Be strong (1743) (endunamoo from en = in + dunamóo = strengthen) in simple terms means to put power in (like a car needs gas for power) and thus to make strong or vigorous, to strengthen (active voice) or to be (passive voice) strengthened, enabled or empowered. This word is found only in biblical and ecclesiastical Greek. The idea is to cause one to be able to function or do something. It can refer to physical strengthening as in (Heb 11:34-note) but more often endunamoo refers to spiritual or moral strengthening as in the case of Abraham who with respect to the (humanly speaking impossible) promise of God (of the birth of Isaac in his old age by Sarah), he did not waver (was not divided, did not vacillate between two opinions - belief and unbelief - implies mental struggle) in unbelief, but grew strong (endunamoo - was endued with strength or empowered) in faith (Godly faith is not full understanding but full trust), giving glory to God (Ro 4:20-note) Isaac was the result of a biological miracle performed by God in answer to Abraham’s faith. Godly faith glorifies God and thus the One Who even gives the faith receives all the glory. Dunamóo is derived from dúnamis which means to be able or to have power (Click for in depth word study of dunamis). Related Resource: Wayne Barber on endunamoo Dúnamis refers to inherent strength residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. The best spiritual example is the "gospel" which is the inherent, omnipotent power of God operating in the salvation of a lost soul that accepts it. Dúnamis (Click for study of dunamis) means power in the sense of that which overcomes resistance or effects a change. Dúnamis is used in the NT to speak of miracles or supernatural acts which have in them the inherent power of God or in which one sees His supernatural power exerted in their performance. Endunamoo - 7x in NAS = Acts 9:22; Ro 4:20; Eph. 6:10; Phil 4:13-note; 1Ti 1:12; 2Ti 2:1; 2Ti 4:17-note. NAS = grew strong, 1; increasing in strength, 1; strengthened, 2; strengthens, 1; strong, 2. Endunamoo is used only once in the Septuagint (Lxx) in the description of Gideon as he was being prepared for battle... Judges 6:34 So the Spirit of the LORD came upon (Hebrew = labash = wrap around by implication to put on a garment or clothe oneself, array, used figuratively of "clothing" one's self with the Holy Spirit! Lxx = endunamoo - strengthened or empowered) Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. Comment: What a beautiful parallel between being clothed with Holy Spirit and being empowered for spiritual work! Surely this is a pattern all God's servants should seek to emulate - being continually filled with and strengthened inwardly by the Spirit of Christ, for just as surely apart from Him and His enablement, the servant, no matter how sincere and diligent in his own strength, can accomplish absolutely nothing of eternal value (Jn 15:5), nothing which brings glory to the Lord (Mt 5:16-note). In calling on Timothy to "be strong", note that Paul is not telling Timothy to "gut it up" and summon up his own natural strength. Paul is asking him to "be strengthened" to be made strong, which speaks not of natural but of supernatural strength to carry out supernatural "good works." Timothy is to let the Lord's grace give him the needed strength. Endunamoo is not in the active but the passive voice, which indicates that Paul is not telling Timothy to be strong in his own strength (as would be active voice indicating the subject performs the action in this case of making himself strong). The passive voice indicates that the source of strengthening comes from without or from a source independent of the subject, specifically from the supernatural grace that is in Christ and that Timothy (and all saints) need to "tap in to" daily and even moment by moment. Wuest tries to picture the idea translating it "be clothed with inward strength". Paul is saying be strengthened or be made strong. Do you see the important distinction brought out by the passive voice? THINK ABOUT YOUR CAR...YOU DRIVE UP TO THE GAS STATION WHEN YOU ARE LOW ON FUEL....YOU PUT THE GAS IN YOUR CAR...YOUR CAR'S ENGINE IS "STRENGTHENED" BY POWER FROM A SOURCE THAT IS OUTSIDE THE CAR. Paul issues this important directive as a command (imperative mood) to be carried out continually (present tense). Timothy is to be like a "vessel" and to allow the Lord to fill him with His power and strength. Remember that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6-note) and that when we are weak (in our strength), then and only then are we strong (His strength)! (2Cor 12:9) So even though endunamoo is passive voice, this experience of being made strong still involves "co-operation" of the one being strengthened. In other words, the believer is not just a passive recipient of this strength, but must actively, continually appropriate (trust in, rely on, submit to, surrender to, yield to) the source of strength that comes from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. It is not simply "Let go and let God." The believer is not simply a passive recipient of Christ's strength, but must willingly receive, continually rely and depend on the Source of strength in God's "grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" (2Ti 1:9 -note). Jerry Bridges explains be strengthened this way... Grammatically, Paul’s words be strengthened (be strong in) are in the form of what we may call “a passive imperative.” The passive voice indicates something done to us, not by us, while the imperative mood is used to command someone to do something. When we want someone to do something, we ordinarily use the active voice, not the passive. For example, when Paul urged Timothy to “preach (present imperative) the word” (2Ti 4:2-note), he used the active imperative. But Paul’s words be strengthened indicate that something is to be done to Timothy. He’s to