Daily Writing

Wednesday, 28 February 2018

To Timothy, a beloved son:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Timothy 1:2

After having identified himself and his commission, Paul now identifies the main recipient of the letter, Timothy. As noted, based on the apostolic identification of himself, something Timothy was perfectly aware of, the letter was certainly intended to be for more than just Timothy. He was to have it available for any and all to see and read. It is an epistle of church doctrine as much as it is a personal letter.

However, it is still a personal letter, written “To Timothy, a beloved son.” These words are similar to his opening words to Timothy in his first epistle to him. The only change is that “a beloved son” here was “a true son in the faith” there. The word translated here as “beloved” is the Greek work agapétos. It signifies “divinely loved.” Paul truly love Timothy as a “son,” and the bonds were as strong as if Timothy was Paul’s own legitimate offspring. As he personally took Timothy under his wings, and as Timothy stayed with him while so many others departed, the bond was all the stronger.

In Acts 16:3, Paul even circumcised Timothy in order to ensure that the Jews would be more responsive to the message of Christ. It was not a means of making Timothy acceptable for salvation, but a means of ensuring that Timothy would be properly accepted by those Jews who needed to hear the gospel message of Christ. In circumcising him, it would eliminate pre-judgments about Timothy’s status. In other words, it was a helpful tool for evangelism.

Next, after having identified himself and his recipient, he adds in his greeting which is a close match to 1 Timothy, “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Unlike his other epistles, in his three pastoral epistles, he adds in the word “mercy.” As the letter is written to Timothy, the words apply to him, not to Paul.

Paul petitions for “mercy” in his pastorals because he knew it is a job which requires a great deal of mercy from God. It is a delicate, complicated, often frustrating, always tiring, and very sensitive job. Where those under a pastor often feel it necessary to heap trouble on him, mercy is all-the-more necessary from the other direction. Without this endowment from God, the job will quickly lay low the pastor of strongest faith and resolve. Therefore, Paul petitions for these things – grace, mercy, and peace to be bestowed upon his beloved son in the faith. And the petition is “from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul speaks of God as “the Father.” This then is in line with the petition for grace, mercy, and peace. As a father would grant such things to his own son, so Paul knows that God will grant such things to His sons in the faith, a faith which is grounded in Christ Jesus. And as God is the Father of Jesus, the petition for grace, mercy, and peace will naturally flow from Jesus to His other true children as well. Paul’s salutation is a full example of a complete understanding of the workings of God towards His ministers who are also His sons by adoption.

Life application: The job of a pastor is a tough one, but Paul knew Timothy could handle it. And yet, he still asked for grace, mercy, and peace to be bestowed upon him. The stress of such a job requires these things. And though he is petitioning them from God, it is certain the pastor needs these things from the congregants as well. The more difficulty they lay on the pastor, the more stress he is going to be under. Therefore, as a member of a congregation, remember that your pastor’s life is full enough. Give him a bit of grace, mercy, and peace as well.

Heavenly Father, give us wisdom in how we deal with the pastors, teachers, and deacons in our churches. They have a stressful job when dealing with people, and a limited amount of time to do so. Help each of us to make their lives easier by recognizing their limitations, especially that of time, and then help us to be willing to not take up more of it than is necessary. Help our desire to speak many words be tempered with their need to hear a few less. Amen.

Tuesday, 27 February 2018

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

Welcome to the book of 2 Timothy! It is the second of the three “pastoral epistles,” and it is comprised of 83 verses. Thus, it is exactly 30 verses shorter than 1 Timothy, and it will take us (one day at a time, just as we get up each day to go about our business) a smidgen under three months to analyze it. It is hoped that you will be blessed as each verse brings marvelous insights into this beautiful epistle from the mind of God and through the hand of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul begins the epistle by identifying himself – He is Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, Timothy’s mentor, and the one with whom Timothy had traveled and fellowshipped in a close and personal manner.

He next identifies his apostleship with the words, “an apostle of Jesus Christ.” He is a messenger of the Lord, having been called by Him personally to perform this weighty duty which has been so amazingly fruitful for the past two thousand years. This is his one claim to the authority of writing a letter of doctrine, and it is with this authority that he thus writes.

After this, he notes that his apostleship is “by the will of God.” This is the same phrase as is seen in 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians. It is what further defines his calling and which affirms his authority. It also is a note of humility in that he was selected, and therefore it was not of his own merits. Instead it was by the sovereign decision of God that he is so designated an apostle. His selection was nothing he had sought after, and it was entirely unmerited. Having said that, Paul notes elsewhere that it is a calling that he could have ignored, thus demonstrating free will is included in the matter. That is found in Acts 26:19, where he says that he “was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” The implication is that he could have been disobedient to it.

