ARGUMENT 1
REVIVAL OF LIFE AND FIRE
6. “ On account of which cause I remind thee to revive and refire the gift of God, which is in thee by the laying on of my hands. ” Regeneration gives life to the dead soul, and sanctification fire to consume all the surviving debris of the old carnal nature. Here we see that Paul reminds Timothy to revive and refire. The word “stir up,” E.V., is anazopurein, from ana, again, pur, fire, and zoe, life. Hence, you see it literally means to revive and refire the “gift of God, which is in thee by the imposition of my hands.” The normal place of the charismata, which denotes the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, is with the sanctified. (1 Corinthians 12:31.) “ Covet earnestly the best gifts. ” The Holy Ghost confers on sinners the gifts of illumination, conviction, repentance, contrition, and faith, in order to their conversion. Then in sanctification Christ imparts the gift of the Holy Ghost himself (Acts 2:38) to come into your heart, not only sanctifying you, but abiding perpetually as an indwelling Comforter. After this it is our privilege to receive these extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, which constitute the Christian’s panoply, thus arming and equipping us to press the Lord’s war and save others. We see that Timothy already had the charisma, having received it in his ordination to preach the gospel. Yet Paul reminds him to revive and refire it, illustrating the fact that we all need revivals, showers of life from the heavenly rivers to fall on us in copiously reviving irrigating floods, and showers of fire from the heavenly altars, consuming all carnal rubbish that may linger in our way, and quickening us into racehorse speed for heaven and souls.
7. “ God has not given unto us the spirit of cowardice, but of dynamite. ” Perfect love casts out fear, and makes us brave enough to fight a regiment of devils, while it is our glorious privilege to be so filled with heaven’s invincible dynamite, that “ one shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight. ”
8-10. “ Destroying death, and bringing life and purity to light through the gospel. ” Life and immortality in E.V. are monotonous. Immortality is aphtharsian, from a, not, and phtheiro, to corrupt. Hence, the word means incorruption; i. e., purity; giving us a clear presentation of this great double salvation wrought by the Holy Ghost in two distinct works of grace, the one giving life to our dead spirit, and the other imparting spiritual purity.
12. “ For I know whom I have believed. ” This is a positive affirmation of Paul testifying to his personal acquaintance with Christ. This is the real deficiency in the Christian experiences of the present day. They only know Christ historically, and not really and personally. They know Jesus like they know Paul and Peter, but not as they know their comrades in life. “ And I am persuaded that he is able to keep my trust unto that day. ” Christ is not only our Omnipotent Sanctifier, but our infallible Keeper till he comes in his glory.
13. “ Hold fast the form of hygienical words. ” The very words of God are meat and drink, and all spiritual pabulum needed in the maintenance of soul life, and at the same time the panacea abundantly competent to cure all our spiritual ailments, simultaneously fortifying us against all malaria and epidemics to which we are exposed in this land of sin and sorrow.
14. “ Guard the beautiful trust through the Holy Ghost dwelling in you. ” All you have to do is to be courageous; i. e., keep saved from all cowardice (Joshua 1), and the Holy Ghost will do all of your fighting for you.
15-18. We see Satan was busy in Paul’s day decoying away the disciples. Here Paul reveals a deplorable apostasy.
1. “ Therefore, my child, be filled up with dynamite in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. ” If we will only heed these Pauline admonitions, to be filled with the dynamite of our Omnipotent Savior, we will all the time be more than a match for the devil.

ARGUMENT 3
THE ELECT
10. “ Therefore I suffer all things for the sake of the elect, in order that they indeed may receive the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ” The Greek, eklectoi, is really double election. It is from ek, out, and lego, to select. Hence, means “selected out of the select.” God chose the seed of Abraham in the old dispensation to be his holy peculiar people chosen out of all nations the honored custodians of the Divine oracles, to prepare the world to receive his Incarnate Son, and preach him to all nations. While they failed by unfaithfulness and missed their blessing, the elect few e. g., old Simeon, Anna, Zacharias and Elisabeth, Joseph and Mary, and the shepherds on the plains proved true, and received the blessing. So now the entire Christian Church are the chosen people of God, honored and blessed as the custodians and propagators of his truth, and the recipients of their returning King. But like their predecessors, they are proving unfaithful. But the sanctified, corresponding with the inspired Word, eklectoi, “the elect out of the elect,” are going to verify Paul’s prayer in this passage; i. e., “receive the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory;” i. e., enter the glorified transfiguration, joining with angels and archangels in the coronation of their Lord, King of kings; i. e., King of the nations, Satan, their present king, having been taken out of the world.