Understand what I say: for the Lord will give thee in all things understanding.
νοει α λεγω δωη γαρ σοι ο κυριος συνεσιν εν πασιν
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
After he had given the examples of soldiers, combatants, and farmers, and had set everything forth briefly, he says: "If anyone competes, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully." And after saying, "The laboring farmer must be the first to taste of the fruits," he adds: "Understand what I say. May the Lord give you understanding in all things." All this was said in examples and parables for this reason.
"Understand what I say." Since the Apostle spoke everything in a parable, about the soldier, the combatant, and the farmer, he says, "Understand." I spoke this way, he says, to sharpen your mind. Then he prays for him as for his own son. "May the Lord give you understanding in all things," not only in what I have said, but in all words and deeds.
Understand what I say to you by means of parables and comparisons. The Lord will give you wisdom to understand the hidden meaning in what I have set before you through outwardly visible examples.
Since the form of speech was parabolic, the Apostle necessarily stirred Timothy to understand the hidden meaning and prayed to God to make him worthy of understanding. Some, however, understood the likeness of the farmer differently. They said that the Apostle commanded the disciple to have necessary sustenance from preaching.
"Understand what I say." Understand where these examples and comparisons are leading you, and why this was said. "May the Lord give you understanding in all things," so that you may understand this.
What is the second gift of the Holy Spirit?
Answer. The gift of reason, or the understanding of the mysteries and will of God. Scripture teaches about it thus: “And every wise man in mind, to whom wisdom and skill were given in them, to understand how to perform all the works belonging to the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord commanded” (Ex 36:1).
And concerning Daniel and the youths who were with him it says: “God gave them understanding and wisdom in all literary wisdom; and Daniel was understanding in every vision and dream” (Dan 1:17).
And elsewhere: “Then He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45).
And the Apostle says: “May the Lord give you understanding in all things” (2 Tim 2:7).
Opposed to this understanding are lack of understanding and unbelief. The Lord says: “O foolish and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken!” (Lk 24:25).
And elsewhere the Apostle says: “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now ending in the flesh?” (Gal 3:3).
Saint Paul the Apostle directs Timothy's attention specifically to understanding the meaning of the examples and comparisons just given, concerning the farmer, the contestant, and the soldier. "Strive, O Timothy," the Apostle would seem to say, "by active efforts to enter into the inner meaning and significance of these examples and comparisons. Then the Lord will grant you the ability and strength to apply them to every circumstance in which you may find yourself while fulfilling your pastoral duties."
A new example of patience is indicated in the farmer, who himself first finds consolation in his labor through tasting the fruits of agriculture.
It is clear that the fruits of spiritual activity are better and more joyful the higher and more precious the fruits of this sacred activity are.
Understanding this, and also comprehending everything that defines the high position of the archpastoral work, can also assist the courageous endurance of all hardships in this field.
Therefore the Apostle prays that the Lord grant Timothy this general understanding of all circumstances, and especially of those amid which his archpastoral work was being accomplished.
This work was new and almost without precedent, for it was distinct from apostleship.
St John Chrysostom says: “The example of the soldier and combatant applies to those under authority, but the example of the farmer applies to the teacher, who must be not only a soldier but also a farmer. The farmer does not care for himself, but for the fruits of the earth, and in its fruits he receives no small recompense for his labors.”
“So also the teacher, the pastor, does not labor in vain,” says blessed Theophylact, “but is himself the first to taste the fruits of his sweat. For God repays him abundantly. Lest someone become weary and show dissatisfaction because recompense is deferred to the future, the Apostle says: ‘In the very labor you already receive recompense. If nothing else, the benefit of souls is already a great gain for you.’ And see, the Apostle did not simply say ‘the worker,’ but ‘the laboring one,’ that is, not one who works lightly, but one who undertakes intense and sweaty labor.”
Concerning the understanding of all this and of the rest that pertains to pastorship, Bishop Theophan writes: “The Apostle added this both to show his love for Timothy and to dispose Timothy himself to turn prayerfully to the Lord when approaching the understanding of God’s words. For there is one Teacher, Christ (Mt 23:8). There never was, is not, and never will be anyone who, by himself, properly understands and fully assimilates the full truth of God in his soul. The Lord grants this to whom He wills and when He wills. For even the enlightened do not all know everything, and what they know they do not all learn at once. Therefore prayer for the addition of faith and the increase of understanding must be unceasing in all, and all the more in pastors.”
Commanding Timothy to enter more deeply into the meaning of these prescriptions, the Apostle requires the same attention from him toward the instructions that follow.
In them he sets before Timothy the motives for the faithful fulfillment of his duties.
Timothy should be moved to this, first, by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He had the same flesh as Timothy, and yet after sufferings and death He rose to new life.
Second, he should be moved by the example of his teacher and fellow worker. For the work of the Gospel he has been cast into chains, although the enemies, of course, could not thereby lay chains upon the Gospel itself.
The Gospel is now being spread through others. This consoles the Apostle in his sufferings for the sake of the elect from among the Gentiles, who are called to salvation (cf. Col 1:24).
Third, Timothy should be moved to this by reflection on the consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness to Christ’s work.
Death and suffering with Christ give the Christian life and the kingdom. But denial and unfaithfulness toward Him bring upon oneself His wrath, since He is faithful in all things.
He will surely fulfill His threats upon those who deny Him.
The speech was parabolic, and its meaning has not been set forth. Examples from ordinary life have been presented, but what they mean when applied to the pastor has not been indicated.
The Apostle therefore adds: complete this yourself. Go deeper and understand. Having understood, be such also in deed.
“Since the form of the speech was parabolic, the Apostle necessarily rouses St Timothy to understand the hidden meaning and prays to God to make him worthy of understanding” (Theodoret).
He did not add his own explanation because it is not difficult to discern the meaning of the speech given. Perhaps also because one’s own thought more quickly and directly comes upon what in the example is most needed for the one reflecting.
It does not grasp only what the example signifies in general and abstractly. And again: “I spoke so,” he says, “in order to sharpen you, that is, your mind” (Theophylact).
“May the Lord give you understanding in all things.” “In all things,” he says, “so that you may understand what has been said as you should, and know how to do everything else as you ought” (Oecumenius).
May you be wise “in all words and deeds” (Theophylact).
The Apostle added this both to show his love for St Timothy and to dispose him, when approaching the understanding of God’s words, to turn prayerfully to the Lord.
For there is one Teacher, Christ (cf. Mt 23:8). There never was, is not, and never will be anyone who, by himself, properly understands and fully assimilates the full truth of God in his soul.
The Lord grants this to whom He wills and when He wills. Even those enlightened by God do not all know everything, and what they know they do not all learn at once.
Therefore prayer for the addition of faith and for the increase of understanding must be unceasing in all, and all the more in pastors.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 11 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS