October 24th

By Randall L. Broad

Read: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 26:6-8

In the New Testament reading today there are three personal discipleship lessons written to Timothy by the Apostle Paul: be disciplined; expect false teachers; and lean on the Word of God.

Collectively known as the Pastoral Epistles, the authenticity of the letters to Timothy and Titus was never critiqued until the nineteenth century. All three were included in the collection of gospels and epistles canonized in the New Testament. The internal evidence of Second Timothy identifying the Apostle Paul as the writer (v. 1:1) and Timothy (v. 1:2) as the recipient of the letter was sufficient to warrant inclusion. Unlike letters written to communities addressing specific problems (c.f. 2 Thessalonians, Colossians) or matters of higher theology (c.f. Ephesians) where the possibility of another author using the apostle’s name can be argued; the Pastoral Epistles are too personal to be anything other than letters sent by Paul to his spiritual sons whom he trusted with the important mission of communicating his instructions and teachings. Titus is left in Crete (Acts 2:11; Titus 1:5) and Timothy (1 Timothy 1:3-4) in Ephesus for this very purpose.

Paul’s words are meant to encourage, guide, and sustain his spiritual sons in a future without him. Second Timothy is believed to be one, if not the last letter written by the Apostle Paul prior to his martyrdom. Readers today reflect upon the epistles wisdom and view it as the ‘definitive standard’ to which modern pastor and church leader should be held; but just as importantly the letters address the future of Christianity which rests upon the teaching of future generations by disciplined leaders with sound doctrine and scriptural authority–just as the Pharisaical Order had given the young Saul of Tarsus. Paul was a practical man who understood a short time to God might be a long time to humanity and this ‘New Christian Order’ (… the Church) might have to span many generations and every substitution of “form” for the genuine experience, be it fundamentalist legalism or high church ritualism or Pentecostal enthusiasm, was in effect denial of the power of the Spirit to work out the Christian faith–genuine faith–in their lives. 

Our reading today begins with …

²²Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

²³But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. ²⁴And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. ²⁵He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to knowledge of the truth. ²⁶Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.

2 Timothy 2:22-26

Our first verses are actually the conclusion of a longer narrative (vv. 2:14-26) carried over from yesterday that encourage Timothy to speak truth (v. 15); avoid empty chatter (v. 16); and … be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work (v. 21). Today Paul reminds Timothy to “flee from youthful passions (v. 22)” and “reject foolish and ignorant speculation (v. 23)”. Readers commonly view these instructions as proof to the difference in the ages of Paul and Timothy or the father-son relationship they shared. In truth it probably is … yet it also reflects upon Paul’s own youthful passions and shortcomings.

In his youth Paul was a very different man passionate about serving God, but part of a pharisaical order that was built upon ritual, ceremony, and conduct defined by the rigid adherence to the laws of Moses. He undoubtedly witnessed and participated in the arguments over the finer points of these practices and observances even within his own order. His experience on the Damascus Road changed everything and his ‘new’ reality left him with an understanding of a New Covenant built on the idea of ‘godliness’ rooted in the Law of Faith (Romans 3:27); a life lived in the spirit of righteousness, faith, love, and peace and with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (v. 22). Now … time was running out for Paul and the mission to bring the gospel to the Gentiles was not yet finished. Paul and the other apostles had done all they could–but the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) to make disciples of all nation would continue in the post-apostolic age and perhaps for generations to come.      

¹But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. ²For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, ⁴traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

⁶They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. ⁹But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

2 Timothy 3:1-9

Readers commonly understand the above passage as a warning about human nature or as a description of the age in which they live and worship. Now as then … the religions of Paul’s time were dominated by people who were lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, ⁴traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (vv. 2-4). But our key phrase in the passage today is found in verse five: … having a form of godliness but denying its power (v. 5). The deeper understanding of this phrase is rooted in the Apostle Paul theme of Christian discipleship as an activity of the Holy Spirit who is God’s empowering presence amongst us. His teachings and the future of Christianity was dependent on Timothy and Titus, and those who would continue his work not forgetting this truth and being influenced by the ways of empty religions or by false teachers who were … always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth (v. 7).

In the post-modern context, false teachers come from every walk of life–churched and unchurched. It is a feature of the last days the world is dominated by widespread selfishness, greed, self-importance, disobedience, immorality, hate, vindictiveness, maliciousness, brutality, wickedness, deceit, irresponsibility, pride, and the love of pleasure rather than God (vv. 2-5). Though a common theme throughout all of Paul’s writings, the meta-narrative of false teachers found in 2 Timothy reflects directly back to 1 Timothy 6:1-10; the common concept between the two passages being the idea of ‘godliness’ and the elements of right thinking and right living as well as right purpose and right motivation. For these false teachers ‘godliness’ involves ascetic practice and other outward forms that make a show but have none of the real substance of faith and love found in Jesus Christ (i.e. the Sadducees; Pharisees; Scribes; Hellenistic Jews; Gnostics; Pagans; etc.).

Condemned by men but forgiven by God, Paul reminds Timothy to remember his example; to be disciplined; and to lean on the Word of God.

¹⁰You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, ¹¹my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹²Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

¹⁴But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. ¹⁵From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 10-17

Paul knew Timothy well and by the time he put these thoughts on paper, neither was ‘youthful’ in the temporal or experiential sense of the word. Paul was older than Timothy, but the younger man is the most commonly referenced companion of the apostle in the New Testament. He accompanied Paul on dangerous journeys, carried out difficult errands, and remained to the very end the older man’s faithful servant and friend. Paul describes Timothy as a “coworker” (Romans 16:21; 1 Corinthians 16:10; Philippians 2:22; 1 Thessalonians 3:2); as co-author of six of his apostolic letters (1 and 2 Thessalonians; 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon); and as a spiritual son (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2). Perhaps the best example of the love and respect Paul felt for Timothy can be found in Philippians 2:19-22. One thing is clear … Timothy was an established missionary, evangelist, and teacher who knew the Apostle and his teachings as well as anyone. And now Paul has left him in Ephesus to …

³ As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer ⁴ or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.

1 Timothy 1:3-4

The conclusion of today’s reading Paul reminds Timothy … All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work (vv. 16-17). These verses could be the most popular words from 2 Timothy with good reason. Paul understood the future of Christianity rested upon the scriptural authority of the Old Testament; the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and the coming of the Holy Spirit. In time his own writings would become ‘scripture’ but as he wrote this personal letter to his spiritual son he must have been encouraged by the thought Timothy was a learned righteous man of God knowledgeable of Holy Scriptures … which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Walk with the Lord …

Ephesians 1:17

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© Copyright 2019: Randall L. Broad

Disclaimer: This commentary is written by Randall L. Broad. It is in no way affiliated with or represents any denomination, university, church, or pastor. Any errors or omissions are purely my responsibility.