2 Timothy 2 8

2 Timothy 2:8 kjv

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

2 Timothy 2:8 nkjv

Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,

2 Timothy 2:8 niv

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,

2 Timothy 2:8 esv

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,

2 Timothy 2:8 nlt

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach.

2 Timothy 2 verses

2 Timothy 2 8 Meaning

Second Timothy 2:8 encapsulates the essential, non-negotiable truths of the Christian faith, urging Timothy to continually hold them in remembrance. It highlights Jesus Christ's dual nature – His humanity as a descendant of David and His deity as one raised powerfully from the dead – serving as the unchanging foundation for all Christian life, doctrine, and ministry, especially in the face of hardship and false teaching. Paul asserts these truths are the core content of the "gospel" he faithfully proclaimed.

2 Timothy 2 8 Context

Paul's Second Letter to Timothy is likely his last inspired writing, penned from Roman imprisonment, anticipating his impending execution. Timothy, a younger leader, is urged to remain steadfast, endure hardship (2 Tim 2:3), avoid useless quarrels (2 Tim 2:14), handle God's word accurately (2 Tim 2:15), and contend against burgeoning heresies and ungodliness (2 Tim 2:16-18). Within this difficult setting, 2 Timothy 2:8 functions as the foundational theological anchor for Timothy's perseverance. Prior verses describe the Christian life in terms of a soldier, athlete, and farmer, emphasizing discipline, sacrifice, and patient labor. Verse 8 grounds these exhortations in the concrete reality of Jesus Christ, providing Timothy with the essential truth to remember and teach. It serves as a concise creed, providing both the core content of the message he is to uphold and the central figure he is to remember and embody, especially amidst weariness, opposition, and doctrinal drift which was challenging the very person and work of Christ.

2 Timothy 2 8 Word analysis

• "Remember" (Μνημόνευε - MnēmonEue): This is a present imperative verb, meaning "Keep remembering," "continue to recall," or "constantly bring to mind." It is not a single past act of memory but an ongoing, active engagement. It implies more than mere intellectual recall; it signifies an attentive, enduring consideration and internalizing of truth that shapes one's character and actions. This remembering is vital for resilience and faithfulness.

• "Jesus Christ" (Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν - Iēsoun Christon):

  • Jesus: His given personal name, identifying Him as truly human, historical, and incarnate.
  • Christ: His title, meaning "Anointed One" or "Messiah." This denotes His unique divine calling and role as King, Prophet, and Priest, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.

• "raised from the dead" (ἐγηγερμένον ἐκ νεκρῶν - egēgermenon ek nekrōn):

  • ἐγηγερμένον (egēgermenon): A perfect passive participle of ἐγείρω (egeirō - to raise, to awaken). The perfect tense signifies a completed action with enduring results – Jesus has been raised, and He remains raised. The passive voice indicates it was an act of God (God raised Him).
  • ἐκ νεκρῶν (ek nekrōn): "Out of the dead," emphasizing His complete triumph over the state of death and that He emerged from among all the deceased.This phrase underlines His divine power, victory over sin and death, and forms the bedrock of Christian hope and doctrine. It is proof of His deity and the Father's validation of His sacrifice.

• "descended from David" (ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυίδ - ek spermatos Dauid):

  • ἐκ σπέρματος (ek spermatos): "Out of the seed/offspring." This literally points to lineage, highlighting Jesus' physical descent from King David.This phrase affirms Jesus' genuine humanity and His fulfillment of numerous Old Testament Messianic prophecies concerning a king who would come from David's royal line (e.g., 2 Sam 7; Isa 11). It anchors Him in concrete human history and establishes His claim to be Israel's rightful King, confirming God's covenant promises.

