Christ in 2 Timothy -- Our Commander in Chief

Paul knew that his ministry was about to come to an end as he languished in a Roman prison in the year 66 A.D. under the reign of Nero.  Tradition tells us that soon after this intensely personal letter was sent to Timothy, Paul was beheaded just west of Rome.  Most Bible commentators agree that the theme of the letter was instructions to a good soldier of Christ Jesus, taken from 2 Tim. 2:3-4.

In the first chapter of this letter, we see that Christ calls soldiers in His army to be courageous, loving, disciplined, and holy:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7).

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 1:9).

In the second chapter, Paul described the characteristics of a good soldier in the army of Christ – strong, trustworthy, able to endure suffering, single-minded, strict, secure, focused, hard working, faithful, set apart, having the heart of a servant, kind, and patient:

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1).

Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others (2 Tim. 2:2b).

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:3).

Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them (2 Tim. 2:4).

And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules (2 Tim. 2:5).

This is a trustworthy saying:  If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is (2 Tim. 2:11-13).

Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them (2 Tim. 2:14).

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).

If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work (2 Tim. 2:21).

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people (2 Tim. 2:24).

 

In the third chapter, Paul cautioned Timothy and all the soldiers of Christ about some of the dangers they would face, especially as the time of Christ’s return draws nearer – more and more resistance to God’s design for everyday living, persecution directed at the soldiers in the service of Christ and His church, and false doctrine that will be exposed in light of the truth:

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that (2 Tim. 3:1-5)!

You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:11-12).

But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (2 Tim. 3:13-16).

In the final chapter of this tender book, Paul recaps all he has told Timothy in the first three chapters.  His words in the first five verses are tender and encouraging, but also very firm and direct.  The old soldier, Paul, didn’t gloss over the difficulties that his young protégé, the newer recruit, Timothy, would face as he went to battle.  And as I read the words, I realized how fitting they are for us today as we carry out the ministry that God has given us, as we enlist in service in the army of Christ:

I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you (2 Tim. 4:1-5).

Paul ended his teaching by acknowledging that his tour of duty was almost over.  He knew that his execution was eminent, but he did not fear it.  Rather, he was secure in the fact that he had done all that God had given him to do, and he looked forward to the reward that God has promised to all who remain faithful to Him.

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. . . Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen (2 Tim. 4:6-8, 18).

My prayer for you and for myself this week is taken from 2 Tim. 4:17.  Paul was testifying to the fact that Jesus stood with him and gave him strength, and we can trust Him to do the same for us in whatever job He has given us to do in His army.  I hope you will join me in this prayer:

(Dear Lord Jesus, please stand) with me and (give) me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the (world) to hear.

All Scripture references are from The New Living Translation.

Christ in 1 Timothy -- Our Hope

Timothy was the son of a Greek Gentile father and a Jewish Christian mother, Eunice.  He was taught the Old Testament scriptures by his mother and his grandmother, Lois, both of whom became devout followers of Christ.  He was from Lystra, a city in the Roman province of Galatia which is a part of modern day Turkey.  Paul led Timothy and his family to Christ when he was on his first missionary journey, during his stop in Lystra.  When he was on his second missionary journey, Paul stopped again in Lystra and chose Timothy to accompany him.  Timothy was still a young man, but Paul obviously respected his spiritual maturity and devotion to Christ and his good reputation among the Christians there.  He remained a true friend, companion, and co-laborer with Paul for the rest of Paul’s life, accompanying him to Berea, Athens, Corinth, Jerusalem, Rome, and Philippi.  Paul often sent him as his representative, carrying messages to churches they had planted.  At the time of Paul’s writing of this letter, Timothy was serving as the pastor of the church in Ephesus.  Paul wrote 1 Timothy from Macedonia, after his release from prison in Rome, probably 62 – 64 a.d.  One of the purposes of the letter was to address some problems that had arisen in the church at Ephesus – false doctrine, disorder in worship, the qualifications of leaders, how to discern who is truly in need of charity, the treatment of elders, relationships between masters and slaves, and materialism.  Those problems continue to plague the modern church, however we will not dwell on those problems in this study.  Rather, we will continue in our mission to look for Christ in every book of the Bible.  In 1 Timothy we are introduced to Christ in the very first verse as Our Hope:

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope (1 Tim. 1:1).

This is how Paul addressed his letter to his spiritual son, Timothy.  He knew that Timothy, a young man, was in a very difficult position of leading a new church, a church that was being bombarded with false doctrine and all the problems that come along with church work.  He had to deal with arguments between believers, he had to choose leaders who could be trusted to help him every day, and he had to continue in his own spiritual growth.  Paul was wise to continue to minister to Timothy personally.  In this letter, he reminded Timothy of who Christ is and why Timothy was serving Him.  We need to remember to pray for our pastors and all our church leaders for the very same reasons.  We also need to be sure that they have time alone with God – time to reflect, to study, and to pray.  Theirs is a big job.  No matter the size of the church, the pastor today is faced with many of the same issues that Timothy faced.  We need to encourage our pastors rather than making demands upon their time, and we need to pray for them rather than criticize.