be strengthened by something outside himself. That something is “the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (Ed: How is this grace "distributed" to believers today? Through the effective working of the indwelling Spirit of Christ, the "Spirit of Grace" [Heb 10:29b]) We usually associate grace with the first bookend (Ed: Christ's Perfect Righteousness Imputed or Reckoned to the believer's "spiritual account"), thinking of verses like Ephesians 2:8-note: “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” But grace in the New Testament is actually much broader—it includes all the blessings God has given us through Christ. Those blessings can generally be classified under two categories: privileges and power. The grace in 2Timothy 2:1 is the blessing of power. It’s the same category of grace we see in 2Corinthians 12:9-note as the Lord tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient [continually enough, continually suffices] for you, for my power [dunamis -supernatural inherent ability to accomplish] is made perfect in weakness,” and Paul responds, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power [dunamis] of Christ may rest upon me.” Here God equates His grace with His power; power that can be experienced only through human weakness. So when Paul wanted Timothy to be strengthened by the same divine power he had experienced, he urged Timothy to be strengthened by grace. How is Timothy to respond to this command? By faith (Ed: Which includes renouncing confidence in our own natural "power" and relying wholly on the Holy Spirit's supernatural enabling power) he’s to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit (Ed: Reliance) instead of his own resolutions, self-effort, or will-power (Ed: Renunciation). He is to acknowledge that without Christ he can do nothing (John 15:5). Just as he must look outside himself to Christ’s righteousness for his standing before God (Ed: "Bookend" #1), he must also look outside himself to the power of the Holy Spirit for his strength to live the Christian life. And the same is true for us. (The Bookends of the Christian Life -Jerry Bridges, Bob Bevington) (Ebook) (Highly recommended if you are truly seeking to "walk the talk"!) (Consider using this book for a Bible Study - you can download a free Study Guide The Bookends of the Christian Life) (Bolding added) Comment: Jerry Bridges' preceding lucid, logical explanation begs several questions: "Are you frustrated with your Christian life?" "Do you feel powerless over certain sins in your life?" "Who are you relying on to live the supernatural life you have been called to live to the glory of God?" Remember that Paul has already told Timothy that God has...given you a spirit of...power. (2Ti 1:7-note) and yet here we see that Timothy and you and I are to believe and receive and walk in the power (experience it = "experiential truth") that is already ours (by virtue of our position - "in Christ"! = "positional truth") because of the sure promise of God Who cannot lie (Nu 23:19, Malachi 3:6-note). In other words Timothy doesn't so much need to pray for power but he needs to learn to rely and totally depend on the power that is available to him in Christ, Whose Spirit indwells him (Ro 8:9-note) and Who is the source of that power which os based on grace (it's unmerited). Does this make sense? If not see (2Ti 2:7-note) where God says if we continually consider (continually seek to understand, giving careful consideration to) what Paul writes, He will give us understanding into these truths so vital to the "victorious" Christian walk (So let us humble ourselves and ask Him to do just that beloved)! Paul teaches a similar truth in issuing a command (present imperative) to the saints at Ephesus to prepare them for the intense spiritual war with their powerful (but not omnipotent) supernatural foe, the devil.. be (passive voice ~ indicates this enablement comes from without, from God) strong (endunamoo - present tense = continually be strengthened with supernatural enabling power) in (Notice the Source - in) the Lord...(Why?) for (term of explanation) our struggle is not against flesh and blood... (Ep 6:10-note, Eph 6:11-note, Eph 6:12-note, also see sermon on Ep 6:10,12). Luke uses this same verb in describing Paul's conversion writing that Saul kept (imperfect tense) increasing in strength (endunamoo - passive voice = was being empowered - progressively increasing in strength as Jewish opposition grew) and confounding (this word in English implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement) the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving ("knitting together" - continually putting together in his mind the OT clues and concluding Jesus was the Messiah) that this Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:22) In his first letter to Timothy Paul (probably alluding to his empowerment in Acts) thanked Christ Jesus our Lord, Who" had "strengthened (endunamoo)" him, because He considered (him) faithful, putting (him) into service. (1Ti 1:12) God’s sovereign purpose for Paul and for all believers works through personal faith. Until Paul was turned by the Holy Spirit from self-righteous works to faith alone in Christ, he could not be empowered and used by God. In his last words to Timothy, Paul illustrated his personal example of being strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus writing that in the face of everyone deserting him (as might happen to Timothy or any disciple who retains the standard of sound words), the Lord stood with me (fulfilling His promise never to “leave or forsake” His children) and strengthened (endunamoo) me, in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the lion's mouth. (2Ti 4:17-note) Paul is saying to Timothy in essence that "in your weakness He will be your strength". It is worth noting that endunamoo is used in (Acts 9:22) at the beginning