2 Timothy 2:12 12if we endure, we will also co-reign; If we deny, that one will also deny us;
If we endure, we will also co-reign. Endurance is the outcome of the new life experienced through sanctification. As we open ourselves up in obedience to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit gives us assurance and builds our hope (Romans 15:13). The emphasis in the protasis of this sentence is on our need to to endure. Endurance is the response of faith. One of the key thoughts of the letter thus far is for Timothy to endure hardship and remain faithful to the truth of the gospel.
The promised outcome of enduring suffering and not compromising the truth of the gospel is to co-reign (symbasileusomen) with Christ. Our eternal outcome will be determined by how faithful we are in this life. The reason we must not give up with things get difficult is because we know this world is not our home; we have God’s promise of eternal life. The image of reigning with Christ gives a powerful incentive. Our goal must be to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
If we deny, that one will also deny us. The third line takes a turn in the form of a warning. Hardship and persecution present the temptation to deny Christ rather than experience the pain and struggle for identifying as a follower of Christ. To deny (arnēsometha) means to refuse to the acknowledge a person or belief because of social pressure. Denial is a possible outcome of feeling ashamed of the gospel or compromising one’s belief because of persecution. People may be tempted to deny Christ out of fear of shame, pain, or social banishment. Persons may act as if they do not belief in Christ, and by doing so, return to their old way of life.
The seriousness of denying Christ is given in the apodosis: Christ will deny those people. Paul personalizes this condition by putting it in first person: we and us. This future outcome echoes what Jesus said in Matthew 10:33, using the same word for “deny”: “Whoever denies [arnēsētai] before people, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven.” There are different ways to deny Christ. The most obvious that comes to our mind first is by what we say under pressure. But we can deny Christ also by how we act by failing to live in holiness, godliness, and love. If we do not act or speak like Christ, we are not being “Christians,” those who are Christ-like. Why would we be welcomed by Christ if we are not his friend and follower?
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