Paul

The New Has Come

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18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” – Mark 2:18-22 ESV

Matthew, Mark, and Luke each reported this scene as having taken place immediately after Jesus shared a meal with “many tax collectors and sinners” (Mark 2:15 ESV). The timing matters because it sets the context for what happened next. Jesus’ decision to accept an invitation to dine at Levi’s (Matthew’s) house left the Jewish religious leaders disgusted. Their view of Him hit an all-time low because He chose to consort with known sinners. In addition to being a blasphemer and troublemaker, this radical Rabbi from Nazareth was a poor judge of character.

So, immediately after His dinner at Levi’s house, Jesus was questioned about His behavior, but the query came from an unexpected source. While Mark simply says that some “people” asked Jesus a question, Matthew reveals the actual source.

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” – Matthew 9:14 ESV

These men were confused by the behavior of Jesus and His disciples. They may have been just as alarmed by Jesus’ choice of dining companions, but instead of bringing up what Jesus had just done, they chose to question what He and His disciples failed to do: fast.

As good Jews, John’s disciples would have faithfully kept the various written and oral traditions of their people, and that would have included requirements regarding fasting. But under the Mosaic Law, God set apart only one day for fasting: the Day of Atonement.

It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you. – Leviticus 16:31 NLT

But over time, the Jews had prescribed additional fast days that were intended to demonstrate one’s dedication to God. By the time Jesus appeared, the Pharisees had instituted a twice-weekly fast, which is likely what the disciples of John referred. These additional fast days were visible acts of righteousness that let others know you took your religious commitments seriously. But Jesus warned about just such outward displays in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1 NLT

Jesus purposefully focused on fasting and pointed out how this practice of self-denial had become a means of self-promotion.

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:16-18 NLT

Yet the disciples of John asked why Jesus and His disciples failed to honor the twice-weekly fast as they did. By admitting that they were fasting, these men violated the warning Jesus had issued: “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious.” But for them, fasting had become a sign of righteousness and a mark of one’s spiritual commitment.

But they failed to realize that Jesus had come to bring something new. Their attempts at self-righteousness were insufficient, and their outward displays of self-denial could do nothing to elevate their standing in God’s eyes. Their attempts to earn God’s favor through self-effort and adherence to religious rituals were meaningless because their hearts remained unrepentant. Centuries earlier, God had rebuked His people for their vain attempts to replace repentance with rule-keeping.

Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood. – Isaiah 1:13-15 ESV

The apostle Paul discussed this same subject in some of his letters because he wanted his readers to know that God’s laws were never intended to produce righteousness.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3 NLT

If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. – Galatians 3:21 NLT

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. – Colossians 2:16-17 NLT

Paul offers much-needed insight into what is happening in Mark 2:18-22. With the coming of Jesus, all of the rules associated with Judaism were changing. The temple, the Sabbath, the feasts, and the festivals were all intended to point toward the coming of the Messiah. They were, as Paul put it, “shadows of the reality yet to come” (Colossians 2:17). And as Paul makes clear, “Christ himself is that reality.”

The author of Hebrews reinforces Paul’s understanding about the purpose behind rules and regulations associated with the law.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. – Hebrews 10:1 NLT

Jesus’ arrival had ushered in a new era; the old was giving way to the new. Jesus came to do what the law was never intended to do: Restore sinful men and women to a right relationship with God.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3 NLT

Jesus drives home the point that His presence with them ruled out the need for fasting and rule-keeping. Their self-empowered efforts to earn God’s favor were no longer necessary. Just as a sick person cannot make themselves well, sinners cannot make themselves spiritually whole and acceptable to a holy God. They must admit they are sick and seek a physician.

So Jesus tells John’s disciples that their fasting was in vain. Rather than deny themselves food, they needed to recognize the Messiah’s presence and feast alongside Him. The tax collectors and sinners had dined with Jesus in Levi’s house, so Jesus invited John’s disciples to celebrate with Him, using the metaphor of a wedding feast to illustrate His point.

“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.” – Mark 2:19 ESV

The thought of guests fasting and mourning while attending a wedding feast should have been ludicrous. Celebrating someone’s marriage was the wrong occasion to go without food; it was a time for joy and enjoyment. Jesus wanted these men to know that His presence among them was intended to be cause for celebration. Their long-awaited Messiah had finally come, and He was bringing “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10 ESV). The angels told the shepherds in the field on the night of Jesus’ birth: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 ESV).

The Messiah (the bridegroom) had come, and that was cause for celebration. But Jesus indicates that a time of mourning would come soon enough.

“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.” – Mark 2:20 ESV

This somewhat cryptic statement referred to His pending death. While this foreshadowing of His future escaped His audience, it was meant to reinforce His call to celebrate. The Messiah was with them, and His presence should have brought joy and feasting. However, the Jewish religious leaders grumbled, doubted, and disbelieved, while John’s disciples fasted and mourned.

Jesus reinforced the radical new nature of the days in which they lived. He was disrupting the status quo, turning everything on its head, and introducing a whole new means for sinful mankind to be restored to God. His arrival wasn’t meant to be an add-on to the old way of doing things; it wasn’t going to be the law + Jesus. In fact, He had discussed this in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” – Matthew 5:17-18 NLT

He came to fulfill all that the law required and, in doing so, eliminated any requirement that men keep the law to assuage the anger of a just and righteous God. Jesus would satisfy God with the sacrifice of His own life.

To drive home His point, Jesus used the analogy of sewing a patch of new, unshrunk cloth onto an old garment. These two pieces of fabric would prove to be incompatible.  It would also make no sense to store new wine in an old wineskin because the fermentation of the new wine would cause the old wineskin to burst. Jesus had not come to add something new to the old; He had come to offer something completely different.

Jesus had come to do a new thing, and while the way He lived His life seemed to be inconsistent and incompatible with what the Jews had come to know, He was introducing “new cloth” and “new wine” – a new way that was meant to bring new hope to a lost and dying world. The apostle Paul would have us rejoice that the old has been replaced with the new, all because of Jesus.

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Change Is Coming

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1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” – Mark 1:1-8 ESV

Although the author never refers to himself by name anywhere in his gospel account, early church fathers strongly agreed that John Mark provided this chronicle of the life and ministry of Jesus.

