Thoughts on 2 Timothy: He will Deny Us?

A brief word, not a long post today.

2 Timothy 2 confronts us with a trustworthy saying, or a faithful saying in other translations:

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

I don’t know about you, but I was alarmed to read “if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Wow, a possibility exists that Jesus can deny us? I think the various translators have done us a bit of a disservice. That possibility of a blanket denial should require a footnote, shouldn’t it?

“Deny” is not altogether incorrect; it’s just incomplete and a little misleading without understanding the meaning or meanings of the word in question. Here’s the proposed footnote then.

The word can be variously translated “repudiate,” “contradict,” “say something is not true,” “disclaim,” or “refuse to acknowledge.” So, “deny” is not inaccurate; but, as used in this verse, “deny” has a full meaning focused on rejecting Jesus as in “if you reject and disclaim him, he will reject and disclaim you.” For this principle, see Matthew 10:33 (“[W]hoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”)

With the footnote suggested, what about the principle? Two men come to mind: Peter and Judas Iscariot. There must be a distinction in the two denials aside from the death of the one, and the restoration of the other. Or better yet, one culminated in death, and the other in repentance and restoration—therefore, was there a material difference in the root, nature, or degree of the denial?

Maybe. Each man received something in return for their denials, and they did so before men. But, what they did, and why they did deny are materially different.

Judas sought an opportunity to deny Jesus; and he did so after Jesus called him out on it at the last supper. See John 13:21-30. He was not convicted by the “one of you will betray me” or by the bread dipped and handed over to him. He did not pause when Jesus said, “Go. Do what you must.” He went into the night to the known enemies of Jesus, bargained with them, and then took the slave price from them. His denial was a long walk—first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear. 

Peter on the other had made an oath of loyalty. He didn’t know denial was deep in his heart or that it could overcome his zeal for Jesus. He did deny Jesus before men; but he wept at who he was. His denial coming to the surface was the first step towards real repentance and an unfeigned faith birthed by Christ himself after the resurrection. See, Peter had said, “Yes” to the Lord and he meant it. Peter just didn’t realize the power and influence sin in his heart could have his heart. So rather than a humble “yes” dependent on God’s grace, he had a self-assured “yes” out of ignorance of his true condition. Still, he had said “yes” whereas Judas has been saying “no” for quite some time, apparently.

Here’s Judas:

Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As a keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She was intended to keep this perfume to prepare for the day of My burial. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”

Here’s Peter:

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

As between the two men, Peter seems to fall under the “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” category. And we see this in Luke 22:31-32:

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

In the end, let’s examine our own hearts, and re-affirm the “Yes, Lord” in our hearts. He is faithful.

Grace be with you.

Image by Zarko Petrovic. Sourced from Unsplash.