TITUS
Yes, the whole book. It’s very easy to sit and read each chapter, analyze what’s there, how it was said, words used, and so on. I somehow imagine Titus getting this letter and reading the whole thing, several times, and then sharing it with other pastors around him or other spiritually-minded men he knew. I could be really wrong, and I can’t see him pausing after chapter one, diagramming the sentence, comparing the Greek, etc. We do that, because we can, but let me challenge you simply to read this whole epistle. It really might take 10-15 minutes.
What strikes me is the number and types of lists provided. Take note of them as you read.
Qualifications of elders/pastors. Titus was given responsibility to oversee the appointing of those who would lead the churches in the cities on this island. Parallel with 1 Timothy 3, the lists vary a bit, perhaps due to specifics of each distinct culture.
Titus was opposed by Judaizers, people who would teach that one had to be Jewish before becoming a Christian, including circumcision. Paul instructs him to not try to convince them of their error, but rather to silence them. Sounds strong, and it sounds important. Silence error. But most of all, if these people say they are Christians, their actions will give them away, showing their true hearts.
Older and younger men and women are addressed. We can all read the do’s and don’ts of each, and then we can see the primary reason for God’s grace appearing, with salvation being brought to all men: that we would be instructed to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, live sensibly, righteously, and godly. Salvation should trigger sanctification, and true sanctification is only possible because of salvation.
And just why did Christ give Himself? To redeem us, to purify for Himself a people, and for those people to be zealous for good deeds. It all points to Christ. God has always desired a people to follow Him, and for us now, salvation is that step that makes us one of His. That should be very comforting.
Prior to our salvation, we were indeed foolish, with a whole host of issues listed in chapter 3. Our life was about us. The new life that is given at salvation should cause us to live for Him, putting aside ourselves. This is a lesson I continue to try to learn and live. Paul makes it clear that those who are God’s should be careful to engage in good deeds (for Him). Doing so would naturally help those around us, and this only adds to our supposed new selfless mindset.
I believe it more than ever now, what we believe will truly be reflected in our lives. Sure, we see “snapshots” of others, and only each of us truly knows what we really believe, and we make choices based on that belief system. Yet when the unbeliever talks with me, and works with me, and sees me at the store, and gets a glimpse of where I prioritize, what does he think I believe? Let’s learn, believe, then engage.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Final Thoughts to Timothy
2 TIMOTHY 4
Some good closing thoughts, actually strong recommendations, from Paul, close out this second epistle to Timothy. The warnings have come, looking all the way back through 1 and 2 Timothy, regarding everything from checking one’s own character and qualifications, to being on the lookout and steering clear of false teachers. In this chapter Paul requests writing materials, so he clearly desired to write more, but if this is indeed Paul’s final writing, it stands to reason that we would do well to pay close attention to what is here.
Paul uses the term “solemnly charge”, meaning he’s serious. Preach the word. Reprove, rebuke, exhort (strongly encourage), and do it all with patience and instruction. Note that Paul was urging Timothy to do these actions, as he would be preaching the word. It seems like the point is that preaching the word is the basic step, and then one is to use the word as he reproves, rebukes, encourages and teaches. Maybe it is too simple to call all this the “SO WHAT”, and yet it is pretty clear that this is how Paul is saying it should work.
And if anyone were to ask Paul why this was so important, he would certainly reply with what he writes in verse 4, where a day will come when people will not want to deal with sound doctrine, and would rather hear only what they want to hear (ears tickled). Further, Paul instructs Timothy to be sober, or what we would think of as calm, collected, dispassionate. Indeed, God’s Word is serious stuff, as is our relationship to Him, and along with Timothy needing to be strong, courageous, standing firm, he is to be calm and in control as well. Very much so in our world today, people have continued to turn from truth and toward myths.
Most of all in this chapter, Paul keeps the big picture in mind. Paul has been horribly mistreated in so many ways, such that the vast majority of us cannot even comprehend. He takes great joy in the righteousness that awaits him in glory; him and anyone else willing to accept Christ. He also maintains the presence of mind to be thinking of so many others, even those who have deserted him along this evangelistic journey.
When others turned from him, and wrongly opposed him, the Lord stood by him, the Lord strengthened him, still allowing him to be used for the kingdom. It is this eternal glory Paul certainly has in mind as he rejoices in being rescued. And he is consistently pointing to God, who alone is glorious.
I know I have much to learn and many areas in which to grow in this life. As we find ourselves in a culture which really wants nothing to do with God, and which opposes Him on so many fronts, how will we respond? I pray that we learn from these letters to Timothy. They have become a regular read for me as I evaluate the person of God I am and the person of God He wants me to become.
