2 Timothy Study #1

“Serving with a Clear Conscience”

2 Timothy 1:1-11

Study #1 in 2 Timothy Series 

INTRODUCTION:

The NT book of 1 Timothy was written after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (AD 62/63) during his 4^th Missionary Journey (63/65) sometime after Paul went to Macedonia and sent Timothy on ahead to Ephesus to care for the church there. When he realized that he might not make it back to Ephesus Paul wrote the letter that we call 1 Timothy. And indeed, before he could go to Ephesus, Paul was once again imprisoned under Emperor Nero. It was during this 2^nd Roman imprisonment that he wrote 2 Timothy.

In his first imprisonment Paul lived in a rented house (cf. Acts 28:30) and had a great deal of freedom. This time, however, he languished in a cold, dark dungeon (4:13), chained like a murderer. For a while, his friends could not even find him, although they searched high and low all over Rome (1:17). Paul knew that his time was about up and that this time there would be no reprieve. He knew that his ministry was coming to an end and that he would soon see the Lord face-to-face (4:6-8). 

TRANSITION:

You have heard the expression, “famous last words.” In fact, you can go online and find many sites that give the final words uttered by famous people just before they died. That is essentially what we have here. 2 Timothy is Paul’s “swan song,” his last message to Timothy, and to us. The letter is important for many reasons, not the least of which is that it shows how this great servant of God finished well. That is something we all want to do. 

One of the themes that run through this letter is Paul’s insistence on the importance of serving God with a clear conscience so that at the end, when your time comes, you have no regrets. This is not something we hear a lot about, but I think it was something that meant a great deal to Paul. For much of his life he had tried to wipe out the name of Jesus Christ and rid the world of Christians. Then he met the Risen Christ personally on the road to Damascus and everything changed. He spent the rest of his life trying to make up for all the evil he had done and all the damage he had caused to the Christian Church. Of course, he knew that he had been forgiven of his sins, and he knew about God’s wonderful, amazing grace. He knew that God did not hold against him the things he had done in ignorance. However, he also understood the importance of keeping short accounts with God and serving Him in the right way, with the right motives.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, 

• “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” Paul here is telling us that he was a conscript, not a volunteer, as least in the beginning. He became an apostle not because he went to seminary to learn to be one, but rather, because Jesus knocked him blind and loop-legged in the middle of a hot, dusty Damascus Road as he was making his way north to arrest or kill Jewish Christian converts who had fled from Jerusalem to the Syrian capital. It was “by the will of God” that Paul was pressed into service.
• “…according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” As Paul wrote, awaiting his death, he reminded Timothy that the heart of his apostleship as well as of Timothy’s ministry was to proclaim the Gospel, the promise of Life, to everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 2: To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

• Before we go on let’s do a quick review of Timothy’s biography. The son of the devout Jewish woman, Eunice, and a Greek father, Timothy was won to Christ when Paul preached in Lystra, Timothy’s hometown (cf. Acts 16:1-3). Shortly after that Paul invited the young convert to accompany him on his second missionary journey, but first, he had him circumcised to avoid undue criticism by hypersensitive Jews. Although young and timid, Timothy stayed behind at Berea with Silas while Paul moved on to Athens and Corinth. He joined Paul again in Corinth for a while, and then was sent back to Thessalonica to strengthen the congregation there. After another brief stopover period with Paul, Timothy was sent to Corinth to straighten out some of the many problems distressing the young congregation there. Timothy later looked after Paul during Paul’s 1^st Roman imprisonment. Timothy subsequently was asked to go to Ephesus to represent Paul, and during that time he received two letters from Paul that bear Timothy’s name. These letters reveal that Timothy was like a son to Paul. The last word in the NT about this sensitive, sickly, but faithful young minister was that he had been imprisoned but was finally released (cf. Heb. 13:23). 

Verses 3-4: I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers, night and day, ⁴ longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. 

