2 TIMOTHY 1
2
TIMOTHY 1:1-5 -
PUTTING ON A FACE
I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you (2 Timothy
1:5).
Several customers were waiting in line at a London cheese shop one
day when the famous preacher C. H. Spurgeon came in to make a
purchase. Not one to stand around calmly, he became a little fidgety
as he stood behind the others and waited his turn. Noticing a fine
block of cheese in the shop window, he couldn't resist touching it,
and gently tapped the cheese with his walking stick. To his
surprise, the "cheese" made an empty metallic sound—like the ring of
a big bread pan. Spurgeon later recounted,
"I came to the conclusion that I
had found a very well-got-up hypocrite in the window."
People can be like
fake cheese—they look like something they aren't. Many use the name
Christian and make a rather pretty display on Sunday morning, yet
they have the hollow sound of a hypocrite. A person may look like a
Christian but lack genuine faith. When tapped with temptation or
spiritual duty, the sham becomes evident. What seemed to be
spirituality is a veneer of profession—without the substance of
possession.
Not so with Timothy. His faith was genuine—so real that thinking of
it filled Paul with joy. Satisfaction must have filled Timothy's
heart as he read the apostle Paul's words (2 Tim. 1:5).
We must continually evaluate our faith and ask ourselves if what we
profess will stand up under God's examination. —P. R. V.
Many give Christianity their countenance but not their
heart. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
1
Timothy 1:1-2
Many people who could
easily identify the name Martin Luther would be hard pressed to name
Luther's close associate and ally. He was Philip Melanchthon, a
brilliant theologian and teacher who dedicated himself to explaining
and defending the truths that formed the heart of the Protestant
Reformation. One writer says, ""As Timothy was to Paul, so
Melanchthon was to Luther--a younger companion and co-laborer in the
truth."" (Today in the Word)
2
Timothy 1:5 - A
Praying Mother
Evangelist Billy Sunday told of a minister who was calling on his
people. He came to one home and asked the girl who answered the door
if he might talk to her mother. ""No,"" she replied, ""mother prays
from nine to ten."" The minister waited for forty minutes; and when
the mother came out, her face was so radiant that he understood why
her oldest daughter was a missionary and her two sons were in the
ministry. Billy Sunday added, ""All hell cannot tear a boy or a girl
away from a praying mother."" (Today in the Word)
Many students of
church history are familiar with the story of Susanna Wesley, who
counted John and Charles among her nineteen children, only nine of
whom lived to adulthood. Susanna was said to have prayed for her
children two hours a day, along with teaching them their basic
school subjects. She was well-prepared to care for and lead her
large family. She herself was the daughter of a well-known minister,
the youngest of his twenty-five children. Susanna benefited from a
godly home and passed the heritage onto her children. Although his
Christian heritage probably did not span as many years as that of
the Wesleys, Timothy also benefited from a godly home. His mother
and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, are two largely unsung heroines of
the Bible. (Today in the Word)
2
Timothy 1:5a
Indispensable
READ: 2 Timothy 1:1-5
I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt
first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. —2 Timothy
1:5
A talented
stay-at-home mother wrote a delightful essay in which she vividly
describes (without complaining) the frustrations, sacrifices, and
loneliness that accompany her chosen lifestyle. It's not glamorous
to deal with a fussy 18-month-old who is teething, to settle
quarrels between an irrational 3-year-old and a pushy 5-year old,
and to listen to the incessant chatter of small children. Yet she
concludes that her role is indispensable for the total well-being of
her children. How true!
The importance of a godly mother's role in the life of a child
cannot be overemphasized. Think of Timothy, for example, the young
man the apostle Paul considered his spiritual son and a valuable
partner in ministry. In his second letter to him, Paul recalled how
Timothy had been influenced by "the genuine faith" of his
grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). God used two
generations of loving mothers to prepare Timothy for the crucial
work he would have in spreading the gospel and establishing
congregations of believers in Christ.
Let's praise the Lord for mothers who not only care for their
children physically but also nurture them spiritually. Mothers like
that are indispensable!—Herbert Vander Lugt
God has conferred on motherhood
A true nobility,
And she who gladly fills that role
Can shape man's destiny. —D. De Haan
No man is poor who has had a godly mother. —Abraham Lincoln
2
Timothy 1:5b
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee,
which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice;
and I am persuaded that in thee also.
There is no transmigration of souls, but there is a kind of
transmigration of faith, as if the very form and shape of faith,
which was in Lois and Eunice, afterwards appeared in Timothy. Truly,
there are certain idiosyncrasies which may pass from some Christian
people to others; and when those idiosyncrasies are of a high and
noble kind, it is a great mercy to see them reproduced in children
and children’s children. “I thought I heard your mother speak,”
said one, when she heard a Christian woman talking of the Savior,
“you speak in just the way in which she used to tell out her
experience, and describe the love of Christ.”
Grace does not run in the
blood, but it often runs side by side with it. The “grandmother Lois”
and the “mother Eunice “ had the true grace of saving faith dwelling in
them, and Paul was persuaded that it dwelt in the son and grandson
Timothy. (Spurgeon, C. H. Exposition)
2 Timothy
1:6 - "Stir
Up the Gift of God" (Vance Havner)
I believe that Timothy was afflicted with a constitutional timidity.
Paul reminds him to let no man despise his youth, and to the
Corinthians he wrote: "Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be
among you without fear" (1 Cor. 16:10). He was a splendid young
preacher, with good ancestry and in dead earnest, but he needed to
be set on fire.
Paul advises Timothy to kindle the sacred flame within him.... There
come times in our experiences when the fires of God burn low and we
must stir up the heavenly flame within our hearts.
Timothy was not exhorted to stir up himself. It is not our fire but
God's that we are to kindle.... It is stated in another verse:
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by the
laying on of the hands of the presbytery" (1 Tim. 4:14). It was the
gift of the Spirit for his peculiar ministry, the supreme
qualification for preaching and witnessing and service. And in
application it represents the fire of the Spirit in each and all of
us believers.
[Paul] knew the value of experience, for he would have no bishop be
a novice. But, above all that, he would say, "Timothy, stir up the
fire, don't get in a rut and don't let them make an ordinary
preacher out of you."
If for any reason the fire has become coals, stir up the gift of
God! Keep aglow at any cost! No price is too great to pay to be a
"burning and shining light" for Him! Better go to lengths that may
seem absurd to others to keep the fire blazing!
There are so many things that can smother the fire.
1. Willful sin will do it.
Our Lord told us that the candle of testimony may be smothered by
the bushel or the bed. The bushel stands for money‑making, the cares
of business, the temporal concerns of this fife. The bed stands for
luxury, ease, worldly pleasure, the sloth that so enervates the
soul.
