2 Timothy 2:3 (WEB)

Passage

You therefore must endure hardship, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:2 The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

2 Timothy 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:4 No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:5 Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he isn’t crowned unless he has competed by the rules.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "must", "endure", "hardship", "good", "soldier", "christ", and "jesus". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "must", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "The things which you have heard from..." into verse 4's "No soldier on duty entangles himself in...", so "therefore" and "must" 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 "therefore" and "must" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.