Introductory remarks:
This chapter is full of exhortations and encouragements for Timothy. "Paul tells Timothy to share what he taught with faithful men so they can teach others. He tells him not to be distracted from the fight by cares of this world, to please God. Paul endures trouble for the sake of those to whom he has preached, knowing that Christ died and was raised and if we die with Him we will live with Him, who is ever faithful. Timothy is to denounce useless arguing and study to properly handle the truth. He tells how some have preached that the resurrection has already passed and have damaged the faith of some people. He says that the Lord won't forget anyone who is His. Paul tells Timothy to avoid answering foolish questions and meekly offer the truth to unbelievers in case God can change their minds and free them from the snare of the devil" (A Survey of 2 Timothy - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: A good soldier of Christ Jesus vv. 1-13: An approved workman vv. 14 - 26.
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
Verse 1, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
LGT "Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace which [is] in Christ Jesus."
Christ saved us by His grace and He sustains us by His grace. No Christian, no matter how disciplined he or she may be, is able to live the Christian life in his or her own strength. Paul tells Timothy to be strengthened in Christ's grace. Paul calls it Christ's grace because all grace is sourced out from Christ. McGee notes: "My friend if you think that you can grit your teeth and go out and live the Christian life on your own, you're in for a great disappointment. If you feel that you can follow a few little rules or some clever gimmicks to make you a mature Christian, then you have fallen into a subtle trap of legalism. Paul gives no rules, and the Word of God has no rules to tell the child of God how to live the Christian life. We are saved by grace, and now we are to live by the grace of God and be strong in that grace". Living life in the grace of God is adjusting our lives to the Word of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to live through us; we must remain in fellowship with the Father in order to have the Holy Spirit to work his grace through us; this requires that we keep short accounts with God, that is, confess all known sin to the Father.
Verse 2, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to the faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."
LGT "And the things which thou didst hear from me with many witnesses, these things commit to faithful men, such as shall be also competent others to teach."
And the things which thou didst hear from me: the doctrines of grace I taught you. Paul was Timothy's chief teacher. With many witnesses: Timothy wasn't the only one Paul taught, and he might have taught these things in a group that Timothy was a part of; Paul also had the witness of the Holy Spirit. Paul also had the witness of all the other assemblies he visited and taught, and the other assemblies he established. These things commit to faithful men: these faithful men were those who desired to pass on grace doctrine to other family members in the assembly, and they would want to establish other assemblies. These men did not have the lust for power or money or recognition, nor did they fear persecution. Such as shall be competent to others to teach: they also had the spiritual gift for teaching, which was how the Holy Spirit got the Word our before the Bible was complete. Today we should also be willing to teach other family members what we have studied from the completed Word of God. In this age of grace, the Holy Spirit is still getting the word out with faithful men teaching God's grace as it is in the completed Word of God. Today the only witness we need that we are teaching the truth is God's Word, and we should be teaching the family to search it, and study it for themselves.
Verse 3, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
LGT "Suffer hardship with [me Timothy], as a good soldier of Christ Jesus."
Paul is urging Timothy to continue his ministry as a good soldier, for he will have to endure many hardships from within and without. These were hostile times in the outside world, and anyone who stood up for Christ in many cases was cast into prison or they were killed. Paul tells Timothy he must be a warrior and that he must choose men of like passions as he.
Verse 4, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."
LGT "No one serving as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life: in order that him who enrolled him as a soldier he may please."
No one serving as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life: Paul continues to use the military terms to these soldiers of the cross. Paul says that they are in a spiritual warfare and that they must be disciplined in order to be effective. In Roman times the soldier who enlisted into the military; the farmer left his farm; the merchant left his shop; the student left school; the lawyer or doctor left his practice, and they dedicated themselves to being good soldiers. Paul says the same for those who wished to be teachers; they were to be wholly concentrating on teaching Bible Doctrine and not side tract with the details of this life. In order that him who enrolled him as a soldier he may please: in this case the ones who Timothy enrolls into the ministry should teach grace doctrine as Timothy taught them, and they should seek to please timothy in this way. To apply this verse today would simply be that we are all soldiers of the cross, and we should be disciplined in grace doctrine to the point that we don't let the details of this life keep us from Bible study and or teaching our family Bible doctrine. It seems that whenever it comes to private or family Bible study, Satan presents to us all kinds of distractions to keep us from it. If we are to win our personal spiritual battle over the world, we must be faithful in daily Bible study, and not let worldly affairs interfere.
