22 “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:22–26 (ESV)
2 Timothy 2:22-26 features a series of guidelines from the Apostle Paul to his young protégé Timothy. These verses contain pearls of wisdom from an elder to his younger son in the faith. These verses are almost proverbial in nature. Our immediate focus is on vs. 22-23.
“Developing a character that proves its mettle in the crucible of suffering not only involves a negative action in the form of avoiding certain people, it also requires us to pursue certain positive qualities with the help of God’s Spirit. Righteousness, faith, love, and peace, when present in our lives, plant our feet firmly upon the Rock (vv. 22–23). Today’s passage is reminiscent of Galatians 5:22–23 and 1 Timothy 6:11, and it is easy to see how the traits the apostle lists in 2 Timothy 2:22–23 fortify us for endurance. Personal righteousness makes us eager to mortify the sin that takes our eyes off Christ. Faith trusts the bedrock of the Almighty’s promises and gives us peace to see that His plan will succeed even when things look bleak. And love leads us to deal gently with stumbling believers, helping us restore them so that they can later help us in our struggles,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.
So. (δὲ; de) is a logical connective conjunction. It means on the other hand or now. The apostle Paul used this word to connect the current context of today’s featured verses with the preceding context of 2:20-21.
Flee youthful passions. To flee (φεῦγε; pheuge) is a present active imperative singular verb. Paul commanded Timothy to presently, actively, personally and obediently escape, avoid and quickly disappear or become invisible to youth passions. Youthful (νεωτερικὰς; neoterikas) refers to adolescence. Passions (ἐπιθυμίας; epithumias) means lusts or evil desires. This command parallels what Paul wrote in I Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
“When Paul wrote these words, Timothy must have been 37–42 years of age (see 1 Tim. 4:12). He was still rather young, especially in relation to the position of trust and responsibility which he occupied. So, the apostle warns him against “the (or “those well-known,” note the article) desires of youth.” But just what does he mean?
The word desire that is used in the original, whether in a favorable or unfavorable sense, always indicates strong yearning. As the footnote indicates, it is used far more often in an unfavorable than in a favorable sense. In the present passage, it is definitely sinful desire that is meant (“From the desires of youth flee away”). Such sinful desires, as the footnote also proves, can be classified more or less after the manner of modern psychology (though here these yearnings would hardly be called sinful), as follows:
Pleasure, etc., the inordinate craving for the satisfaction of the physical appetites: the “lust” for food and drink, pleasure-madness, uncontrolled sexual desire (Rom. 1:24; Rev. 18:14, etc.); (2). Power, etc., the ungoverned passion to be Number 1, the lust to “shine” or be dominant. This results in envy, quarrelsomeness, etc. This sinful tendency is included prominently in such references as Gal. 5:16, 24; 2 Peter 2:10, 18; Jude 16, 18; (3). Possessions, etc., uncontrolled yearning for material possessions and for the “glory” that goes with them (see 1 Tim. 6:9 in its context).[1]
How does a believer in Christ flee youthful passions. In a practical sense, it involves the following steps. (1) Know your surroundings and circumstances; (2) Avoid situations that encourage temptation; (3) Pursue godly affections which strengthen holiness; (4) Seek God’s strength and confess sin regularly in prayer; (5) Read and meditate on God’s Word to expose and combat sin; (6) Be accountable to other believers in Christ; and (7) Trust Christ’s power to overcome sin.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 271–272.
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