IT IS A TRUSTWORTHY STATEMENT: pistos ho logos: (click
for the 5 "trustworthy statements")
Trustworthy statement
is literally a faithful (pistos)
word (lógos
here used to indicate a concept or thought). The Greek order of words
is, “Faithful is the saying” or "Trustworthy is the word" This specific phrase is used five
times (click) in the Pastoral Epistles but nowhere else in the NT.
Hiebert feels this saying
is a...
motive for suffering for Christ's
cause, Paul holds up the certainty of the relation between our conduct
here and our future condition." (D. Edmond Hiebert. 2 Timothy).
Paul seems to use this phrase to introduce a truth that was axiomatic, a
truism in the early church that was commonly known and believed. The
formula serves to place Paul’s stamp of approval on the content of the
quotation.
In Morning and Evening
Spurgeon has the following devotional note on "the faithful
saying"...
It is a faithful saying.” — 2 Timothy
2:11 Paul has four of these “faithful sayings.” The first occurs in 1
Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The next is in 1
Timothy 4:8, “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the
promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a
faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” The third is in 2
Timothy 2:12, “It is a faithful saying—If we suffer with him we shall
also reign with him”; and the fourth is in Titus 3:8, “This is a
faithful saying, that they which have believed in God might be careful
to maintain good works.” We may trace a connection between these
faithful sayings. The first one lays the foundation of our eternal
salvation in the free grace of God, as shown to us in the mission of the
great Redeemer. The next affirms the double blessedness which we obtain
through this salvation—the blessings of the upper and nether springs—of
time and of eternity. The third shows one of the duties to which the
chosen people are called; we are ordained to suffer for Christ with the
promise that “if we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” The last sets
forth the active form of Christian service, bidding us diligently to
maintain good works. Thus we have the root of salvation in free grace;
next, the privileges of that salvation in the life which now is, and in
that which is to come; and we have also the two great branches of
suffering with Christ and serving with Christ, loaded with the fruits of
the Spirit. Treasure up these faithful sayings. Let them be the guides
of our life, our comfort, and our instruction. The apostle of the
Gentiles proved them to be faithful, they are faithful still, not one
word shall fall to the ground; they are worthy of all acceptation, let
us accept them now, and prove their faithfulness. Let these four
faithful sayings be written on the four corners of my house.
FOR IF WE DIED WITH HIM
: ei gar sunapethanomen (1PAAI): (Ro
6:3
6:4-5
6:6-7
6:8-10
6:11
Col 2:12
3:3
2:20)
If (ei)
All 4
of the "if" conditions (the first two positive, the
second two negative) in this "trustworthy
statement"
are in the first class condition (see
notes on Conditional Clauses), which means that
they are all assumed to be true or fulfilled conditions and can
thus be accurately translated with "since" or "in view of the
fact" in lieu of "if".
Thus one could render this passage as
"since we died with Him" or "in view of the fact that
we died with Him.”
Died with (4880)
(sunapothnesko from
sún = together +
apothnesko = to die) refers to a believer's real dying
(spiritually) with Christ.
Aorist tense
points to a definite event and could point to the
past or alternatively could be timeless, the time being determined by
the context. In this verse, although the natural reading suggests a past
tense event, one cannot be absolutely dogmatic. If could be a death that
has already occurred but it could also refer to a death that is yet to
transpire. If it is a past tense event, the death referred to is a
spiritual death or alternatively if future, it would refer to a physical
death, such a martyr's death, as Paul knew he was soon to experience.
When did we die with Him in the past? In a spiritual sense every believer has
died with Christ to the power of sin and self as summarized most
completely in Romans 6 (Ro
6:3
6:4-5
6:6-7
6:8-10
6:11).
In view of the historical context, in which suffering and persecution
for the gospel are clearly a major theme in 2 Timothy, it is also possible that Paul may have had
physical death and specifically martyrdom in mind (cf note
Php1:21). I favor the former interpretation for how else can one truly "endure"
unless he has died and been raised to walk in newness of life (see note
Ro 6:4).
Because we now live in union with "Christ Who is our Life" (Colossians
3:3), we have the
potential empowerment to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus
and so to endure whatever suffering our living for the gospel may bring.