• “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience…” Serving with a clear conscience was especially important to Paul. His 1^st letter to Timothy mentions it several times:

Ø  1 Timothy 1:5, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” 

Ø  1:18-19, “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son…that you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.” 

Ø  3:8-9, “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity…holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” 

• And now here in 2 Timothy 1:3 Paul again emphasizes the importance of serving God with a clear conscience.
• “…praying for you…longing to see you…” Paul loved Timothy the way I love my sons, Jonathan, and Christopher, and he prayed for Timothy, day, and night. Did you know that the most loving thing you can do for a person is to pray faithfully for him? It is true! 

Verse 5: For I am mindful of the sincere [genuine, unfeigned] faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.

• As I mentioned, Timothy’s mother, Eunice, was a Jewish woman who lived in the town of Lystra in Asia Minor. She was married to a Gentile husband, a Greek, who seems to have been out of the picture for some while. Their son, Timothy, was never circumcised, perhaps out of respect for Eunice’s husband. However, Eunice and her mother, Lois, carefully taught young Timothy the Old Testament Scriptures. It appears that Eunice and Lois both converted to Christianity on Paul’s first trip through Lystra. We do know that they were believers by the time Paul visited Lystra the second time (cf. Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15).
• “…and I am sure that it [i.e., genuine faith] is in you as well.” Paul had great confidence in Timothy. He knew him well, probably better than Timothy knew himself, and Paul knew how to build up this timid young man to become more than he ever could have been without Paul’s encouragement. This is the spiritual gift of encouragement in action.

Verse 6-7: For this reason, I remind you to kindle afresh [anew] the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of timidity [i.e., fear, fearfulness], but of power and love and discipline.

• As Christians we sometimes go through times of spiritual dryness, what some have called, “the spiritual doldrums,” when we just are not feeling it like we used to. In his 1577 poem St. John of the Cross described it as the “dark night of the soul.” Usually this is a result of us neglecting our time with God in prayer, or slacking off in our study of His Word, or harboring secret sin in our life. Or sometimes it is because we have experienced some sort of discouragement with church leaders, or other Christians.
• So how can we get back on track? Paul tells Timothy to “kindle afresh [rekindle] the gift of God which is in you.” The gifts that God gives us must be developed through use. They are not fully developed when we get them. If you look up the synonyms for the word “kindle” you will find these: encourage, stimulate, stir up, fire up, promote, inspire, rouse, awaken. You know that when you barbecue sometimes you need to re-awaken the coals. The fire is there but it has died down and may even be invisible. So, what do you do? First you rake back the ashes, all the useless stuff that has been choking the fire. Then you blow on the coals. That helps pump in extra oxygen and in no time at all your coals are glowing red-hot once again. Then you add extra fuel to the fire. Soon you are back in business! You have re-kindled the fire! This is exactly what Paul is talking about. Get rid of the stuff that has been choking out the fire in your life. Fan the coals by allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in your life. Add the promises of God and reaffirm your belief in His truth and watch as that extra fuel gets the flames crackling again.
• “…for God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” Apparently, Timothy was timid by nature, and somewhat lacking in confidence. We see this in several passages:

Ø  1 Corinthians 16:10, “Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am.” 

Ø  1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” 

·       The Greek word here translated in verse 7 as “fear, timidity, or fearfulness” was commonly used in extrabiblical literature to refer to a soldier who fled from battle. It is a strong term for cowardice. Paul reminds Timothy that boldness, not cowardice, is a mark of the Holy Spirit. Fear does not come from God but from either our enemy, the devil, or from our own insecurities and lack of faith in God.

