A Teachable Child

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1

Paul has special and unique relationship with Timothy.  Paul views him as his son in the ministry, and the letters Paul writes give us an insight into the mentoring relationship he has with this young pastor.  It does not seem out of place for Paul to refer to Timothy as “my child” or “my son”.  However, the word for child reflects a relationship.  It is a relationship for someone who is the responsibility of another, especially in an instructional sort of way.  Paul is leveraging that relationship to encourage Timothy to learn something.

When you are the child, you are the one being taught.  Sometimes, I develop an unteachable spirit.  I think I know something and there is nothing I need to learn.  I can become resentful of being viewed as a child and believe I should instead be the teacher.  It takes work to remain humble and teachable.  Paul is not just urging Timothy to learn, he is urging us as well.

Paul wants us to learn about the grace of Jesus.  Specifically, we are to learn about being strengthened by the grace of Jesus.  Grace is the Greek word “charis” and is common in the New Testament.  The word means to receive something not earned or something given out of favor and not merit.  The greatest example of the grace of Jesus is the grace that saves us.  We are given forgiveness and His righteousness as a gift.  It is an overwhelming grace, but God’s grace is not a one time event.  The grace of God is continually showered upon us in numerous ways.

When Paul speaks of being strengthened by the grace of Jesus, he has something specific in mind.  The word for strengthened is a combination of two Greek words.  The first word is a short preposition meaning “in”, the second word is a variation on the word, “dunamis”.  “Dunamis” is a word often translated as power or strength, but you might know the English version of it; “dynamite”.  The strengthening of Jesus is an explosive and supernatural power.  But it is also something that God deposits “in” us.  We cannot create this kind of power, but it is given to us.  The power of Jesus can be ours through the grace of Jesus.

There is another element we must recognize at work in this verse.  To be strengthened by the grace of Jesus is be equipped for a purpose.  Later Paul will write that we are strengthened by the grace of Jesus for service to Him and for the sake of the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 4:17).  In his first letter, Paul wrote that we are strengthened so our faith can grow and deepen (1 Timothy 1:12).  In Romans, we discover that are strengthened so that our trust in the promises of God and our faith is emboldened (Romans 4:20).

Are you teachable, and are you learning how the grace of Jesus strengthens you for the purpose before you?