Tag: bible study

Paul’s opening shows a very close connection with Timothy, that of a father to a son. It’s kind of a joke in the church to seek for/to be a Timothy to someone’s Paul. That’s cheesy and frankly our modern discipleship does not mirror closely the work these fellas were doing (although it should, something to aspire to).

Timothy remains in Ephesus guarding against false teachers. The nature of these false teachings seem to include a number of things. The details really are speculative, but either way it involves people chasing things that are untrue. My guess is that this is similar to the modern day folks who chase end times information by connecting weird dots to create a false picture that they want to see or those who elevate past figures that we know very little about to make them appear as though they are more important than they are/were.

Why are they doing this? Selfish reasons. It is to give them power over others, a source of pride, a way to make themselves important. It is false, of course, as Paul says the aim of their charge (and implicitly any church authority) is to love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. These other fellas are in it for themselves with speculative information. But because it is largely untrue, others don’t know it, and having knowledge others don’t brings prominence with it if you can convince people that what you know is important. Obviously, we are not immune from this today. Test for false teachers. If they know things the church hasn’t known for the last 2,000 years and there is not evidence of a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith, give them no time or interest.

It seems that saying that the law is not good may also be part of what these folks are teaching. I won’t rehash the list, but the broad point is that the law is good insomuch as it is “…in accordance with the gospel of the blessed God which which I have been entrusted.” This must be the good news of Jesus and His Kingdom, which means where the good news coincides with the law, it is good. Where it does not, it is no longer necessary. This is still a matter of debate today by smart people who love Jesus.

Paul reminds Timothy next of where he has come from, more specifically, what Jesus has rescued him from. In Paul, the extensive depth of the mercy of God is shown. Paul was indeed the foremost of sinners, speaking specifically against Jesus, calling him a liar, and persecuting His church. However, Jesus came into the world to save sinners, Paul included, so that we might get a glimpse of the extreme nature of the patience and mercy of Jesus. This is not hyperbole and should be something at the forefront of our minds and discussions with those who believe they are too far gone for the love and grace of Jesus to reach them. That is a lie, and Paul’s life is here to prove it.

In this we are to rightly understand God, not only for his mercy and love, but for his power. He is the King of ages, immortal, invisible who deserves all honor and glory forever.

Paul ends this section with what he started with, false teachers, reiterating that Timothy’s good work should rest in holding faith and keeping a good conscience. For those who have given up these things for their own gain, H and A here have been blaspheming as well. Paul says he turned them over to Satan. This is most likely to mean that they were kicked out of the church, noting that Paul expects them to “learn not to…” speak against Jesus. This is the same action Jesus recommends when things can’t be resolved with someone. So, seems harsh but otherwise right.

In chapter 2, Paul moves into some practical life stuff, answering the ever-present New Testament question: how then shall we live? His urge to Timothy is to constantly be petitioning God on behalf of everyone (yikes, that’s a lot of people), which is to include kings and all those in high positions. Our prayers are agnostic to the political climate around us, power always needs prayer.

But look at the outcome. We do this “…so that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” There’s multiple ways to take this, but I think we can safely assume that praying for everyone will take up plenty of time to keep you out of trouble. It will also always frame those with power around you as someone who you are rooting for (at least spiritually) and keep you from becoming some kind of political hack on one side or the other. Prayer helps maintain right perspective on the world in its fallen state and the fallen people who walk, work and weep within it.

And Paul says this makes God happy, as he desires all to be saved (the praying is the connection here). The footnotes in the ESV make a shallow argument at best for a Reformed view on this passage. The claim is that “…God’s greater desire is to display the full range of his glory which results in election depending upon the freedom of his mercy and not upon human choice.” I fail to see how His glory is not displayed through human choice, and the commentary leaves this undiscussed, it just assumes there is greater glory in humans not having a choice.

Speaking of things unclear, I’m not sure why Paul deems it necessary to assure Timothy he is not lying about being appointed a preacher and an apostle, ultimately a teacher of the Gentiles. I would assume by now that Timothy certainly knows the truth of this. In either case, Gentiles do indeed seem to be Paul’s part in the “all people” who God desires to be saved. The basic description of the good news “…there is one God, and there is one mediator…” seems to represent the type of thing he might say to the Gentiles that stands conversely against other ways Gentile folk may think eternal life or deities may work.

The conversation continues with Paul’s vision of how these groups of “all people” look like in worship to God. Dudes are together, lifting holy hands together and not fighting. Ladies are drawing attention to themselves because of their good works, not their hair or out-of-control-ness. This seems to have been a problem as Paul continues on that ladies are supposed to be quiet while learning and to not teach or exercise authority over any of these dudes lifting holy hands together. This, as you can imagine in today’s culture, is a freakin’ hornets nest.

