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There are some who would refer the word "first" in II Tim. 2: 6 to the verb "toiling"
rather than to the verb "partaking". It is a truth, certainly, that the husbandman must toil
first before he can partake of the fruits, but it seems fairly certain that the meaning of the
Apostle here is that, having toiled, he ought to be "a first-partaker" of the fruits (See
Companion Bible). Valpy is of the opposite opinion, which is however shared neither by
the A.V. nor the R.V. Conybeare and Howson say: "The Authorized Version, not its
margin, is here correct" and translate: "The husbandman who toils must share the fruits
of the ground before the idler." This is the thought of the Apostle in all his references to
the prize, the out-resurrection, the better resurrection, etc. Wordsworth's note is:
"The Apostle here alludes to that system of husbandry, according to which the
georgos, or tenant, who tilled the ground, was allowed to participate with the landlord in
the fruits of the soil, such as wine, oil, corn--and paid a portion to the landlord as rent
(Matt. 21: 34) . . . . . according to his kopos (labour) so will his karpos (fruit) be."
We trust these notes will have brought before the reader with some clearness not only
the three figures themselves, but a realization of the Apostle's intention in the choice of
them.
Before concluding let us set out the threefold figure, together with the particular points
that the Apostle desired to make.
The GOOD SOLDIER . . .
Endurance . . .
Non-entanglement.
The ATHLETE . . .
The Crown . . .
Keeping the rules.
The HUSBANDMAN . . .
Toil . . .
First partaker of fruits.
It will be seen that the three figures, having served their purpose, can be expunged,
thus throwing into relief the three words which embody the teaching upon which the
exhortations are based.
We must in our next article see how these figures with their associated qualities are
connected with the remainder of the passage. Meanwhile it will be a healthy exercise for
us all to search our own hearts and ways to see how far we conform, by abounding grace,
to either or all of these examples. Unless there be a fairly close conformity, our attitude
should be that of the Apostle who wondered whether, after all, he would be reckoned to
be adokimos, and therefore not be allowed even to start the contest.