Category: 2 TImothy

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2 TImothy

Though we may stand alone

Paul before Nero

I can’t help but think that Paul felt the same thing Jesus did during his trial.

Like Jesus, Paul stood alone when he stood on trial for his life. All the people he could have reasonably expected to support him were nowhere to be seen.

And perhaps in remembering Jesus’ response to those who had failed him and his prayer at the cross, Paul now prayed,

May it not be held against them. (2 Timothy 4:16)

But how was Paul able to stand facing the hostile “lions” in court?

Paul tells us.

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. (17)

Though Paul was abandoned by all his friends, he still sensed the Lord’s presence by his side. More, he sensed the Spirit working in him as he gave his defense, just as Jesus had promised his disciples. (Mark 13:11)

And so even in the midst of a trial to condemn him, Paul boldly preached the gospel.

But on top of that was the hope that Paul had. He said,

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (18)

Paul wasn’t saying that he believed God would spare his life. He fully believed his time had come and that he would die. (6)

But he knew that though the Romans could kill his body, they could not touch his soul. He was fully confident that God would take his soul to be with Christ forever. And because of that, he had peace.

How about you? Do you have the confidence, hope, and assurance that Paul had?

As I said before, Jesus never promised an easy life. On the contrary, he promised that we would face trouble. (John 16:33)

But in the midst of the fire, remember that Jesus is with you. Though everyone else may abandon you, he never will. And though your very life may be taken from you, he will guide you safely home.

So whatever you’re going through, hang in there. Don’t give up. Instead,

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

And as Paul prayed, so I pray for you now.

The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. (22)

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2 TImothy

The unfaithful, the faithful, the restored, and the condemned

2 Timothy

As we near the end of this letter, Paul mentions several different types of people, the unfaithful, the faithful, the restored, and the condemned.

Demas, unfortunately, was one of the unfaithful. He had worked with Paul previously (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 1:24), but Paul now says of him,

Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. (2 Timothy 4:10)

What exactly pulled Demas away, we are not sure.

Perhaps it was the lure of money and wealth. Perhaps it was falling in love with a non-Christian woman.

Or perhaps it simply was that he was tired of suffering for the sake of Christ. He had seen Paul go through much suffering, and after suffering along with him for many years, decided he had had enough.

Others, however, were faithful not only to Paul, but to Christ. We see this in Crescens and Titus who apparently were sent by Paul to do the Lord’s work elsewhere, and Luke, Paul’s constant companion and perhaps personal physician.

Then there’s Mark. This is the same man that Paul once argued with Barnabas about in Acts 15.

Paul had considered Mark unreliable because he had deserted them on an earlier missionary journey, but Barnabas wanted to give him a second chance.

As a result, Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways.

But now, Paul says of Mark,

Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (11)

Mark had proven Paul wrong, and learning from his past failures, now had shown himself to be a faithful servant of the Lord, and Paul acknowledged him as such.

Finally, we see Alexander. What harm exactly he caused Paul, we don’t know.

If he was the same Alexander from I Timothy 1:20, perhaps his excommunication from the church had caused him to turn Paul into the Romans who were now persecuting Christians openly under Nero.

Whatever the case, Paul said of him,

The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. (14-15)

Here we see two principals concerning those who oppose us and the gospel. First, place them in God’s hands. Don’t let bitterness consume you or cause you to try to take revenge.

But second, forgiveness doesn’t mean you just let someone hurt you again and again. We need to keep our guard up against such people until they repent

But the main question is, what kind of person are you?

Are you like Demas? You came to faith in Jesus, and at first things were great. But now, other things are pulling you away from Christ.

Are the things of this world causing you to be unfaithful to him? Are hardships causing you to think about giving up?

Don’t give in to those temptations. This world, with its pleasures and trials are only temporary. So be faithful. Shoot for the eternal, not what will last only a short time.

Are you like Mark? Have you failed in the past and feel like you can’t be used anymore for the Lord’s work.

Remember that God is the God who restores.

He restored Peter and the rest of the disciples when they failed Jesus before the cross.

He restored Mark.

And he can restore you. All you need to do is repent.

Are you like Alexander, hardened against God and the gospel?

Be warned. God is patient, but as things are you stand condemned. Repent before it’s too late.

And for all of us who are in Christ Jesus, through everything we go through in life, let us as Paul said in Romans,

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

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2 TImothy

Finishing the race

Finishing the race

I don’t know if Paul could have given a stronger charge to Timothy than he does here.

Paul foresaw a time when people would no longer put up with sound doctrine. Rather, they would simply gather to themselves teachers who would say whatever they want to hear.