Things to consider for context. It’s interesting that we don’t generally take “lifting holy hands” as a firm command for the dudes but treat the adornment and silence of the ladies as if it is a firm command. Further, if we don’t over-isolate this particular conversation, it seems to sit within the context of Paul talking about the kinds of things that might happen when these “all people” get together to praise God. The dudes don’t argue and lift hands and the ladies stop dressing like street-walkers and stop interrupting and making a scene. In these perspectives, the context can appear limited to just Paul’s situation (or at least the situation of that era of folk.)

However, his justification for not having ladies teach is significantly more far-reaching. Paul points back to the creation order to establish this who teaches who stuff, and further to Eve’s propensity to deception. I get the first one, the second I have a hard time with (Adam also sinned, failed to protect his wife as well as the situation he was in, and all ladies kind of get sacked for this behavior. Although, if there is a sinful nature, Adam gets tagged with that for all humanity, so there you go.) Either way, the reasoning for not allowing ladies teach certainly reaches beyond that time period and harkens back to a truth that has been around since creation. Further, in chapter 3, the qualifications for elder/pastor are male oriented, which would support something beyond Paul’s context as well.

What do we do with this then? I’m hard-pressed for a firm answer. Although I think the context may allow these distinctions to be non-binding outside of Paul’s world, the justification he gives for the restriction does not. Further, the posturing in the discussion in modern circles presupposes that the declaration, at face value, is not a good one and must be explained away some how. I worry that we miss something that is good, albeit counter to modern culture, while trying to wrestle it into something we are more comfortable with.

That said, Paul often lifts up women who work around him, including Priscilla, whom is listed before her husband Aquila by both Paul and Luke (in Acts) and who is credited with helping to teach Apollos. Here is a point where we should acknowledge that there are faithful people who love Jesus who are working prayerfully through the implications of this passage as it relates to both the modern context and that of its time. Missing a clear conviction on either side, I can only propose grace until then.

This chapter ends with further complication. Paul seems to insinuate that ladies can be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness and self-control. I don’t know man, that last part calls back to the start of the chapter which ties all of what he wrote together as simple, faithful instructions on what we ought to be about as followers of Jesus. That childbearing business throws it for a loop. The best I can discern is that we’re to see childbearing as an example of faithful work that mimics maturity physically the same way remaining faithful and praying for others and such does spiritually. I’m about 20% confident in that explanation, though.

Chapter 4 moves away from what things should be back to where there is trouble (false teaching) and how to combat it. When Paul says, “…the Spirit expressly says…” we have to take his word on it, there isn’t a Bible referent that validates it directly. (Not a big deal, could’ve been revealed to him at some point. However, it does bring up an interesting conversation around personal revelation outside of Scripture that is still valuable to the Kingdom folk at large. Another day.)

The concern is around folks who stop following Jesus and instead “…devote themselves to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” Man, that’s a long sentence. Couple things. First, this is obviously happening during Timothy’s time, one of his primary calls is to combat it. So, when Paul writes “…in later times…”, we can’t pull that out of his time period and say that it is a prophecy of what will happen sometime in the future. No, the “later times” or “last days” in the New Testament generally refer to the time between Jesus’ ascension and his second coming. They are the “last days” in that, once Jesus returns, there simply won’t be any more days (no reason to count, eternity is at hand!)

That said, the second point is obviously that we share the “later days” with Timothy as this sounds very much like our modern situation. (For those who think things are getting progressively worse societally, I’d note that there is nothing new under the sun, people have been bankrupt and debased and trying to take governments and institutions with them forever. If you don’t believe that, I have a tower in Babel I’d like to sell you.) An acute risk in our day, with the wide proliferation of media and accessibility to a diversity of thought, is the confusion that can come with it. It is easy to make things sound like Jesus may have said them, or pull them out of context and create a movement with it, or take a Biblical idea and bend it, twist it, generalize it until it’s not recognizable and then tag it as if it originated from the throne of Jesus. I’m willing to run down any rabbit hole that is trying to rightly understand the Word we have been given to ensure that I don’t miss what Jesus is really after because of some inherent bias or cultural assumption or trust in some slick willy interpretation. But I won’t ever accept Bible-lite or some lame philosophy that smells a little like Scripture but also smells like profit and vibes and cultural-personality horseradish.

Also, don’t reject good things God has given you. (I’m looking at you, Daniel fast.)