One of the earliest references to John Mark as the book’s author is found in The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus. Written in the 4th century, this landmark work provides a chronological history of early Christianity that spans centuries. In it, Eusebius records that John Mark, while not a disciple of Jesus, based his gospel on eyewitness accounts, including those of the Apostle Peter.

Additional records from the early church fathers also mention John Mark as the book’s author. These include the mid-1st-Century to early-2nd-Century writings of Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen. One of the earliest prologues to the Gospel of Mark, written between 160-180 A.D., describes John Mark as the author and states that he wrote his gospel account while in Italy. In his classic work, Against Heresies, Irenaeus adds that John Mark completed his work sometime after Peter’s death.

John Mark is mentioned repeatedly in the book of Acts, where his relationship with the apostle Paul is described in great detail. John Mark was a disciple of Paul and accompanied him and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Years later, he proved a great help and comfort to Paul during his imprisonment in Rome as he awaited trial before Emperor Nero. Because of his close relationship with Paul, John Mark had access to the original disciples and other eyewitnesses to Jesus’ earthly ministry.

The book of Acts records one of the first encounters between Peter and John Mark. Herod, the king the Romans had placed on the throne of Israel, was under intense pressure from the Jewish religious leaders. Ever since the crucifixion of Jesus, news of His resurrection had spread, and His disciples found that receptivity to their gospel message was increasing. So, to appease the Sanhedrin, Herod began to round up Jesus’ disciples. He had already killed James the brother of John and had Peter thrown in prison. But God miraculously rescued Peter from his imprisonment and, upon his release, Peter “went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying” (Acts 12:12 ESV).

Luke, the author of Acts, also records that John Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but left them when they arrived in Pamphylia. He returned to Jerusalem and later traveled to Cyprus with his cousin, Barnabas. So, John Mark was very involved in those early days of the church as the apostles took the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. He traveled with and sat under the teaching of luminaries of the faith such as Paul, Peter, and Barnabas.

There is still much debate as to the dating of Mark’s gospel. If it was written after the deaths of Paul and Peter, that would place its publication somewhere between 67 and 68 A.D. Since the book makes no mention of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, it seems likely that it was written before that date.

From the content of the gospel, it appears that Mark had a Gentile audience in mind. If he wrote it from Italy, as many early church fathers believed, the Gentile-oriented focus of his gospel makes more sense. He takes great pains to explain certain Jewish customs and rituals that would have been unfamiliar and strange to Gentile readers. He incorporates Latin words and phrases that appear aimed at a Roman audience, but his emphasis was on Gentile believers living under persecution in a predominantly Roman world. The early church found itself facing attack from the Jews as well as the pagan world. Mark would have experienced firsthand the persecution that Paul encountered from the dispersed Jewish community and the pagan cultures of the cities they visited on their first missionary journey.

Yet, despite Mark’s emphasis on a predominantly Gentile audience and his effort to communicate in language and terms they would recognize, he opens his gospel with a quote from the Hebrew scriptures.

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.’” – Mark 1:2-3 ESV

This is actually a combination of three separate passages: Exodus 23:20, Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:3. He blends the words of three Old Testament prophets: Moses, Malachi, and Isaiah, but attributes the quote to the latter. For Mark, a proper understanding of Jesus’ life and ministry began with the words of the ancient prophets. Each of these three prophetic passages spoke of Israel’s coming Messiah. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these men predicted the coming of the Anointed One of God, but they also foretold the one who would “prepare the way” for His coming. Before the Messiah appeared, a messenger would precede Him and warn the people of His imminent arrival.

Like the other gospel writers, Mark wanted to establish from the outset Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. He was Jesus the Christ, or Messiah (the word “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah”). Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. He was Jesus, a man who was born in the city of Bethlehem, but He was also the Christ, the Son of God. This means He was fully divine.

According to Mark, God had sent a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah. He uses the Greek word, angelos, to describe this messenger, which can be translated as “angel.” But this “angel” was not a heavenly being; he was a man named John who appeared in the wilderness of Judea, preaching a baptism of repentance. Mark states that “all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5 ESV). John had become quite a sensation and earned the nickname “John the Baptizer.” He called people to be baptized, but it was a baptism characterized by repentance. The word “repentance” is metanoia in Greek, and it means “to change the mind.” He was calling the Jews to change their minds concerning a wide range of issues, including their concept of what it means to be righteous, their expectations concerning the Messiah, their understanding of their relationship with God, and their need for forgiveness.

We know the basic content of John’s message from Matthew’s gospel.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 3:2 ESV

And when He arrived, Jesus picked up this same message.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:15 ESV

The basic gist of their message was that the long-awaited Messiah had finally appeared and was bringing His Kingdom with Him. Mark indicates that John’s message of the arrival of God’s Kingdom was met with an enthusiastic response.

All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. – Mark 1:5 NLT

For the Jews, the coming of the Kingdom of God would be accompanied by the Messiah’s arrival. For them, the coming Messiah would be a king, just like the great warrior-king, David. He would be a deliverer and a military leader who would restore Israel’s fortunes. For centuries, the people of Israel had suffered under a litany of foreign powers who had subjugated and persecuted them. The Romans were the most recent manifestation of Gentile domination over the people of God. The land of Judah was occupied by Roman soldiers who enforced the laws of the empire, protected the interests of the emperor, and ensured that the Jews remained docile and compliant.

So, the people of Israel longed for the Messiah’s arrival because they believed He would restore them to power and prominence, just as David had done. It had been centuries since the nation of Judah fell to the Babylonians. And while a remnant of the people taken captive to Babylon had returned to the land and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God, the only king they knew was their current one: Herod, the puppet king Rome had placed on the throne. Herod was actually an Edomite, a descendant of Esau, and while the Roman Senate had declared him to be “King of the Jews,” the Jews never accepted his reign. They considered him to be a usurper to the throne who tried to gain their favor through a series of ambitious building projects, including the expansion and improvement of the temple.

But as a Roman pawn, and because of his love of power, Herod put his own needs ahead of the nation. So, when John the Baptist appeared on the scene preaching the need for repentance because the kingdom of God was near, the people immediately assumed something great was about to happen. Their hopes were raised that Messiah was near and their days of oppression and subjugation would soon be over.