And so the two ideas
(identification with the substitutionary death of Christ or a reference
to martyrdom) are intertwined, for the one who has "died
with Him" is one who will
henceforth live a life that may in fact end in martyrdom, for "all
who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2Ti3:12)
THE FOLLOWING FAVOR THIS DEATH
AS A REFERENCE TO SPIRITUAL DEATH:
Expositor's Bible Commentary
feels that since "we died with Him" is explained...
"in Romans 6:3-6. It is only as we
die with Christ, by identification with Him in His death, that we can
have spiritual life in Him...Right here and now we are to count
ourselves "dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." The Pauline
formula is "You have to die to live." (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
Morris writes that "if
we died with Him"...
"This particular saying reminds us of
the great truth that Christ died for us and rose again, so that we can
identify with Him by faith and receive eternal life (Romans 6:4-10;
Galatians 2:20). (Defender's Study Bible)
The Bible Knowledge Commentary
is fairly dogmatic stating that "if we died with Him"
"expresses the idea so powerfully
portrayed in the rite of baptism and explained in Romans 6:2-23. The
reference is not to martyrdom for Christ, but rather to a
believer’s mystical identification with the death and life
of Christ (cf. Col. 3:3). (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B. The Bible
knowledge commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
The UBS Handbook Series
notes that...
The verb here is in the aorist tense,
indicating that a definite completed past event is being referred to.
Since we are actually alive, this argues against interpreting death here
in a physical sense, which some interpreters have suggested. It is more
likely that death here is used in a figurative sense, referring to the
death of the old self when one comes to trust in Christ Jesus. (Arichea,
D. C., & Hatton, H. A Handbook on Paul's Letters to Timothy and to
Titus. Page 202. New York: United Bible Societies)
The Evangelical Commentary
on the Bible writes that...
The “if” part of the first
statement (v. 11) speaks of a past event (“died”) in which we, in union
with Christ, died to sin (Ro 6:2–7). As a result of that death, “we will
also live [here and now] with him,” that is, in the power of his
resurrection life (see again Rom. 6:4, 8, 11). (Elwell, W. A. Vol.
3: Evangelical commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book
House)
W E Vine comments that...
this condition being fulfilled in the
case of every believer, for all have died with Christ, the result
is assured to all. This identification with Christ in His death
takes place at conversion, for in the new birth we pass from death into
life; we are crucified with Him and we become eternally identified with
Him in His life. (Vine, W. . Collected writings of W. E. Vine.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Dwight Edwards writes
that..
The death in view here is probably
not physical death, but the death of our old man as, described in Romans
6:1-5. And the great promise here is the absolute guarantee of forever
living "with Him." It is of no small significance that the first
motivation given Timothy here is that of complete assurance in his
eternal destiny. This assurance is the foundation for all spiritual
service since it determines the real motive for our service. We serve
the Lord not to gain heaven; but we serve Him because we are already
guaranteed heaven. (Eph. 2:8,9; Jn 5:24)
Focus on the Bible
concludes that "died with Him"
points to the Christian’s spiritual
union with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–10).
The Christian has become a new person (2 Cor. 5:17). He has died with
Christ once for all to the ruling power of sin and self in his moral
nature, and has risen once and for all with Christ to a new life in the
practice of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:14f.). Dying with Christ
guarantees living with him now and hereafter. (Milne, D. J.. Focus on
the Bible: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus)
The Nelson Study Bible
writes that...
Believers are united with Christ in His death and resurrection
(Ro 6:8), which became our death to sin and our resurrection to
eternal life. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. The Nelson
Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers)
Kenneth Wuest comments
that...
The “if” in the Greek text is the
particle of a fulfilled condition. Here is no hypothetical case, “if we
be” (a.v.), but an, “in view of the fact that we died with Him,” the
aorist speaking of a past fact, not a present condition. Paul refers to
the same thing in Romans 6:1–10, where he speaks of the believer’s
identification with Christ in His death and resurrection when He died on
the Cross and was raised from the dead. The words, “We shall live with
Him,” are in a context in which they are also found in Romans 6:8, “We
shall live by means of Him.” He is our life." They should so be rendered
here. We have the preposition sun with the instrumental case. The
reference is to this present life as well as the life to come. (Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans)
NIV Study Bible notes
that...
The Greek grammatical construction
here assumes that we died with Christ in the past, when he died for us
on the cross. We are therefore assured that we will also live with him
eternally.
J Vernon McGee asks...