Verse 5, "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is not crowned, except he strive lawfully."
LGT "And if also anyone contend [in the games], he is not crowned unless he shall have contended lawfully."
And if anyone contend in the games: Paul switches his illustration now to the Greek games. He is not crowned: the winner of an event in the athletic contest was crowned with a garland. Unless he shall have contended lawfully: anyone found breaking the rules of the game, or deliberately cheating, were disqualified and could not receive a garland or wreath as their victors crown. This also applies to us today; we are all in the spiritual race to acquire a crown at the end of our life on earth. We are to run the race to please the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will reward us for running well. Striving lawfully is daily Bible study in order to be able to be used by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot use an ill-prepared soldier. The Holy Spirit indwells for the purpose of teaching us the Word of God, and then living through those who are willing to be used, that is, that are not bogged down with the details of life. McGee has a nice paragraph on this verse:
"The Christian soldier is to strive lawfully. That is, he has to play by the rules. There is no shortcut toward living the Christian life. Forget the gimmickry [such as the Purpose Driven Life - by Rick the slick Warren] to day that condenses Christianity into a little course or a few rules and regulations. God gave us sixty-six books, and each one of them is very important. It takes the composite picture to give us the mind and the Word of God [this is where we receive God's divine viewpoint]. We are to study the whole Bible. An athlete can't cut the corner of a racetrack. Neither can a baseball player run by second base without touching it; he has to touch all the bases to score. A child of God has to do that, too. If you're going to win, you can't take any short-cuts."
Verse 6, "The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits."
LGT "The husbandman must labor before partaking of the fruits."
There are two schools of thought concerning this verse. The first is as the Authorized Version has it; the meaning would be that the farmer, who labors hard in his field or vineyard, would be the first to enjoy the fruits. The second is how I have translated it directly out of the Greek text, and that is that the labor must labor first, and then wait, to enjoy the fruit. This second literal translation seems more in line with the context, as is seen in the last verse of the contender in the games contending lawfully for the prize; here the farmer has to labor for the prize.
Verse 7, "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."
LGT "Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things."
Consider what I say: the word "consider" means to "put your mind gr. nous on." So what Paul is telling Timothy is to "comprehend these things." For the Lord shall give thee understanding: Paul now prays that Timothy will know where all spiritual knowledge originates, and that the Holy Spirit is the one who imparts all spiritual insight and knowledge. In all things: all these things I have just taught you about the soldier fighting the good fight, and the athlete running the race, and the farmer workings his fields, in order to obtain the crown, which is the reward for faithfulness.
Verse 8, "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel."
LGT "Remember Jesus Christ as risen from among [the] dead, of [the] seed of David, according to my Glad Tidings."
Remember Jesus Christ as risen from among the dead: the word "raised" is in the perfect tense, so it means that he was raised, and is still raised; this is the cardinal fact brought out by Paul that Christ is the promised Messiah, and is now glorified in heaven; Paul tells Timothy to concentrate on this fact that we are serving a risen, glorified Savior, for if Christ has risen so also shall we all be raised to eternal perfection. Of the seed of David: Christ was born in the kingly line of David, and He is truly Israel's King and promised Messiah. "This testimony is so express, that the more heretics labor to get rid of it, the more they discover their own impudence. The Jews and other enemies of Christ deny that He is the person [true humanity] who was formerly promised; but Paul affirms that He is the son of David, and that He is descended from the family from which the Messiah ought to descend" (Calvin). According to my Glad Tidings: my message of grace to the world. Paul calls it his Glad Tidings because he was chosen to bring the message of the risen Savior to the Gentile world.