This wild-eyed, strangely dressed preacher made an impression on his audience.

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. – Mark 1:6 ESV

His bizarre attire gave him the demeanor of an Old Testament prophet, and his message of repentance echoed those of his predecessors. But when he spoke of the One to come, he added a new twist to the description of the Messiah.

“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” – Mark 1:7-8 ESV

John’s sudden appearance had caught the people’s attention because it had been over 400 years since they had heard from God. For four centuries, no prophets had spoken on behalf of God. He had gone silent. But now, with John’s arrival, it was as if God was speaking again. However, John wanted his audience to know something even more amazing was about to take place. His arrival would pale in comparison to the coming of the Messiah. He would be greater, more glorious, and have a ministry that was far more significant than anything John had done.

John could offer a physical baptism that illustrated cleansing from sin, but the Messiah would offer a different form of baptism that would actually remove all sin in preparation for the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God.

“I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” – Mark 1:8 NLT

In their gospel accounts, both Matthew and John add “and fire.”

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Matthew 3:11 ESV

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Luke 3:16 ESV

John wanted his audience to know that his baptism was temporary and could not remove the presence or penalty of sin from their lives. However, the King was coming, and He would offer a far more permanent, life-altering baptism that would purge and purify them for entrance into His Kingdom.

“The Baptist evidently meant that the great coming One would not merely cleanse with water but would bring to bear, like a deluge, the purging, purifying, judging presence of God himself.” – Moule, C. F. D. The Gospel According to Mark. The Cambridge Bible Commentary series

The Messiah had come, the Kingdom was near, and the time for repentance had arrived. The Son of God had come to earth and was about to begin His mission to rescue and reconcile humanity to His Heavenly Father. But His Kingdom would not be what the people of Israel expected. His reign would not be marked by military might, majestic splendor, or a resounding victory over the Romans. No, He came to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15 ESV). 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Eager Expectation That Comes From An Eternal Perspective

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16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. – 2 Timothy 4:16-22 ESV

Since his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul developed the unique ability to view the events of his life through a Christ-colored lens. His life had been far from easy, but he never complained or questioned God’s goodness. But he did give the church in Corinth a lengthy and disturbing catalog of his “sufferings” on behalf of Christ.

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NLT

Paul described his litany of trials as a form of boasting, but he clarified that he was proudly listing his weaknesses, not his strengths.

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. – 2 Corinthians 11:30 NLT

In the next chapter of the same letter, Paul shared how he had prayed repeatedly for God to remove “a thorn” in his flesh, “a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT). But God answered his requests with the simple assurance, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT). 

This led Paul to adopt the attitude he carried with him for the rest of his life.

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

Paul’s words reveal a mindset that seems counterintuitive. The thought of someone “boasting” about their weaknesses sounds unstable and psychologically unhealthy, but Paul was far from crazy. He had learned to view his earthly life from an eternal perspective, so that the things that happened to him and around him were temporary and impermanent.  This longer-term perspective gave him a more positive outlook that helped him navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs. Paul wasn’t a wide-eyed optimist who walked through life with blinders on. He knew what it was like to be hated, persecuted, and deprived in all kinds of ways, but he shared the secret of his contentment with the believers in Philippi.

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:11-13 NLT

Several times in his letter to Timothy, Paul mentions those who abandoned him or compromised the truth of the gospel.

Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me… – 2 Timothy 4:10 ESV

Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm… – 2 Timothy 4:14 NLT

Hymenaeus and Philetus…have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith. – 2 Timothy 2:17-18 NLT

As he wraps up his letter, Paul adds a new detail that almost sounds as if he is having a pity party.

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. – 2 Timothy 4:16 ESV

In preparation for his trial before the Roman emperor, Paul was given a preliminary hearing. This was likely intended as an opportunity to present the facts of the case and call witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense. But Paul reveals that “no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me” (2 Timothy 4:16 NLT). No one showed up to defend Paul; no witnesses spoke up for him. But rather than responding in bitterness and self-pity, Paul expresses his desire that these individuals receive grace from God.

May it not be charged against them! – 2 Timothy 4:16 ESV

Then he reveals the Christ-centered perspective that allowed him to view even the darkest days of his life positively, rather than negatively.

But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. – 2 Timothy 4:17 NLT

When no one else showed up, the Lord was there. When it looked as if Paul was alone, he knew his Lord and Savior was with him. Paul, who was a student of the Hebrew scriptures, seems to have had the words of King David in mind.

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. – Psalm 27:10 NLT

And this was not the first time Paul had expressed to Timothy his strong belief in Christ’s presence in the midst of his sufferings.

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. – 2 Timothy 3:11 NLT

Paul saw God’s hand in every situation and circumstance of his life. Rather than viewing suffering as a sign of God’s absence or abandonment, Paul chose to see it as a reminder of God’s strength in the midst of his own weakness. He saw trials and difficulties as opportunities for God to display His strength and demonstrate His love. This doesn’t mean that Paul enjoyed suffering or sought it out, but that he chose to see it from God’s perspective. He believed God was sovereign over all things, and was willing to accept everything as coming through His hands. In a way, Paul shared the perspective that Job shared with his wife. “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (Job 2:10 NLT).

But Paul didn’t expect his earthly life to go on forever. He knew a divine timeline dictated how long he would live, and he looked forward to the day he would go to be with the Lord. That’s why he could say, “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!” (2 Timothy 4:18 NLT).

Even if his trial before Nero ended in his conviction and execution, Paul viewed it as a victory. He was completely confident in his eternal future, so any suffering he might endure in this life was “nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18 NLT).

Paul didn’t have a death wish, but he wasn’t afraid of the prospect of dying either. He told the Philippian church that he constantly vacillated between wanting to continue his earthly ministry and longing to be with Christ.

My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die. For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body.– Philippians 1:20-24 NLT

In Paul’s mind, either option was a win, because whichever happened, he would be within God’s sovereign will and enjoy unbroken fellowship with his Savior.

Paul concludes his letter by asking Timothy to convey his love to his old friends, Priscila and Aquila. It seems clear that Paul was reminiscing about his life and ministry, recalling names from the past as he faced an uncertain future. He longed to see Timothy and the many friends and associates whom he might never see again. But he was not melancholy or morose, and did not exhibit the characteristics of someone suffering from depression. He was at peace and ready to face the future with confidence, calmly assuring Timothy, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18 NLT).

