Bible Diary - 2 Timothy 3:10-17
March 15, 2008
Paul’s character was forged during years of teaching and proclaiming the gospel under some pretty rough conditions. His faith, patience, and love grew, and he had learned to endure the bad stuff and look beyond it, believing that the Lord he served was already delivering him out of it. Now that is faith! Now it was time for Paul to pass on what he had learned to Timothy and another generation.
Continue in What You Have Learned
3:10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 3:11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. I endured these persecutions and the Lord delivered me from them all. 3:12 Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 3:13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves. 3:14 You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you 3:15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 3:16 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 3:17 that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.
Even while the “evil people and charlatans” around him go from bad to worse, Timothy was charged to keep his eye on the ball and perfect his swing. (Sorry - it’s baseball time again.) He has Scripture as the perfect training manual for support. Many of us have learned 2 Tim. 3:16-17 as memory verses to remind us of the power and authority of Scripture.
As part of the Reformed franchise of the Christian faith, I believe that the absolute sovereignty of God and the reliable authority of Scripture form a sure foundation for my life and my faith. As with all of life, however, the devil is in the details, and I expect the struggle with those details will be never ending in this life. Someone once said, “If you are starting to feel despair, just sneak a peek at the back of the Book.) Everything is under control.
Dave, trying to keep his eye on the ball.
-sdg-
Comments
Got something to say?
