2 Timothy 2:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

On the other hand, by such denial of Christ we harm ourselves, and by no means God. Nor can we harm Him.

Therefore the Apostle explains this and continues: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” That is, if we do not believe that He rose, He suffers no harm from this.

He is true and immutable, whether we confess Him or not. If He suffers no harm when we deny Him, then He requires our confession for nothing other than our own benefit.

He remains one and the same whether we deny Him or do not deny Him. For “He cannot deny Himself,” that is, deny what He is.

We can say that He does not exist, though in reality this is not so. By His very essence He cannot not be. This is impossible. It is impossible for Him to pass into non-being.

He always abides and always exists according to His nature. Therefore let us not think that we can either do Him a favor or harm Him.

"If we are faithless, He remains faithful." If we do not believe, He suffers no harm from this. He is true. He is unchanging, whether we deny Him or do not deny Him. "For He cannot deny Himself." That is, He cannot not be. His nature is not such that He can pass into nonbeing. He exists always, even if we do not confess Him. Therefore the benefit or harm from our acknowledging Him or denying Him, in either case, belongs not to Him but to us.

God is almighty, and because He is almighty, He cannot die, cannot be deceived, cannot lie, and, as the Apostle says, "He cannot deny Himself." He cannot do so many things, and yet He is almighty? He is almighty precisely because He cannot do these things. For if He could die, He would not be almighty. If He could lie, be deceived, deceive, or act unjustly, He would not be almighty. If this were in Him, He would not be worthy to be almighty. Our Father, absolutely almighty, cannot commit sin.

Among the Gentiles, their so-called falsely named gods are not faithful either in being or in promises. They are not everywhere present. Though honored in particular places, they disappear with time and fall of themselves.

In the proper sense, however, the one true God of all is faithful. He is always one and the same, and He declares: “See now, see that I am He” (Deut. 32:39), and, “I do not change” (Mal. 3:6).

Therefore His Son also is faithful. He always abides, does not change, and is not false either in being or in promises. The Apostle says this again when writing to the Thessalonians: “Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24).

For by believing we do not make Him God, and by not believing we do not deprive Him of the divine nature. Whether we believe or do not believe, He is God. Therefore, by believing, we gain benefit.

If we do not believe, He remains faithful.

If we do not believe that He rose from the dead, or that He will give us what He promised to those who believe in Him, or that He is God, He suffers no harm from this. He remains the same, that is, true.

For He cannot deny Himself.

He cannot deny His Resurrection, His truth, His divinity, or in general Himself, what He is. For it is impossible for truth to lie. Falsehood is alien and hostile to it, and has nothing in common with it.

Therefore, if we do not believe, we cannot harm Him by this. He remains as He is. Likewise, by our faith we add absolutely nothing to Him. Thus, if He requires confession from us, it is for no other reason than our own benefit.

"If we do not believe, He remains faithful." The Savior foretold that those who deny Him will not be acknowledged as Christians on the day of judgment (Mt 10:33; Mt 7:23). By this denial the Lord, as the faithful fulfiller of His word, will punish those who were unfaithful to the vow given in baptism.

That is, remember that the Lord rose from the dead after a life spent in labors and sufferings. Being true man, sprung from the root of David, He showed in Himself an example for all men.

From this example everyone sees that the glory of Christ’s Resurrection was necessarily preceded by Christ’s sufferings and labors.

The holy Apostle Paul walked the same path. For he says that, because of Christ’s gospel, “I suffer even to bonds, as an evildoer. But the word of God is not bound,” and so forth.

The same path inevitably lies before every good pastor. “The saying is faithful: if we died with Him,” that is, with Christ, “we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us,” and so forth.

That is, after the labors, sorrows, and even persecutions endured in the field of pastoral ministry, glory in Christ Jesus awaits pastors. By this they must encourage themselves.

Patient endurance of sufferings for Christ, as imitation of Him, will lead to the same end to which His sufferings for others led Him: the Kingdom of His glory.

It is clear that the reverse is also true. Our denial will move Him to deny us, for He cannot change Himself as we change.

As with God, the Father of lights, there is no change or shadow of turning, so the Son also is immutable. Therefore He cannot be with us when we deny those radiant principles of goodness and truth which He proclaimed.

He obliges all who believe in Him to follow these principles.

After commanding Timothy to enter more deeply into the meaning of these instructions, the Apostle requires the same attention to the exhortations that follow. In them he sets before Timothy the motives for faithful fulfillment of his duties.

First, Timothy should be moved by the Resurrection of Christ. Christ had the same flesh as Timothy, yet after suffering and death He rose to new life.

Second, he should be moved by the example of his teacher and fellow-worker. For the cause of the gospel he was cast into bonds. Yet the enemies could not bind the gospel itself, which was now spreading through others.

This consoles the Apostle in his sufferings for the sake of those chosen for salvation from among the Gentiles (cf. Col. 1:24).

These words are somewhat obscure. Yet let us keep the Apostle’s aim in mind, and this will give some rays to thin this darkness. The Apostle proves the certainty of our hope, that those who cleave to the Lord by faith and love will obtain salvation with eternal glory.

The chief and essential proof of this is that the Lord Himself died, rose, and now abides in glory. Since those who believe in Him become one with Him, this glory undoubtedly belongs to them as well. It is eternal life with Him and reigning with Him.

Yet, of course, this is not unconditional. It is under the condition that they remain faithful to Him, despite the sufferings and death set before them. For if they deny Him in this, then He also will deny them.