He then states, “according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.” The words “according to” are not speaking of what has transpired in him, but in that which he is called to proclaim. In other words, it is the subject matter which he dealt with as an apostle. The NET Bible gives us the correct sense of what is being said (as underlined) –

“From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to further the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” NET Bible

Next, there is an article connected to “life.” Thus it more accurately reads, “the life.” There is life in mortal humans; there is life in an electric wire; and etc. Paul is being specific that what his apostleship is called to is a proclamation of “the life” which is found in Christ Jesus. It isn’t the animation of a physical body which will die someday. It is the regeneration of the spirit of man, reconnecting him to God, and granting true and eternal life to those who are united to Christ Jesus. As Paul says, this life is “in Christ Jesus.” He is the Possessor of it. Those who come to Him, and who are “in” Him, are granted that same life. It is a promise which came just after the fall of man, in Genesis 3:15. And, it is the promise which is referred to throughout the entire Old Testament, anticipating the coming of Messiah. In Him is the restoration of all things, and in Him is the life of which Paul is called to be a herald to the Gentiles.

Life application: 83 verses comprise 1 Timothy. Is it too much that you would spend a few minutes each day, for less than three months, studying this precious epistle now that you have started? The reading and studying of Scripture is the most important thing that You will do during your day. In knowing God’s word, you can then apply it to your life. In this, you will be found pleasing to Him in all you do. Please make the effort, follow along in the study, and know that you will be further along in your theology when you are finished with this precious book, 2 Timothy.

Lord God, You have given us Your word for study. Grant us wisdom to pick the thing up and study it. The amount of dust which gathers on Your word, and the newness of the pages inside of it as well, stand as a testimony to how important we feel a right relationship with You is. Help us to commit to a right study of Your word. Today Charlie is beginning a line by line study of 2 Timothy. Can I spare the five minutes it takes each day to join in? Help me stand approved, by learning and applying Your word to my life. Amen.

Monday, 26 February 2018

…by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.
Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:21

This is referring to the “idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge” of the previous verse. People are so very easily misdirected. Some things which they are misdirected by will not cause them to stray from the faith, but they will put a wall up between other believers. And some things will cause them to completely stray from the faith of the pure gospel of Christ. The list of aberrant teachings that people hold to which have nothing to do with the gospel is long. And yet, these things are placed on an unhealthy level of importance. Most adherents of them have no idea why they even believe the doctrine. They were simply told it was true by an idle babbler, and they accepted it.

Others get caught up in strange doctrines which cause them to completely take their eyes off of Christ. This is especially so with people who watch too many YouTube videos on conspiracies. It becomes garbage in, garbage out. Instead of reading the Bible, they focus on that which is wholly unimportant, having nothing to do with a relationship with Christ, or adhering to the gospel. In effect, they have “strayed concerning the faith.”

This is Paul’s final warning before closing, and so it is an important point to remember. We are to hold to sound doctrine; not get caught up in aberrant teachings; and fix our eyes, our hearts, and our attention on Christ Jesus. Paul’s words would tell you to stand fast on the gospel, read your Bible constantly, and study to show yourself approved before God.

Paul then closes with, “Grace be with you. Amen.” Grace is unmerited favor. It cannot be earned. Paul would have Timothy, and indeed all who read this letter, understand that God is gracious and He indeed will bless His people with grace. In order for that to happen, they need to stand fast on that which is sound and reasonable. The entire letter has been given with this in mind. To depart from its precepts is to put up a wall between oneself and God. Allow God’s grace to be with you by adhering to His word. The word “Amen” means, “truth” or “so be it.” This is Paul’s petition for Timothy and for all of God’s people. May it be so.

Life application: It is so very easy to be misdirected by that which is unsound. May we focus our minds on God’s word, be reliable in pursuing it and applying it to our lives, and may we not allow people who have unhealthy agendas to sway us from a close and personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

Lord God, help us to be attentive to Your word, and to not get distracted by things which are unsound. There are so many odd teachings in this world which have nothing to do with godliness, sanctification, and a pursuit of Your word. These things will only misdirect us, cause divisions between ourselves and other believers, and result in our walk being unstable. They may even cause us to stray from the faith completely. Keep us from such things, O God. Be with us and protect us as we live out our lives in a manner which is pleasing to You. Amen.

Sunday, 25 February 2018

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 1 Timothy 6:20

What we probably have in this verse, and the next, are words penned personally by Paul. Normally, a scribe was used to write as he spoke out his thoughts. Although mere speculation, the very personal nature of this verse probably indicates that Paul has picked up the pen in order to show his personal love and care for Timothy.

Whether this is correct or not, the feeling is transmitted either way by the use of the injection and name, “O Timothy!” From there, Paul will introduce six words into the Bible in this one verse, two of which are found only here. He begins the thought with, “Guard what was committed to your trust.” This speaks of the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

This was committed to him by the laying on of hands. He is being implored to protect this message, teach it properly, continue in sound doctrine, speak against false gospels, and so on. Everything which will ensure that the proper message of Jesus Christ – His Person and His work which is relayed – is to be guarded. It has been entrusted to Him, and so even more than someone would guard the greatest chest of treasures, so Timothy is instructed to guard this sacred possession.

