Second Timothy 2:10 says that Paul keeps going through suffering so that people God has chosen can come to salvation in Christ Jesus and share in His eternal glory. The verse explains why Paul endures chains and hardship: his endurance is aimed at other people’s good, not his own. The words come from the apostle Paul, who is writing a letter to his younger co-worker Timothy, and they speak of the believers who will hear the gospel through Paul’s ministry.
Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2 Timothy 2:10 (WEB)
What 2 Timothy 2:10 Means
The opening word “Therefore” links this verse to what comes just before it. Paul has said that the message of God is not chained, even though he himself is in chains. Because of that, he is willing to keep enduring. “I endure all things” means he accepts whatever comes, including imprisonment, rejection and physical danger, without giving up the work. The phrase “for the chosen ones’ sake” tells us the reason: Paul’s suffering is not about proving himself but about serving the people God is calling to faith.
The verse then names the goal. “That they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” describes what Paul hopes will happen for those he serves. Salvation is rooted in Christ, and it leads to a future shared with God in glory. The verse does not promise that every hardship will end quickly or that suffering will be pleasant. It says that God uses faithful endurance to bring others to Christ, and that the final outcome is secure in Him.
The Context of 2 Timothy 2:10
Second Timothy is the last letter traditionally attributed to Paul. He wrote it from prison, probably near the end of his life, and it reads like a personal charge to Timothy, a leader in the church at Ephesus. Paul urges Timothy to hold to sound teaching, to remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, and to be willing to suffer for the gospel just as Paul does.
Verses 7 through 13 form a short passage about endurance. Paul first reminds Timothy of Christ’s resurrection, then describes his own chains, then says that God’s word is not bound. Verse 10 sits in the middle of this, and it reads as Paul’s reason for staying faithful under pressure. The verses that follow, including the trustworthy saying in verses 11 through 13, add that enduring with Christ leads to reigning with Him, which gives the whole passage a steady, hopeful tone.
Key Phrases in 2 Timothy 2:10
Colossians 1:24
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly…
(WEB)
Paul writes that he rejoices in his sufferings for the church, seeing them as a way of serving the body of Christ. Like 2 Timothy 2:10, it connects Paul’s hardship with the good of others.
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.
(WEB)
Paul sets present sufferings against the glory that will be revealed. This verse helps explain the “eternal glory” that 2 Timothy 2:10 holds before the reader.
A Short Prayer From 2 Timothy 2:10
Lord, you see the weight of the things we are asked to carry, and you know the people we are trying to serve. Give us the steady courage to keep going when the way is hard, and the humility to offer our endurance for the good of others. Let our faithfulness point them toward Christ Jesus, the source of their salvation and the hope of eternal glory. Keep us anchored in you, especially on the days when it feels like our efforts are unseen. Amen.