When did we die with Him? When He
died over nineteen hundred years ago. When we come to Christ and receive
Him as our Savior, His death becomes our death. We are identified with
Him and are raised with Him in newness of life. This means that this
very day He wants to live His life out through us by the power of the
Holy Spirit. (McGee, J. V. Thru the Bible commentary. Vol. 5, Page 466.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary
writes that...
Our justification and forgiveness is
a death to sin and the curse of the Law. Live with him looks to the
ultimate goal-eternal life, while including our present walk. (Pfeiffer,
C. F., & Harrison, E. F The Wycliffe Bible Commentary : New Testament
Chicago: Moody Press)
The New American Commentary
notes that...
The Greek construction in this
context suggests a definite past event such as the conversion and
baptism of a Christian (Col 2:12). Paul presented Christian conversion
as a dying and rising with Christ. The type of commitment demonstrated
in baptism would prepare a believer for the expression of his obedience
as a martyr, but the primary reference is to death to self and not
merely to martyrdom. (Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. Vol. 34: 1, 2
Timothy, Titus. The New American Commentary Page 209. Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers)
Life Application Bible
commentary observes that...
The first couplet of this hymn
contrasts death and life—the believer’s death to sin at
the moment of salvation and the new life begun now with Christ in
the world and in eternity. This phrase echoes Paul’s words in Romans
6:8. The entire passage in Romans 6:2–23 describes how believers are
freed from the power of sin...Paul could confidently “endure everything
for the sake of the elect” (2:10) because he knew the sure promises of
God. (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. . 1 Timothy, 2
Timothy, Titus. Life application Bible commentary Page 186. Wheaton,
Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers)
THE FOLLOWING NOTE THAT THIS
DEATH COULD BE EITHER SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL DEATH:
Wesley writes
Dead to sin, and ready to die for
him.
Ryrie states that "if we
died with Him" is...
"Perhaps a reference to the
crucifixion of the sin nature, as in Gal. 2:20, or a reference to
physical death. I.e., if we die physically, we shall be
raised physically." (Ryrie Study Bible)
Geneva Study Bible feels
this is...
A reference to the believer’s union
with Christ in His death on the cross (New Geneva study Bible.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
MacDonald writes that "died
with Him" is...
This is true of every believer. In a
spiritual sense, we died with Him the moment we trusted Him as
our Savior. We were buried with Him, and we rose again with Him from
among the dead. Christ died as our Representative and Substitute. We
should have died for our sins, but Christ died in our place. God reckons
us to have died with Him, and this means that we shall also live with
Him in heaven. Perhaps this verse also has an application to those
who die as Christian martyrs. Those who thus follow Him in
death will likewise follow Him in resurrection." (MacDonald, W., &
Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson) (Bolding added)
John Gill writes that "dead
with him" refers to dead...
with Christ, as all his people are,
by virtue of union to him; they are dead with him, he and they being
one, in a legal sense; when he died, they died with him; being crucified
with him, as their head and representative, their old man, their sins,
were also crucified with him, being imputed to him, and laid upon him;
and through the efficacy of his death, they became dead to sin, both to
its damning and governing power, and so are planted together in the
likeness of his death; so that as he died unto sin once, and lives again
to die no more, they die unto sin, and are alive to God, and shall live
for ever. Moreover, this, agreeably to what follows, may be
understood of the saints dying for Christ's sake, and the Gospel,
whereby they are conformed unto him, and feel the fellowship of his
sufferings, and so may be said to be dead with him: and such may assure
themselves of the truth of what follows,
THE FOLLOWING FAVOR THAT THIS
DEATH REFERS TO PHYSICAL DEATH:
D. Edmond Hiebert, takes the following approach
to the interpretation of the death that is referred to writing that...
"The first pair ("died...live")
points to the results of enduring ill treatment for Christ. "If we died
with him." The tense of the word "died" naturally points to a past fact.
Commentators differ as to the reference. One view regards it as
symbolically pointing to...Romans 6:4, 8, when the believer was united
with Christ in death as a spiritual reality. But the teaching in Romans
6 occurs in an entirely different context than the present passage. The
context (Ed note: There is a heavy emphasis on suffering for the gospel,
not only in the letter as a whole but also in the immediate preceding
context - cf suffering in 2 Ti 2:3-4, 9-10, and Paul himself is destined
for a martyr's death, cf 2 Ti 4:6) here seems rather to point to
physical death as the highest
point of suffering for Christ. The reference is then to a martyr's death
now viewed from the standpoint of the crowning day.