of Paul's public ministry, where we noted above that he "kept increasing in strength" and then is used here in 2 Timothy 4:17 which marks the end of his public ministry—a poignant picture of this Paul's continual dependence upon the sustaining strength of the Lord! SELF SUFFICIENT IN CHRIST'S SUFFICIENCY! Paul reminds the saints at Philippi that he had learned the secret of contentment (Php 4:11, 12-note) I can do all things through Him Who strengthens (endunamoo - continually strengthens) him (Php 4:13-note). Comment: Notice the balance in this passage - Our part is to "do" (albeit even that is enabled by the Spirit!) and God's part is to continually enable us by His Spirit Who indwells us. We can't "do" unless He first "does"! Jettison any hope or aspiration that you can do anything of eternal value in your strength - replace your self reliance with Spirit reliance. How? By faith. By believing He will enable you to do whatever it is He prompts you to do. You still have the choice to say "Yes" or "No." God will not force you (He might discipline you but He will not force you!) I like how the Amplified Version paraphrases Php 4:13... I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him (Ed: Christ is the "key" - His indwelling Spirit Ro 8:9) Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. Comment: To be sure it Christ in us the Hope of Glory but according to Paul it is the Spirit of Christ and so the Spirit is the Member of the Trinity Who enables us. However since the Trinity is a unity, the entire Godhead is involved as the great Puritan writer John Owen explained... Everything God does He does as the triune God. Each Person of the Trinity is involved in every action of God. Yet at the same time each Person has a special role to fulfill in that work....There is no good that we receive from God but it is brought to us and wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. Nor is there in us any good towards God, any faith, love, obedience to His will, but what we are enabled (Ed: Note not "helped" which implies we have some ability and just need a little "push" but enabled) to do so by the Holy Spirit. (Pneumatologia, Or, A Discourse Concerning the Holy Spirit) John MacArthur notes commenting on this passage in Philippians adds that Paul does not... mean that he could physically survive indefinitely without food, water, sleep, or shelter. What he is saying is that when he reached the limit of his resources and strength, even to the point of death, he was infused with the strength of Christ. He could overcome the most dire physical difficulties because of the inner, spiritual strength God had given him. (MacArthur, J. Philippians. Chicago: Moody Press) Dear reader. Are you weak today? in distress? insulted? in difficulty? persecuted? Then consider imitating Paul and "boast" about it for you are on the pathway of empowerment, for He (Jesus) has said My grace is sufficient (adequate, enough, possessing unfailing strength, sufficing) for you, for power (dunamis) is perfected (teleo - word study) - present tense = continually perfected, brought to the intended end) in weakness. To which Paul responded Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power (dunamis) of Christ may dwell in me...for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Cor 12:9,10) Let us therefore humbly submit to and thankfully accept (this is very difficult for me and a lesson I have to continually "re-learn") the circumstances and/or people God sends into our life as the vessels He will use to cause us to continually rely on His grace and His power (dunamis). The flow of God’s power into the believer’s life Compared with the issue of physical health by Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Now I suggest that that is analogous to this whole subject of power in one’s life as a Christian. Health is something that results from right living. Health cannot be obtained directly or immediately or in and of itself. There is a sense in which I am prepared to say that a man should not think of his health as such at all. Health is the result of right living, and I say exactly the same thing about this question of power in our Christian lives. Or let me use another illustration. Take this question of preaching. No subject is discussed more often than power in preaching. “Oh, that I might have power in preaching,” says the preacher and he goes on his knees and prays for power. I think that that may be quite wrong. It certainly is if it is the only thing that the preacher does. The way to have power is to prepare your message carefully. Study the Word of God, think it out, analyze it, put it in order, do your utmost. That is the message God is most likely to bless—the indirect approach rather than the direct. It is exactly the same in this matter of power and ability to live the Christian life. In addition to our prayer for power and ability we must obey certain primary rules and laws. I can therefore summarize the teaching like this. The secret of power is to discover and to learn from the New Testament what is possible for us in Christ. What I have to do is to go to Christ. I must spend my time with Him. I must meditate upon Him, I must get to know Him. That was Paul’s ambition—“that I might know Him.” I must maintain my contact and communion with Christ and I must concentrate on knowing Him. What else? I must do exactly what He tells me. I must avoid things that would hamper. If in the midst of persecution we want to feel as Paul felt, we must live as Paul lived. I must do what He tells me, both to do and not to do. I must read the Bible, I must exercise, I must practise the Christian life, I must live the Christian life in all its fullness. --from Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure: page 298-99, 1965 "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/2_timothy_21-7.htm#Be%20strong%20(1743)%20endunamoo