2. Neglect will smother the fire.
Let the fire alone and it will bum low and the ashes will gather. If
we neglect the means of grace, prayer, the Word, and holy exercise,
we shall soon need a stirring.
3. Then, too, others can quench the Spirit and smother our fire.
"Stir Up the Gift of God"
If [the Christian] allows it, men will tone him down, steal the joy
of his salvation, and reduce him to the dreary level of the general
average. If the devil cannot keep us from being saved, he next
endeavors to make average Christians of us, and in this he usually
succeeds.... The devil does not mind our joining church if we behave
like most of those who are already inside. But when a real,
wide‑awake Christian breezes along, taking the Gospel seriously, the
devil grows alarmed and begins plotting his downfall.
4. Certainly, fear can choke the fire.
Paul says to Timothy in the very word next to the passage we are
considering, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of
power and of love and of a sound mind. " The man who hid his talent
said, "I was afraid." The fires that fear has smothered‑fear of the
past or present or future, fear of others, of failure, of sickness,
of death! Whatever fear you may have, it is not of God, for He hath
not given us such a spirit.
Let us remember that stirring up the gift of God is our business.
God will not do it for us. We must rouse ourselves from our lethargy
and get down to business in prayer and feeding upon the Word and
holy exercise.
It is related that in Scotland years ago, before the day of matches,
the fires had gone out throughout a community. The people set out
looking for someone who had a fire. At last, far up on a hillside,
they found a humble home where the hearthstone glowed with cheery
flame. Soon they were carrying coals here and there to replenish
their own blackened fireplaces. Today there are weary hearts,
discouraged souls, needy churches looking for a soul with a fire,
someone who has kept aglow in spite of the world, the flesh and the
devil.
What has smothered your fire? Renounce it, yield afresh to God, and
stir up His gift within you! (Vance Havner)
2 Timothy 1:6
SERVICE FOR OTHERS
"Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of
my hands."-- 2Ti 1:6 (R.V.).
MOST YOUNG people are fond of athletics, and the Roman and Greek
youth were specially addicted to them. The Divine Spirit does not
under-value any of these means for keeping our physical health
vigorous. But if we pay such earnest attention to these things we
ought, all the more, to give attention to godliness, which
disciplines the soul for Eternal Life. We all know what it is to
discover and bring into play certain muscles of the body which we
had not previously used. Are we equally keen to discover the hidden
properties and resources of the soul and spirit?
Timothy was gifted in various ways, but specially for public
ministry; and in this Epistle and the next, the Apostle bids him
stir it up, i.e. stir into flame (marg.). The fire may be well
provided with coal, the heat and light may be present, but the poker
needs to be used to let in the air. We may have gifts, but we must
carefully practise the duties in which they can be used for the
benefit of others. It becomes us all to give ourselves to the duties
which lie immediately to our hands, not shirking or scamping them.
We must not give part of our thought and care to our appointed
tasks, but give our whole selves. What our hands find to do must be
done with our might. Just as men build arches of brick over slight
structures of wood, and when these are taken away the substantial
Matterial remains, so on the passing duties of an hour we are
building up habits and character which will live for ever. What we
do is comparatively unimportant, but how we do what we do is
all-important. We must always be on guard, always on the alert, for
we have in our hands the interests of others as well as our own
(1Ti4:16).
The grace of God can so reveal itself in a young man or girl, that
he or she will become an example in speech, conduct, love, faith,
and purity (1Ti4:12).
PRAYER - Prosper us, O God, we pray Thee, in all that we put our
hands unto. May our hearts be filled with Thy love, our lips with
gentle, helpful words, and our hands with kind, unselfish deeds. May
Thy Holy Spirit in all things direct and rule our hearts. AMEN. (F
B Meyer. Our Daily Walk)
2
Timothy 1:7
Martin Neimoller A Man with No Spirit of Fear:
In 1934, Adolf Hitler summoned
German church leaders to his Berlin office to berate them for
insufficiently supporting his programs. Pastor Martin Niemoller
explained that he was concerned only for the welfare of the church
and of the German people. Hitler snapped, “You confine yourself to
the church. I’ll take care of the German people.”
Niemoller replied, “You said that ‘I
will take care of the German people.’ But we too, as Christians and
churchmen, have a responsibility toward the German people. That
responsibility was entrusted to us by God, and neither you nor anyone in
this world has the power to take it from us.”
Hitler listened in silence, but that
evening his Gestapo raided Niemoller’s rectory, and a few days later a
bomb exploded in his church. During the months and years following, he was
closely watched by the secret police, and in June 1937, he preached these
words to his church: “We have no more thought of using our own powers to
escape the arm of the authorities than had the apostles of old. We must
obey God rather than man.” He was soon arrested and placed in solitary
confinement.
Dr. Niemoller’s trial began on
February 7, 1938. That morning, a green-uniformed guard escorted the
minister from his prison cell and through a series of underground passages
toward the courtroom. Niemoller was overcome with terror and loneliness.
What would become of him? Of his family? His church? What tortures awaited
them all? The guard’s face was impassive, and he was silent as stone. But
as they exited a tunnel to ascend a final flight of stairs, Niemoller
heard a whisper. At first he didn’t know where it came from, for the voice
was soft as a sigh. Then he realized that the officer was breathing into
his ear the words of Proverbs 18:10:
"The name of the Lord
is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."
Niemoller’s fear fell away, and the
power of that verse sustained him through his trial and his years in Nazi
concentration camps.
2
Timothy 1:7a
Mickey Mantle, the late Hall-of-Famer for the New York Yankees, was
a teenager when the Yankees sent him back to the minors in 1951.
Convinced he couldn't make it as a ballplayer, Mantle called his
father, who came to Kansas City and found a tearful Mickey ready to
quit the game. 'OK, son, if that's all the guts you have, you might
as well come home with me and work in the zinc mines,' the elder
Mantle said. His dad's challenge stung Mantle back to reality, and
he went on to greatness. Paul's challenge to Timothy wasn't a
stinging rebuke, but the apostle did urge his young spiritual son to
'get back in the game,' so to speak. (Today in the Word)
2 Timothy
1:7b
When it comes to the ""spirit of power"" that God has given His
servants, Dwight Moody must have been given a double portion. No
review of Mr. Moody's life can miss the fact that his ministry was
carried out with a power and passion that often amazed the people
around him. When Moody's critics said he lacked the eloquence, the
education, and the other qualities necessary to produce amazing
results as he did, Moody readily agreed. He gladly attributed the
power behind his preaching to the Holy Spirit's work in his life. (Today
in the Word)
2
Timothy 1:8 Join with
Eugenio in Suffering
On March 28, 1997, pastor Eugenio Nij of San Raymundo, Guatemala,
was arrested and imprisoned on charges of assault and attempted
murder. The charges were completely false--no evidence was produced.