Verse 9, "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound."
LGT "In which I suffer hardship unto bonds as a malefactor; but the Word of God is not bound."
In which I suffer hardship: because Paul preached the Glad Tidings of God's grace. Unto bonds: for which I am now a prisoner in bonds in Rome; the mad dictator Caesar had Paul thrown into prison trying to silence the Word of God. As a malefactor: they have put me in bonds for preaching God's grace, and they treat me as a common criminal. But the Word of God is not bound: Paul says "I am in chains, but they can't shackle the Word of God." The Word of God will accomplish whatever God has designed, no matter how man tries to stamp it out. The silly people think they can stop the Word of God from flourishing by chaining up the messenger; as a matter of fact, the Word abounds much more under adversity; what a wonderful grace God has given us! "Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound."
Verse 10, "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
LGT "Because of this I endure all things for the sake of the elect, in order that they may also enjoy salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
Because of this: the fact that the Word of God continues to work God's purpose in grace. I endure all things: specifically his being chained in this Roman prison. For the sake of the elect: this shows how much love Paul had for the brethren, that he would endure such hardships in order that they might grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. That they may also enjoy salvation: Paul desired that all believers share in the joy of final eternal salvation; there was no insecurity in Paul; there was only the desire that all believers study doctrine and learn the grace of God, in order that they might enjoy their salvation even now while on this earth. Which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory: our salvation could not be more secure than the fact that it is in Christ Jesus. Christ saved us by God's wonderful grace; we are kept secure by God's wonderful grace; we are eternally secure by God's wonderful grace; and we will enjoy Christ's eternal glory by God's wonderful grace.
Verse 11, "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him."
LGT "Faithful [is] the word: For since we died together with Him, also we shall live together:"
Faithful is the word: the doctrines, to the end of verse 13, Paul has taught before. For if we died together with Him, also we shall live together: The "if" in this passage is in the first class condition and it is to be interpreted as true; that is why I have translated it "since." We died with Christ when we accepted Him as our Savior; we accepted His death; we accepted His resurrection; we accepted his ascension. We are identified with Christ in all that He has accomplished for us, and we shall live forever with Him. We have been completely conformed to the image of Christ positionally. (Romans chapter 6 has the complete doctrine of our spiritual baptism in the Holy Spirit that explains this more fully.)
Verse 12, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him, if we deny him, he also will deny us."
LGT "If we endure, also we shall reign together; if we deny [Him], He also will deny us."
If we endure: The "if" is assumed to be true, and every Christian has his or her cross to bear, and the endurance is relative. None of us in this age of grace has to suffer as they did under the Roman regime. Also we shall reign together: Some believe that only those saints that have been martyred for the Gospel will reign with Christ, but I believe just the opposite; I believe we will all reign with Christ. If we deny Him, He also will deny us: in the context I believe this has to do with refusing to follow grace doctrine. If we deny Him, is the same as denying his Word, and I believe it will mean loss of reward. Peter denied the Lord, yet he went on to be a faithful apostle.
Verse 13, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."
LGT "If we are unfaithful, He abides faithful: For to deny Himself He is not able."
If we are unfaithful, He abides faithful: This is the true meaning of God's wonderful grace. God's faithfulness does not depend on our faithfulness. For to deny Himself He is not able: For Him to be unfaithful would be to deny Himself, that is, it would be diametrically opposed to His divine nature. Most expositors I have read, including McGee, Barnes, Calvin, and even Vincent believe this has to do with rejecting those who are unbelievers; however, this would be to miss the context of Paul's teaching. Paul uses the plural "we" so he could not be referring to non-family members; and by using we, he is saying that it is possible for a believer to be unfaithful even to the point of denying Christ, as Peter did; therefore, the only conclusion I can come up with is that to be unfaithful has eternal consequences, by going to heaven a looser, in view of rewards.