Some good closing thoughts, actually strong recommendations, from Paul, close out this second epistle to Timothy. The warnings have come, looking all the way back through 1 and 2 Timothy, regarding everything from checking one’s own character and qualifications, to being on the lookout and steering clear of false teachers. In this chapter Paul requests writing materials, so he clearly desired to write more, but if this is indeed Paul’s final writing, it stands to reason that we would do well to pay close attention to what is here.
Paul uses the term “solemnly charge”, meaning he’s serious. Preach the word. Reprove, rebuke, exhort (strongly encourage), and do it all with patience and instruction. Note that Paul was urging Timothy to do these actions, as he would be preaching the word. It seems like the point is that preaching the word is the basic step, and then one is to use the word as he reproves, rebukes, encourages and teaches. Maybe it is too simple to call all this the “SO WHAT”, and yet it is pretty clear that this is how Paul is saying it should work.
And if anyone were to ask Paul why this was so important, he would certainly reply with what he writes in verse 4, where a day will come when people will not want to deal with sound doctrine, and would rather hear only what they want to hear (ears tickled). Further, Paul instructs Timothy to be sober, or what we would think of as calm, collected, dispassionate. Indeed, God’s Word is serious stuff, as is our relationship to Him, and along with Timothy needing to be strong, courageous, standing firm, he is to be calm and in control as well. Very much so in our world today, people have continued to turn from truth and toward myths.
Most of all in this chapter, Paul keeps the big picture in mind. Paul has been horribly mistreated in so many ways, such that the vast majority of us cannot even comprehend. He takes great joy in the righteousness that awaits him in glory; him and anyone else willing to accept Christ. He also maintains the presence of mind to be thinking of so many others, even those who have deserted him along this evangelistic journey.
When others turned from him, and wrongly opposed him, the Lord stood by him, the Lord strengthened him, still allowing him to be used for the kingdom. It is this eternal glory Paul certainly has in mind as he rejoices in being rescued. And he is consistently pointing to God, who alone is glorious.
I know I have much to learn and many areas in which to grow in this life. As we find ourselves in a culture which really wants nothing to do with God, and which opposes Him on so many fronts, how will we respond? I pray that we learn from these letters to Timothy. They have become a regular read for me as I evaluate the person of God I am and the person of God He wants me to become.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Adequate
Today is one of those days when I realize the reality of the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. And I don’t mean “today” as in “this current time”, but rather today, like right now. I look at the opening of 2 Timothy 3 which I read this morning, which I read last week and the week before, and understand, of course, that we are in the last times, we have been since the church began. And yet I look at verses 2 through 7 and have to wonder how many of those sins and issues weigh down Christians. Particularly striking is the “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.”
I know Timothy is being warned of those outside the faith, and yet I can see in my own life how I can certainly act as though I am also outside the faith. I praise God for His assurance in my life that I am not, and the flesh in me wants so badly to shout from the rooftops for all to hear about the warning against acting like this or that. Then again, since God has inspired these words, I suppose that is sufficient. Actually, I know it is. And believe me, I have heard that same reproof, correction, from verse 16 of this chapter.
I spoke of this very real battle, and I have a choice to make, as do we all. Satisfy the flesh and react, likely adding to the sin of others, or yield to the Spirit, and allow His word to be sufficient and active, that two-edged sword that is so very powerful in the lives of believers. I know the right answer, I do. I can only imagine that Timothy did as well. I often wonder how he reacted to his surroundings. I wonder how much opposition he faced from those who should have otherwise been desiring to live in a Godly manner. And right after Paul mentions this Godly living, he reminds Timothy that evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Cheery thought, huh?
Yet I believe with all my heart that these heavy thoughts, these seemingly insurmountable burdens are not even a close match for God’s Word. Indeed, it is very much profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. It is very capable of equipping the saints to every good work, in order to reflect that glory which is already God’s.
Honestly, the flesh in me wonders why every believer does not take this seriously enough? And then in His gentle, rebuking way, the Spirit keeps reminding me how much I need to do just that, and that He will ultimately take care of the Word, letting it perform that good work which it has begun in me and every other believer. It is that same Word which tells us to be still, to remain steadfast.
I so pray that I continue to become the man of God mentioned here, that is, “adequate” (NASB), or perhaps “complete”, “perfect” for the purpose God has for me. I pray also that we all have this same goal in mind, perfection for God’s work according to Him, according to His Word.