Paul then says, “avoiding the profane and idle babblings.” The word “profane” is bebélos. It is an adjective which describes a threshold to enter a building. Thus it signifies either improper or unauthorized access. It is then equated to anyone who is unfit to access God because they approach Him in a manner which is improper. They lack faith, and they speak of Him in this capacity. Paul would have Timothy shut the door on such perverse people so that they would have no access into the congregation of the saints.

The word translated as “idle babblings” signifies that which is called out, but has no merit. If a cock crows, in the middle of the night, it isn’t doing anyone any good. Instead, it is simply an annoyance. He is of better use in a meal than he is as a herald of the day’s dawning. Paul implores Timothy to avoid people that would proclaim a vain gospel. They are to be silenced rather than listened to.

Next he says, “and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.” The word “contradictions” is the Greek is the word antithesis. It has since carried on directly into our English language. It is a proposition advanced by one party against another. In this case, there is the true gospel which Timothy possesses, and there is that which is false, and which is proposed against the truth of Christianity. Paul describes this using two words, the first indicating “under a false name,” and the second which describes knowledge, doctrine, or wisdom.

In other words, it is speaking of anything which opposes the message of Christ, and which would contradict it. Christianity has nothing to fear from science. For example, God is the author of all scientific principles, and therefore, any supposed science which opposes the Bible will be found incorrect, and it should be avoided. Doctrines such as evolution, big bang cosmology, gnosticism, religious pluralism, and on and on, are opposed to what the word of God proclaims. It is not wrong to understand these things, and in fact, one cannot argue against them unless they understand them. But they are to be avoided in application into our belief system. What we apply to our walk with the Lord is to be based on what the Lord proclaims in His word.

Life application: If we claim to be followers of the Lord, we are to seek out only the truth in the world around us, and then apply that truth to our lives. If the Bible is the word of God, then nothing that we encounter will ever contradict its precepts. And so we are to stand on the truth of Scripture, even when the rest of the world says otherwise. Our faith in what God proclaims must be above all else. Having said that, we cannot insert our own improper interpretation of what the Bible states into our beliefs. The sun does not revolve around the earth, and the Bible never proclaims this. We must rationally evaluate the evidence of the world around us, knowing that it, and the Bible, will always come to harmony in what it proclaims.

Heavenly Father, Your word says certain things which many supposed specialists today claim are not correct. We are told You created man; they say we evolved. There is a conflict between the two. Are we to believe You, or are we to believe those who claim Your word is wrong? Where is our faith? Help us to accept Your word and to search out the world from a biblical perspective first and foremost. Amen.

Saturday, 24 February 2018

…storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 1 Timothy 6:19

This continues verse 18 which is dealing with “those are rich in this present age.” Taken together they read, “ Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

In doing those things prescribed in verse 18, the rich will then be “storing up for themselves a good foundation.” A foundation is the base of a structure. Jesus is called the foundation of the church in 1 Corinthians 3:11. Then in Ephesians the foundation is called “the apostles and prophets,” meaning the word which speaks of Jesus, and Jesus is the very cornerstone of the foundation. The importance of Christ to the church then is that He is the fundamental base of everything else. For the rich – when they do good, are rich in good works, are ready to give, and are willing to share – they then lay “a good foundation for the time to come.”

This is speaking of the life ahead, not a needy time in this life which may arise. It is a foundation for their eternal existence which begins with the judgment seat of Christ where “each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Paul specifically describes the works of this age and how they will be viewed in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. There he says –

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

This is what Paul is referring to now in his letter to Timothy. The rich in this life have choices concerning what they will do with the money entrusted to them. Will it be used for this life, temporary and fleeting as it is, or will it be used for gaining true riches in heaven? Paul’s words implore the rich to think this through so that “they may lay hold on eternal life.”

The word “eternal” here is found in some manuscripts. In others it says “truly.” In other words, “lay hold on that which is truly life.” If “truly” is correct, the meaning is obvious. This life is only a preparation for what lies ahead. Thus, “worldly riches” would be contrasted with “true riches.” If “eternal” is correct, it doesn’t change the doctrine of salvation by grace apart from works, which is defined elsewhere. Rather, as John Gill states it, “not by way of merit, but as the free gift of God, which the riches of grace give a title to, and a fitness for; and which shall be laid hold upon, and enjoyed by all that seek the true riches.”

Life application: What are you storing up your riches for? The Bible asks you to stop and consider this now. Eternity is a really long time.

Lord God, help us to be good and kind to others as their needs arise. Though it is prudent to save our money in this life, and Your word even tells us to save for our children’s children, help us not to make this the only goal of our few years here. Rather, along the way, grant us opportunities to tend to others with our money, and then spur us on to do so with an open hand of grace, expecting nothing in return. May we thus be pleasing people in Your sight. Amen.