Verse 8a: Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God… 

• One of my favorite verses in the NT is found in Romans 1:16, and it too was written by Paul: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” If you are proud of something you will stand up for it. People defend our flag because they are proud of it and of the country that it represents. Thousands have suffered and died for that flag. How much more should a Christian be proud of the Cross and of Christ who died there for our sins? If we refuse to defend our country’s flag it is an indication that we are ashamed of what that flag stands for. Likewise, if we refuse to defend the Gospel, even to the point of personal suffering, then it reveals that we are ashamed of Christ and Christianity. There comes a time when we must “cowboy up” and take a stand for what is right, even if we must suffer for it. That is OK; we are in good company!
• “Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner...” Most of us tend to feel ashamed if a friend or relative gets convicted and thrown into prison. That is because 9 times out of 10 we know for a fact that the person is guilty of wrongdoing and deserves the punishment. But Paul had not committed a crime! He had done nothing worthy of legal condemnation or of a death sentence. He was truly innocent of all charges, just like Jesus. Paul was encouraging Timothy to think rightly of this situation and to not be ashamed of the Gospel or of Paul, the preacher of the Gospel. It is no shame to suffer for the name of Jesus.

Verses 8b-9: …but join with me in suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 

• Paul urges Timothy to be a good soldier of Christ and the Cross and join with him in courageously standing up for the Gospel. But Paul also reminds him of the fact that our salvation and our calling have a holy purpose that goes all the way back into eternity. In other words, we are part of something that is much bigger than us. We are part of God’s grand scheme to restore what was broken by sin. We are called to play a role in the greatest story ever told. For some, that story involves suffering and dying for the Cause, but that is OK, because that cause is worth any sacrifice that we might be called upon to make. 

Verses 10-11: …but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

• Exactly what has been revealed “by the appearing of Christ”? You must look back to the preceding verse, verse 9: “…His own purpose and grace.” In other words, Christ appearing in the world revealed God’s plan and purpose to save sinners through the death of His Son on the cross. And this great plan of salvation was a huge demonstration of His grace. Notice the phrase, “…from all eternity.” He is talking about the fact that this plan to redeem lost sinners is rooted in eternity past, from even before sin entered the picture. God always knew that there would be a Fall and that humans would need a Savior. Our failure did not take God by surprise. So even before Adam and Eve sinned God already had the plan ready to put into motion. The Bible tells us in Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the fullness of the time came [i.e., at just the right moment], God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Amazing!

CONCLUSION:

When Paul said up in verse 3 that he “served God with a clear conscience” he did not mean that he was not a sinner by nature or had not committed acts of sin. Rather, he meant that the underlying direction and desire and motive of his life was to obey and please God, so that acts of sin were habitually recognized as such and faced squarely before God (cf. 1 John 1:9). He always made it a habit to deal with sin the moment it reared its ugly head in his life. 

This is how we too should live our Christian lives, with a clear conscience, refusing to harbor sin in our lives. We must deal with it immediately, before it can grow roots and settle in. The longer we wait to confess our sin to God, the more excuses we make, the more time we waste rationalizing our sinful behavior and blaming it on others, then the harder it is for us to look God in the eye. Sin wounds our conscience. It produces disquieting feelings of guilt. It robs us of joy. Paul could honestly say, “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience.” Can you say that? If not, maybe you need to find a quiet place to be alone with God today so that you can get that ironed out.

Overview of 2 Timothy

2 Timothy Walk-Through (An overview)

By Pr. Michael W. Wilson

 

1 Timothy = the Description of the Ministry

2 Timothy = the Description of the Minister

 

1:1 To Paul, “apostleship” meant several things:

·       His apostleship was an honor – to be chosen by God was a great honor. But every Christian should regard himself as God-chosen.

·       His apostleship was a responsibility – God chose him because He had a job for Paul to do, to be an agent and an instrument.

·       His apostleship was a message to be shared – he had a moral obligation to share the Good News with others.

 

1:2 To Timothy, my beloved son (child)

·       It is a pleasure and privilege to give physical life.

·       There is even greater joy in spiritual parenthood.

·       Paul writes to strengthen Timothy for his task in Ephesus. Timothy was young and new in the ministry, so Paul wrote to remind him of several things:

 

1:3-4 Paul reminds Timothy of his own belief and confidence in him. Timothy did not want to let Paul down. There is no greater inspiration than to feel that someone really believes in us.