Yet Eugenio remained in prison despite petitions signed by hundreds
of townspeople. In jail Eugenio continued to minister. He told Pulse
magazine: “I’ve preached thirty or forty times in the fifty days
I’ve been here. . . . I’ve also been able to comfort fellow
prisoners, some of whom have confessed their crimes to me while
others are innocent. There have been twenty to thirty conversions. .
. . As a minister, I find this a special experience from God.”
(Today in the Word)
2
Timothy 1:8a Suffering
for the Gospel
Early in the morning on January 23, 1999, a group of about sixty
Hindu fundamentalists shattered the windows of Graham Staines’s
jeep. Graham, longtime director of a leprosy mission in India, and
his sons, Philip and Timothy, were participating in a Bible
conference in the village Monoharpur. After breaking the windows,
the fanatics poured gasoline over the vehicle and set it on fire.
Graham and his sons died, though not instantly, as many heard
screams coming from the blaze. Days later, Graham’s wife, Gladys,
made a public statement forgiving the murderers of her husband and
sons. She also expressed hope that the guilty individuals would be
touched by the love of Christ. India was stunned by her spirit of
forgiveness, as well as her commitment to stay on and direct the
mission. Gladys has this advice for future missionaries: “Make very
sure of your call from God and, once you’re sure of it, be very
prepared for whatever, even if it costs your life.” The strength,
love, and commitment of the Staines family teach us much about a
godly response to suffering, the focus of today’s devotion.
We suffer in the knowledge of reward and victory. Jesus promised:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10-12; 2 Thess. 1:4-5;
Heb. 10:32-39; Rev. 2:10). (Today in the Word)
2
Timothy 1:9
"Who bath saved us, and called us ... according to his own purpose."
It is a strange thing that men should be so angry against the
purpose of God. We ourselves have a purpose. We permit our fellow
creatures to have some will of their own, and especially in giving
away their own goods. But my God is to be bound and fettered by men,
and not permitted to do as he wills with his own. (Spurgeon, C.
H.)
2
Timothy 1:9a -
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” (Spurgeon,
C H:
2 Timothy 1:9: Salvation
Altogether by Grace)
If we would influence
thoughtful persons, it must be by solid arguments. Shallow minds may be
wrought upon by mere warmth of emotion and force of excitement, but the
more valuable part of the community must be dealt with in quite another
manner. When the apostle Paul was desirous to influence his son in the
faith, Timothy, who was a diligent and earnest student and a man of gifts
as well as of grace, he did not attempt to affect him by mere appeals to
his feelings, but felt that the most effectual way to act upon him was to
remind him of solid doctrinal truth which he knew him to have believed.
This is a lesson for the
ministry at large. Certain earnest preachers are incessantly exciting the
people, but seldom if ever instructing them; they carry much fire and very
little light. God forbid that we should say a word against appealing to
the feelings; this is most needful in its place, but then there is a due
proportion to be observed in it. A religion which is based upon,
sustained, and maintained simply by excitement will necessarily be very
flimsy and insubstantial and will yield very speedily to the crush of
opposition or to the crumbling hand of time.
The preacher may touch the
feelings by rousing appeals, as the harper touches the harpstrings; he
will be very foolish if he should neglect so ready and admirable an
instrument; but still as he is dealing with reasonable creatures, he must
not forget to enlighten the intellect and instruct the understanding. And
how can he appeal to the understanding better than by presenting to it the
truth which the Holy Ghost teaches? Scriptural doctrine must furnish us
with powerful motives to urge upon the minds of Christians. (from
Spurgeon's sermon
2 Timothy 1:9: Salvation
Altogether by Grace)
2
Timothy 1:12
Paul does not say, "I know what I have believed," though that would
have been true. He does not say, "I know when I have believed,"
though that would have been correct. Nor does he say, "I know how
much I have believed," although he had well-weighed his faith. He
does not even say, "I know in whom I have believed." He says
expressly, "I know whom I have believed," as much as to say, "I know
the person into whose hand I have committed my present condition and
my eternal destiny. I know who he is, and I therefore, with-out any
hesitation, leave myself in his hands." (Spurgeon, C. H.).
2
Timothy 1:12, 14
He is able to keep my deposit … The good deposit, keep.
There is a double deposit here, and
the comparison comes out clear and marked in the Greek. When we give our
most precious treasure into the custodianship of Jesus, He turns to honor
us by entrusting his own treasure to our care. Oh that we might be as
eager to keep that which He entrusts to us, as He is that which we entrust
to Him; so that He might be able to say of us, “I know them in whom I have
trusted, and am persuaded that they will never fail to do whatever needs
to be done for my honor and glory.”
Our deposit with Christ. — What is
the true policy of life? How can I best spend these few years to the best
advantage? What is there beyond, and beyond? Such questions come to all
earnest souls, and greatly trouble them, till they entrust the keeping of
their souls and the direction of their lives into the hands of the
faithful Savior. We feel sure that He has the words of eternal life, and
fnat all power is given to Him in heaven and on earth. At first there is
something of a venture — we trust Him; next, there is the knowledge which
comes from experience — we know Him; lastly, there is strong confidence —
we are persuaded that He is able.
Christ’s deposit with us. — And what
is this? 1 Timothy 6:20, 14, and 4:16, suggest the answer. To every
believer Jesus hands the custody of his honor, his Gospel, his Father’s
glory, his holy day, the ordinances which He bequeathed to the Church. As
Ezra charged the priests to bear safely through the desert march the
sacred vessels, so our Captain charges us, and throughout the whole Bible
rings the injunction: “Be ye clean, ye that bear the vessels of the Lord.”
(Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)
2
Timothy 1:14
Guarding the "Good Deposit"
Earlier this past summer, a group of high school boys on an
overnight church camping trip in Texas lost most of their food
supply to raccoons that swarmed over the campsite after dark. The
raccoons scaled an eight-foot pole to devour the food of some
campers. They even opened one student's fishing tackle box and ate
his rubber worms. This not-so-serious occasion helps to illustrate a
very serious reality: the church's need to guard the ""good
deposit"" of the gospel that Jesus Christ has entrusted to His body.
Near the end of his life, Paul warned his spiritual son, Timothy, to
hold to the truth against all opposition. (Today in the Word)
2
Timothy 1:16-18 A
Man Like Onesiphorus
Many Americans know the name of Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary
War hero who was executed by the British on September 22, 1776, for
spying. George Washington desperately needed information about the
movements of General Howe, his British foe. Hale volunteered to go
behind enemy lines, knowing what would happen to him if caught. Hale
told a fellow officer he was ready to render whatever service was
required of him. Onesiphorus had that same attitude. He sounds like
the kind of man who would have given whatever service and sacrifice
the gospel required.
2 TIMOTHY 2
2
Timothy 2:1-4
Audie Murphy was an unlikely hero. Weighing in at only 112 pounds and with
the face of a child, Audie was 18 years old when he went overseas during
World War II. Nothing about him suggested a hero in the making. Yet when
called upon by his commanding officers to do the duty of a soldier, Murphy
held nothing back.