I know Timothy is being warned of those outside the faith, and yet I can see in my own life how I can certainly act as though I am also outside the faith. I praise God for His assurance in my life that I am not, and the flesh in me wants so badly to shout from the rooftops for all to hear about the warning against acting like this or that. Then again, since God has inspired these words, I suppose that is sufficient. Actually, I know it is. And believe me, I have heard that same reproof, correction, from verse 16 of this chapter.
I spoke of this very real battle, and I have a choice to make, as do we all. Satisfy the flesh and react, likely adding to the sin of others, or yield to the Spirit, and allow His word to be sufficient and active, that two-edged sword that is so very powerful in the lives of believers. I know the right answer, I do. I can only imagine that Timothy did as well. I often wonder how he reacted to his surroundings. I wonder how much opposition he faced from those who should have otherwise been desiring to live in a Godly manner. And right after Paul mentions this Godly living, he reminds Timothy that evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Cheery thought, huh?
Yet I believe with all my heart that these heavy thoughts, these seemingly insurmountable burdens are not even a close match for God’s Word. Indeed, it is very much profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. It is very capable of equipping the saints to every good work, in order to reflect that glory which is already God’s.
Honestly, the flesh in me wonders why every believer does not take this seriously enough? And then in His gentle, rebuking way, the Spirit keeps reminding me how much I need to do just that, and that He will ultimately take care of the Word, letting it perform that good work which it has begun in me and every other believer. It is that same Word which tells us to be still, to remain steadfast.
I so pray that I continue to become the man of God mentioned here, that is, “adequate” (NASB), or perhaps “complete”, “perfect” for the purpose God has for me. I pray also that we all have this same goal in mind, perfection for God’s work according to Him, according to His Word.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Focus, Discipline, Work
2 TIMOTHY 2
Be strong.
Be unashamed of the truth.
OK, there you go, now have a great day. All right, maybe Paul was not so blunt to Timothy, and he certainly had more to share with this pastor friend of his. And instead of just telling him to maintain certain character traits, Paul uses a few examples of real people around at the time that he could learn from.
The soldier was to bring to mind the idea of focused strength, preparation, and loyalty, ready to serve.
An athlete would have had strict discipline in his life, paying attention to boundaries or rules, while maintaining a toughness and self-control. The ancient athlete had a very strict compliance regimen, that is, if he wanted to compete properly.
Farmers were known to be very hard workers. The result of such hard work would be a good crop, emblematic of a job well done.
Put these together and we see what we expect in the Christian (and especially a focus here is on the Christian man, even pastors specifically): Focused service, disciplined, and hard working.
Further along Paul challenges those who would call themselves Christian (“name the Lord”, v. 19), by challenging them to abstain from wickedness. Is it any different for the Christian today? That should be a rhetorical question.
Jump to verse 24. Be kind to all, be able to teach, be patient when wronged, gently correcting. Wow, wrap these up and you have the making of godliness. “Teaching” and “patience” can certainly get in each other’s way, and drop in a dose of correction of others and you start to see the delicate balance that must exist to do God’s work well. Inherent in each of these is also a strong implication of truth, discerning right and wrong, especially knowing that Paul had false teachers in the cross hairs here.
Further, repentance leading to knowledge of the truth is the goal, to enable those entrapped by Satan to escape, coming to their senses, as Paul puts it. People then, as now, are indeed held captive to the lies of this world. The lies of this world have even crept into the church today. Paul commends Timothy to stay strong in the truth. God expects the same from today’s Christian.
We are to be on the side of truth, God’s truth, and thus keep ourselves in a usable condition for the Lord.
Be strong.
Be unashamed of the truth.
OK, there you go, now have a great day. All right, maybe Paul was not so blunt to Timothy, and he certainly had more to share with this pastor friend of his. And instead of just telling him to maintain certain character traits, Paul uses a few examples of real people around at the time that he could learn from.
The soldier was to bring to mind the idea of focused strength, preparation, and loyalty, ready to serve.
An athlete would have had strict discipline in his life, paying attention to boundaries or rules, while maintaining a toughness and self-control. The ancient athlete had a very strict compliance regimen, that is, if he wanted to compete properly.
Farmers were known to be very hard workers. The result of such hard work would be a good crop, emblematic of a job well done.
Put these together and we see what we expect in the Christian (and especially a focus here is on the Christian man, even pastors specifically): Focused service, disciplined, and hard working.
Further along Paul challenges those who would call themselves Christian (“name the Lord”, v. 19), by challenging them to abstain from wickedness. Is it any different for the Christian today? That should be a rhetorical question.
