2 Timothy 2:15 15Be eager to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed worker, being guided by the word of truth.
This verse gives the essential route to spiritual growth and ministry effectiveness for Timothy. Paul summarized succinctly how Timothy could victoriously approach the challenges he faced in his ministry in Ephesus. It was critical that he not compromise the word of truth or grow weary in his fight of good faith (1 Timothy 1:18). The imperative verb be eager (spoudason) basically means to hurry up to do something with effort and zeal. The word captures the way Timothy needed to go about his ministry. He could not be lazy, because laziness opens the door to compromise.
Timothy’s eagerness would be shown by where he put his energy and desire. Paul gives that idea with the word worker (ergatēn), which shares the same root as “energy.” Timothy could do that by first presenting himself to God in full commitment and consecration. The idea of offering oneself to God in worship is a core idea in Scripture and one of Paul’s central teachings (Romans 6:13; 12:1; 14:10; 1 Corinthians 8:8; Colossians 1:22, 28). In simple theological terms, Timothy needed to give himself to God through entire sanctification. He needed to do his part through dying to the old life and to any temptations to compromise with it. His approval before God depended on his position of faithful worship before God and how he followed this up with obedience. He would not experience shame before God at judgment time and would have the confidence to withstand any attempts to shame him in this life. He could stand in confidence before others because of his position of total commitment before God.
The participle being guided by (orthotomounta) has an instrumental sense and shows how or by what route Timothy could take to find approval before God. The word is a combination of “straight” and “cut” and means taking a straight path to the intended goal. The goal is eternal life. The way to obtain eternal life is to accept the truth that is found in Jesus Christ (John 1:17; 14:6; Ephesians 4:21). Timothy needed to know the gospel well and have the skills and humility to teach it to the believers in Ephesians. His ministry goal was to lead as many people as possible with him to the goal of eternal life.
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