By war’s end, the quiet boy from Texas had fought with extraordinary
bravery and saved the lives of countless fellow soldiers. He returned home
to an adoring public, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, and
received at least 36 other medals—more than anyone else in U.S. history,
all because nothing meant more to him as a soldier than the will of his
commanding officer. (Today in the Word, Moody Bible Institute)
2
TIMOTHY 2:1-13 -A
strong desire to please God is the highest incentive for doing His
will and shows a true understanding of godly fear. We may have other
worthy motives, such as the inner satisfaction of doing what's right
or the anticipation of heavenly rewards. But we bring the greatest
glory to God when we obey and serve Him because we long to do what
brings Him delight.
Craig, a first-grader, beamed with satisfaction as he handed me a
spelling test on which his teacher had written a large "100—Good
work!" Craig said, "I showed this to Dad and Mother because I knew
it would please them." I could just see him riding home on the bus,
hardly able to wait for the moment when his parents would express
their excitement with how well he had done. His desire to make Dad
and Mom happy obviously was a strong motivating factor in his life.
When Paul used the simile of a soldier serving with single-minded
devotion to please his commanding officer (2 Tim. 2:3-4 ), he wanted
Timothy to know the supreme reason for serving God, even when the
going gets tough. Wholehearted devotion, marked by hard work and
careful attention to God's rules, brings the greatest glory to the
Lord when it comes from a yielded, loving heart. Our Savior, who in
His humanity shrank from the prospect of being made the sin-offering
for mankind, nevertheless prayed, "Not My will, but Yours, be done"
(Luke 22:42) Our motive, like His, should be the desire to please
the Father. —H. V. Lugt
Man weighs the deeds; God weighs the intentions. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:2
- Passing the Baton
The list of people influenced directly or indirectly by Moody
Bible Institute founder Dwight Moody seems endless. Another story
found in the book A Passion for Souls concerns Rev. Clarence
Chambers, a Baptist minister in Aberdeen, Scotland who heard Moody
speak in 1874 and was ""deeply moved and personally affected."" Rev.
Chambers shared that spiritual fire with his son Oswald...and
through his incredible teaching, preserved by his wife in
handwritten notes which were later published, the world is still
benefiting from the personal devotions of Oswald Chambers. It's
exciting to hear about the great ways God can use His faithful
servants to touch lives. Paul and Timothy are prime examples of
this. (Today in the Word)
2
Timothy 2:2a
Becoming A Mentor
2 Timothy 1:13-2:2
The things that you have heard from me . . . , commit these to
faithful men who will be able to teach others also. — 2 Timothy 2:2
According to Homer's
Odyssey, when King Odysseus went off to fight in the Trojan war, he
left his son Telemachus in the hands of a wise old man named Mentor.
Mentor was charged with the task of teaching the young man wisdom.
More than 2,000 years after Homer, a French scholar and theologian
by the name of François Fénelon adapted the story of Telemachus in a
novel titled Télémaque. In it he enlarged the character of Mentor.
The word mentor soon came to mean "a wise and responsible tutor"—an
experienced person who advises, guides, teaches, inspires,
challenges, corrects, and serves as a model.
Second Timothy 2:2 describes spiritual mentoring, and the Bible
gives us many examples. Timothy had Paul; Mark had Barnabas; Joshua
had Moses; Elisha had Elijah.
But what about today? Who will love and work with new Christians and
help them grow spiritually strong? Who will encourage, guide, and
model the truth for them? Who will call young believers to
accountability and work with God to help mold their character?
Will you become one whom God can use to impart wisdom and to help
others grow toward maturity? —David H. Roper
THINKING IT OVER
Who has helped you to grow in your faith?
How did that person help you?
By teaching, example, or friendship?
To whom can you be a mentor?
God teaches us so that we can teach others. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:3
- FISHING IN A TUB
Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:3
The other day I read about a man who decided that his weekly fishing
excursion was costing him too much money and causing him too much
work. Therefore he purchased a large washtub, filled it with water,
placed it under a shade tree in his backyard, pulled up a
comfortable lawn chair and started his fishing. It seemed like a
great idea. He thought of the money he was saving, and of the fact
that he was no longer weary from hooking and unhooking his boat and
loading and unloading his motor. He was also avoiding the bother of
toting a gasoline can, tackle box, and supply of bait. Often he
caught as many fish out of the tub as he did when he worked so hard
on the lake or stream! (Exactly nothing!) However, this business of
fishing in a tub gradually lost its appeal. He never felt the tingle
of excitement that comes when the bobber disappears and a sudden tug
is felt on the line. He also missed the fact that he no longer could
tell stories to his friends about the large fish he caught, or the
larger one that got away. Finally, he decided that although fishing
in a tub is cheaper and easier, it is not nearly as rewarding as
going to a lake or stream.
Christians who are primarily concerned with relaxation and ease will
soon find that life without discipleship and zealous service is not
very rewarding. It's like fishing in a tub! Paul knew this, so he
exhorted Timothy to endure hardness like a good soldier, to strive
to excel like a determined athlete, and to toil patiently like a
faithful farmer. This is the kind of Christian life that pays
dividends and produces inner joy and satisfaction. Only thus can
one know the thrill of being a true "fisher of men" and of bringing
a needy soul to Jesus Christ!
Fishers would you be of men?
Cut loose every shoreline then;
Listen to the Master speak:
"Launch out! Launch out into the deep!"— J. Oatman, Jr.
If you are not "FISHING,"
you are not properly FOLLOWING the Lord! (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:13 -
Dropouts
Judging by the statistics on military ""dropouts,"" something
happens to a good number of soldiers between the recruiter's office
and a healthy dose of army life. Official estimates indicate that
out of the new recruits who enlisted in the army in 1997, fifteen
percent will leave during the first six months. Thirty months after
enlistment, the number of dropouts reaches twenty-two percent. And
well over one-third of the recruits will not make it through three
years of military service. (Today in the Word)
2
Timothy 2:15 -
APPROVED!
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed. 2 Timothy 2:15
In Paul's exhortation, "Study to show thyself approved unto God," he
encourages us to avoid the very thing he feared might happen to him
personally; namely, that he might be set aside and no longer used in
the Lord's service. He says in 1 Corinthians 9:27,
"I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by
any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway."
This word is a translation of the same Greek root rendered
"approved" in 2 Timothy 2:15, only in 1 Corinthians 9:27 it appears
in a negative form and means "disapproved."
When the apostle speaks of his dread of being a "castaway," he is
really thinking of the shame of being a "disapproved" one, not of
being lost again. His fear is that he might not receive approval as
a workman. He has service in mind, not salvation!