An Approved Workman
Verse 14, "Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers."
LGT "Of these things put them in remembrance, testifying earnestly before God not to dispute about words, profitable for nothing, to rebellion to the one hearing."
Of these things put them in remembrance: keep reminding them concerning these truths. This is the way we learn; "precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little" (Isa. 28:10, 13). Testifying earnestly before God: this is the Word of God you are teaching them. Not to dispute about words: getting into useless arguments over vain speculations. The Gnostics were notorious for long-winded speeches over philosophy that did not relate to the Word of God. "There is both fascination and danger in words. They can become a substitute for actions. These are people who are more concerned to talk than to act. If the world's problems could be solved by discussion, they would have been long ago. But words cannot replace deeds" (William Barclay). Profitable for nothing, to rebellion to the one hearing: away with all speculation that produces no edification. The Word of God is the only Word that can heal the sin-sick soul. Quarreling over the Word ends in broken fellowship with one another, and with God, and in this state we are useless to the Spirit.
Verse 15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
LGT "Give diligence to present thyself approved to God, a workman not ashamed, straightly cutting the Word of Truth."
Give diligence to present thyself approved to God: Paul is telling Timothy to work hard in his exegesis of the Scriptures. Timothy was to make use of every bit of the Word of God at his disposal. Timothy was to be very serious in his handling the Word of God. A workman not ashamed: Paul tells Timothy that he is handling God's Word, and that it is a very serious matter to be correct in explaining the grace of God; in short, Paul tells him that he should not handle the Word of God, before the presence of God, in such a way that would make him blush. Straightly cutting the Word of Truth: Paul was probably taking this metaphor of cutting a straight line from his occupation as a tent maker. The Word of God must be studied categorically, and the best way I know is to study the entire Word of God dispensationally. Dispensations, in short, are different economies of God in dealing with believers. In the Old Testament God dealt with man under the dispensation of the Mosaic Law, which was designed to bring them to knowledge of Jesus Christ. The entire sacrificial system under the Law of Moses was looking forward to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who would take away the sin of the world. Salvation was always by grace through faith in the Son of God. So, in short, the Old Testament saint was saved in looking forward to the coming of the Son of God, their Messiah, by bringing a spotless lamb to be sacrificed on the altar by the high priest for their sins; this was signifying the fact that Christ would be sacrificed on the cross for all sin; this is atonement. In the New Testament, the saint in the age of grace is saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Paul dealt consistently with this difference between Law and Grace in all his epistles, and that is why the Judaizers labeled him antinomian, that is, against the Law; this is because they rejected their Messiah when He came to them, and they also rejected the grace of God that Paul was sent to preach. So, you see, by using categorizing the Word of God correctly into dispensations, the Word will be understood as God intended, in the Light of Grace. If your study of the Word of God fits grace, you will be correct in your exegesis, and if it does not, keep studying until it does, or seek the help of an older brother or sister in Christ for assistance.
Verse 16, "But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."
LGT "But avoid irreverent empty babblings: for they will proceed to increase more ungodliness."
But avoid irreverent empty babblings: I believe Paul is warning Timothy not to speculate, but to keep on a straight line of the Word of God, and continue teaching God's grace. Empty babblings can be those who study the Word in order to put others down whom they disagree with; they go to Bible study simply to show off their knowledge and put down the teacher. If they ever rally enough support to start a class of their own, it usually becomes a battleground of 'us four and no more'. In order to teach the Word of God, a man must be humbly submissive to the Holy Spirit, and willing to work very hard at Bible exegesis in the Light of God's grace. For they will proceed to increase more ungodliness: the teacher who teaches with self-interest motives will increase ungodly spirits of divisiveness, and will not promote the building up of the body of Christ. I personally have witnessed groups that believed in God's grace, but were very exclusive in that they believed their teacher was the only man who understood the Word of God, and they were very rigid in not accepting anyone into their fellowship that did not follow their teacher 100%. We must be very sympathetic to the family of God without accepting any error; we must always handle the believer, as childish as they may be, as joint-heirs with Jesus Christ; for how we treat family members is how we are treating Christ Himself.
