Bible Diary - 2 Timothy 1:1-5
March 7, 2008
It may be that Paul was released from the imprisonment recorded at the end of the book of Acts and made a fourth missionary journey, ending up in Rome where he was arrested once again and imprisoned. If this is so, this second letter to Timothy might be the last of Paul’s pastoral letters. In chains and expecting to be executed soon, his greatest desire was that his beloved Timothy experience God’s best blessings. There is a sense of Paul passing on the baton to one whom he regards as his spiritual son.
Salutation
1:1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to further the promise of life in Christ Jesus, 1:2 to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!
Thanksgiving and Charge to Timothy
1:3 I am thankful to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I remember you in my prayers as I do constantly night and day. 1:4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 1:5 I recall your sincere faith that was alive first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I am sure is in you.
I wonder if a strong, mature, faith sometimes takes many generations to build. This seems to have been the case with Timothy, who was raised by a godly mother and grandmother. My own faith also may have unsuspected roots that go back many generations. Now that I think about it, when I read from the works of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and other giants of the faith, my own faith is being shaped and strengthened.
Dave, standing on the shoulders of giants.
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Bible Diary - 1 Timothy 6:17-21
March 6, 2008
How hard it is to follow these commands of Paul that are based so solidly on what Jesus taught about treasures here and treasures later. Many believers who are “rich in this world’s goods” struggle with these words, including myself. The false values of a culture valuing money and power are a strong corrupting influence, and I feel it and fight it. I believe God’s provision for my welfare and enjoyment, but I still derive too much comfort from my bank account. I believe; God help me in my unbelief!
Words for the wealthy
6:17 Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 6:18 Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. 6:19 In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.
Conclusion
6:20 O Timothy, protect what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and absurdities of so-called “knowledge.” 6:21 By professing it, some have strayed from the faith. Grace be with you all.
So what is this “rich” guy to do? Paul gives me the generic answer, but the devil is in the details. How do I allocate my time? What spending habits am I developing? How firm is my foundation for the future? How will my life scorecard be evaluated when my Master reviews it with me in glory? Paul equates finding the right answers to those questions with “laying hold of what is truly life.” This must be part of what was behind Paul’s telling us to “work out our own salvation in fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)
After re-emphasizing his main theme of protecting the true gospel and avoiding false teaching, Paul wraps up this letter in uncharacteristically abrupt fashion. “Grace be with you all.” Bang!
Dave
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Bible Diary - 1 Timothy 6:11-16
March 5, 2008
Paul does here what Paul does best. His strong words of encouragement, firmly based on the word and witness of Jesus Christ, are as helpful to me as they must have been to Timothy. As so often happens, Paul’s writing about the inexpressible gift of the gospel leads him into a doxology of praise to God. It seems the most natural thing in the world for contemplation of the life and resurrection of the Lord to lead straight into praise of God.
It’s all about Jesus
6:11 But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. 6:12 Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses. 6:13 I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who made his good confession before Pontius Pilate, 6:14 to obey this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 6:15 – whose appearing the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal at the right time. 6:16 He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.
What is the “all that” for Timothy to avoid? It most probably is to stay away from the false teaching that is Paul’s greatest concern in this letter. For me, and possibly for Timothy, the greater risk is to get drawn into debate and argument with the false teachers. It is a military maxim that often the best way to defend is to attack, and in the present context this is done by cultivating the virtues Paul lists here and letting the results speak for themselves. There are more important things to do than spend too much time arguing about theological fine points with misguided teachers. Focus on the Savior, Paul says. It’s all about Jesus.
There is something special about the act of ascribing honor and power to the Lord God almighty. We are taught to do that in the Lord’s Prayer. It’s important to me to ponder the infinite gap between my sin and God’s holiness.
Dave
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Bible Diary - 1 Timothy 6:3-10
March 4, 2008
Getting back to his concern about false teachers getting in Timothy’s way, Paul lists clues provided by false teachers. First, they tend to be divisive; second, they are often greedy; and third (and most important), their words do not agree with what Jesus taught. These are practical tests for me to apply also, remembering that false teachers often try to stretch the teaching of our Lord beyond what He actually said.
