What does 2 Timothy 2:6 mean?

Paul has discussed his own life (2 Timothy 2:1–2), a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3–4), and an athlete (2 Timothy 2:5). He now shifts to "the hard-working farmer." Interestingly, Paul qualifies this category by presenting a particular type of farmer, one who is hard-working. Not every person who worked on a farm in Timothy's day was devoted to it. Yet those who were devoted had a right to expect compensation for their efforts.

The stereotype of the hard-working farmer exists for a reason, and this has been a common analogy from ancient times until today. A hard-working farmer is known for rising early in the morning, attending to a variety of important issues throughout the day, and sometimes even tending to problems in the evening. The saying, "A farmer's work is never done," has become popular for this very reason. A hard-working farmer always seems to be either at work, or thinking about what work is next.

At the same time, despite the farmer's efforts, he is dependent on God to produce the harvest: "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains" (James 5:7). Likewise, the Christian is called to work hard, to suffer when necessary, yet depend on God for the results.