God Speaks
Paul’s Last Words to Timothy, His Son in the Faith
Verse of the Day: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:8-10 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
2 Timothy 1
Reflection: This is thought to be the last letter Paul wrote. It was written by a spiritual parent (Paul) to his son in the faith (Timothy). It is a kind of “passing of the torch.” Together they had told men and women everywhere how they could have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus secured for us the mercy, grace, and peace of God. Christians are to serve God with clear consciences, praying day and night for others. We are to pass on faith in Christ to the next generations. Believers are to be filled with joy (even to the point of tears) whenever we can be together. We are not to be ashamed of those who are suffering for the sake of the Gospel. And what is this good news? Verses 9 and 10 are a summary of it. Reread them in the passage above. For teaching these truths, Paul was suffering hardship, imprisonment, and abandonment. Paul felt that the rewards far outweighed the sufferings and invited Timothy to join him in suffering for the sake of the gospel; however, he warned Timothy to avoid those who abandoned him, but to support and encourage those like Onesiphorus who visited and encouraged Paul. We also should be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom or at least support those who are, wherever they are, however we can.
Prayer: Dear Father who watches over His children, thank You for intergenerational relationships that further Your Kingdom. Like Paul and Timothy, please help believers today (not just church leaders) to tell people everywhere how to receive eternal life by faith in all that Jesus has done for them. May all those You have chosen and called truly experience the mercy, grace, and peace You have provided through the actions of Jesus Christ our Lord. May we serve You with clear consciences, conversing with You day and night about Your plans for ourselves and others. May I (and other adult Christians) be passing on to upcoming generations what it means to fully trust in Jesus. May I be filled with joy (even to the point of tears) whenever I can be together with other believers, especially with my children in the faith. Whenever I face trials and difficulties in life, don’t let me cringe in fear, but, Holy Spirit, please fill me with courage, wisdom, love, and strength of character. Thank You for saving me and choosing me for Your holy work, not because I deserved it but because that was Your plan from before creation–to show Your love to us through Christ. You made it plain to mankind by Jesus Christ coming as a human being to be our Rescuer. He broke the power of sin and death and showed us that the way of everlasting life was through trusting Him alone. I declare that He is the one I trust, and He is able to safely guard all that I give Him until the day He returns, Please help me to be faithful to both guard and disseminate this message. Help me to suffer well if necessary and to support others who are suffering for the sake of the gospel. All for Your glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will tell someone how they can receive eternal life by faith in what Jesus Christ has done for them.
- I will seek to serve God with a clear conscience, praying day and night for myself and others to be doing God’s will.
- I will be alert for ways to pass on faith in Christ to my (physical or spiritual) children and grandchildren.
- I will memorize 2 Timothy 1:9-10, a summary of the gospel, in the version or translation I find easiest to remember.
2 Timothy 2
Reflection: Paul tells Timothy that he will need strength from God as he passes what Paul taught him to faithful people who would teach others as well. In serving God, Timothy would need the courage of a soldier, the steadfastness of a long-distance runner, and the patience of a farmer. Timothy’s success (and ours) in living a godly Christian life was to be founded on the fact that Jesus Christ was both man (a descendent of King David) and God (the Son, second member of the Trinity). His being raised from the dead proved both his ability to bear the penalty of our sin and the holiness of God indwelling Him. Being arrested and jailed was the price Paul paid for preaching this wonderful fact, but he considered it worth all that he suffered to see this good news spreading and changing lives in many places. He focused on the eternal rewards as well. He warned Timothy about getting side-tracked by arguments over temporary, less important concerns. Paul told him to run away from thoughts that led to sin, but to run to and embrace anything that is good and leads to righteousness in Christ. Verses 23-26 give us directions on how godly people should handle the situation when “the opposition” becomes argumentative and angry. Let’s work hard together to follow this advice in this day and time.
Prayer: Dear gracious God, who enables His children to be strong and carry on the work of Your Kingdom, strengthen Your chosen leaders to pass on sound doctrine to future generations of Your followers. Please raise up faithful people who will teach others as well. Thank You for all those who have done so down through the centuries to this very day. In serving You, I will need the courage of a soldier, the steadfastness of a long-distance runner, and the patience of a farmer. Please grant me success in living a godly Christian life founded on the fact that You, Jesus Christ, were both man (a descendent of King David) and God (the Son, the second member of the Trinity). Your being raised from the dead proved both Your ability to bear the penalty of my sin and the holiness of God indwelling You. Help me to share this wonderful fact with others and make me willing to pay the price for doing so. May I consider it worth all that I may suffer to see this good news spreading and changing lives in many places. Keep me focused on the rewards of spending eternity with You as well. Don’t let me get side-tracked by arguments over temporary, less important concerns. Please help me run away from thoughts and activities that lead to sin, but to run to and embrace anything that is good and leads to righteousness in Christ. Thank You for giving me directions on how I should handle the situation when “the opposition” becomes argumentative and angry. Help me work together with other Christians to put this advice into action in this day and time. For Your glory, Lord. AMEN
Action: (Ask the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will be on the alert for someone to whom I can pass on the truths of scripture that God has used others to teach me over the years. Then I will meet with them to do so.