He foresaw a time when people would stop listening to truth, and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Sound familiar? We’re here.

And it would be so easy for us as teachers and as laypeople to simply go with the flow. To compromise Christ’s teaching.

But Paul tells us what he told Timothy.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction. (1-2)

As I said, a strong charge. He gives us this charge, reminding us that even now we stand in the presence of God and of Christ who will judge us.

He charges us in view of the fact that Jesus will come back someday and set up his kingdom. What is this charge?

Preach the Word. Not just the parts people like to hear. All of it, giving the full counsel of God, even if it’s unpleasant to hear.

He says, “be prepared in season and out of season.” Essentially what he’s saying is, “Preach the Word whether it is convenient or inconvenient.

It’s not always convenient to preach the Word. Sometimes we’re in a hurry to do other things. We have our schedules; we have our plans. But God brings someone into our path that needs to hear what He has to say.

Sometimes it’s not “convenient” because we know what we say will agitate the other person and upset them.

But Paul says, “You stand before God and before Christ. He will come back, he will set up his kingdom, and when he does, he will judge you and them. So whether it’s convenient or not, preach the Word.

Correct them. When they have a false view of the truth or of what’s right and wrong, correct their way of thinking.

Rebuke them. If they fall into sin or are teetering on the brink, warn them of the consequences that they might repent.

Encourage them. When they feel like giving up because of hardship, encourage them to keep their eyes on Jesus and not give up.

And in the face of a world that rejects truth and persecutes those who preach it, Paul tells us,

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (5)

Though false teachers abound, though we may face trials, don’t panic.

Endure what hardship you go through, boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ, and fulfill the ministry God has given you, namely to touch the lives God has put in your life.

Finally, Paul tells us, “It’s up to you now. My life’s work is finished. I have fought the good fight for God. I have finished the race he has given me. And I have not compromised the faith I preach through everything I’ve been through.

“Now I await my reward, the crown of righteousness that Christ will award to me on the day of judgment.” (5-8)

But then he adds, “That crown is not only for me. But it is for all who have longed for his appearing.” (8b)

How about you? Are you longing for his appearing? Are you truly praying, “Your kingdom come?”

How you finish this race depends on how you answer that question.

Where is your heart?

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2 TImothy

Though things go from bad to worse

riots and world getting worse

If anyone thinks that this world will get any better, they’re not reading the same Bible I am.

Until the day Christ comes back, things will get progressively worse. And that shows most starkly in the ungodliness of the people in this world, even those claiming to be Christians.

And Paul’s words seem more real to me now than they did even ten or twenty years ago. Paul says,

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13)

Paul doesn’t say that people who want to live a godly life may be persecuted, or could possibly be persecuted. He said they will be persecuted.

Why? Because evil men and false Christians will go from bad to worse. Those who are teachers deceive, teaching things contrary to the Word of God, and those who listen are falling for everything they say.

The result is a more and more corrupt morality and a more and more corrupt world. And with that corruption comes a hatred for anyone that will dare shine the light of God’s word into that darkness. Jesus himself said,

Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

We see this clearly in the world today. Everything is tolerated…except the Word of God.

Paul in his day experienced that hatred. He reminds Timothy of all that he went through for the sake of the light, and he warns him, “This is not an aberration. It will not only continue, but get worse as people fall further and further into darkness.”

How are we to respond in the face of this darkness? Paul tells us.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)

In short, hold on to the truth. Though people may turn from the truth, though people may try to extinguish it by persecuting you, hold on to the truth and keep proclaiming it. Why is it so important to hold on to God’s word?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

God’s word is our life. And it equips us for every good work that we do in the face of this darkness. It’s the sword that can pierce the heart and banish the darkness in the souls of people.

More, it teaches us what is right, rebukes us when we are wrong, picks us up when we fall, and trains us to be godly.

And finally, it gives us the strength to endure anything we go through in this dark world as God himself through his Spirit whispers his words of life into our souls.

Jesus never promised an easy life if we follow him. He said,

In this world you will have trouble. (John 16:33)

If you stand up for the truth, if you shine the light into this dark world, you will find trouble. But continue to hold to the light. Don’t let the darkness extinguish it from your soul. And as Jesus said,

Take heart! I have overcome the world. (John  16:33b)

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2 TImothy

A mere form of godliness

2 Timothy

There are many people in this world who are religious. Who go to church, a mosque, a synagogue, a shrine, or a temple.

They perform religious rituals, praying, reading their sacred scriptures, and perhaps even giving up some of their money. And yet, though they may look pious, they are rejected by God.

Why? Because though they may have the form of godliness, that’s all it is: the outward appearance of godliness, empowered by their own efforts or even hypocrisy.