Father, I am always blown away by Paul’s eternal perspective that allowed him to face the uncertanties of life with joy, peace, and contentment. I have not had to face a fraction of the trials Paul was forced to endure, but I still find myself complaining, worrying, and doubting Your love, power, and provision. Contentment doesn’t come easy for me, and it certainly doesn’t show up when trouble knocks on my door. When trials appear, I don’t tend to view them as opportunities to see You work; I demand that You take them away. I don’t like suffering and I have a difficult time accepting that all things come through Your hands. But the Scriptures are filled with examples of Your goodness and power showing up in those moments when Your children are weak and in greatest need. I have even seen that to be true in my own life. Yet, I still find myself questioning Your presence and power when things don’t go as I expected. I want to share Paul’s more positive outlook, but it doesn’t come easy. I don’t want it to be some kind of fake, positive-thinking ploy that impresses others but doesn’t fool You. I want it to be based on my knowledge and understanding of who You are that produces an unwavering confidence in Your power, presence, and provision — no matter what happens. I want to live with the same eternal perspective that Paul had and be willing to say, “the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18 NLT). And with Your help, I know I can and will. Thank You. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Head and Heart Go Hand-in-Hand

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9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. – 2 Timothy 4:9-15 ESV

When reading Paul’s letters, it can be easy to assume he was a spiritual loner who, because of his work, traveled from place to place and never put down roots. He can come across as a spiritual soldier of fortune, moving from one city to the next and staying only as long as it took to make enough converts to start a local church. Once his work was done, Paul would pack his parchments and scant belongings and head to yet another town, where he would start the whole process over again.

This image of Paul as a type-A personality with an over-zealous constitution and a somewhat legalistic, doctrinally-driven mindset is inaccurate and unfair. Even a cursory reading of his many letters reveals a man with a deep love and concern for others. Yes, he was driven. He was a man on a mission who would not allow himself to be distracted by the cares of this world. But that does not mean he was callous, cold, or uncaring. As a leader, Paul had an unwavering commitment to preach the gospel with boldness, despite the opposition of some and the stubborn obstinacy of others. Yet, he had a pastor’s heart for every person who came to faith in Christ through his ministry.

You can sense Paul’s love and concern in the way he addressed those under his care.

Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you. – Galatians 4:19-20 NLT

I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. – 1 Corinthians 4:14-15 NLT

…we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. – 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NLT

Like any loving parent, Paul could be demanding and doting. He was also willing to admonish and encourage, and was deeply concerned for the well-being of all those who came to faith in Christ under his ministry. He did not view them as notches on his belt or numbers on a spreadsheet. They were his spiritual children, and he cared for them as much as he cared for Timothy.

As Paul draws his letter to Timothy to a close, he mentions seven individuals with whom he had deep relationships: Demas, Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychicus, and Alexander. Some of these names are more familiar than others, appearing elsewhere in the New Testament. But a few remain a mystery, with their exact identities and roles in Paul’s life unknown. Yet this list of names reveals the diverse nature of Paul’s relational pool. The sheer scope of his ministry necessitated interaction with a wide range of individuals, some of whom he developed deep and lasting relationships. Some remained relatively unknown to Paul, but their anonymity did not diminish his care for them.

Seemingly convinced that his conviction and death at the hands of the Romans were drawing near, Paul appealed to Timothy to come to visit him in Rome. One can almost feel Paul’s sense of loneliness as he pleads with his young friend to make the arduous trip from Ephesus to Rome. Paul has just urged Timothy to be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill his ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). Yet now he wants Timothy to drop everything and come to Rome so he can see him one last time. 

Paul’s explanation for this impromptu visit was that Demas had deserted him. Apparently, Demas was a ministry associate of Paul’s who had been working alongside him during his imprisonment in Rome. But Paul accuses Demas of jumping ship, having fallen “in love with this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10 ESV). As a minister of the gospel, Paul had the extreme joy of leading many people to Christ and training others for ministry. But he also had the unenviable task of watching some stray from the path of faith. Earlier in this letter, he mentioned Hymenaeus and Philetus, who had “swerved from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:18 ESV). In his first letter to Timothy, Paul called out Hymenaeus and Alexander, accusing them of having “suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith” (1 Timothy 1:19 ESV).

Paul knew what it felt like to be betrayed and abandoned by those he had led to Christ and loved like a father. He had felt the pain of watching leaders wander from the truth into false doctrine, and he had witnessed countless individuals walk away from the faith because the path was harder than they expected. Now, he was forced to watch Demas abandon his calling because his love for Christ had been replaced by a love for the things of this world. Demas’ life showed what Paul had warned Timothy about: he had become a lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God (2 Timothy 3:4). Demas failed to fulfill his ministry, and this must have caused Paul much pain and disappointment.

But not all of Paul’s ministry companions had walked away from the faith or deserted his side. Some, like Crescens and Titus, left Paul in Rome so they could carry the gospel to places like Galatia and Dalmatia. Paul was encouraged as he watched them do the work of ministry he could no longer perform. But it must have been difficult for him to send these men into the world, knowing they would face difficulties and trials, just as he had.

The departures of Crescens and Titus had left Paul with one remaining companion, the physician, Luke. Even while imprisoned in Rome, Paul seems to have enjoyed regular visits from many of his friends and ministry associates. But as the reality of his pending death grew clearer, Paul wanted to reconnect with those he had not seen in some time. This included John Mark, another former disciple and companion. Acts 13 reveals that on one of their missionary journeys, John Mark had left Paul and Barnabas and had returned to Jerusalem. No explanation is given for his departure, but Paul instructs Timothy to pick up John Mark and bring him to Rome. Paul seems to assure Timothy that all will go well in Ephesus in his absence because he had sent Tychicus to serve in his place.

Paul also instructed Timothy to bring some specific items that he needed, including a cloak Paul had evidently loaned to someone named Carpus. He also asked for books and parchments he had lent Timothy to help with his studies. These could have included scrolls from Paul’s personal library containing copies of the Old Testament scriptures. Even in old age and facing imminent death, Paul was still reading, learning, and studying. And as his letter to Timothy illustrates, even in prison, Paul was still teaching, training, encouraging, and pouring his life into others.