I have been told that a huge block of stone lies in a Syrian quarry
near Baalbek. It has been carefully cut, hewed, and squared.
Sixty-eight feet long, fourteen feet high, and fourteen feet wide,
its size is overwhelming. And yet, in spite of all the labor and
effort which went into this gigantic piece of rock, there it stands.
It was never fitted into that place in the temple for which it was
intended! This massive stone seems to lift a voice of warning,
repeating the words of the apostle, "lest that by any means, when I
have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
May we be faithful in our devotional life, obedient to the will of
God, and zealous in our service for Him. In so doing, we will stand
"approved"!
I
want among the victor throng
Someday to have my name confessed;
And hear my Master say at last,
"You stand approved, you did your best!"—Simpson
Serving the Lord is much
like riding a bicycle—either you keep moving forward, or you fall down. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:15a -
WATCHING THE SIGNS
... rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
How thankful we should be for the wonderful highways which
crisscross our nation. This is truly a far cry from the early days
of the automobile when paved roads were a rarity, and when the best
of highways could be transformed within minutes from a ribbon of
dust into a river of mud. Yet there are times when those primitive
roadways seem good to me, especially when I arrive in a strange city
on one of our superhighways and find myself surrounded by lanes of
"speeding steel" and barraged by numerous signs indicating different
routes and directions. It can be confusing! But I've found a way to
overcome this frustration : know where you are going, and the number
of the route that will take you there. Then watch for that alone!
The other signs will tend to mix you up if they are not kept in
proper relationship with that which really applies to you.
Many folks today are similarly perplexed and confused in their study
of the Scriptures, simply because they don't know how to read the
"road signs" of the Bible. They have never appreciated the
admonition of Paul to Timothy about "rightly dividing the word of
truth." If we would fully understand the Scriptures, we must know
which passages are directed primarily to us. It is true that all of
Scripture is for us, for we read: "All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16); yet
every verse was not written specifically to us. We have no right to
claim for ourselves God's special promises to Israel, nor would we
foolishly appropriate their curses.
Even as in traveling along a freeway we must determine which signs
apply to us, so, too, in the study of the Word we must always
consider to whom it was written and for what purpose. As we do this,
the entire Book will become much more meaningful to us.
Ever
present, truest Friend,
Ever near Thine aid to lend,
Guide us as we search the Word,
Make it both our shield and sword!—M. M. Wells, alt.
When you study the Bible "hit or miss," you MISS more than you HIT!
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:15b -The
Approval of the Master
There is a very well-known story told of a young boy in Austria
giving his first violin recital. He had studied hard for years under
the guidance of one of the greatest masters in all of Europe. The
boy had tremendous talent, and he had learned his lessons well. As
he stood on the stage before an audience of hundreds of lovers of
good music, he performed with confidence and skill. Following each
piece, the crowd cheered loudly. He was one of the finest young
performers they had ever had to pleasure of hearing. And yet the boy
seemed not to notice their expressions of approval. In fact, some
later commented that he almost seemed annoyed by the applause. At
the conclusion of the recital, the entire audience rose as one to
give the young performer a standing ovations. They shouted “Bravo”
and “Encore!” and other words of praise and appreciation. However,
the young musician seemed not even to hear them. Instead, he stood
looking up into the balcony where an old, withered man sat looking
back down at him. Finally, the old gentleman smiled and nodded his
head in approval. Only then did the lad seem to relax, and his face
beamed with joy. You see, the cheers of the crowd meant nothing
unless he had the approval of the master! It was only the latter
that this young performer sought! This is a principle the Apostle
Paul understood very well. At Lystra he was hailed as a god, and the
people sought to offer up sacrifices to him (Acts 14:11–13). Even
to this day, disciples of Christ often refer to this man as “the
greatest Christian who has ever lived!” When we realize, as did
Paul, that it is the Master whom we serve and seek to please, both
the acclaim and criticism of mere men will pale in comparison! “Be
diligent to present yourself approved unto God” (2 Tim. 2:15).—Al
Maxey The Aloha Spirit
2
Timothy 2:19 -
Worldliness (Vance Havner)
Sermons on worldliness are rare these days. The new word is
"secularism." Billy Sunday used to say that the term "worldly
Christian" was a misnomer. Of course, Billy didn't put it that way.
He said, "You might as well talk about a heavenly devil!" That is in
line with the New Testament definition that the friend of the world
is the enemy of God.
I am convinced that many people we call worldly Christians are not
Christians at all. Our Saviour said, "My sheep hear my voice. . . .
and they follow me" (John 10:27). A sheep may fall into a mudhole
but is not satisfied to stay there. A hog is at home in a mudhole,
and Peter tells us that false teachers who revert to their evil ways
belong in that category.
It is true that we are not to judge people. "The Lord knoweth them
that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19), and I am glad that He does,
otherwise some of them would be pretty hard to identify! That same
verse goes on to declare that all who claim to be the Lord's should
depart from iniquity. . . . "Birds of a feather flock together," and
where we feel most at home is where we belong. "We know that we have
passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (John
3:14). (Vance Havner)
2
Timothy 2:19a
“The Lord knoweth them that are His” “Let every one that nameth
the name of Christ depart from iniquity”
This morning our desires go forth for growth in our acquaintance
with the Lord Jesus. This was most blessedly perfect long before we
had the slightest knowledge of Him. Before we had a being in the
world, we had a being in His heart. When we were enemies to Him, He
knew us, our misery and our wickedness. When we wept bitterly in
despairing repentance and viewed Him only as a judge and a ruler, He
viewed us as His well-beloved brothers. He never mistook His chosen
but always beheld them as objects of His infinite affection. “The
Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Tim. 2:19).
Christ will be master of
the heart, and sin must be mortified. If your life is unholy, your heart
is unchanged; you are an unsaved person. If the Savior has not sanctified
you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, the
grace which does not make a man better than others is a worthless
counterfeit. Christ saves His people, not in their sins but from them.
Without holiness “no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). “Let every
one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).
If not saved from sin, how can we hope to be counted among His people?
Lord, save me even now from all evil, and enable me to honor my Savior. (Spurgeon,
C H: Daily Help)
2
Timothy 2:21
Meet for the Master’s use.
This I would be, O Lord, clay though I am. Be Thou my potter. Make
of me what Thou canst and by what process Thou wilt, only let me be
what Thou canst use.
Art thou able to drink the cup that
I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
By thy grace I am able. Let me die
with Thee; lie in the grave of obscurity and neglect; be counted as the
off-scouring of all things; be broken on the edge of thy wheel; pass
through the fire of thy hottest kiln — only let me be one whom Thou
choosest and usest, constantly in thy hand; dipped down often into the
brimming well, and back to thy dear lips, or to the lips of whom Thou
lovest.
The spirit is willing, my child, but
the flesh is weak.