All the while, however, these people deny the power of God himself in their lives.

Some deny it by denying God himself. They turn away from the truth that is found in Jesus Christ. They follow instead the teachings of Buddha, Muhammad, or other religious leaders.

But while these people may have some truth or some good interspersed with these teachings, they deny Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father.

All the righteousness they may have are mere filthy rags to God because they have denied his Son and reject the cross upon which he died.

More, they deny the resurrection power that could transform them and bring true righteousness into their lives.

Others claim to be Christians. They claim to follow Christ. But it is a mere charade.

Instead, they are actually, “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:2-4)

They too have the form of godliness. They go to church. They smile and sing and pray and tithe. But their lives are an empty shell, devoid of the power of God in their lives.

Some of these people are teachers. But Paul compares them to Jannes and Jambres, the two magicians that opposed Moses in Egypt. They boasted great power from their gods, but their claims proved empty when confronted with the living God.

Others are are “learners.” But because they never come to the truth because they have already rejected it. They hear only what they want to hear, and filter everything else out.

You cannot claim true godliness when you have rejected Jesus Christ himself. And you cannot claim true godliness when all you have is a religious show that has no effect on your heart.

Paul said the time was coming, terrible times, when more and more people will be like this. We are here. We are in those times. All you have to do is to look at the world around us and you’ll know it’s true.

And when Jesus comes, he will separate the wheat from the tares. He will separate those who have the mere form of godliness from those who are truly his own, who are day by day being transformed by the power of God into his likeness.

When he comes, what will he find in you?

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2 TImothy

To be a good teacher

2 Timothy

As I look at this passage, I am challenged as to the kind of teacher I should be.

What does it take to be a good teacher of the Word of God?

1. Pass on what you know.

Especially pass it on to the next generation of teachers after you.

You won’t be here forever. So make sure that the wisdom and knowledge God has given you doesn’t die with you. (2 Timothy 2:2)

2. Be faithful in your life and your teaching.

Don’t compromise either in the face of persecution or suffering.

Remember who your commanding officer is. Remember who you are trying to please.

You cannot please God if you are trying to please people. Too often, when we try to please people, we end up compromising our lives and our message. (3-4)

3. Work hard at your preaching.

Know the rules of interpreting scripture. Know how to rightly interpret God’s word and then present it in a way that people can understand.

And know that if you do so, you will reap the fruit of that in the changed lives of the people you teach. (5-6, 15)

4. Ponder over the words of God.

Don’t just gloss over them, thinking you already know what they mean. Meditate on them. And God will give you insight that you didn’t expect. (7)

5. Remember Jesus Christ in your messages.

Remember to make him the center of all that you teach. Keep the gospel that changes lives central to all that you say. (8-9)

6. Seek the salvation of those you teach.

Don’t just seek to win arguments. Seek to win souls.

Show people that you genuinely care about them, and don’t simply want to win an argument.

Correct people when they’re wrong, but with gentleness, praying that God may grant them repentance.

They are not the enemy. They themselves have been captured by the Enemy and God wants to set them free. (10, 24-26)

7. Don’t get involved in pointless arguments.

There are some arguments that generate a great deal of heat and very little light. Avoid them. (14, 23)

8. Flee from the false teaching that infects many churches today, teaching that would deny the Word of God and all it stands for.

That kind of teaching will spread quickly and infect all who hear it, destroying them. And you will be held responsible. (16-17)

9. Finally, be sure that you yourself are a clean vessel that God can use.

Flee impurity. More, pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. (20-22)

How about you? What kind of teacher are you?

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2 TImothy

The grace to endure

Paul in prison

One of the reasons Paul asked Timothy to come visit him was that many people had abandoned him, and except for a precious few, he was all alone.

For every Onesiphorus who went out of his way to find out where Paul was imprisoned to encourage him, there were many more such as Phygelus and Hermogenes who had abandoned him. (1:15-18).

Why did these two abandon Paul? Possibly because of the persecution that had landed him in prison, and the fear that they might end up like him.

Perhaps they had tried to hang in there for a while, but in the end, they had been pushed past their ability to endure and left.

Many people are like that today. They become Christians, and when all is well, they are filled with joy. But when trials come, though they may try to endure for a time, eventually they fall away.

How does that happen? It happens because they forget the grace by which they were called to live, and instead try to live on their own strength. And when their own strength fails, they have nothing left to lean on.

It’s very easy to look at verses like those in chapter 2 verses 3-6 and think, “I have to do this on my own strength. I have to be the good soldier. I have to train hard and keep all the rules. I have to pour all my strength into this work God has given me.”