Paul instructs Timothy to take these truths and share them with the brothers. Don’t chase myths and help others to stop chasing them (I had a wingding of a conversation this week with a dude trying to find end-times significance in some constellation formation in September this year. 20 texts in and I’m not sure we made much progress. It’s the work, though.) There’s also a call to “train yourself” for godliness (which I apparently double-underlined at some point in the past. I’m assuming it was an excuse to not also take care of my body.) Paul says that there is some value in taking care of your body, but there is all-value in training yourself spiritually (that does work in this life and the next. Your beach bod only has value in this life. Stay healthy, Adonis, just keep it in the right balance/priority with spiritual training.) How do we do that? We’re doing it now. (Unless you’re not keeping up with the reading, in which case you’re not doing it. Pull it together.)

Paul then says something that causes people to write books and set up blogs and ignore the rest of Scripture: “…we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially those who believe.” Yay! Everyone is saved, even if they turn their backs on Jesus and do whatever they want because the living God is the Savior of all people! Can’t be right. If this were true, and we’ll ignore for the moment Jesus saying things like narrow gate and repeated descriptions of eternal separation, then Paul’s instructions to Timothy IN THIS CHAPTER ALONE make no sense. Why protect right doctrine and avoid myths if it doesn’t matter at all?

There are a number of options here, I think Occam’s Razor applies (the simplest is the most likely explanation). The confusion hinges on the word “especially”, which is interpreted in slightly different ways throughout the Bible. In some cases it is a further distinction (“all the saints salute you, specifically those within Caesar’s household”, Philippians 4:22) and in some cases an exact distinction (“Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write”, Acts 25:26.) In this Timothy instance, I think it’s the second option. “…we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, specifically those who believe.” He died to save the world, the ones who are saved are those who have faith in Him, believing that they needed it and that He did it.

The chapter finishes with Paul encouraging Timothy to not be dissuaded from his work and to live as an example to everyone around him. To hit one of Paul’s previous points, youth is not an issue, but maturity is. Don’t put yourself in a position you know you’re not mature enough to have. Pastoral work is an older fellas game for a reason (I reflect upon my own situation cautiously in this regard as well.) That said, where God has gifted and sent you, let no “normal” barriers contain you. Wisdom is being mindful of cautions but unafraid when the boundary of caution is to be crossed. For Timothy, he is to devote himself to the work, teaching, reading Scripture, and demonstrating his progress to those around him (I’d generally assume through his teaching but could be otherwise I guess). By persisting, committing to his calling, it has an impact on him and the people around him.

Where chapter 4 primarily focused on how Timothy was to go about his responsibilities as a pastor, chapter 5 mixes in how he can help other folks in his community act appropriately within their church family. The opening sentence sets the tone, guiding Timothy in how to go about leading those around him, encouraging him to do so in the same way he would with his own father, mother, brother and sister. The two distinctions to note are that 1.) Timothy is certainly called to approach all these people in rebuke where it is necessary (he substitutes “encouragement” for “rebuke” further in the description and 2.) he’s to do so in all purity.

This advice isn’t limited to pastors. In the course of a life following Jesus you’ll notice that age barriers start to disintegrate and with growing ease you recognize the common walk you share. In this, you’ll find yourself in a position to provide encouragement to folks 20-30 years your senior and junior. Where you’re the right person, you treat them like family (which means you do what you have to do and you do it out of love. You also keep your personal stuff out of it, you’re on the Lord’s work and the goal is reconciliation to the Lord, not vindication for you.)

Next up, widows. This we can fairly summarize in fairly rational ways. Where folks are truly widows (by age and situation) the church needs to care for them. Where they have family that can care for them or are of an age where they can still care for themselves and/or get remarried, they should do that and the church should not support them. Before reacting too harshly, remember Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, idle hands are something Paul consistently identifies as a risk for people and the church. Here, he’s just specifically applied it to younger, widowed women. Basically, if they don’t need it, they shouldn’t take it.

All this, though, highlights Paul’s instructions about family responsibilities. Specifically, the direct condemnation of “…anyone (who) does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” This is hard to swallow if we come from a perspective that has wrongly separated belief and the changed reality and work that implicitly follows. However, where we couple those things correctly, this makes a ton of sense. If I love my family I will care for them, serve them. If I say I love them but do not care for or serve them, then something isn’t right in there. Basically, the kerfuffle on this verse is unnecessary. Are you trying to dodge caring for your family? Are you trying to find a hole in the call to be a servant of all? If not, this is a big nothing-burger. If so, you’re not posturing to follow Christ and have bigger problems (like, worse than an unbeliever because you know the difference and refuse to submit to it.)