Finally, Paul warns Timothy to avoid Alexander the coppersmith. Paul accuses Alexander of having done him “great harm” by opposing his message. No further explanation is given, but it seems clear that Timothy knew Alexander, and Paul wanted him to avoid this man like the plague. Once again, this warning fits in with Paul’s earlier admonition to Timothy regarding godless people.

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! – 2 Timothy 3:5 NLT

The gospel ministry will include all kinds of people. Some will be true converts, while others will appear to have saving faith but eventually walk away when the going gets tough. Self-proclaimed teachers will replace the truth of God with pleasant-sounding platitudes that tickle people’s ears and attract fair-weather followers. For every Demas and Alexander, there would be a Crescens or Titus. But Paul was convinced that preaching the good news would attract bad apples. The gospel message would attract people who saw an opportunity to profit by replacing the truth with ear-tickling claims that promoted wickedness rather than godliness.

Even as he prepares to conclude his letter to Timothy, he warns his young friend to stay alert and remain faithful to his calling. Because “in the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2 Timothy 3:1 ESV).

Father, Paul was religious and relational. He was a lover of the truth and a lover of people. He cared deeply about the the honor of Your name but he also cared for the spiritual well-being of others. His dedication to spreading the gospel message was unwavering, but so was his determination to encourage and challenge all those who placed their faith in Christ. He was a man who took his calling seriously but who never let his zeal for carrying out his mission diminish his care and concern for people. He was diligent, determined, and dedicated, but he never became distant or too busy to pour into the lives of others. I am encouraged by his ability to balance a love for the truth with a love for people. Yes, he could be blunt and unapologetically harsh at times, but only because he cared deeply about the truth of the gospel and the spiritual health of Your people. I am always amazed at the sheer volume of personal letters he wrote. These documents feature a well-balanced blend of doctrine and fatherly love. They were meant to educate, encourage, rebuke, warn, and challenge. Never allow my pursuit of the truth to become academic or cerebral. As Paul himself wrote, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1 BSB). Becoming a Bible scholar is not the goal. Attempting to impress others with our doctrinal wisdom is not our calling. Again, Paul confessed, “if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge…but didn’t love others, I would be nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NLT). Paul was well-balanced, displaying an equal commitment to head and heart. That is how I want to live my life. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Run To Win

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6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:6-8 ESV

It is important to maintain the close connection that links verses 5 and 6. Paul calls Timothy to “always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry,” and then adds a strong motivational clause: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” This was the important “why” behind Paul’s impassioned plea. Essentially, Paul was telling Timothy to take the baton from his hand and finish the last leg of the race. Paul was done. He wasn’t quitting or throwing in the towel, but he knew that his days were numbered. Confined to prison in Rome and awaiting trial before the emperor, Nero, Paul somehow sensed that his ministry was quickly coming to a close. He greatly desired that Timothy stand in the gap his departure would create.

Paul describes his life as a drink offering poured out as a sacrifice to God. This imagery would have resonated with Timothy and reminded him of the drink offerings used in the Jewish sacrificial system. God had ordained their use in His original instructions to Moses, given during Israel’s journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan.

“Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.” – Exodus 29:38-41 ESV

There were a variety of different drink offerings, but they all shared the same fate. Prior to sacrifice, each lamb or bull was to be ceremonially slaughtered, with the blood being drained from its body. Once the animal was burned on the altar, the appropriate drink offering was to be poured out on the altar, “as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Numbers 15:10 ESV). In a sense, the flour, oil, and wine mixture became a symbol of the blood poured out on behalf of the one offering the sacrifice. God told Moses elsewhere, “For the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible” (Leviticus 17:11 NLT).

Jesus picked up on this imagery on the night He shared a final Passover meal with His disciples in the upper room. He poured wine into a cup, then stated: “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20 ESV). He was preparing to spill His blood so that they might have their sins atoned for.

This imagery would not have escaped Timothy’s notice as he read Paul’s words. His dear friend and spiritual father was telling him that he too was being poured out like a drink offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And to add a further sense of immediacy, Paul uses the Greek word, analysis to describe his pending death.

…the time of my departure has come… – 2 Timothy 4:6 ESV

This word conjures the image of a ship preparing to depart on a journey, with its ropes loosened from their moorings. Paul saw his death as inevitable and unavoidable, but he did not fear or dread its coming. In fact, he shared with the believers in Corinth his deep longing to be at home with the Lord.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. – 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 NLT

Paul could face death with confidence because he knew what lay ahead, and he was at peace with his efforts for the kingdom. He had done his job well. He had served faithfully.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7 ESV

Paul wasn’t bragging or boasting; he was simply expressing his confident assertion that his life had pleased God. And while he knew that his death would result in his appearance before Christ, he had no reason to be fearful when facing his Savior once again.

…we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. – 2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT

Paul knew his death would come long before Christ’s Second Coming, but he was confident he would not miss a single moment of that great day. He would receive the final reward, the crown of righteousness, that awaits all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

…now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. – 2 Timothy 4:8 NLT

Paul knew all his effort for Christ in this life would be rewarded in the life to come. He believed, as did the apostle John, that his ultimate reward would be a life of sinless righteousness, like Christ’s.

Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. – 1 John 3:2 BSB

That future hope is what kept Paul going in the present reality of his imprisonment and pending death. He could face anything because he knew his salvation and ultimate glorification rested on God’s unfailing love.

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. – Romans 8:38 NLT

With that hope in mind, Paul continued to run his race well. He kept his eyes on the objective and knew the finish line was in sight.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:14 NLT

He wanted Timothy to run his race with the same intensity and intentionality. He knew there would be days when Timothy wanted to give up. His young friend and fellow minister of the gospel would face potential setbacks and difficulties. His strength would ebb, and his motivation would dissipate. But Paul knew from personal experience that the best way to survive the rigors of the race was to keep your eye on the prize.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 BSB

Paul was passing the torch to Timothy. He wanted his young friend to know the race was well worth running. There would be an end to the pain and suffering. The weariness and feelings of sheer exhaustion would one day cease. In the meantime, Timothy had to keep fighting the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. And as the author of Hebrews points out, Timothy was not the first and would not be the last to run the race of faith.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. – Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT

Others have run the race of life before us. They completed the course that God laid out for them and are now enjoying their promised reward. Their efforts were not in vain, and neither will ours be. So, we run with determination and an unwavering confidence that the final prize will be well worth the effort. As Paul told the believers in Corinth, “our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT).

