Right from the beginning of this letter Paul has been trying to inspire Timothy to his task. He has reminded him of his own belief in him and of the godly parentage from which he has come; he has shown him the picture of the Christian soldier, the Christian athlete and the Christian toiler.
Each of these three occupations need great perseverance to succeed. The solider who stops fighting before the battle is finished, will never see victory. The athlete who stops running before the race is over will never win the race. The farmer who stops working before the harvest is complete will never see the fruit of his crops. Just as athletes, farmers, and soldiers are hard-working, believers must be hard-working spiritually.
And now he comes to the greatest appeal of all–Remember Jesus Christ. “Remember … Jesus Christ”- the supreme model of a faithful teacher (verse 2), soldier (verses 3-4), Athlete (verse 5), and farmer (verse 6). Timothy was to follow his example in teaching, suffering, pursuing the prize, and planting the seeds of truth for a spiritual harvest. Even if every other appeal to Timothy inspiration gallantry should fail, surely the memory of Jesus Christ cannot. But above all, Timothy was to remember three particular things that were “The heart of the Pauline gospel.”
In verse 8 , Paul is really urging Timothy to:
1- Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead.
2- Remember Jesus Christ born of the seed of David.
3 Remember the gospel, the good news.
Paul has just explained three illustrations of the Christian life – a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Now Paul tells Timothy to “think about” what he said and the Lord would give “understanding.” The word “think” means “to consider carefully,” “to ponder,” or “to mull over.”
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