 

1:5 Paul reminds Timothy of his family heritage and tradition. This serves as a motivating factor because we do not want to bring dishonor on our family.

 

1:6 Paul reminds Timothy of his being set apart to the work of the ministry accompanied by a public service with the laying on of hands. In part, the reputation of those who laid hands on him is also at stake.

 

1:7 Paul reminds Timothy of the qualities that a Christian leader should possess and display:

·       Courage = it takes courage to be a real Christian in these days.

·       Power = to deal with new things and situations, power to stand firm amid the problems, power to retain faith amid the sorrow.

·       Love = love for the brethren. The Christian leader must love his people.

·       Self-discipline = This is a difficult word to translate. Self-control, like the discipline necessary to keep us from being swept away or running away from a frightening situation. This quality is very necessary in a leader.

 

1:8 A challenge to endure afflictions in the ministry: “Do not be ashamed.”

·       Shame makes us hang our head and look guilty.

·       Shame is a heavy weight to carry on our conscience.

·       Shame makes us back away from people.

·       N.B. imprisonment and crucifixion bring shame normally; but to suffer and to be imprisoned for a just cause is an honor.

 

1:9 God saved us and called us with a holy calling. What does that mean?

·       Not according to our works (thank goodness!)

·       But, according to His own purpose and grace.

 

1:10 God’s purpose and God’s grace are revealed in Christ.

 

1:11 The Gospel – Paul was appointed:

·       A Preacher, or herald (Greek: κῆρυξ, kérux) – see 1 Timothy 2:7

o   The herald was the servant who brought a message from the king.

o   An emissary sent out by an army to offer or request terms of truce and peace.

o   The servant of a merchantman hired to go to the street to shout his wares and invite people to buy.

·       An Apostle = One sent out with a message and with authority to proclaim that message. N.B. the mouthpiece is only significant as an instrument or a channel.

·       A Teacher = An ongoing task (cf. Matt. 28:19-20). This role is harder than that of the evangelist because it requires more time and personal commitment (cf. Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-12).

 

1:12 “Therefore, I suffer these things.”

·       What things? (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28)

·       But I am not ashamed! (cf. Romans 1:16)

·       For I know Christ (Phil. 3:8-10) and He is the One taking care of me.

·       Note: “entrusted” = a deposit committed to someone’s trust.

 

1:13 KEY VERSE. Therefore, with this confidence and assurance… “Retain the standard.”

·       Hold on to firmly (James 1:8) to the sound words and wise teachings and godly example of Paul.

 

1:14 Guard (or safeguard) the trust that God has placed in Timothy’s hands. The Holy Spirit is the one who works in us to enable us to do this.

·       “Treasure,” or good deposit. This is a sacred trust, a question of honor.

o   We entrust ourselves to God.

o   He entrusts to us the Gospel to be proclaimed. (cf. 1 Tim.6:20; 2 Cor. 4:7)

 

2:1 “You therefore, my son…” [Pay special attention to the imperatives.]

·       “Strengthen yourself” or “be strong” in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (instrumental case)

·       Or “find your strength in the grace” – cf. Deut. 31:6-7; Joshua 16-9

 

2:2 The Chain of Teaching

·       2 elements:

1.       The reception of the Christian faith = the Christian’s privilege

2.      The transmission of the Christian faith = the Christian’s responsibility

·       “…the things which you have heard from me” = sound words, cf. 1:13

o   To hear is important. Reception depends on this.

·       “among many witnesses” = Confirmation by the testimony of others. Again, reception depends on this.

·       “entrust to [or transmit to, or deposit with]” =

o   “faithful men” = believing, loyal, reliable men

o   “capable men” = capable of teaching others. They are part of an unbroken chain of teachers. If fact, every Christian should see himself as a link between two generations.