- I will ask the Lord to develop courage, steadfastness, and patient endurance in me.
- I will share the good news of Jesus with someone this week.
- I will seek to have a quiet discussion with someone with whom I disagree and try to introduce them to the truth, depending on the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3
Reflection: As I read Paul’s description of people’s behavior in the “last days,” I can’t help but think that he is reading our newspapers or listening to our newsfeeds. What he is describing in verses 1-9 and 13 is happening all over the world right before our eyes; this is true for both individual people as well as national governments. But I believe that God is in the process of exposing all this deception and corruption for us to face the facts and to promote truth and righteousness that honors Him. After listing about 20 ways in which people are going from bad to worse, Paul gives a concrete example of how charlatans draw weak people further into sin. Paul’s solution for Timothy is two-fold: Timothy was to remember what Paul had both taught and exemplified, and he was also to look to the Scriptures he had known from childhood for instruction in what was right and what was wrong, directions for how to get back on track, and training to keep doing right. Then Timothy and his church would be equipped to do what was wise and right going forward.
Prayer: Dear all-powerful and all-loving God, thank You that You knew all about what our sinful rebellion would look like in the “last days” even before You created us. You worked through the centuries to bring about Your perfect plan to save human beings by faith in the Messiah (Christ), Your only begotten Son, who took our place on the cross. Now, when we turn to Him in faith, You receive all our sin and give us all the righteousness of Christ–the ability to live the kind of life He did here on earth. Please keep Your followers alert to all the ways the world, the flesh, and the devil (the enemies of God) are working to deceive, distract, disrupt, and/or destroy God’s plan and His people. We need for You to show us ways to combat these strategies and give us the physical, emotional, and spiritual strength to do so. One of the weapons You supply is Your word, the Bible. Help me to not just know Your Word but to carry it out as well. Thank You for breathing Your thoughts into the minds of the writers of scripture. As a result, the Bible is the authoritative standard by which we can be taught what is right, be held accountable, be shown the right way to go, and be trained in right living. Thank You that through this process I will become a mature child of God who is thoroughly prepared for every good action You are calling me to take. All for the glory of Christ. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will reread this chapter, then admit and deal with any of the behaviors mentioned in which I have participated.
- I will ask the Lord for courage to expose any of these behaviors I know of but about which I have kept quiet. Then I work to correct them.
- I will join with others to study, memorize, and apply the principles of the Bible in my day-to-day life.
- I will join with others to take action against activities in my society that are opposing God’s loving plans for people.
2 Timothy 4
Reflection: The Apostle Paul closes this letter with a solemn charge (with God the Father and Jesus Christ as witness) to Timothy as well as instructions for what to do regarding certain people and some of Paul’s possessions. The charge was for Timothy to preach the Word, always using it gently and patiently but firmly to challenge, correct, rebuke, and instruct the people that God put in His path. In the future people would not stand for sound teaching. They would flock to preachers who made them feel good and not necessarily do good God’s way. Timothy was to stay faithful to the task of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and bringing other people to faith in Him, regardless of any suffering. Paul gave a strong affirmation of his ministry and his confidence in the eternal reward he would receive when the Lord returned. Then Paul gave Timothy specific instructions: Come quickly because Demas had left to pursue worldly things. Crescens, Titus, and Tychicus had all left for other assignments. Only Luke was there with Paul. Timothy was to bring the cloak, the books, the parchments, and Mark with him when he came before winter. He was to beware of Alexander the coppersmith. In the middle of these instructions Paul forgave those who had left him, praised the Lord for past deliverances, and expressed confidence in the future. Timothy was to greet Priscilla and Aquila and receive greetings from several other brothers in the faith. Paul closed by praying that the presence of Jesus Christ and His grace would be with Timothy.
Prayer: Dear Almighty God, thank You that near the end of his life Paul was able to pass on this charge to Timothy. He was to continue preaching the word as Paul had so faithfully done since his experience with Christ on the road to Damascus. Along with Timothy, You charge all Christian leaders to correct, rebuke, and instruct the people in the ways of God gently and patiently, whether it is convenient or not. Help me to take up the challenge of doing “the work of an evangelist.” May I faithfully carry out the calling You have for my life. At the end of my life, may I, like Paul, be able to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also who love his appearing.”* May others be able to say the same. We will only be able to do so by Your grace and empowerment. May even my final instructions to my loved ones and friends be interrupted by an expression of thanksgiving, praise, and confidence in my eternal reward with You, Lord. AMEN
*(2 Timothy 4:17-18 KJV)
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will try to contact older mentors in the faith and thank them for the impact they have had in my life.
- I will try to contact younger people in the faith and thank them for the blessing they have been in my life.
- I will ask for the help of the Holy Spirit in completing the task God has assigned to me.
- I will continue to mentor and encourage other believers (and not-yet believers) the Lord has placed around me.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.