Father, just his morning, I received news of the death of another one of Your saints. He was a godly man and a leader in our faith community. But You have called him home. He finished his race. He crossed the finish line. And now, he is enjoying unbroken fellowship with You and Your Son. While I will miss him, I know I will see him again. I also know that he is cheering us on from the sidelines, encouraging us to keep fighting the good fight, finish the race, and remain faithful. None of us knows when our race will end, but we keep running because we value the prize You have promised. The race is not the point, the reward is. We are not hamsters on a wheel, running in circles but going nowhere. Our lives are not meaningless and headed into a void of non-existence. No, we are Your sons and daughters, and heirs of Your Kingdom. We know where we’re going and we run with eagerness to reach our destination. It isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it because, when our race is over, the prize will be priceless. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Season For Sound Teaching

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1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV

Preach the word. This three-word summary says it all. Paul greatly desired to hear that his young protégé was faithfully fulfilling his God-ordained commission as a minister of the gospel. Paul had poured his life into Timothy, mentoring and instructing him, and providing his own life as a model of dedication and perseverance. Paul let nothing deter him from his divine calling, and he longed for Timothy to follow his example. For Paul, this mattered because he knew his life and ministry were drawing to a close. He was writing from prison in Rome, facing trumped-up, yet serious charges that could result in his death. In the very next verse, Paul states, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come” (2 Timothy 4:6 ESV).

The gospel must continue to be preached, and Paul was convinced of Timothy’s role in that divine endeavor. His words are meant to give Timothy a gentle yet sobering boost of moral courage and spiritual conviction, and he adds weight by using the Father and His Son as witnesses. Paul may have chosen to make Timothy his disciple, but he wanted Timothy to understand that God’s sovereign will called him.

In the opening lines of his letter, Paul recalled Timothy’s ordination when he had placed his hands on his young acolyte, using his apostolic authority to commission him for ministry. But God poured out His Spirit on Timothy, divinely gifting him for service.

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands… – 2 Timothy 1:6 ESV

Paul wanted Timothy to know that God and Christ Jesus were both witnesses to his ministry. They had a vested interest in his work because it involved proclaiming God’s gracious gift of salvation, made possible through the sacrificial death of His Son. The very same Jesus whom Timothy preached as having been resurrected from the dead will one day return and “judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1 ESV). Timothy needed to remind himself that Jesus would return a second time and establish His Kingdom on earth. And when He does, all the ungodly who appear to be prospering and profiting from their immoral behavior in this life will face judgment at His hands.

With that thought in mind, Timothy was to “Preach the word of God” (2 Timothy 4:1 NLT).  The Greek word Paul used is kēryssō, which means “to herald” or “proclaim.” Knowing that Jesus will one day judge and condemn all those who remain unbelieving, Timothy was obligated to declare the good news of salvation through faith in Christ. He was to preach the gospel boldly and powerfully, motivated by his awareness of its life-and-death implications.

“…to officiate as herald; to proclaim after the manner of a herald; always with a suggestion of formality, gravity, and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed.” – “κήρυξον”, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament

But for Timothy to be effective, he had to “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV). He could not afford to be a fair-weather preacher or wait until things were more convenient or the atmosphere was more conducive to his message. Regardless of the circumstances he faced, Timothy had to be prepared to preach the word unapologetically, faithfully, and with equal doses of encouragement and correction. Timothy was to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV).

The danger in preaching the “good news” is that it can leave people believing that the Christian life is a trouble-free existence, a kind of heaven on earth. But nothing could be further from the truth. Salvation does not guarantee a lack of trials or suffering in this life; it offers a way to avoid eternal suffering in the life to come. When Jesus promised His disciples life more abundantly (John 10:10), He wasn’t offering them a life filled with ceaseless pleasure, abundant possessions, and perfect health. In fact, He warned them to expect the opposite.

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time.” – Matthew 10:16-19 NLT

He went on to tell them, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39 NLT).

The abundant life is one in which the believer lives with their eyes focused on eternity. When they do, the trials and troubles of this life pale in comparison with the joys to come. That’s exactly what Paul meant when he wrote, “what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18 NLT).

So, Timothy was to preach a well-rounded gospel message, clearly communicating the future glories to come, while also warning of the dangers inherent in this present life. Jesus Himself warned, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 NLT). The decision to follow Christ is costly, requiring the disciple to reprioritize everything else in their life so nothing competes with or distracts from their calling.

But Paul warns Timothy that not everyone will embrace the Christian life with the zeal and unbridled enthusiasm required. They’ll confuse the “good news” with the “good life” and demand that their preachers support their wrong assumptions with false messages that replace the truth with pleasant-sounding lies.

…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. – 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT

But while there will always be people-pleasing preachers willing to offer pious-sounding platitudes in place of truth, Timothy was to remain fully committed to God’s Word.

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:5 NLT

Truth-telling and ear-tickling are antithetical; you can’t please God and people at the same time. A ministry motivated by a desire for popularity and focused on earthly rewards may garner a following and appear successful, but it will lack God’s presence and power. Timothy’s reward would not come in this life. The true measure of his success would be revealed when he stood before the Lord and heard Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23 ESV).