 

2:3-6 Paul’s 3 Figures that show the Christian’s relationship to his ministry

1.       The good Soldier (vs. 3-4). N.B. Paul uses the same three figures in 2 Cor. 9:6-7, 24-27.

·       “suffer the afflictions” – without fleeing, without complaining

o   Concentrated on service

o   Conditioned to obedience

o   Conditioned to sacrifice and willing to lay down his life for the sake of others

o   Conditioned to loyalty

·       “does not entangle himself in the affairs of everyday life”

·       “seeks to please the one who enlisted him”

·       N.B. “fight a good campaign” 1 Tim. 1:18

·       “fellow soldiers” Philemon 2, Philippians 2:25

2.      The Athlete (vs. 5). = a professional, not an amateur. Paul is thinking about a professional wrestler in the Greco-Roman Games.

·       He does not compete as a hobby, but as a profession and he concentrates everything on the fight

·       This involves discipline, concentration, self-denial, training, self-control, diet, hours for sleep, etc.

·       “obedience to the rules” = The Christian fighter fights, but with love and compassion, not using force, or trickery, being honest and transparent.

3.      The Farmer (vs. 6) – Notice the characteristics

·       He must work first, and then wait to see the fruit

o   Results do not appear from one day to the next. Patience is required.

o   The teaching is like seed

·       “hard-working farmer” = he becomes exhausted in the work, because it is difficult!

·       He must be ready to work at any hour. Farmers do not have schedules or vacations.

·       He has the right to reap and to enjoy the blessings of the harvest. The farmer who raises strawberries should have the sweetest and the best.

 

N.B. In these 3 Figures (soldier, athlete, farmer) all three have one vision, and they are sustained by one hope.

1.       The soldier dreams about the final victory.

2.      The athlete dreams about the victor’s crown.

3.      The farmer dreams about a bountiful harvest.

All three invest themselves, looking forward to a better future. The same should be true for all of us. We struggle and we fight looking forward to that day when Jesus will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

 

2:7 “Consider what I say”

 

2:8

·       “Remember Jesus Christ”

o   He rose from the dead

o   Descendent of David

ü  = True humanity

ü  = Genealogy of the Messiah

ü  = His sovereign authority

·       “according to my Gospel” = association and identification (cf. Rom. 2:16; 16:25; 1 Tim.1:11; 1 Cor. 15:1; Gal. 1:11)

 

2:9 The Gospel “for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal” – BUT, the Word of God is not a prisoner. It is still powerful, alive, and able to penetrate.

·       MY GOSPEL verse 8

·       I SUFFER verse 9

·       I ENDURE verse 10

 

2:10 “for this reason” = the Word is not imprisoned. Paul willingly suffered for the sake of the “chosen,” those who will be saved (Calvinism).

·       Paul gladly suffered so that others could come to know Jesus and be brought into a living, saving relationship in Christ. No hardship was too hard if it meant accomplishing that goal.

 

2:11-13 An Early Church hymn?

·       4 statements about us (2 positive, 2 negative)

·       4 statements about God

 

2:14 N.B. the imperatives

·       Remind them = believers

·       The Gnostics always loved word games and double meanings, but this clouds truth and confuses people.

·       We are not out to win debates but to win souls.

 

2:15

·       “Be diligent” = work at it, concentrate on it, make it a priority

·       “present” = as in present yourself for military service or work

·       “yourself” = God does not drag you in kicking and screaming

·       “approved” = one who has stood the test (literally), tested, purified, and fit for service

o   As gold purified and cleansed in the fire; silver sterling

o   Money that is proven genuine

o   A stone that has been cut and tested and is fit to be placed in a building

·       “need not to be ashamed” = Therefore, from this it is evident that any other kind of Christian ought to be ashamed.

·       “handling accurately = literally “cut rightly”

o   Used of driving a straight road across country

o   Used of ploughing a straight furrow across a field

o   Used of cutting a perfectly square stone to use for building

o   Therefore, the Christian goes straight through the truth without getting side-tracked or leaving negative evidence behind him, fitting all the pieces together.

