God Speaks
O Timothy, my son, be strong with the strength Christ Jesus gives you. 2 For you must teach others those things you and many others have heard me speak about. Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others.
3 Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, just as I do; 4 and as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5 Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6 Work hard like a farmer who gets paid well if he raises a large crop. 7 Think over these three illustrations, and may the Lord help you to understand how they apply to you.
8 Don’t ever forget the wonderful fact that Jesus Christ was a man, born into King David’s family; and that he was God, as shown by the fact that he rose again from the dead. 9 It is because I have preached these great truths that I am in trouble here and have been put in jail like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained, even though I am. 10 I am more than willing to suffer if that will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
11 I am comforted by this truth, that when we suffer and die for Christ it only means that we will begin living with him in heaven. 12 And if we think that our present service for him is hard, just remember that some day we are going to sit with him and rule with him. But if we give up when we suffer, and turn against Christ, then he must turn against us. 13 Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us, for he cannot disown us who are part of himself, and he will always carry out his promises to us.
14 Remind your people of these great facts, and command them in the name of the Lord not to argue over unimportant things. Such arguments are confusing and useless and even harmful. 15 Work hard so God can say to you, “Well done.” Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word says and means. 16 Steer clear of foolish discussions that lead people into the sin of anger with each other. 17 Things will be said that will burn and hurt for a long time to come. Hymenaeus and Philetus, in their love of argument, are men like that. 18 They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have weakened the faith of some who believe them.
19 But God’s truth stands firm like a great rock, and nothing can shake it. It is a foundation stone with these words written on it: “The Lord knows those who are really his,” and “A person who calls himself a Christian should not be doing things that are wrong.”
20 In a wealthy home there are dishes made of gold and silver as well as some made from wood and clay. The expensive dishes are used for guests, and the cheap ones are used in the kitchen or to put garbage in. 21 If you stay away from sin you will be like one of these dishes made of purest gold—the very best in the house—so that Christ himself can use you for his highest purposes.
22 Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts.
23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish arguments, which only upset people and make them angry. 24 God’s people must not be quarrelsome; they must be gentle, patient teachers of those who are wrong. 25 Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them, they are more likely, with God’s help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan’s trap of slavery to sin, which he uses to catch them whenever he likes, and then they can begin doing the will of God.
Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
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.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.