Verse 17, "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus."
LGT "And their word as a gangrene pasture will have: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus."
And their word as a gangrene pasture will have: the gangrene pasture is the decaying of the soft tissue due to lack of circulation eating away at the live healthy tissue, till eventually death of the whole body. This is the effect of the teaching of those who are false teachers. Of whom Hymenaeus and Philetus: they were teaching a false doctrine regarding the resurrection.
Verse 18, "Who concerning the truth have erred, saying the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some."
LGT "Who concerning the truth have missed the mark, asserting the resurrection already to have taken place: and are overthrowing the faith of some."
"When Hymenaeus and Philetus and others like them taught that the resurrection had already happened, either at the moment of baptism or in a person's children, they were teaching something the Sadducean Jews and philosophic Greeks would be by no means averse to accepting, but they were also teaching something which undermined one of the central beliefs of the Christian faith" (Barclay). These gangrenous teachers must be cut out of the assembly before they destroy the whole body.
Verse 19, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
LGT "Nevertheless God's foundation stands firm, having this seal: The Lord knows those that are His, and, Let everyone depart from unrighteousness that names the name of [the] Lord."
Nevertheless: in spite of these false teachers: God's foundation stands firm: the sure foundation is the church, the body of Christ; 'The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ the Lord, as revealed in the Word of God. The Word of God is infallible, and our creed is, "That we believe in the plenary verbal inspiration of the Scriptures," which means that every word that we have in the 66 Books of the Bible are inspired and spoken from God. This does not mean that God used robots to give us the Word, but that the Holy Spirit superintended the Word as holy men of God spoke and wrote his divine viewpoint. Having this seal: the seal is the earnest of the indwelling Holy Spirit, sanctifying each member of the family of God with security and purity; our security is in that we have been placed in Christ in God (Col. 3:3), and the purity is that Christ has imputed on each and every believer His own righteousness 2 Cor. 5:21). The Lord knows those that are His: the Lord does not know His family by who and what we are, but by the fact that we have accepted Christ as our Savior, and have the seal of the Holy Spirit. Let everyone depart from unrighteousness that names the name of the Lord: in light of the fact that we are all part of the family of God, let us live like His family members should live, and run away from every form of evil. The fact that positionally we have died with Christ, we have been buried with Christ, we have been raised with Christ, we have ascended with Christ, and we are now seated at the right hand of God in Christ, we should live as legitimate children and not bastards. The most important way in which children of God display their love for God is that we love one another (1 John 4:7). "The gift of grace (Eph. 2:8) is exhibited in making one a coworker with God (1 Cor. 3:9). The salvation bestowed by grace is to be carried out (Phil. 2:12) by man with the aid of grace (Rom. 6:8-19; 2 Cor. 6:1). What this includes and requires appears in Phil. 3:10; 4:1-7; Eph. 4:13-16, 22ff.; Col. 2:6, 7." (Vincent)
Verse 20, "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor and some to dishonor."
LGT "But in a great house there are not only vessels golden and silver, but also wooden and earthen, and some to honor, and some to dishonor:"
But in a great house: Paul uses this figure of speech house to represent the visible church, not the invisible church, the body of Christ, where there are no unbelievers. There are not only vessels golden and silver: genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. But also wooden and earthen: unbelievers who infiltrate the church. And some to honor: believers. And some to dishonor: unbelievers, such as Hymenaeus and Philetus of verse 17.
Verse 21, "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."
LGT "If therefore one shall have purged himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honor, having been sanctified, and serviceable to the Master, having been prepared for every good work."
If therefore one shall have purged himself from these: distance yourselves from those vessels of dishonor that are teaching false doctrine. He shall be a vessel to honor: he will be doing the right thing. Having been sanctified: sanctified means to be set apart unto God. And serviceable to the Master: vessels of honor are sanctified for the service of Christ. Having been prepared for every good work: preparation for the Master's use goes back to verse 15 by studying the Word of God, cutting it straight by using the proper grace deduction in application, and shunning vain babblings of verses 16, 17.