Jump to verse 24. Be kind to all, be able to teach, be patient when wronged, gently correcting. Wow, wrap these up and you have the making of godliness. “Teaching” and “patience” can certainly get in each other’s way, and drop in a dose of correction of others and you start to see the delicate balance that must exist to do God’s work well. Inherent in each of these is also a strong implication of truth, discerning right and wrong, especially knowing that Paul had false teachers in the cross hairs here.
Further, repentance leading to knowledge of the truth is the goal, to enable those entrapped by Satan to escape, coming to their senses, as Paul puts it. People then, as now, are indeed held captive to the lies of this world. The lies of this world have even crept into the church today. Paul commends Timothy to stay strong in the truth. God expects the same from today’s Christian.
We are to be on the side of truth, God’s truth, and thus keep ourselves in a usable condition for the Lord.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Hope, Trust, Retain, Guard
2 TIMOTHY 1
While Paul is in prison, awaiting death, he writes a very personal letter to a dear friend, Timothy. Naturally, this is the second such letter, and Paul wants to see his friend again before his imminent death. Being one of the last, if not THE last writing of Paul, it can be argued that what he discusses here is of supreme importance: what would the apostle write to a close pastor friend if he wanted to leave an impression on Timothy's future ministry? We often hear that answer to be “doctrine”, and while I agree, there is also an underlying aspect and mentality to maintain while upholding truth.
Paul begins by reminding Timothy of the promise of life in Christ Jesus. When we compare this to other passages describing our eternal hope, we conclude that our hope is in a promise from God, and who better to keep a promise than Him?
Sincere faith is something to strive for, and to cling to when it is understood. We are reminded that Timothy’s mother and grandmother had key roles in raising him in faith. Family plays such a key role in the raising of children; apparently that has always been the case. Paul spoke of false teaches in his previous letter, and when we see how society would like us to distort the family even today, these letters to Timothy should serve as a reminder to us to stand firm in Biblical truth.
Indeed, Paul urges him to be bold, not timid, based on the gift from God. If we need to be reminded of who we are and who God is, we read that He saved us, and we serve Him, for His purpose, and God is certainly not ashamed, nor should we be. God’s power should easily enable us to stand up for Him. His power is such that He abolished death, and gave us the gospel, through which we can have immortality, that is, life with Him.
Paul suffers, and yet is not ashamed. In the words of a great hymn, actually taken straight from the KJV (v. 12b): “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
So, if we put our trust in Him, and Him alone, then we ought to be able to do a couple simple (not necessarily easy) parts of the Christian life: RETAIN the standard of sound words (that is, the teaching that fits with or leads to godliness). GUARD this treasure, the gospel, that has been entrusted to us, just as it was to Timothy.
Good, strong advice for a young pastor, for any Christian, for that matter.
While Paul is in prison, awaiting death, he writes a very personal letter to a dear friend, Timothy. Naturally, this is the second such letter, and Paul wants to see his friend again before his imminent death. Being one of the last, if not THE last writing of Paul, it can be argued that what he discusses here is of supreme importance: what would the apostle write to a close pastor friend if he wanted to leave an impression on Timothy's future ministry? We often hear that answer to be “doctrine”, and while I agree, there is also an underlying aspect and mentality to maintain while upholding truth.
Paul begins by reminding Timothy of the promise of life in Christ Jesus. When we compare this to other passages describing our eternal hope, we conclude that our hope is in a promise from God, and who better to keep a promise than Him?
Sincere faith is something to strive for, and to cling to when it is understood. We are reminded that Timothy’s mother and grandmother had key roles in raising him in faith. Family plays such a key role in the raising of children; apparently that has always been the case. Paul spoke of false teaches in his previous letter, and when we see how society would like us to distort the family even today, these letters to Timothy should serve as a reminder to us to stand firm in Biblical truth.
Indeed, Paul urges him to be bold, not timid, based on the gift from God. If we need to be reminded of who we are and who God is, we read that He saved us, and we serve Him, for His purpose, and God is certainly not ashamed, nor should we be. God’s power should easily enable us to stand up for Him. His power is such that He abolished death, and gave us the gospel, through which we can have immortality, that is, life with Him.
Paul suffers, and yet is not ashamed. In the words of a great hymn, actually taken straight from the KJV (v. 12b): “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
So, if we put our trust in Him, and Him alone, then we ought to be able to do a couple simple (not necessarily easy) parts of the Christian life: RETAIN the standard of sound words (that is, the teaching that fits with or leads to godliness). GUARD this treasure, the gospel, that has been entrusted to us, just as it was to Timothy.
Good, strong advice for a young pastor, for any Christian, for that matter.
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