Not Only to Me

Reading:  2 Timothy 4:1-8
    
    This section is Paul’s rousing encouragement to Timothy to keep his head up and continue his work.  “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word”(2 Tim 4:1-2).  God and Jesus are witnesses to the charge Timothy has received.  He has the gift, the opportunity, and the expectation; now he must act.  There is also a pressing need for Timothy to preach with perseverance:  “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching”(2 Tim 4:3).  Rather than being disgusted with a world that loses its appetite for the gospel, Paul urges Timothy to keep preaching.  We cannot always change the environment in which we live, but we can faithfully serve God by doing what we know is right wherever we find ourselves.  

    But Paul’s final encouragement is personal.  “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”(2 Tim 4:6-7).  Paul knows he is soon to die.  He has done his work through good times and bad.  Timothy not only has an example to emulate, but shoes to fill.  Both of them work toward the same reward:  “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing”(2 Tim 4:8).  God will give Paul the crown he has waited and worked toward, but he will give it “not only to me.”  This is a reward all Christians will receive.

     The promise of eternal life is not only for the super-spiritual.  We don’t have to be apostles with a tremendous legacy to have God’s favor.  God will give this crown “not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”  Everyone who has “loved his appearing” has, by God’s grace, been counted worthy.  Our duty is to fight the good fight as it presents itself in our day and time—to finish our race—to keep the faith.

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One Thing to Think About:  Do I love his appearing?  Am I eagerly anticipating his return? 

One Thing to Pray For:  Wisdom to live now in preparation for the end of my life
 

Wise for Salvation

Reading:  2 Timothy 3:10-17
    
    Timothy can expect times of difficulty and persecution.  Paul reminds him that he has seen this before.  “You, however, have followed...my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.  Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived”(2 Tim 3:10, 11-13).  God’s people are persecuted while evil people seem to worsen.  Paul’s life demonstrates this repeatedly.  But Paul insists that this is the pattern that all Christians should expect.  It can be especially perplexing when we see God’s people persecuted and evil people worsening (2 Tim 3:13).  Yet God wants us to handle this seeming contradiction with mature faith, as Paul does. 

    Meanwhile, Paul wants Timothy to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”(2 Tim 3:14-15).  Our response to a hostile world is to dig into the word of God.  Paul refers here to the Old Testament, which Timothy is familiar with from his mother’s and grandmother’s teaching.  Those writings can make one “wise for salvation,” teaching us to expect God’s Messiah, showing us what matters to him, and driving us toward deeper love and knowledge of God.  Like all of God’s words, they remain relevant and applicable.  They prepare God’s people for every good work (2 Tim 3:17) and are worth studying and teaching.  

    Scripture is an anchor in the tumultuous sea of life.  It hooks us into God’s perspective and will for his world, reminding us of our place and direction.  With this background, we are ready to accept God’s salvation through Jesus and his teachings for how life should be lived.  We are “wise for salvation.”

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One Thing to Think About:  How have I observed persecution of Christians? 

One Thing to Pray For:  A heart to cling to Scripture
 

Troublesome Times

Reading:  2 Timothy 3:1-9
    
    To steel Timothy for coming troubles, Paul warns him that “in the last days there will come times of difficulty”(2 Tim 3:1).  Times will be difficult because people will be horrible people:  “lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy”(2 Tim 3:2).  The list goes on; each generation can see itself in the description.  When people abandon God, their behaviors inevitably harm others and make it difficult for those who love him.  We become entirely self-centered (“proud, arrogant”, v. 2“swollen with conceit”, v. 4), unconcerned with the impact of our behavior on anyone else.  We give license to the most perverse desires we have, becoming brutal and desperate for pleasure.  Hearts grow hard.  

    Two descriptions stick out to me.  Some are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power”(2 Tim 3:4-5).  Godliness should have a power behind it, prompting us to make change to serve God rather than our own desires.  He warns of some who hypocritically appear to be righteous without the proof in their lives.  The tragedy here is that they know what could help them (godliness), but they refuse to accept it.  He then describes some who are “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth”(2 Tim 3:7).  Learning is not an end in itself.  There has to come a time when we know so that we can live by what we know.  It is no surprise that Paul is describing people who are less than spiritual (2 Tim 3:6), despite their constant pursuit of knowledge. 