Moving on, where the pastor is doing the work well in what he is called to do, he deserves honor for that and deserves the benefit of the doubt when folks accuse him of something. (Don’t think there’s a hush-hush action here, the next part says the pastor doesn’t get the one on one rebuke from Matthew 18, he gets in front of all the overseers and the rest of the church if he needs a rebuke. Rough times.) However, when a fella keeps to God’s word and is in the rebuking business, someone is going to take it poorly and try to retaliate. So, have the man’s back and take care of him. Unless he sucks, then rebuke him and know the court of heaven stands ready to affirm such a rebuke.

Back to Timothy directly. Stay impartial because, again, it’s the Lord’s work you’re after. Lay hands on folks like mad fire and, oddly coupled with that, don’t take part in the sins of others. And, you know, still kind of off the wall, go ahead and have a little wine with your belly troubles, Timmy, water ain’t cutting it.

The laying of hands thing could be prayer and calls for healing but the connotation here is probably in identifying leaders and ordaining them for work. This makes the last part of this chapter make more sense as it is advises Timothy to be careful as both sin and good works can reveal themselves on the sly. Be patient, evaluate for both in due time.

As the letter begins to wind down, Paul winds up on something that causes undue confusion in our day but was certainly counter to normal instincts in his day as well. Still in the middle of a conversation intended to help Timothy guide those in the church on how to live, he instructs that those who are slaves how to treat their masters. Basically, Paul says to serve them well. Do it for a good witness if the master is not a Jesus man, serve them all the better if they are Jesus folk because they are brothers (apparently Paul is thinking of slaves who might try to take advantage of the forgiving or generous nature of their masters.)

Now, we have to read this through the lens of 1st century Roman society, not 18th-20th century America. The word here is doulos, sometimes translated as bond servant (which is a clearer translation of the circumstance.) The bondservant would work for the master for a given amount of time/value in exchange for either relief of a debt between the two or in a situation that is best described as a firmly committed job (the master really serving as more of a patron). In either case, it was voluntary, an option used to solve a problem. Paul encourages them elsewhere to buy their freedom if they can.

Paul also lists “enslavers” as lawless and disobedient in chapter 1 yet doesn’t condemn the Christian master here. The distinction here is forceful vs. voluntary. You can’t kidnap folk and make them do what you want, that’s a violation of Exodus 20 and basic decency. However, folks can put themselves under your charge (“care” is probably an overly optimistic description of the relationship) in exchange for money or shelter or whatever. The Christian on either side of that equation needs to serve the other faithfully.

Back to protecting against false doctrine. I like the simplicity of this, if someone doesn’t agree with Jesus, they are conceited and don’t understand anything. This is true, of course, if Jesus is God and knows everything and you have taken the position that you are more enlightened on one matter or another, you indeed don’t understand anything. The context to this extends into the next few verses. We’re talking about an enlightened individual who has moved beyond the wisdom of Jesus and is using his own brains to cause trouble in the church and between people who should know better. (This is why Bible study and sound doctrine are important. The church isn’t here to pass-on good and reasonable ideas, to be productive members of a relative society, we’re here to espouse and live out Jesus’ ideas and do our very best to change the world with the Good News we’ve been given. Where our teaching and end-goals of community don’t start and end with Jesus, we’re lost.)

The other angle here are those who teach “…godliness as a means of gain”. We know better than this. We can’t follow a man who calls us to be servant of all, who dies on the cross for the sake of others, and have this idea that gospel work and integrity living are designed to produce monetary gain. There wasn’t a payday waiting at the foot of the cross. We need to be extremely careful about calling monetary or status gain related to gospel work a sign of the Lord’s blessing. If we are comfortable that Jesus and the remaining 11 bros were faithful followers of Jesus, and everyone one of them was martyred (except John, who they tried to boil in oil and failed), then perhaps as disciples (students, those who learn from the teacher), our expectations should bend more that way.

Now, Paul makes the caveat for us here. You “gain” from following Jesus, but it’s not money or fame, it’s contentment. (Creflo can’t get a plane with that kind of propaganda next to the offering plates.) Paul says you can’t take anything with you and if we can get food and clothing (Maslow and Paul high five here) that’ll be fine. Once you get enough money to not worry about food and clothing, perhaps you should consider your neighbor and whether he has food and clothing. Wealth breeds risk. It’s not inherently bad but it introduces risks, options that you don’t have when you are content with the basics and giving the balance towards other stuff going on in the world.

Think now about the things you think you need (really, do it). How about the things you want? What about the things you have now that are getting old, that you’d like to replace? Starting to understand the value of contentment now? I have a long list of stuff that ain’t food and clothing that make me discontent because I don’t have it or under the thought that I might have to live without it. However, I don’t have a lot of cash so it’s less of a risk. Add cash, add risk. Sounds like some in Paul’s day have walked away from the faith because of this. It’s a powerful temptress, don’t even agree to a casual coffee with her. Hear me correctly, fellas. Get money, get lots of it. But don’t use it to invest in risks, in opportunities to refuse God’s contentment. Nah, anyone can do that. But not everyone can change the world, only the Good News that Christians bring can do that. Put your resources to that work.

