15:33)
I have defined this section as the “Perceivable Proverbs” because Solomon reveals life as it should or ought to turn out. The principles and views of life articulated are usually and normally true.
These next proverbs are quick and direct; they give no time to footnote qualifications, nor do they list exceptions to the rule. They are quick jabs; they mean to stun and get the attention of the reader. They will clearly state in a concise antithesis the contrast between two “perceivable” outcomes.
At first, it might appear difficult to see any arrangement of subject matter in these chapters, but consider the bookends, meaning the material at the beginning and end of each section of thought within the chapters.
Example: verse 1 contrasts a wise and foolish son, while verse 5 contrasts a lazy and diligent son; thus, what is between these two bookends is to be read and considered, thinking about diligence and laziness.
Verse 6 contrasts the blessings and abuse of the mouth, while verse 11 basically repeats the contrast. Between the bookends, we see the subject Solomon wants to be pondered in light of the blessing and abuse of our tongue.
In verse 12, hatred and love are contrasted, while in verse 18, concealing one's hatred is contrasted with speaking slander. Between these two bookends, we find the subject being considered is a heart lacking forgiveness.
Verse 19 contrasts the restrained and unrestrained tongue, while verse 32 contrasts the mouth of the righteous with the wicked.
Between verses 19 and 32 are four collections of proverbs with a single humorous proverb bridging the two sections. This is known as a “chiasmus” or a poetic form in which something is repeated in reverse order. This form of grammar is common among Hebrew writings. The rest of this chapter would look something like this:
A) Verses 19-21: The Three-Proverb Collection on the Tongue
B) Verses 22-25: The Four-Proverb Collection on Stability of Life
C) Verse 26: The Humorous Proverb on Laziness
B) Verses 27-30: The Four-Proverb Collection on Stability of Life
A) Verses 31-32: The Three-Proverb Collection on the Tongue
All of the material between verses 19 and 32 is to be considered in the light of the tongue.
The writer of the Proverbs was not just throwing subjects into a jar to be read in some kind of disjointed manner. Solomon was structuring his material to be read together, so depth of meaning and understanding could be enhanced.