• "as proclaimed in my gospel" (κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου - kata to euaggelion mou):

  • κατὰ (kata): "According to," or "in accordance with." This indicates the content or standard by which something is measured.
  • τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου (to euaggelion mou): "My gospel." This does not mean Paul invented a new gospel. Rather, it emphasizes the specific formulation, emphasis, and full understanding of the Good News as revealed to him and consistently proclaimed by him. It points to the divine origin and authoritative delivery of his apostolic message (cf. Gal 1:11-12). These truths about Christ – His Davidic lineage and His resurrection – are the absolute core of Paul's preached message.

Words-group analysis:

• "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David": This is a compact, creedal statement of the essential facts about Jesus. It beautifully brings together His two natures: His humanity ("descended from David") and His divinity ("raised from the dead"). It addresses His origin, His historical person, and His victory, encapsulating who He is and what He accomplished. This simple creed provided theological clarity for early Christians, countering any teaching that might diminish either Christ's true humanity or His real, bodily resurrection. It grounds spiritual truths in historical reality.
• "as proclaimed in my gospel": This phrase links the objective truths about Christ directly to Paul's personal apostolic calling and the specific content of his ministry. It emphasizes that what Paul teaches is not his own philosophy but the consistent, divine truth revealed to and through him. For Timothy, it reinforces the authority and integrity of the message he received from Paul, which must be guarded and passed on.

2 Timothy 2 8 Bonus section

The pairing of "descended from David" and "raised from the dead" forms a compact, confessional creed (a kerygma), perhaps reflecting an early form of Christian belief statements or hymns that predated the written New Testament. This specific formulation appears elsewhere in Pauline theology (e.g., Rom 1:3-4). The conciseness and theological weight suggest it was a well-known, foundational summary for Christians. This provides solid, simple, yet profound truth for Timothy to rely on, preventing him from being swayed by complex but hollow arguments of false teachers. It reminds us that Christianity is not based on mythology or abstract philosophy, but on historical events involving a real person with a real lineage and a real, bodily resurrection. This truth is sufficient to empower believers to endure all things for the sake of the gospel.

2 Timothy 2 8 Commentary

At the core of Paul's counsel to Timothy, amidst exhortations to steadfastness and warnings against false doctrine, lies a fundamental command: to constantly and deeply remember Jesus Christ. This isn't a casual mental recall, but a firm fixing of one's mind and heart on two bedrock truths concerning Christ's identity and work. First, He is the "seed of David," anchoring Him firmly in human history, specifically Israel's covenant story, confirming His authentic humanity and His claim as the promised Messianic King. This historical grounding refuted nascent heresies that denied Christ's true physicality. Second, He is "raised from the dead," signifying His divine power, triumph over death, and the validation of His claims and sacrifice. This powerful act is the central historical event that gives birth to Christian hope and is the ultimate guarantee of future resurrection. The resurrection serves as the crowning proof of Christ's deity and the efficacy of His atoning work.

These twin truths — His humanity and His divine power demonstrated in resurrection — form the concise "gospel" that Paul proclaimed. For Timothy, faced with pressure, weariness, and spiritual dangers, remembering this specific, historical, powerful Jesus Christ served as the ultimate encouragement and the objective content for all sound doctrine. It provided the ultimate motivation to endure suffering (because Christ suffered and triumphed), the standard for teaching truth (because the gospel's content is fixed), and the spiritual antidote to deceitful philosophies. The gospel is not an abstract idea but centered on a real person who conquered death. To remember Him is to grasp the very power of God unto salvation and the hope for eternal life.

Practical Usage:

• For Perseverance: When facing challenges or feeling weary in faith, deliberately bring to mind the resurrection power of Christ, knowing He is victorious over all things, including death itself.
• For Sound Doctrine: Use these core truths (Christ's humanity and His resurrection) as a plumb line to discern between sound teaching and error. Any doctrine that compromises either aspect of Christ's person is false.
• For Evangelism: These two points encapsulate the gospel's essential message: Jesus, the fulfillment of prophecy (humanity, King), conquered death (divine power), offering hope.