I know it, I know it, Lord. But I
desire to die to the weakness of the flesh, its ache, its tears, its
faintness, that I may live in the Spirit. Is not thy grace sufficient? Is
not thy strength perfected in weakness? Is not the residue of the Spirit
with Thee, to give without measure? Heed not my weak cryings, but perfect
that which concerneth me. Only make me a vessel that Thou canst use.
He that would be great, let him be
as he that doth serve.
I understand thee, Master. Thou
wouldst winnow my heart, and rid me of all that is proud and selfish. It
is true that in the time past I have sought great things for myself: but
that is gone now: I am but a weaned babe: my only desire is for Thee, for
thy glory, for the magnifying of thy name: my one cry to be often, always,
in thy hand. (Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)
2
Timothy 2:22
"Flee also youthful lusts. "
Sins of the flesh are never to be reasoned or parleyed with. There
is no more reasoning with them than with the winds. Understanding is
nonplused, for lust, like a hurricane of sand, blinds the eyes. We
must fly. It is true valor in such a case to turn the back.
What would you think of a man who went as near as he could to
burning his house down, just to test how much fire it would stand?
Or of one who cut himself with a knife to see how deep he could go
without mortally wounding himself? Or of another who experimented as
to how large a quantity of poison he could take? These are extreme
follies, but not so great as that of a man who tries to see how much
sin he may indulge in and yet be saved. I pray you, do not attempt
such perilous experiments. (Spurgeon, C. H.)
2
Timothy 2:19-26
Speaking The Truth In Love
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all. —2
Timothy 2:24
There are times when
we must "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3). But in doing so,
we must never be ungracious or antagonistic. The 17th-century
English Puritans were right when they said that faith can never be
foisted on another person. Consent must be gained by gentle
persuasion and reason.
Today's Bible reading underscores that principle. Paul told Timothy
that "a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all"
(2 Timothy 2:24). He wanted Timothy to be thoughtful and relevant in
proclaiming the truth, not defensive. When people opposed the truth,
he was to gently correct them in the hope that God would "grant them
repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come
to their senses and escape the snare of the devil" (vv.25-26).
What was true for a young leader like Timothy applies to all
believers. Those who oppose us are not the enemy but victims of the
enemy. They can be delivered, Paul insisted, but we are to speak the
truth in love.
Truth without love is dogma that does not touch the heart. Love
without truth is sentimentalism that does not challenge the will.
When truth is spoken with love, God's Spirit can use it to change
another's mind. —David H. Roper
To speak of the Savior in glowing terms,
To tell how He died in our place,
Will be unconvincing to those who hear
If we fail to show forth His grace. —D. De Haan
Truth spoken in love is hard to refuse. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:22-26
Silly Arguments
I was watching two
sisters prepare Thanksgiving dinner. They had made their special
stuffing, spooned it into the turkey, and were preparing to pop it
into the oven. They got out the aluminum foil and were ready to
cover the meat to help hold in the juices.
Betty had started to place the foil on the turkey, when Paula
snapped, "That's not right! You're supposed to put the shiny side
out."
"That's ridiculous," Betty replied. "Everybody knows the shiny side
goes on the inside." A heated discussion followed, and I'm not sure
who got her way. I found out later that both sisters were right. It
makes absolutely no difference which side is out.
I have an idea that a whole lot of arguments among Christians are
just as unimportant—like what color carpet we should buy for the
church sanctuary or whether God can make a rock so big that He can't
pick it up. Paul told Timothy to "avoid foolish and ignorant
disputes, knowing that they generate strife" (2 Timothy 2:23).
Fundamental doctrines need to be guarded, but arguments about
trivialities are not beneficial and only divide us and draw us away
from God's purposes for us.
Remember to be "gentle to all" and to practice humility (vv.24-25).
No more silly arguments! —David C. Egner
O Lord, help us to turn aside
From words that spring from selfish pride,
For You would have Your children one
In praise and love for Your dear Son. —D. De Haan
When we forget our priorities, we argue about trivialities. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2 Timothy
2:24
A Servant’s Heart
READ: 2 Timothy 2:19-26
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to
teach, patient. —2 Timothy 2:24
George Washington
Carver is well known as an African-American scientist who developed
scores of products from the peanut. Dr. Carver was also a humble
servant of God who took every opportunity to speak to others about
the Savior he loved and served.
During the 1920s, members of the YMCA and the Commission on
Interracial Cooperation asked Carver to address white student
audiences at colleges and universities in the South. Carver spoke
about the wonders of the natural world and the loving God who
created the earth and all people.
As his goal for these meetings, Carver said he wanted the students
to find Jesus and make him a daily, hourly, and moment-by-moment
part of their lives. “I want them to see the Great Creator in the
smallest and apparently the most insignificant things about them.”
Dr. Carver sought to follow the words of Paul to a young pastor: “A
servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to
teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition,
if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the
truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25). That approach underscores the power of
the gospel and the winsome appeal of a servant’s heart.
Let’s follow Carver’s example. —David C. McCasland
My life today I yield, O Lord, to Thee,
A channel for Thy love and grace to be;
Use me just as Thou wilt, I humbly pray,
To point some soul unto the Living Way. —Christiansen
Witnessing isn’t just a job to be done, it’s a life to be lived. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:24-25
Correcting Error
READ: 2 Timothy 2:22-26
Be gentle to all, . . . correcting those who are in opposition, . .
. so that they may know the truth. —2 Timothy 2:24-25
A trio of
well-dressed young men arrived at the door of my home. I knew right
away they weren't there to sell me a vacuum cleaner. They wanted to
convert me to their religion.
I engaged them in polite conversation, commending them for their
dedication on a hot summer day. Then I said, "I know you're going to
give me some literature, so please allow me to give something to
you." I stepped inside the house and picked up some magazines that
contained a clear gospel presentation.
They said they wanted to give me a book that is the basis of their
beliefs. I told them that I already had a copy and had read portions
of it. When they asked what I thought of it, I told them about the
differences between it and the Bible, and why I thought their book
contained error. No arguing, just a good conversation about truth
and error.
When we're confronted by people who distort or deny biblical
doctrines, we need to know what the Bible teaches. The goal, as
stated by the apostle Paul, is to gently correct those who are in
error "that they may know the truth" and "come to their senses and
escape the snare of the devil" (2 Timothy 2:25-26). After all, our
goal is to help people find the truth, not to win arguments. —Dave
Branon
Be gentle to all, . . . correcting those who are in opposition, . .
. so that they may know the truth. —2 Timothy 2:24-25
To reveal error, expose it to the light of God's truth. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 2:24.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT--GENTLENESS
"The Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all...
forbearing."-- 2Ti2:24.
IT IS not easy to cultivate this fruit of the Spirit because it has
many counterfeits. Some people are naturally easy-going, devoid of
energy and ambition, at heart cowardly, or in spirit mean. Many of
us are characterized by a moral weakness and decrepitude that make
it easy for us to yield rather than contest in the physical or
intellectual arena.