But in putting all your focus on what you have to do, you forget where your strength comes from.

We in short forget what Paul said before all his words about being a soldier, athlete, and farmer. He said,

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

What does that mean? Most people tend to skip over it because it’s not as easily understood as being a good soldier, athlete, or farmer.

But it’s absolutely vital.

You see, it was by grace you were saved. Not by your own efforts. And it is by grace that we are to live each day.

Just as you depend on God for your salvation, you need to depend on God as you live your daily life. And especially as you face hardships and persecution.

Yes, we are to seek to please God and not get caught up in the things of this world. Yes, we are to do the things he has asked us if we are to receive a heavenly reward. Yes, we are to work hard, knowing that our labor will not be in vain.

But if our focus is on “I have to do this in my own strength,” we are destined to fail.

We were saved by grace. And we are to live each day by grace.

That is, we are to live by the Spirit that God has given us to dwell in our hearts, the Spirit who gives us power, fills us with love, and gives us the self-discipline we need to do his will. (2 Timothy 1:7)

That’s why Paul tells Timothy,

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. (8-9)

In other words, in all your struggles to endure, remember Jesus Christ.

Remember he is your starting point and your ending point. He is the one God promised to redeem us from our sin. He is the one who was raised from the dead and gives us life.

And ultimately, he is the one who will bring us through our trials, and take us with him into glory. Remember that. Don’t try to make it through these trials on your own.

And then Paul reminded Timothy. “Yes I am chained. I am weak. I can be bound. But God’s word is not chained (9).

“His work will be accomplished. And it is with that hope that I continue my work in the face of death. Because I know that through me, people will come to faith in Christ and find the grace that you and I have both found.”

He then closes with a hymn of encouragement. Encouragement to endure. Encouragement at the faithfulness of Christ. Paul sang,

If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.

If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (12-13)

It’s fitting that he finishes that hymn with a word of grace. For our ability to endure starts with grace and ends with it.

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2 TImothy

Because we have hope

Paul

Although there are two more letters from Paul to go through after this one, this was the last letter Paul ever wrote.

And it’s a very poignant one, because it came at a time when Paul knew he was going to die.

Unlike other times when he was in prison, and he was reasonably sure he would be set free (Philippians 1:23-26), he had no such hopes this time.

Nero had started his persecution of the church, and it looked like Paul himself was going to be executed. And in fact, he was.

And so he wrote this letter to a young man he had mentored for many years.

One purpose was to ask Timothy to visit him before he died.

But it was also to encourage him not to be discouraged by all the persecution and trials that were going on, and to continue to be faithful in his love and service toward God.

From the very beginning of this letter you see this. Here was a man on death row for preaching the gospel. And in the very first line, he says,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:1)

The promise of life.

In the face of death, Paul had the promise of life.

Why?

He tells us in verse 9-10 as he talks about how God displayed his own purpose and his grace toward us through Jesus Christ. And now through Jesus, he has “abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel.”

So many people fear death because they don’t know what lies beyond it. But Paul knew. He had seen heaven itself (II Corinthians 12:1-4).

And he knew that there was life beyond the grave. That just as Christ was raised from the dead, so will we, and we will be clothed with immortality.

And on that day, we will sing, “”Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Corinthians 15:55)

It was because of this hope that he preached this gospel he had been entrusted with. And it was why, though he suffered for the gospel, he could say,

Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

Paul knew his work and his suffering were not in vain. But he laid all these things in God’s hands, knowing that he would be rewarded someday.

Because of this assurance, and because he was certain that Timothy had the same faith, and the same Spirit dwelling within him, he told Timothy,

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (6-7)

Perhaps Timothy was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by everything, by the problems he was facing in the Ephesian church, by his mentor facing his death. Perhaps he was tempted to just give up.

But Paul encouraged him, “Hey, God gave you the Holy Spirit in your life. And he is not a spirit of weakness or timidity. Rather, he is the Spirit that gives power, fills you with love, and the ability to be faithful to Christ in your work and your life.

Because of this, Paul charged Timothy,

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (8)

And again.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (13-14)

In other words, keep on keeping on. And know that you don’t have to do it alone. I may soon leave you. But the Holy Spirit is living in you and he will help you.

How about you? Are you discouraged by the way this world is going? By how ungodly it is becoming? By the troubles that are coming into your life because of your faith in God?

Don’t lose heart. God has his purposes and they will not be thwarted. Satan tried to thwart them and thought he had done so at the cross, only to find out that it was his ultimate defeat.

Now we have the hope of life. More, we have God’s promise of life. So let us hold on to what we have been taught, and continue walking in faith, filled with the love of Christ, and sharing that love with all we meet.