 

2:16 cf. Positive progress vs negative progress

·       “make progress” = literally cut down the front. This vivid phrase means to chop down anything in the way, removing all obstacles from the road so that straight and uninterrupted progress is possible.

 

2:17-18 Current example

 

2:19

·       “Nevertheless” = it does not matter what anyone does, the firm foundation of God stands, meaning the Church and her body of truth.

o   Cf. 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:20-22

·       “having this seal” like a sign over the door. It identifies the ownership or the name brand.

o   The Church of Jesus Christ: He owns it; and it carries His name.

 

2:20 “in a great house” = the Church

·       There are vessels of various materials for various uses: gold, silver, wood, ceramic

·       There are vessels of varying honour or dishonour. E.g. an earthenware or ceramic vase may be the prize possession of its owner, while he uses a sterling silver spittoon with gold handles.

·       You may be a simple, normal person tremendously used by God.

·       Or, you may be a tremendously talented natural leader who is totally self-centred and useless for God.

 

2:21 “these things”

·       Verse 4 entanglements with the world

·       Verse 14 wrangling about words

·       Verse 16 worldly and empty chatter

·       Verse 18 going astray from the truth

·       N.B. all of us can be vessels of honour. This depends on 4 factors: (2 = God’s part; 2 = our part):

o   Cleansing

o   Sanctification

o   Usefulness = we can make ourselves useful

o   Preparation = we can choose to prepare ourselves to serve

 

2:22

·       “flee” – from youthful lusts (Greek ἐπιθυμία, epithumia) = passions, strong desires; i.e. passions associated with youth. For example:

o   Sexual passions expressed in an illicit way

o   Acting without considering consequences

o   Speaking without considering the hurt that words can cause

o   Impatience with seeing changes coming so slowly

o   Intolerance of others’ opinions and viewpoints

o   A love of disputes and arguments

o   A love of novelty and condemning a thing simply because it is old

·       “pursue after” (Notice that these are Fruit of the Spirit – Gal. 5:22-23)

o   Righteousness = Right + Just (both towards men and God)

o   Faith

o   Love = Christlike, sacrificial, authentic love which seeks the highest good for others

o   Peace = with both God and man

·       “with those” = in company with, cf. Psalm 1

·       “pure heart” – cf. 1 Timothy 1:5

 

2:23 “refuse stupid” = (Greek word μωρός, móros), meaning “dull, flat, stupid, useless,” and which gives us the words moron and moronic. A paraphrase could be, “Refuse to get involved in stupid arguments and moronic controversies because they only cause more quarrels.” (e.g. appropriate clothing in church, raising hands or not, which instruments can be used in the worship service, and styles of worship)

 

2:24

·       “not quarrelsome” = relates to v. 23. Means argumentative, a verbal Mike Tyson fighter

·       “kindly to all” = even when you must criticize to correct a fault

·       “apt, able to teach” = 1. Knows the truth; 2. Is able to communicate it; 3. Both by word and by godly example

·       “patient when wronged” = like Jesus, able to accept insults and injury

·       “correcting people with gentleness” = like the hand of a surgeon cutting out a cancer, with courage yet seeking not to cause unnecessary pain.

 

2:25 “leading to the knowledge of the truth”

·       Cf. 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 3:7

·       Christ IS the TRUTH

 

2:26 “captive by the devil” = cf. Eph. 2:1-4

 

3:1-9 Illustration of men held in the snare of the devil (cf. verse 26).

 

3:10 “You have been my disciple” = You have followed alongside in 3 areas: Duties, Qualities, and Experiences.

·       In Duties

o   Teaching – first-hand knowledge

o   Training – conduct

·       In Qualities

o   Purpose = aim in life

o   Faith = that God’s commands are binding and His promises true

o   Patience (Greek work μακροθυμία, makrothumía = literally long-suffering) = Patient with people

o   Love

o   Perseverance (Greek word ὑπομονή, hypomonḗ = literally to remain under) = to bear up under the load of what people are and what they pile on us

·       In Experiences

o   Persecutions – stoning, insults, etc.

o   Sufferings – cold, sickness, hunger, etc.