But in gentleness there must be the consciousness of a considerable
reserve of force. The gentleness of God is combined with
omnipotence. The movements of creation, in which there is neither
voice nor language, prove the infinite forces which are at work.
When a boy is trying to lift or carry a heavy beam, as likely as not
there will be a great crash when he reaches the end of his task, and
puts it on the ground. His strength is so nearly exhausted that he
is only too glad to get rid of his burden, anyhow, and at any cost.
But if a strong man shoulders the same burden, and carries it for
the same distance, he puts it down gently, because he has not taxed
his strength and has plenty left.
It is the prerogative of great strength to be gentle. Always
remember that you are linked with the Infinite God, and that all
things are possible to you. There must also be infinite pity. We
must be tolerant and pitiful to those who abuse us, or have been
embittered by disappointment, or have been ill-used. It must be our
aim to make allowances for such, and always to be sweetly reasonable
towards any brusqueness, rudeness and bad manners of their
behaviour. Let us be willing to admit that much is due to congenital
moroseness. Therefore, we bear gently with the erring, and with
those who are out of the way, because we also are encompassed with
infirmity.
It is necessary also that there should be a deep humility. Thomas a
Kempis says: "If thou wilt be borne with, bear also with another.
Endeavour to be patient in bearing with the defects and infirmities
of others, what sort soever they be: for that thyself also hast many
failings which must be borne by others." Our resentment against
others should be always tempered by our remembrance of our own sins.
So shall we be God's own gentlefolk.
PRAYER -
O God, our behaviour has not manifested all the fruits of the
Spirit, or been full of the graciousness and gentleness of Christ.
Forgive us, and enable us so to live that His beauty may be on our
faces, the tone of His voice in our speech, the gentleness of His
tread in our steps, the unselfishness of His deeds in our hands.
AMEN. (F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk)
2
Timothy 2:22-26a
- EASILY DISTRACTED
My son Steven is just beginning to learn the game of soccer. So we
spend quite a bit of time kicking the ball around in the front yard.
As I've tried to convey to Steven the little I know about the sport,
he has developed some of his own strategy. For instance, he said, "I
know how to get past my man. When I'm dribbling the ball, I can say,
'Hey, look over there!' When he does, I can dribble past him!"
As simplistic as this strategy of distraction sounds, it's similar
to a scheme satan uses on Christians -- and it works. He has
developed hundreds of ways to say, "Hey, look over there!" All he
has to do is distract us, and he has us doing something other than
glorifying God.
One of the goals we should have as we strive to live for the Lord is
to keep "looking unto Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2
[note]). We look away from Jesus
when we put our attention on others to criticize them. We look away
when we let everyday concerns make us worry. We look away when we
neglect His Word.
Satan is the great distractor. Let's ignore his urgings and keep our
eyes on Jesus. When we do, we will find it easier to live in a way
that glorifies God. Then we won't be doing Satan's will (2
Timothy 2:26 [note]). -- J. D Branon
There's victory
for you over sin and its shame:
Look only to Jesus, there's power in His name.
The devil can't harm you nor cause you to sin;
By trusting the Savior the victory you'll win. - Anon.
Satan's ploys are no match for
the Savior's power. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
2 TIMOTHY 3
2 Timothy
3:16a
The greatest proof that the Bible is inspired is that it has stood so much
bad preaching. A. T. Robertson
2
Timothy 3:1-9
February 26, 2007
Spray-On Mud
A British company has
developed a product called "Spray-On Mud" so city dwellers can give their
expensive 4x4 vehicles the appearance of having been off-road for a day of
hunting or fishing without ever leaving town. The mud is even filtered to
remove stones and debris that might scratch the paint. According to the
company, sales are going well.
There is something within each of us that values how we look on the
outside more than who we are on the inside. It causes some people to pad
their résumés or embellish their memoirs. But it has no place in our lives
as followers of Jesus.
Paul warned Timothy about people in the church who had a form of godliness
but denied its power. "They will maintain a façade of ‘religion,’ but
their conduct will deny its validity. You must keep clear of people like
this" (2 Tim. 3:5, Phillips). The inward reality of Christ is what counts,
because it will produce the outward signs of faith.
Paul’s authority to instruct the church about spiritual authenticity came
through his suffering, not by "spraying on mud." "I bear in my body the
marks of the Lord Jesus," said the apostle (Gal. 6:17).
God calls us to authentic living today. —David C. McCasland
We fuss over form and we put on a face,
All the while showing God disrespect,
Not seeing how pride is eclipsing God’s grace
That the light of Christ’s life should reflect. —Gustafson
If you are true to God, you won’t be false to others (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 3:16
- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
Literally the words stand, All Scripture, God-breathed and
profitable. It is a remarkable expression, reminding of the early
record, “God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he
became a living soul.” The breath of God has entered these holy
words, and they live.
This makes Scripture fragrant. — I
write these words beneath the leafy shadow of an oak-tree, on a ridge of
hill commanding the Weald of Kent. The summer breeze is hurrying past.
Since it left the southern sea it has passed over miles of fragrant
country, imbibing the sweet scents of flower gardens, orchards, and
hop-gardens; lading it with perfume, which makes it an ecstasy to inhale.
Ah, fragrant breeze, how thou remindest me of those holy thoughts which
are wafted to me from the orchards of Paradise, whensoever I open the
sacred Word!
This makes it refreshing. — On this
hot summer day the heat would be overpowering but for this delightful
breeze, which fans the cheek and cools the atmosphere. The current is
always changing, hence the refreshment. And the Word of God is always
fresh and interesting, because the Spirit of God is perpetually passing
into and through it, bringing his own life to us, and through us to the
world.
This makes it beautiful. — The effect of the wind, in the music of the
leaves above, the swaying of the grasses at my feet, the rustling of
yonder golden corn across the beaten foot-path, adds an element of
incomparable delight. There is new meaning, movement, music, in it all.
And it is only as the Divine breath breathes through apostles and
prophets, that, like great organ-pipes, they become resonant with heavenly
music. (Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)
2
Timothy 3:2 -
One of the riches men in the world, oil tycoon Paul Getty, was being
interviewed in London. “If you retired now,” asked a reporter,
“would you say your holdings would be worth a billion dollars?”
Getty paced up and down the room, mentally adding. “I suppose so,”
he said, “but remember, a billion doesn’t go as far as it used to.”
2
Timothy 3:15 -
Permission to Backslide
As a teenager, J. Stephen Conn sensed God calling him to be a
preacher. But he felt a certain disadvantage. Because he had been
saved when he was 7 years old, he would never be able to hold an
audience spellbound with stories of a wicked past. So he asked God
for permission to backslide—just long enough to get some experience
in a life of sin to “enhance” his preaching later on. Deep within he
knew that God would not answer such a request, so he decided just to
preach the Bible without a dramatic testimony.