Father, You have called us to preach the gospel “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV). There are no off-season for the gospel ministry and no time-outs for those whom You have commissioned as Your ambassadors. Ministry is a full-time job that requires diligence, determination, and a desire to please You rather than men. But we live in an age where popularity and men-pleasing is not only fashionable but preferable for many ministers. In an effort to draw crowds and increase their following, “they teach man-made ideas as commands from God” (Matthew 15:9 NLT). And Your Son called their worship of You “a farce.” Sermons designed to tickle men’s ears will never bring You glory or bring about changed lives. That is why Paul was so adamant that Timothy stay faithful to his calling. The pressure to compromise is real. The temptation to pursue popularity and “likes” has never been stronger. But You never intended the gospel ministry to be about building a fan base of satisfied customers. Timothy was to “ reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV). Telling people what they want to hear may keep them coming back for more, but it will never produce faith-filled followers of Christ who are willing endure the momentary light afflictions for the “glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Help me stay committed to the calling You have placed on my life. Keep me focused on eternity so I am not tempted to seek heaven on earth or trade eternal promises for temporary pleasures. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Sanctification, Suffering, and Scripture

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10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.– 2 Timothy 3:10-17 ESV

Timothy found himself surrounded by false teachers and foolish people whose lack of spiritual discernment led them to accept their heresy as truth. But Paul would not let his young disciple lose hope or abandon his ministry objectives. Timothy still had work to do. The gospel must be preached, new believers must be educated in the teachings of Christ, the truth of God’s Word must be defended, and the promises of God must be believed – at all costs.

If Timothy needed encouragement or an example to follow, he only had to look to the life of Paul, his mentor and friend. After all, Paul wrote this letter while confined to prison in Rome, and he was there solely because of his faith in Christ and his commitment to preaching the gospel. Those who opposed his message falsely accused him and despised him so much that they would do anything to see him eliminated. A group of 40 Jews had even made a pact, sealed by an oath, that they would not eat until they had personally assassinated Paul.

The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy. They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, “We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way.” – Acts 23:12-15 NLT

So, just in case his memory had lapsed, Paul provided Timothy with a sobering reminder that his own ministry experience had been anything but easy. From the moment he received his commission from Christ, Paul faced opposition, persecution, and suffering. But he had done so with patience, faith, love, and steadfastness. This was not a display of arrogant pride or boasting on Paul’s part; he was simply reminding Timothy of what he had already witnessed with his own eyes. Paul recounts three occasions when he suffered persecution for doing what he had been called to do. The first took place in Antioch of Pisidia. There, Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in the synagogues and saw many people come to faith.

Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. – Acts 13:43 NLT

But they also met with increasing opposition on the part of the Jews.

But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. – Acts 13:45 NLT

And it wasn’t long before their jealousy and slander turned to acts of physical violence.

Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. – Acts 13:50 NLT

Railroaded out of Antioch by the Jews, Paul and Barnabas made their way to Iconium. But as Luke records in Acts, their relocation did little to improve their popularity.

The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. And there they preached the Good News. – Acts 14:1-7 NLT

But things took a rather odd and nearly deadly turn in Lystra. Their miraculous healing of a crippled man caused the inhabitants of Lystra to mistake them for gods in human form. They even tried to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, mistaking them for the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes. But Paul took the opportunity to declare the good news, calling their audience to “turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God” (Acts 14:15 NLT).

But the crowds remained undeterred by Paul’s words, still convinced that they were gods. Then, a contingent of Jews from Antioch and Iconium showed up, whose accusations against Paul and Barnabas transformed the adoring crowd from worshipers to executioners.

Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. – Acts 14:19-20 NLT

Paul reminds Timothy, “You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it” (2 Timothy 3:11 NLT). Paul miraculously walked away from his own stoning and made his way to Derbe, where he continued to faithfully proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Then, according to Luke, Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps, returning to the very cities where they had faced opposition and Paul had been stoned and left for dead.

After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. – Acts 14:21-22 NLT

The inhabitants of these three cities must have been shocked when Paul and Barnabas showed back up. But no one would have been more surprised than those who had placed their faith in Christ as a result of the teaching of these two men. They must have assumed they would never see Paul and Barnabas again. But not only did they return, but they also provided a living lesson in what it means to suffer for Christ. It is likely that Paul still displayed the cuts and bruises from his stoning in Lystra.

And Paul reminds Timothy of the message he delivered to the faithful in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch: “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT).

The reality of the Christian life is that the godly will suffer while the ungodly will appear to prosper. False teachers will continue to deceive and mislead the innocent and immature. The wicked will appear to get away with their ungodly behavior, even flourishing, while those who follow Christ find themselves facing trials and difficulties of all kinds.

But Paul encourages Timothy to remain faithful at all costs, reminding him to consider the history of his own conversion and calling. Timothy was raised by a godly mother and grandmother who saturated his life with the Scriptures. That immersion in the Old Testament prepared Timothy to understand the truth about Jesus and His claim to be the Messiah of Israel.

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. – 2 Timothy 3:15 NLT

Timothy knew Jesus fulfilled all the Messianic passages in the Hebrew Scriptures. He was the Son of David and the long-awaited Messiah, and He was Timothy’s Savior. Just as Scripture prophesied Jesus’ first coming, it also revealed that Jesus would come again one day. That’s why Paul reminds Timothy to keep trusting God’s written Word because it reveals the truth concerning His Living Word.

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. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. – Acts 3:16-17 NLT

Things wouldn’t be easy. Living the Christian life would not be a walk in the park. But Paul wanted Timothy to know that he could endure whatever came his way because he could trust in the Word of God. It had the power to instruct, discipline, encourage, and equip God’s people. It was divinely inspired and, therefore, spiritually empowered to help every believer not only survive but thrive. Sanctification, suffering, and Scripture are three non-negotiables in the life of the believer. Salvation will result in our transformation into the likeness of Christ. That process will involve suffering and persecution; it comes with the territory. But Scripture, which reveals God’s redemptive plan made possible through faith in Christ, also provides everything we need to live godly lives as we await His Son’s return.