False teachings and greed
Teach them and exhort them about these things. 6:3 If someone spreads false teachings and does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and with the teaching that accords with godliness, 6:4 he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, 6:5 and constant bickering by people corrupted in their minds and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit. 6:6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. 6:7 For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. 6:8 But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that. 6:9 Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.
I am no stranger to bickering in the church about theological fine points. This passage tells me that the remedy is to fall back on the words and conduct of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospels. This is also where church leadership comes in. Our pastors and ruling elders should be well-grounded in Scripture and the confessions, with their antennae sensitive to the signs of false teaching and the divisiveness it causes.
As for greed, I think of a certain “prosperity gospel” TV preacher-cum-real-estate-salesman who got in trouble with the law a few years ago. I see in the news that he has shifted venues to the Missouri Ozarks and is at it again with the same old pitch and a new wife. Greed sunk his ship once, and I have no doubt it will do so again.
I think also of the modern trend to regard the gospel ministry as a “profession,” like a doctor or lawyer. I believe all such professional persons must have mixed motives. Good money and good service are not mutually exclusive, but they are uneasy bedfellows for most of us, preachers included.
I love the way Paul segues from false teaching into the relationship between money and contentment. Those of us who have been blessed with far more material possessions than is good for us should paste verses 9 and 10 to our shaving/makeup mirrors. Godly contentment comes only from trusting God for everything we really need. As Paul says, striving for gain can be a large barrier to such trust and contentment.
Dave, content, most of the time.
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Bible Diary - 1 Timothy 6:1-2
March 3, 2008
This short passage deserves some careful handling, because slavery in Paul’s time was quite different from our notions of slavery based on the chattel slavery existing prior to our Civil War. A second reason for approaching the passage thoughtfully is that it is commonly applied without much thought to the relationship between employer and employee. I can assure you that a successful boss, Christian or not, does not regard employees as slaves in any sense of the word. It is not a master-slave relationship.
Slaves and masters
6:1 Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited. 6:2 But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved.
I understand that the role of the first century slave was often a matter of voluntary servitude, perhaps to pay off a debt or some other obligation. The master did not “own” the slave like a piece of property but considered the slave as part of his household. The master did have a first claim on the slaves time and service, but the relationship may not have been too different from the way he related to his children.
Human relationships are complicated matters. I think of my relationship to my wife, to my pastor, to my fellow ruling elders, to my neighbors, to all whose paths I cross every day. The common truth that I glean from these verses is that they all deserve, at the very least, my respect. If the other guy is a jerk, he has to prove it to me. Whether or not such proof is forthcoming, he still receives my respect as one of God’s creatures.
Dave, himself quite capable of being a jerk at times.
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Bible Diary - 1 Timothy 5:17-25
March 1, 2008
Paul ends this chapter of his letter to Timothy with some final instructions for the church and for its young leader. He starts with two short verses that deal with the need to compensate effective leaders and especially those who preach and teach. Today these verses are usually applied to paying pastors, but the “pros” are not the only ones who speak and teach in many congregations. I’m not suggesting that elders who teach be put on the church payroll, but perhaps more thought should be given to whether and how they should be compensated..
Treading out the grain
5:17 Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching. 5:18 For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker deserves his pay.” 5:19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 5:20 Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest. 5:21 Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind. 5:22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and so identify with the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. 5:23 (Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine for your digestion and your frequent illnesses.) 5:24 The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later. 5:25 Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.
When Paul talks about rebuking an elder, I don’t believe he has church leaders in mind but an older man who may be taking advantage of Timothy’s youth, perhaps a false teacher. If his sin is confirmed by witnesses, he is to be publicly rebuked as a lesson to the congregation. Maintaining purity in the church is an important responsibility of church leadership, a subject that is dealt with more extensively elsewhere.
After expressing some concern for Timothy’s health, Paul ends with what looks like a couple of throw-away lines. Actually there are gems of Bible truth to be discovered in the fact that supposedly hidden sins will surely pop up later and that good works done in secret will surely not remain hidden forever. All do-gooders take note.
Dave, sometimes a do-gooder.
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