In addition to the verse above, 1 Tim. 1:1, Paul had the following things to say about Christ in this book:

• Jesus is Lord (1 Tim. 1:2).
• He gives us strength to do our work (1 Tim. 1:12).
• He is generous and gracious to fill us with faith and love (1 Tim. 1:14).
• He came to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).
• He is our Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5).
• He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone (1 Tim. 2:6).
• He was revealed in human form, declared sinless by the Holy Spirit, seen by angels, announced to the nations, believed throughout the world, and taken to heaven in glory (1 Tim. 3:16).
• He gave an honest testimony before Pilate (1 Tim. 6:13).
• He will come again ((1 Tim. 6:14).

Paul knew that if Timothy ever forgot who he was serving, he would fail.  But Paul also knew that if Timothy continued to try to comprehend the very nature of God, he would be motivated to continue to serve Him, no matter how hard the circumstances became.  Christ would truly be his Hope.  That is true for us, too.  If we are to avoid all the pitfalls and stumbling blocks that we will face in our lives, we must seek to know the nature of God.  Unless we know His nature, we can be fooled by counterfeits, by the false doctrines, the myths, and the lies that the world will throw at us.

This letter, with all its practical advice, is ensconced between two doxologies, songs of praise to the nature of God.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Tim. 1:17).

He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Tim. 6:15-16).

Paul knew that Timothy’s motivation was firmly grounded in the nature of God.  It is because God is who He is that Paul, Timothy, and all God’s true servants do what they do.  It is because He is who He is that Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.  It is because He is who He is that Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt.  It is because He is who He is that Jesus willingly died for our sins.  And it is because He is who He is that we will live with Him in eternity.  He is our Hope!

If our faith is small, it is because the god we worship is small.  I don’t know that we can ever fully comprehend the full nature of God, this side of heaven, but the more we know of Him the greater our faith becomes.  Paul knew that.  He knew that was exactly what Timothy needed to face the troubles in his life.  Paul probably had no idea that we would be reading over his shoulder, two thousand years later.  But his letter to Timothy is as meaningful to us today as it was then to Timothy.  I hope you will read it for yourself, dwelling on every verse, especially those verses that describe the nature of God, allowing the truth of His word and the truth of His nature to take root in your life, spurring you on to greater faith and greater works in obedience to Him.

My prayer for you and for me this week is adapted from the very last part of this letter, 1 Tim. 6:20, 21 –

O (God)! Guard what (You) committed to (our) trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. (Keep us from straying from faith.) Amen.

All scripture references are from the New King James Version.

Christ in 2 Thessalonians -- He Is Coming to Judge!

Last week, in our study of 1 Thessalonians, we learned that Jesus will one day gather all His believers from the earth, raising us to meet Him in the clouds, along with those believers who have died before us.  We call that event The Rapture.  Today, in our study of 2 Thessalonians which Paul wrote just a short time afterwards, we will learn about an event that will happen after The Rapture of the church.

Paul begins his letter by, once again, encouraging the church at Thessalonica, letting them know that he had heard of their great love for each other and the strength of their faith during persecution and hardship.  He assured them that God was aware of what they were going through, that they were being strengthened by their hardships, and that God would deal justly with those who were persecuting them.  We can take assurance, in the same way, that God sees what is happening to Christians today, that our faith is being strengthened by what we see happening all over the world, and that God will deal justly with those who are persecuting, torturing, and murdering those who call on the name of Jesus:

And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you (2 Thess. 1:5-6)

How will God punish them?  We can be assured that His punishment will be swift, severe, and eternal:

They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power (2 Thess. 1:9).

The Christians of Paul’s day were just like us today.  All through history, Christians have been persecuted, marginalized, ridiculed, and killed (more so at some times than at other times), and all through history, Christians have asked the same question, “How long, Lord, will you allow this to happen to your people?”  I must admit, I have asked that question many times in the last several months.  His answer is here, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7a, “And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven.”  And just as we were reminded in our study last week, no one knows the hour or the day when Jesus will appear.  What we do know, however, is that God is in control.  He tells us in the second chapter of this book what must happen first.  Before Jesus comes to rule the earth, there will be a great rebellion, led by “the man of lawlessness,” or the Antichrist:

For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction (2 Thess. 2:3).

The last several months we have seen a great rebellion against God in the Middle East, as well as in Boston, Paris, and Copenhagen.  But this is only a foretaste of the rebellion and persecution that is to come, birth pangs, if you will.  Remember, the church in Thessalonica was under the impression that the persecution they were experiencing was what was going to usher in the reign of Christ.