§  E.g. Acts 13:50 they were driven out of Antioch of Pisidia

§  14:5-6 they fled from Iconium to avoid getting lynched

§  14:19 Paul was stoned and left for dead

 

3:12 “all who desire to live godly”

·       1 Thess. 3:4

·       Acts 14:22

·       Matt. 5:10

 

3:13 Evil boomerangs on the evil man

·       N.B. the downward trend

 

3:14 The character and witness of the teacher are important.

 

3:15 From childhood you have known the sacred writings.

·       Notice that the OT is evangelistic also (cf. Acts 8:35; Luke 24:27)

 

3:16-17 Scripture serves to:

·       Teach = intellectual food

·       Reprove = cf. John 16:8 – The Scripture is the Spirit’s instrument of conviction.

·       Correct è leading to improvement

·       Train in righteousness, always with an outward perspective so that…

o   The man of God may be adequate (speaks of character)

o   The man of God may be equipped (speaks of skills)

 

4:1 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God the Father, and the Son…” = I lay a responsibility on you by 3 things:

·       By the Judge of the living and the dead

o   2 Corinthians 5:9-11a

o   1 Corinthians 3:9-13

·       By His appearing – as returning Conqueror

o   Greek word epiphaneia = ascension to the throne of a Roman Emperor

o   His arrival or appearance in any town

§  Everything must be in perfect order, clean. Therefore, do everything in such a way that things will be perfectly in order for Christ’s appearing.

·       By His Kingdom – We serve the King of kings

o   We are His heralds and are here to prepare people for His coming reign when all the kings of the earth will turn over their power and authority to Him.

 

4:2

·       (1) “Preach the Word”

o   With urgency

o   With compassion

o   With clarity

·       (2) “be ready in season and out of season” – like runner on the blocks (Rom. 1:15); like basketball in the black district.

o   = be persistent; “take or make your opportunity”

§  Col. 4:2-6

§  Eph. 6:19-20

§  1 Peter 3:15

·       (3) “reprove” = convict, convince (i.e. make the sinner aware of his sin)

o   The HS uses the Word to convict the heart of sin, righteousness, and judgment (cf. John 16:8)

·       (4) “rebuke” = to charge; to lay a value to their account; a demand for restitution where the error is pointed out.

o   E.g. John the Baptist accusing Herod to his face and demanding that he repent

o   Confronting sin with a warning in order to save a brother from spiritual disaster, such as in the case of Nathan, the prophet, confronting David in 2 Sam. 12:1-14

·       (5) “exhort” = encourage, build up (especially needed after reproof and rebuke)

o   Strengthen the person, never growing weary with their weakness and failures

·       “With great (all) patience and instruction (i.e. explanation)” = this is the framework from which to reprove, rebuke, ad exhort. If it is not done with patience and the purpose of instructing the efforts will fall flat.

 

4:3-4 “Sophists”

·       They taught for pay

·       They competed for customers

·       They gathered disciples unto themselves

 

4:5

·       “be sober” = steady and controlled, self-contained. Christians need stability in this crazy unbalanced world.

·       “endure hardship”

·       “do the work of an evangelist” = bring good news

·       “fulfil your ministry” = complete the job

 

4:6-8

·       “drink offering” = At the end of a Roman meal the host poured out a “libation” to the gods

o   In essence Paul is saying: “The day is ended, the work is done, it is time to depart, and my life must be poured out as a sacrifice to God.”

o   Paul, like Jesus, gladly laid down his life

·       “departure” = Greek word analusis used in many colorful scenarios:

o   To unyoke an animal from a cart or plough

o   To loosen ropes or fetters from a prisoner

o   To loosen tent ropes in preparation for moving camp

o   To untie mooring lines of a ship