Some time later Conn wrote, “For the past 11 years I’ve been
pastoring a church. I realize now what a great testimony I really
have. God not only has the power to deliver from sin, He has the
even greater power to keep from sin. God not only saved my soul—He
saved my entire life!” (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 3:15b
The “Mom Box”
READ: 2 Timothy 3:14-17
From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, . . . able to
make you wise for salvation through faith. —2 Timothy 3:15
Each Christmas I
give both of my daughters a “Mom box.” Each box contains items to
encourage them to be the best mothers they can be. It might have
craft books or special projects, devotional books or tapes geared
toward young moms, first-aid kits, recipes for cooking with kids—and
often something personal like bubble bath for a little pampering
after a tough day of mothering! It’s become a tradition that
Rosemary and Tanya have looked forward to every year for the last
decade.
Encouraging our children to be good parents can begin even earlier.
The best way is to start equipping them with the Word of God while
they are still young.
The apostle Paul wrote that “from childhood” Timothy had known “the
Holy Scriptures” (2 Tim. 3:15). And 2 Timothy 1:5 mentions the
“genuine faith” of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. That faithful
teaching and spiritual influence helped to enable Timothy to be a
godly man.
The Bible is our richest resource to help us raise children who will
know and love Jesus. Nothing is more essential than “the Holy
Scriptures” to equip them for all of life’s challenges.
What are you doing to make the next generation “wise for salvation
through faith”? (3:15). —Cindy Hess Kasper
Parents, give your children guidance
And instruction from God’s Word;
Then with wisdom and compassion
Teach them how to love the Lord. —Sper
The character of our children tomorrow depends on what we put into
their hearts today. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 3:15c -
The Story of John Pounds
It was a terrible fall, and it sickened those who saw it. John
Pounds, a tall, muscular teen laborer at the docks of Portsmouth,
England, slipped and plunged from the top of a ship’s mast, pitching
headfirst into the bowels of the vessel. When fellow workers reached
him, he was nothing but a mass of broken bones. For two years he lay
in bed as his bones healed crookedly. His pain never ceased. Out of
boredom, he began to read the Bible. At length, John crawled from
bed hoping to find something he could do with his life. A shoemaker
hired him, and day after day, John sat at his cobbler’s bench, a
Bible open on his lap. Soon he was born again. John ultimately
gathered enough money to purchase his own little shoeshop, and one
day he developed a pair of surgical boots for his crippled nephew
Johnny, whom he had taken in. Soon John was making corrective shoes
for other children, and his little cobbler’s shop became a miniature
children’s hospital.
As John’s burden for children grew,
he began receiving homeless ones, feeding them, teaching them to read, and
telling them about the Lord. His shop became known as “The Ragged School,”
and John would limp around the waterfront, food in his pockets, looking
for more children to tend.
During his lifetime, John Pounds
rescued five hundred children from despair and led every one of them to
Christ. Moreover, his work became so famous that a “Ragged School
Movement” swept England, and a series of laws were passed to establish
schools for poor children in John’s honor. Boy’s homes, girl’s homes, day
schools, and evening schools were started, along with Bible classes in
which thousands heard the Gospel.
When John collapsed and died on New
Year’s Day, 1839, while tending to a boy’s ulcerated foot, he was buried
in a churchyard on High Street. All England mourned, and a monument was
erected over his grave, reading: “Thou shalt be blessed, for they could
not recompense thee.”
2
Timothy 3:16b
"Wreck" A Bible
READ: 2 Timothy 3:10-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction. —2 Timothy 3:16
The Bible is a remarkable book.
Millions of copies are bought each year. It has been the number-one
bestseller for decades. But tragically, the Bible is said to be the
least-read bestseller of all time.
The apostle Paul taught that the Scriptures are given to us by God and are
capable of bringing about transformation in those who take it seriously (2
Timothy 3:16). Evangelist and preacher D. L. Moody said, "The Scriptures
were not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."
So why do we often neglect this source of transforming power? Writer and
professor J. I. Packer said, "If I were the devil, one of my first aims
would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible."
Do you use your Bible every day until it eventually falls apart? Bible
teacher Alan Redpath advised believers to "wreck" a Bible every 10 years.
Here's why: God wants to speak to us through the Bible, telling us how to
live for Him and answering crucial questions. Through it He warns us about
the dangers of sin and provides us with nourishing spiritual food.
Don't neglect your Bible. If you do, you will neglect your own spiritual
health.
—Joanie Yoder
The treasures of the Word of God
Are great beyond compare;
But if we do not search them out,
We cannot use what's there. —Sper
A well-worn Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
2
Timothy 3:16c
- C. H. Spurgeon wrote
The Bible is the writing of the living
God." He explained that though "Moses was employed to write his histories
with his fiery pen, God guided that pen. It may be that David touched his
harp and let sweet psalms of melody drop from his fingers, but God moved
his hands over the living strings of his golden harp. Solomon sang
canticles of love and gave forth words of consummate wisdom, but God
directed his lips and made the preacher eloquent. If I follow the
thundering Nahum, when his horses plow the waters; or Habakkuk, when he
sees the tents of Cushan in affliction; if I read Malachi, when the earth
is burning like an oven; or the rugged chapters of Peter, who speaks of
fire devouring God's enemies; if I turn aside to Jude, who launches forth
anathemas on the foes of God—everywhere I find God speaking. It is God's
voice, not man's. (Thoughts for the Quiet Hour).
2
Timothy 3:16-17
- SPIRITUAL FOOD
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.
... That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works."-- 2Ti3:16-17.
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat
of this bread, he shall live for ever."-- John6:51.
IT IS the artifice of many advertisers of the present day to secure
customers for patent foods by associating the figure of some person
in perfect health and strength with the article of diet they desire
to recommend. It is certain that spiritual health and power can only
be produced when the spirit is dieted on the Word of God.
From his earliest boyhood, the young Timothy had been instructed in
the Holy Scriptures. When the Apostle first met him there was a rich
subsoil of knowledge of the Old Testament, in which the seed of the
Gospel message readily germinated. Perhaps the reason for the
instability of some of our young people is that Eunice and Lois in
our Christian homes fail to do for the children what mothers and
grandmothers did for previous generations.
It is not necessary to discuss all that is involved in Inspiration,
as the Apostle uses that term; nor is it necessary to be profoundly
familiar with books of theology before we are able to pronounce on
it. Inspiration is a quality which is apprehended by the spiritual
taste, just as the tongue can detect sweetness or briny saltness of
flavour. The Bible is the Word of God, and the whole of it is
profitable for one of the four uses mentioned in 2Ti3:16.
We should read the Bible daily, and it is helpful to use the
references and discover the parallel passages. It is good