Hiebert goes on to reason that
the purpose of this "trustworthy statement" is
to give encouragement to suffer
for Christ even unto death. If loyalty to Christ for us means
physical death, the assurance is that "we shall also live with
Him." Faithfulness to the point of the supreme sacrifice for Christ
assures us of eternal fellowship with Him in resurrection glory." (2
Timothy by D. Edmond Hiebert)
William Barclay succinctly
states that...
it is the thought of martyrdom
that is in Paul’s mind. (The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed.
Philadelphia: The Westminster Press)
Guzik notes that...
The Bible speaks of dying with
Jesus in two ways: The first is common to all Christians, and is
illustrated by baptism: each one of us can have a "life-after-death"
experience with Jesus - we can have our old life end with Jesus on the
cross, and have our new life begin with His being raised from the dead.
The other way the Bible speaks of dying with Jesus is, of course, in the
sense of martyrdom - of paying the ultimate price for following
Jesus. This is probably Paul's idea here; he is saying, "If we
die with Him, we aren't dead - we live with Him." Paul could say this
while on death row!
John MacArthur also
mentions spiritual death but favors a physical death
writing that...
If we died with Him may refer
to the spiritual death of which Paul speaks in Romans. “Therefore
we have been buried with Him through baptism into death,” he
explains, “in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through
the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if
we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly
we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,… for he who has
died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that
we shall also live with Him” (Ro 6:4–5, 7–8).
On the other hand MacArthur
goes on to note that
the context of 2 Timothy
2:11 seems to suggest that Paul here has martyrdom in mind. In
that case, if someone has sacrificed his life for Christ, that
is, has died with Him, that martyrdom gives evidence that he had
spiritual life in Him and will live with Him throughout eternity. The
martyr’s hope is eternal life after death." (MacArthur, J. 2
Timothy. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press)
WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM
: kai suzesomen (1PFAI):(Jn14:19;
2Co13:4;
1Th4:17;
5:10
Ro6:8 Jn14:19 2Co7:3 13:4 1Th4:17 5:10)
"Shall live with" (4800)
(suzao from sún = together or with + záo = live) Záo is the essence of life and
thus this verb combination conveys the picture that we have been
entwined with the essence of Christ's life. We are identified
with Him and because of His resurrection we share in and can experience
the resurrection life of Jesus (walk in newness of life).
Christ lives in us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. His life
is in us. He is our life. In this present life and the life to
come, which is likely Paul's meaning in this passage.
In the introduction of 2Timothy, Paul reminded Timothy of "the promise of life in Christ Jesus"
(2Ti1:1). We were buried with Him, rose again with Him
and now live in
Christ.
Note that future tense (as in the present use) can be used to convey the idea of certainty and does not always refer just to a
future event per se. Yes we will live
with Christ in eternity future (and this should motivate us to live for
Him now), but right now in eternity present we are
enabled to live the Christian life because Christ lives in and through
us, as we daily die to self, putting off the old filthy attitudes and
actions associated with the self life and putting on the Lord Jesus
Christ, manifesting the attitudes and actions of Christ, by the power of
His indwelling Spirit. How else would it be possible to live like Christ? See (Ro6:8) for
a similar use of the future tense to indicate certainty.
The New American Commentary
deduces that...
The future tense of “we will … live”
suggests that this is a reference to life in heaven. Although the
reference is to heavenly life, there is a sense in which believers
experience a beginning of eternal life now (John 5:24 where Jesus
declared "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes
Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but
has passed out of death into life.")” (Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. Vol.
34: 1, 2 Timothy, Titus. The New American Commentary Page 209.
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
Hiebert summarizes this
section writing that the 4
"if" statements can be divided into those who manifest belief and
those who manifest unbelief...
“The
central truth of these pithy statements is that faith in Christ
identifies the believer with Him in everything while unbelief just as
surely separates men from Him.” (Hiebert, D Edmond: Second Timothy,
p. 62)
Hendriksen
agrees writing that...
In the first two lines the if-clause
describes the attitude-and action which proceeds from loyalty to
Christ: we have died with (him), we endure (remain stedfast). In the
last two lines the if-clause describes the attitude-and-action
which proceeds from disloyalty. (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S.
J. Vol. 4: New Testament commentary : Exposition of the Pastoral
Epistles. Page 255. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House)