What’s Timothy to do with all of this? Flee! Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness and gentleness. Fight the good fight! Your eternal life has already started, live it! A basic summary of the end is that we serve a good and powerful God, be faithful to him and to those you are called to serve. Don’t swerve from the task, don’t give an inch in your fight to live out the very best of what God is up to so that you gain the right things (contentment, assurance of eternal life) and help change the world as ambassadors of the good news of which you have been given. If you are rich, it isn’t a sign of Gods blessing, it’s a sign of your responsibility to be a blessing to others. That’s true life, it’s a real salve to the soul.

To end, a reminder to keep faithful to the Word and stay out of trying to mediate a gaggle of fools who don’t agree that Jesus is right and they are not.

The last section brings everything to a head. Paul lays a charge of persistent, patient, faithful teaching and pastoring at the feet of Timothy, accountable to Jesus himself! These are beautiful commands, though. Preach the word. Just tell people about the Good News of Jesus. Be ready when when people expect it and when they don’t. Be honest, have integrity to tell people when they are walking away or crooked and set it right; encourage them with complete patience. That’s complete patience, fellas, not hair-trigger tolerance that overreacts when people don’t do the things we try to help them in doing. It’s not productive. Overreacting at how sinful someone else is generally comes from forgetting how sinful you are and how gracious God has been with you. Do the work, but be patient in it. (See Luke 16 on the unjust steward who refuses to give the same grace to others as he himself has received. That ends poorly for him.)

This thing about folks having itching ears is especially relevant today. People go to the Bible to have what they already think affirmed instead of coming to it looking to have it change them. If you’re not prepared to read the word of God and have it change your life, put it down, you’re not using it correctly. The problem Paul talks about here is the reason we have people justifying all kinds of nonsense (past and present) by looking for things in the Bible that will affirm what they want while ignoring the parts that put it into context or directly refute their desires.

For example, look back at 1 Timothy chapter 6, the one about the slaves. Some people used this verse in modern America to justify owning people and treating those who bear the image and likeness of God (and frankly a skin tone closer to what Jesus would have had then the gaggle of Anglo-Saxons doing this Bible study) in terrible ways. However, as we pointed out in that book, Paul lists “enslavers” as lawless and disobedient in chapter 1. Can’t just take what we want. The desire in our culture of individualism to have our opinion or feelings on one matter or another be treated as if it true and right simply because it originated from us will continue to be a serious roadblock in people getting to know Jesus. To believe in, submit to and follow Jesus is to acknowledge his authority, that he is right regardless of how you “feel” about it. If you’re not prepared to bring your entitlement in this area to die so that His authority may reign over you, then you’re not ready to live in His Kingdom, you’re just trying to rent space and open up a bakery in his lands. (As you should be aware, Jesus is fully capable of handling his own bread situation.)

But what’s our response to this? Be pissed? Put fingers in faces and bring the truth to bear in holy and righteous anger?! Nah, stay sober-minded (you’re grounded in the truth, let’s act like it). Endure suffering and do the work of an evangelist (which should be considered in this context both sharing good news and disciple-making). People often yell and cuss and waive their arms around and other stuff to try and make the thing they are saying more forceful. But the truth does its own work. Yes, some folks are wrong, but it’s often because they are deaf or don’t speak the language. Getting louder at either of these groups doesn’t help, but living with integrity and helping them see truth that matches what you’re speaking, suddenly those words will start to make sense.

Ultimately what Paul is asking Timothy to do is what he has done himself. And because of this work he is about to die. But, as always, he is ok with his life being an example, for ever since being accosted by Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), Paul has fought the good fight, kept the faith and kept running until the end (some of his best work was in prison, actually. What is hindering you from doing what God has going on in your life?) I’m struck by the endurance, here. I have trouble keeping up with anything or an extended amount of time, and that’s for things that don’t cause me any particular pain or suffering or inconvenience. But Paul can look back at the last 3 decades and comfortably say, “I’ve kept the faith”. You don’t get that way making big plans, it happens by walking one mile and then walking the next. It happens by taking the sheep out of the barn and then back into the barn, over and over and over again. Walk miles, sheep in sheep out, be faithful in the means and let God handle the ends. You live your life like you live your days. So, mind your days, keep the faith in the small things and the big thing will happen all by itself.

Paul’s reward awaits him in heaven, a crown of righteousness (it’s indistinct what exactly this means in the afterlife but, you know, I can’t imagine it’ll be a disappointment.) And, it’s not just for Paul, it’s for all who follow Jesus and await His return.

