You Get More When You Multiply!
2 Timothy 2:2
2 Timothy 2:2
And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
I want to present you with two options. Number one, you can get $1000 every day for 30 days, or number two, you get one cent doubled every day for 30 days. Which one would you choose? $1000 added every day? Or 1 cent multiplied every day? If you chose option 1, by day 30 you would receive $30,000 dollars. A hefty sum! However, if you chose option 2, by day 30 you would receive an astounding and exceedingly greater $10,737,418.23. Quite a difference isn’t it? It also teaches us an important, and not necessarily obvious lesson as well. You get more when you multiply!
In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul says to Timothy, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” As Paul begins to move from introductory comments, encouragements, and exhortations, Paul presents Timothy with another aspect of faithfulness in pastoral ministry. A mindset and method of multiplication. Paul knew that ministry was not meant to be done alone. He knew that one of the inevitable realities of life is that people die, meaning leaders come and go. He also knew, unlike many churches and ministries today, that a church’s vision and mission could not be built around one person (unless that person is Jesus Christ of course!). Thus, Paul is seeking to impart to Timothy a mindset of multiplication, specifically among those who will lead the church.
In the first half of verse 2 Paul models the method of multiplication, showing how even in his very own mentoring and discipling of Timothy, the method of multiplication is already at play. In the second half of verse 2 Paul then goes on to lay forth the mission of multiplication and tells Timothy to do what Paul has been modeling for him, finding and equipping faithful men, who can then find and equip other faithful men, who then find and equip other faithful men, and so on and so forth. Paul is also intentional in his usage of faithful men. Given that Timothy is seeking entrust to, set before, or present these men with the precious truths of God’s Word and the gospel to tell and teach others about, Paul says to only invest time in faithful men. Men who have proven themselves in godly character and conduct, and men who are committed to serving Jesus Christ and loving those around them.
Now given the context of this letter, it could be that the “men” referred to here are prospective elders and pastors who have been gifted to both publicly and privately teach God’s Word. However the Greek word for man used here, anthrōpos, refers to both men and women, indicating that Paul could be giving more general instruction on cultivating a mindset and practice of multiplication in the church.
I am likely to think that in this verse Paul is referring to raising up future male leadership in the church, however, for our purposes and application today, it is clear that finding and equipping faithful Christians who can then go find and equip other faithful Christians is central to God’s growth strategy for the church. God intended for growth to happen not through addition but through multiplication. Even Jesus himself chose to spend a large portion of his time investing in a central twelve disciples instead of devoting his time and efforts to reaching the entire world (which he could’ve done!). Instead of reaching the entire world himself, he identified, taught, and trained up twelve men who could then use what they had learned to reach the world with the gospels themselves. He too understood that you get more when you multiply!
Additionally, more than merely being a more efficient means of growth, multiplicity and seeking to pour into those around us ensure that the truths of the gospel and God’s Word are entrusted to generation after generation. In fact, if you look closely at verse 2, you’ll see that four generational handoffs and bestowments of truth take place. One faithful Christian, to another, to another, to another. That is God’s means and method of spreading his truth throughout the world.
So by way of application, which faithful men and/or women are around us that we could pour into? Are we seeking to impart the wisdom and truth that we have received to others? Discipling and pouring into others can definitely be hard work. It takes a lot of love, humility, intentionality, and consistency. But the fruit is worth it! Even in my own life I continue to reap the fruit of the many who have spent countless hours discipling and pouring into me. I’m sure all of us can think of people who have selflessly spent time pouring into our cups of spiritual growth and maturity. Is it not fitting then that we seek to serve others in the ways that we have been served?
Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” What a great reminder of the multiplying nature of our faith! It is also an assurance that as we seek to be faithful to Scripture’s method of multiplication, Jesus will be with us always. As we plant and nurture faithfully, God will water and give growth fittingly. As we seek to be obedient to Scripture’s mandate and method of multiplication, God promises to be present. We have all that we need to be instruments in the hands of our Redeemer, spreading his glory throughout all the earth.
So as we were reminded in 2 Timothy, may we look for ways to teach faithful brothers and sisters who can go and teach others also. And may the glory of God be proclaimed faithfully by all generations to come.