2 Timothy 2:5 (DRB)

Passage

For he also that striveth for the mastery is not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:3 Labour as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:4 No man, being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular businesses: that he may please him to whom he hath engaged himself.

2 Timothy 2:5 For he also that striveth for the mastery is not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

2 Timothy 2:6 The husbandman that laboureth must first partake of the fruits.

2 Timothy 2:7 Understand what I say: for the Lord will give thee in all things understanding.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "striveth", "mastery", "crowned", "except", and "lawfully". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "striveth" and "mastery", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "No man being a soldier to God..." into verse 6's "The husbandman that laboureth must first partake...", so "striveth" and "mastery" belong inside that flow. In 2 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "striveth" and "mastery" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.