The personal instructions are interesting. It kind of reinforces the mixed world and responses that Paul is subject to in His gospel work. It’s interesting that Mark shows up here in the list after Paul and him had a falling out previously (Acts 15). Paul also wants his coat and some stuff to read (pretty normal prison action) and warns Timothy to keep an eye out for some ne’re-do-wells, including the coppersmith, who doesn’t take kindly to good news. Don’t miss Paul’s response to those who deserted him. Like Jesus, who looked down at those who mocked him and likely thought of his students that had abandoned him, Paul asks that they be forgiven, the debt they incurred by their sin be not charged against them. Can you do that? Can you think of those who have wronged you and honestly desire that the harm they have done you not be counted against them? (See above on the dangers of reading the Bible without the intention of it changing you.)

Paul ends with some specific greetings. He speaks of Prisca (Priscilla) and Aquila (Acts 18), who remain an interesting couple in that she is always mentioned first. In the ancient world, order of names listed was to denote importance (note that Peter is always first in the list of disciples, no matter what gospel account you’re reading.) To have a woman be first is interesting, as well as the fact that we find her involved with helping share truth with a man named Apollos in Acts 18. These things provide a unique context to our understanding of Paul’s view on women and their role in the church. It’s one of the reasons why this topic remains a work in progress for me.

Paul desires for Timothy to come and to try to make it before winter. This is likely because it’s dangerous to travel in the winter and, of course, he’s supposed to be bring Paul a coat, which doesn’t do much good if brought after Winter.

Paul ends the letter simply, in some ways unceremoniously given the situation he’s in and the fate that is before him. Although, he did most of that earlier in this chapter (the beautiful encouragement, the final description of his own perseverance, and the reminder of how it will all end.) However, there likely isn’t anything more appropriate to leave his spiritual son with then a desire that the Lord be with him.

Where the last chapter ends with some hope that folks might be convinced of the truth of Jesus, the work laid out for Timothy remains difficult, as it has been for Paul. Again, when Paul says “last days”, the implication isn’t that it’s only a week or two and then Jesus is expected to return. They are in the “last” days, as we are, because upon the return of Jesus we will no longer count days. So, what we are living in now are it.

What kind of difficulty? Well, folks will largely worship themselves and their own desires and abandon any concept of a greater morality that is beyond them. Notice that almost all of these descriptions are self-serving, self-focused and self-promoting. Certainly, this has always been a problem (Joshua 21:25 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This was a description of God’s people then who basically didn’t submit to a specific moral standard and just did whatever they individually thought was best.)

This is problematic, of course, because if there is no objective standard of morality (what we would say comes from God) then there is no such thing as evil. If what is good or not good is simply a matter of individual opinion, although you may find theft to be wrong, as long as the thief doesn’t see a problem with it then it’s simply what you think is good vs. what he thinks is good. And since folks tend to be easy on themselves and hard on others when it comes to how they evaluate right and wrong, the end result is a selfish free-for-all. You want to know why God gives a law, both an identity and how to live? Because what is right in my eyes comes from a very limited perspective that tends to favor me. I need someone who has the big picture to set that right and God does that.

The world Timothy is in, the one that we are still in today, continues to trend away from what God says is good and towards what each individual says is good. And Paul is right, that’s difficult, because most people don’t take kindly to the assertion that what they “feel” or “believe” to be good isn’t really good at all. That’s a perspective not changed, though, by finger pointing (if they don’t know Jesus, we can’t be surprised that they don’t trust His perspective on morality.) If it’s to change, it’s changed by Jesus, the combination of truth and love. That’s why we’re about the business we’re about.

Paul calls out fellas who deceive women, specifically women who have had difficult and likely sinful pasts and who are susceptible to false promises and the deceit of these dudes. But just like Jannes and Jambres, the names of the Egyptian magicians from Exodus 7 who were able to turn their staffs into serpents just like Moses did, they will be outed as being in opposition to God’s truth (Moses’ snake eventually eats theirs. The Bible doesn’t explain how these magicians were able to turn their staffs into snakes). Their relevance to the fellas Paul is talking about is that, despite their deceit and tricks, ultimately God will ensure that their folly is revealed to all.

In contrast, what Paul has been teaching and living is not deceit, it’s the real deal and Timothy has been following in those footsteps. One of the ways this is affirmed is in Paul’s suffering. The big list in the previous paragraph is all about selfishness; Paul’s example and constant call (echoing that of Jesus, of course) is in service to God, the message of the Good News, and to others. In fact, Paul says that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. I think that’s a key point, these dudes are deceived and their deceit upon others is an outpouring of that. That doesn’t excuse it, of course, but I say it to point out that false teaching and selfish deceit very rarely limit their damage to the individual; it spreads to the world around them with little effort.