Verse 22, "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the lord out of a pure heart."
LGT "But flee youthful lusts, and practice righteousness, faith, love, peace, with the ones who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
But flee youthful lusts: this is not just referring to passions of the flesh, but the youthful jumping to conclusions, and making swift decisions without thinking things through, that is, being impulsive. And practice righteousness: the KJV has follow after, which does not render Paul's direction to Timothy here; what Paul is saying is, practice what is right, which involves faith, love, and peace. These are three of Paul's favorite fruits of righteousness; these may be defined as follows: faith in God, love for the brotherhood, and peace in the soul through studying Bible Doctrine. With the ones who call on the Lord out of a pure heart: these are the ones Timothy was to have fellowship with, and he was to encourage the family of God in his assembly to do the same. To call on the Lord is living in fellowship with the Father, and being aware of His presence at all times, making decisions that are aligned with God's Divine Viewpoint. The ones who call on the Lord are in opposition to those defined in verse 16-18.
Verse 23, "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes."
LGT "But foolish and stupid questionings refuse, knowing that they produce conflict."
But foolish and stupid questionings refuse: Untrained, uneducated. Stupid questions are speculations of a half-educated man" (Robertson). Paul tells Timothy don't even start conversations with these types. Knowing that they produce conflicts: these questions from ignorant folk who have delusions of adequacy consistently cause disruption and confusion in those trying to learn. These vain babblings make as much sense as trying to figure out how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or, if a tree fell in the woods, and there was no one there to hear it, would it make a noise. These speculations cause nothing good, and the result is usually a quarrel.
Verse 24, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive: but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient:"
LGT "And it is necessary a servant of [the] Lord not to contend, but to be gentle to all, apt to teach, tolerant."
And it is necessary a servant of the Lord not to contend: it is not necessary for a servant of Lord to get into these useless speculating arguments for they accomplish nothing but are very divisive. But to be gentle to all: the servant must handle these situations in anger, but he must be gentle but firm, and insist they not get sidetracked with these vain babblings. Apt to teach, tolerant: the servant is to be tolerant of those not as well equipped as he, and keep the study group centered on the Word of God. Jesus Christ is our perfect example in disputing with the Pharisees; He never lost His temper, but was always equipped with a soft and gentle answer, that cut to the quick, because it was the Word of God. Christ never raised His voice, but He always got the best of the false teachers. It usually is the case that the one who speaks the loudest is usually the dumbest, and is usually wrong.
Verse 25, "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."
LGT "In meekness correcting those that oppose, if perhaps God may give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth."
In meekness: gentleness. Correcting those that oppose: those who resist the truth. Paul tells Timothy to stand firm for the truth, but don't argue with those who want to babble in speculation, but simply give them grace doctrine without being a spiritual bully. If perhaps they are slow in receiving the truth, Timothy was not to loose his temper and reprimand them, but remain calm and persistent in giving them grace doctrine. If perhaps God may give them repentance: God knows their hearts, and by giving them the truth in this way, God may be able through His Holy Spirit persuade them to repent, that is, change their minds. To the acknowledgment of the truth: this is the result of their changing their mind; they might recognize and accept the truth.
Verse 26, "And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
LGT "And they may return to soberness out from the snare of the devil, having been taken by him unto his will."
And they may return to soberness: Paul likens the unbeliever to being intoxicated by the devil. Out from the snare of the devil: All unbelievers are the children of the devil, and the Word of God is the only thing that can sober them up to reality. Having been taken by Him unto His will: this is the best reading; not to do the will of the devil, but God sobers them up with the truth to do His will. This goes along with the repentance mentioned in the last verse; the change of mind results in a change in heart.
In the next chapter Paul will warn Timothy of the coming great apostasy.
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