So if the Antichrist must lead his rebellion before Jesus comes to stop him, when will he come on the world scene?  Is he already here?  Is the violence we are seeing in the news today evidence of his work?  I don’t think so.  God tells us in his word that something is holding him back from his evil scheme:

Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us (2 Thess. 2:2).

Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed (2 Thess. 2:5-8a).

So if something is holding him back, what is that?  Jesus said, in Matthew 16:18, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”  Think again about our study last week about the Rapture.  Once the church is taken out of the world, reunited with Jesus in the clouds, then the powers of hell will be free to reign on earth.  What a dreadful time!  That time period is called The Tribulation, and that will be the time of lawlessness, led by the man of lawlessness.

What will happen during that time of lawlessness?  God tells us very clearly what will happen:

He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God (2 Thess. 2:4).

This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth (2 Thess. 2:9-12).

The time of lawlessness will come to an end just as abruptly as it began.  Jesus will return with his angel armies, in power and in glory.  He will come to judge and condemn to death the evil one and all his followers:

He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus (2 Thess. 1:7b-8).

But the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming (2 Thess. 2:8b).

Paul ends his letter by repeating some of the things he wrote in his first letter.  He told the faithful members of the church to disassociate themselves from those who refused to work to support their families, those who were depending on handouts from others.  Even though they were to live in anticipation of Christ’s return, they were not to neglect their daily responsibilities to provide for themselves and their families.  We need to take the same advice.  We need to live in anticipation, but in such a way that would be respected by those who do not know Jesus.  Knowing what we know about what is to come, we need to do all we can to warn those who do not know.  We also need to remember that no one knows the time that all this will unfold on the pages of unwritten history.  Only God knows.  Read these words of respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Warren Wiersbe:

The purpose of Bible prophecy is not for us to make a calendar, but to build character. Paul emphasized this fact in both of his Thessalonian letters, and our Lord warned us not to set dates for His coming (Matthew 24:36, 42). Date-setters are usually upsetters, and that is exactly what happened in the Thessalonican assembly.

My prayer for you and for me this week is that we will not be upsetters, but rather, bearers of the Good News and peace makers, adapted from 2 Thess. 1:11-12a, 3:1, 16 --

I keep on praying, asking our God to enable (us) to live a life worthy of his call. May he give (us) the power to accomplish all the good things (our) faith prompts (us) to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way (we) live, and (we) will be honored along with him . . . I Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to (us). . . Now may the Lord of peace himself give (us) his peace at all times and in every situation.

All Scripture references are from the New Living Translation.

Christ in 1 Thessalonians -- He Is Coming Again!

As I read again the short book of 1 Thessalonians, I was struck by how many times Paul referred to the fact that Jesus is will one day return to gather His church to Himself – he mentions it in every chapter of this book.  We call this “The Rapture.”  We can trust that this was a fact that was important to Paul and to the members of the church in Thessalonica:

And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead (1 Thessalonians 1:10a).

After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you (1 Thessalonians 2:19)!

May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

As a matter of fact, I think that the Christians of Paul’s day were so sure of Christ’s return, that they expected that it was eminent, that it would surely happen within their own lifetimes.  It was good then, and it is good, even today, for Christians to wait expectantly and excitedly for Christ’s return.  But we need to remember that only God knows when that day will be.  Do not trust anyone who tries to predict the date, even the year that Jesus will return.

“Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time (Matthew 24:23-25).”

“And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven (Matthew 24:31).”

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows (Matthew 24:36).”

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

However, apparently the Thessalonians were so sure that Christ’s return was eminent that they quit working and were becoming a burden on society.  This reminds me of people today who quit their jobs to carry a placard on the street-corner that reads, “The End is Near,” as they beg for donations.  At least some had also fallen into a sinful life-style, perhaps thinking since time was short, they would just live it up, disregarding all that Paul had previously taught them.  The fourth and fifth chapters of Paul’s letter included practical instructions about how to live while we wait for Christ’s return:

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you (1 Thessalonians 4:1a).

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10).

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

So encourage each other with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance (1 Thessalonians 5:12).

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

And finally, Paul warns that we need to study prophecy, but that we must always allow the Holy Spirit to direct us.  Many times, throughout the scriptures, we are warned that false prophets will come, trying to deceive and divert us from the truth.  So we need to test what we hear by the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit, holding on to what is good, and staying away from what is evil:

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).

We live in a very exciting time.  Every day we live, we are one day closer to Jesus’ return.  So we, like the Thessalonians, should live in anxious anticipation of that day, being lights in a dark world, working until He calls us home.  My prayer for you and for me this week is based on Paul’s prayer for the church in Thessalonica that we can read in 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 –

Dear Heavenly Father,
Make (our) hearts strong, blameless, and holy as (we) stand before (You), God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

All scripture references are from the New Living Translation.