So, that’s the work. Timothy is to continue in confidence in what he has learned and counter the deceit that is perpetuating from elsewhere (obviously, this is still our work). Where do we go for a firm foundation? Scripture. Paul says that all Scripture is “God-breathed”, basically given to us using human authors but ensured to be the accurate information God wanted communicated. Now, in the context of this letter, Scripture would most likely mean the Old Testament, that was what they actually had for Scripture. However, by this point there are probably some New Testament documents available to them as well (Matthew, for example). In either case, we protect against deceit by reading Scripture, knowing the difference between what God says is good and what is not, and soaking in the example of Jesus so that we know how we shall live in these days of difficulty; not just to survive this world but to be part of sharing Good News for its redemption.

Paul continues the same discussion in chapter 2, just in slightly different ways. We’re still talking about the grace of Jesus and still talking about carrying forth that which Paul started. In an echo from his first letter to Timothy, Paul encourages him to, “…entrust [what you have heard from me] to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Basically, make disciples. Also, remember the word “disciple” means “student”. You tend to attract the type of students who you would make a good teacher for. That means as you live your life following Jesus and take people with you, don’t surprised that you’re making different kinds of disciples that focus on different things, have different skill sets, seem adept at certain areas compared to the kinds of disciples I make. It takes all kinds boys, and God is in the all kinds business. Faithful in the means, let God handle the ends. Timothy, as a teacher, will tend to attract other teachers. Seems good!

Paul then follows with three examples illustrating ways to live for Jesus. First, the picture of a soldier, being about the King’s business and suffering, if need be, to keep on with the mission at hand. Said soldier doesn’t get distracted by other affairs because, again, He’s on the King’s business. Seems like a good reminder. King Jesus says take up your cross and follow me, how often do you get derailed to pick your undies out of your butt crack and to chat up some other loafer who has decided to not be about the King’s business? Watch your distractions, especially the value you give societal work that isn’t related to what God is up to. (In case you need an example, sometimes politics is the Lord’s work, sometimes it’s a pair of undies up your butt crack. Use some discernment.)

Second, an athlete. This one’s pretty simple, if your goal is to win a certain event, you can’t cheat, got to play by the rules. The encouragement here is to be faithful to the way things are done as laid out by the actual judge of the event. Again, faithful in the means, let God handle the ends. We can get this wrong, obviously, if we try to attain the things that represent God-honoring victory in ways that don’t honor God. We can’t gimmick the masses into heaven, we can’t hide things that Jesus says that make people uncomfortable and we can’t act like you can take on the new identity Jesus provides without giving up yourself completely to it. We are faithful in the means because they are good!

Thirdly, the hard-working farmer. This one is more ambiguous because, although Paul provides some level of explanation on the first two, he simply tells Timothy to think on this one and the Lord will provide understanding. It seems right to me here for us to do the same. However, if there are certainties in here given the two examples that came before it, the ultimate point is related to the work done in service of the King and that which is reaped from it. (Some might jump to heavenly rewards here, but I’m not sure that has to be in view. What is the product, the crop of faithful disciple making and Kingdom work? Are there things that this might point to in this life as opposed to being exclusively in the next? Just something to ponder.)

Timothy’s rightful work continues in view, with Paul reminding him of the core gospel. (His gospel? Yeah, it’s the good news that Paul brings, there’s no scandal here.) Paul is suffering, bound up, the the word of God is not bound! (I mean, that’s probably in the top 3 for tattoo options. Freakin’ right the Word is not bound!) What’s Paul getting at? This is the work, man. It’s the work for Paul, it’s the work for Timothy, heck, it’s the work of disciple making. It’ll put you in the straights, people will ignore you, or try to suppress what you’re doing. As we’ve seen elsewhere people who you think were getting it turn on you or start listening to false teaching as soon as you stop giving them attention. It’s a rough deal sometimes. However, it’s done so that folk may be saved from separation from God; that they may be forever with He who loves like no one else. (The trustworthy phrase at the tail end of this is something probably worth memorizing. It’s encouraging, true, convicting, and shows God is better than us at this relationship. All good things to remember.)

You know what’s interesting, starting in verse 14 there’s a bit of a parallel between the examples from earlier. The soldier who isn’t to get distracted with other affairs shows up in, “…not to quarrel about words…”, distracted by things that aren’t essential to what’s going on. There also is a bit of a parallel with the athlete who needs to follow the rules God lays out in, “…avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.” These aren’t slam dunks but they seem close. I’d feel more comfortable about it intentionality if there was a farm-worker-esque item here, although that would be stealing understanding that the Lord is on the hook for so I guess it wouldn’t make sense to include here either.