    It is not hard to apply these descriptions to our time.  The challenge for modern Christians is to be certain that we are not influenced by the lack of morality we see around us, choosing to live holy lives that lead others to Jesus.  While watching out for hypocrites, we also must be certain that we never become them by sincerely listening to God and humbly admitting our failings.

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One Thing to Think About:  What is the difference between proper learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth? 

One Thing to Pray For:  Courage to face troublesome times and love those around me
 

Useful to the Master

Reading:  2 Timothy 2:14-26
    
    This section reminds us that the gospel has always been connected to controversy.  Timothy needs to “avoid irreverent babble”(2 Tim 2:16).  Paul warns him about “Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened”(2 Tim 2:17-18).  There are always “foolish, ignorant controversies”(2 Tim 2:23) floating around.  And Timothy definitely will have “opponents” whom he will have to correct “with gentleness”(2 Tim 2:25).  Considering such a minefield of unpleasantness could make Timothy timid, so Paul urges him to focus on himself:  “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth”(2 Tim 2:15).  Timothy cannot solve all the world’s problems or answer all the world’s questions, but he can do his work and handle God’s word properly.

    Paul illustrates this personal focus by describing a homeowner and his dishes.  “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work”(2 Tim 2:20-21).  Our cups and plates serve different purposes.  Some cups are unworthy of great guests.  Others are too nice for everyday use.  If we cleanse ourselves from dishonorable things, we become vessels with honorable uses, “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house.”  God can use us.  So Paul warns Timothy to “flee youthful passions”(2 Tim 2:22) and foolish controversies, behaving himself with kindness and love.  God can use Timothy if he will keep himself pure.

    There is no higher purpose for any human being than to be “useful to the master.”  I can actively submit myself to his service, a tool in God’s hand.  To do so, I must maintain purity, wisdom, patience, and kindness.  God can use us if we keep ourselves pure.

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One Thing to Think About:  How is God using me? 

One Thing to Pray For:  The humility to allow God to use me
 

Soldiers, Athletes, and Farmers

Reading:  2 Timothy 2:1-13
    
    Paul continues to encourage Timothy to overcome his fear.  “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also”(2 Tim 2:1-2).  Knowing that suffering is coming (2 Tim 2:3), Timothy needs to prepare for the possibility that others will need to carry on teaching tasks in his absence.  Just as Paul taught him, he teaches other faithful men, who then go on to teach others.  The messengers change and die, but the message multiplies.

    Three images dominate this section:  soldiers, athletes, and farmers.  “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him”(2 Tim 2:3-4).  Soldiers embrace suffering as part of their duty; Timothy must learn to think of himself as a dedicated soldier of Jesus.  “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules”(2 Tim 2:5).  Even remarkable athletes do not receive a prize if they fail to compete in the time and way prescribed; Timothy must seek the prize by focusing on God’s expectation for him.  “It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops”(2 Tim 2:6).  Farmers eat what they grow as the fruit of their labor.  Paul occasionally uses this picture to argue that preachers deserve pay for their work (1 Cor 9:7).  I suspect that here he means that as Timothy teaches others to serve Jesus despite suffering, so he will suffer too.  He must prepare himself to experience first what other Christians will endure after him.  Meanwhile, Paul himself is in a similar position, bound in chains but passing the word on to others (2 Tim 2:9).

    Soldiers, athletes, and farmers all demonstrate dedication, discipline, and diligence.  They work hard to achieve important goals.  They suffer, but they suffer for a purpose.  God wants us to embrace the challenge of living for him and see the nobility of wholehearted service.

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One Thing to Think About:  Am I “entangled in civilian pursuits”? 

One Thing to Pray For:  Diligence to keep serving Jesus, even when it’s hard