We covered this in the Thessalonica letters, but it sounds like that isn’t the only church who is hearing from dudes who ought to know better who are saying that the Day of the Lord has already come and gone and that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred. Why do people do that, tell lies and rile people up? Because even false knowledge is power. Once you know something someone else doesn’t, they will not only look to you to provide it but also how to react to it. It’s how you make disciples of Jesus, but it’s also how you make disciples of yourself. The distinction is the knowledge that you share and its truth. We need a great arbiter to know the difference and God provided it in Scripture. That’s how we know.

I’ll skip a full review on the vessels, just know that you’re supposed to be up to honorable use. Not sure what to pray in the morning? Try, “Lord, how can I be useful to you today? Protect me, keep me so that I may be of honorable use.” That’s not a tattoo, it’s too long and in Chinese it ends up looking like a hut on the back of a turtle.)

The chapter ends in the same vein. What does it look like to serve Jesus and others? It looks like righteousness, faith, love and peace. It looks like a pure heart, avoiding quarrels, kindness, patience in the face of evil, courage and gentleness in correction so that they may repent and know the truth and escape the snare of the devil. You know, I was thinking today of the phrase “Enoch walked with God”. Enoch didn’t sit on his brains and tell God that He was doing cool things while waiting for God to take him to heaven. God is up and about and moving and Enoch is doing the same. Salvation isn’t sedentary, it’s an active relationship with King Jesus. You can have that relationship because he allows it, no other reason. However, now that you’re friends, he gives you good gifts and Kingdom work to do. The best is yet to come, but for now. we walk with God by doing the work. We avoid sin because our King who loves us says it’s bad for us and because it brings junk into His Kingdom. What I’m getting at here is that Christians miss out on a lot of what Jesus offers because we’re sitting down yelling, “Atta boy, Jesus. Salvation! Fist pump!” Do the work. Repent. Be kind. Avoid quarrels. Make disciples. Get into prison or something. It’s not an easy life, but it’s the right one. (Did taking up a cross sound easy to you? Of course not.)

Paul opens as he always does with an identification of who he is, who he is writing to, and the offering of some combination of grace, peace and mercy. His inclusion of “…the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus…” is interesting given his current situation of imprisonment and anticipation of execution (which will indeed soon happen). Also note his description of Timothy as his “beloved child”. This has to be a difficult letter for Paul to write. Yes, he has been in tough spots before, but seems to recognize through this letter that this particular situation will end in his death. His role now is to lead Timothy to continue the work he can no longer do.

And Timothy is not just a dude he met along the journey. Paul prays all the time for him, remembering his mother and grandmother by name and the faith that they had. In light of this lineage, Paul reminds Timothy to “…fan into flame the gift of God…”. There is no restraint here. Timothy comes from a faithful family and has been taught by a faithful man who encountered the risen Jesus himself. God has given Timothy the skills and means to change the world with Good News, Paul says pour gas on that beast, carry the light boldly, with love and no fear. (Don’t miss the personal application here both as a child of God and, if it is your situation, as a parent yourself. Whatever way God has gifted you to change the world with His Good News, live it out and pass it on.)

Paul continues, ever willing to have people imitate him as he imitates Christ. He tells Timothy to not only not be ashamed of Paul’s situation, but share in it (not for the sake of being in the straights, it’s gospel work.) Keep this paragraph in context, “…his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus…”. The focus of this isn’t Paul and Timothy, it’s Jesus. Jesus was the purpose and grace that was planned since the beginning that ultimately manifested itself through his life, death, resurrection and ascension. Paul and Timothy’s work, as ours is, is to proclaim this reality. Jesus abolished death (we need say cool things like this more often); he brought life and immortality to light (something Paul might have had on his mind given his situation.)

But as can be expected, Paul is resolute. He is not ashamed of his position, he has been faithful in the means and trusts that God will appropriately handle the ends, guarding the reward that is due those who serve righteously in the Kingdom. And, he encourages Timothy to do the same. Again, the legacy Paul leaves is one we are called to as well. Who are you taking with you as you follow Jesus? Who can you encourage and say, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in faith and love that are in Christ Jesus”? Gotta do it, fellas. Paul isn’t in prison for loving Jesus, he’s in prison for trying to make disciples.

And the consequences of doing so are sometimes too much for others to take. Sounds like the folk in Asia abandoned Paul in his needs upon his imprisonment, especially a couple cats with long names. Hermogenes sounds like doofus anyway. But not everyone cut him loose, Onesiphorus seems like a good dude, not only unashamed of Paul but seeking him out to visit. Man, visiting folks in prison has been on my mind quite a bit lately, gotta figure that out.