Father, this message is a difficult one for us to hear. We don’t want to think about suffering. In fact, we avoid it at all costs. Instead, we pursue ease and comfort, hoping to create our own little heaven on earth where pain, persecution, and problems have no place. But Your Son said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33 NLT). He reminded His disciples, “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19 ESV). So, Paul is right when he warns Timothy that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12 ESV). It is an inescapable fact that following Christ will bring down the wrath of the enemy. Satan hates us, and the more we serve God and reflect the character of Christ, the more intense his attacks will become. Our sanctification infuriates him because it proves the truth of the gospel. As we become more like Christ, we reflect the power of the Holy Spirit, the reliability of God’s promises, and the hope of eternal life. Yet, the temptation is to view suffering and persecution as unwanted, undesirable anomalies that have no place in the life of a believer. The enemy wants us to reject them as unacceptable and to see them as unwelcome “gifts” from an unloving God. But Paul describes our persecution, pain, and suffering as small and short-lived, and reminds us, “Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Yes, the pain is real, the suffering hurts, and the persecution is difficult to accept, but as Paul promises, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment” (Romans 5:3-5 NLT). Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

There’s Always Room For Growth

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6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.  – 2 Timothy 3:6-9 ESV

After assuring Timothy that the spiritual condition of the world was going to get worse before it got better and providing him with a detailed description of the moral state of its inhabitants, Paul warned him, “Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 2:5 NLT). They may appear to be religious and even claim to be followers of Christ and faithful members of the local church, but their behavior will reveal that they love pleasure more than God. They will be worldly, controlled by their sin natures, and driven by their passions, rather than living under the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

In his letter to the believers in Galatia, Paul provided yet another list of characteristics that would mark such people.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

While Paul’s words apply to any church in any age, he had someone specific in mind when writing to Timothy. A group of false teachers exhibiting the characteristics in verses 2-5 was negatively influencing the church in Ephesus. These self-loving, pleasure-seeking, ego-driven individuals were preying on the weak and vulnerable in the church.

They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. – 2 Timothy 3:6 NLT

What Paul describes is a predatory mindset that seeks out the spiritually and emotionally immature. These pious-sounding individuals were actually self-proclaimed purveyors of doctrinal error who purposefully targeted the weaker brothers and sisters in the congregation. Paul emphasizes their particular emphasis on “weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions” (2 Timothy 3:6 ESV).

It is important to remember that the early church was made up of converts from all walks of life, including men, women, slaves, freemen, Gentiles, and Jews. The church was a melting pot of the rich and the poor, and the educated and the illiterate. Some people had come to faith in Christ while their spouses remained unsaved. Paul makes that point clear in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. – 1 Corinthians 7:13-14 NLT

Just a few verses earlier in the same letter, Paul commanded anyone who had become a believer to remain married to their unbelieving spouse.

But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband…And the husband must not leave his wife. – 1 Corinthians 7:11, 12 NLT

If a believing woman had lost her husband, she was particularly vulnerable, lacking a spiritual partner in her quest for godliness. She could not expect her husband to provide any spiritual leadership or support. Because of the prevailing cultural constraints of the day, many women were uneducated and ill-equipped to see through the doctrinal error promoted by these false teachers.

Paul uses an interesting Greek word to describe these women: gynaikarion. It appears nowhere else in the New Testament and is a non-flattering term that means “little women.” Various Bible translations use different English words to convey the term’s original meaning: vulnerable, weak, gullible, silly, foolish, and idle.

But Paul seems to have viewed these women as spiritually immature and still “burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires” (2 Timothy 3:6 NLT). These false teachers were taking advantage of the situation, targeting the less spiritually informed in the congregation to sway opinion and recruit converts to their way of thinking.

Paul essentially described these women as “little” or childish in their faith. They were immature and lacked the wisdom to see through the false teachers’ deception. In Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, he warned them about unknowingly doing damage to their weaker brothers and sisters. In their case, the issue involved eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. The more mature believers understood that the meat, available for purchase at the local market, was of high quality and completely harmless. But the less mature believers, most of whom had been idol worshipers before coming to faith in Christ, viewed the meat as tainted and unholy. So, when they saw their fellow believers eating or serving this meat at their meals, they were appalled and confused. This led Paul to write: “take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9 NLT).

The weaker or less mature believer is more susceptible to false teaching because they lack biblical knowledge to discern the difference between falsehood and truth. Their understanding of basic Bible doctrine is rudimentary and easily manipulated. Paul describes these women as being spiritually hungry but lacking in discernment.

Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7 NLT).

What Paul describes is a timeless problem that is not relegated to the first century. A new believer’s hunger for spiritual truth is a good thing, but can become dangerous when there is no one to provide wisdom and discernment. A young child will satisfy their physical hunger with whatever appeals to them, with no regard for its nutritional value. In the same way, immature Christians can feed their spiritual appetite with sermons, books, podcasts, and teachings that do more harm than good. They can fill up on spiritual “junk food” that appeals to their senses but leaves them in a weakened state because it is devoid of truth.

And Paul accuses the false teachers of feeding these spiritually childlike women a steady diet of lies and half-truths that left them spiritually malnourished and starving. Paul compares the false teachers to the Egyptian magicians who tried to counter Moses’ miraculous plagues with their own brand of supernatural conjuring. Paul names two individuals not mentioned in the Old Testament but preserved through Jewish oral tradition. Jannes means “the rebel,” while Jambres means “the opponent.” Like the court magicians who opposed Moses’ efforts, the false teachers were spinning their own version of the truth. But Paul pulls no punches in exposing them because they were “corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8 ESV).

The Egyptian magicians could only produce counterfeit miracles that simulated the work of God. And the false teachers could only offer up spiritual-sounding platitudes that lacked substance and led to spiritual starvation. Eventually, their deception will be exposed, and their erroneous teaching will lose its grip on the weak and vulnerable.

… they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres. – 2 Timothy 3:9 NLT

A steady diet of junk food may sound appealing, but will eventually lead to poor health. And the immature believer who fills their spiritual tank with the latest faith-fad and quick-fix religious trend will find themselves suffering from malnutrition and in need of something of substance. The weak and immature are to grow up, and the spiritual infant is expected to make steady progress toward maturity. Spiritual growth is a normal part of the Christian life, as Paul and the author of Hebrews make clear.

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. – Hebrews 5:12-14 NLT

The best antidote to spiritual immaturity is the truth of God’s Word. Each Christ-follower is to feed on the truth and allow it to transform them from an infant in Christ to a fully mature believer “who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT). Like an infant that craves its mother’s milk, believers should long for the life-transformative nourishment of the Word of God.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. – 1 Peter 2:2 BSB

Father, we each began our faith journey as spiritual infants, totally dependent upon the wisdom and care of others to ensure our safety and growth. But there came a time when we had to learn to self-feed and stand on our own. This transition from total dependence on others to spiritual adulthood and independence is natural and normal. But it can’t happen without a steady diet of Your  Word, which “is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:15 BSB). The truth of Your Word serves as spiritual nourishment that strengthens our faith, increases our resistance to falsehood, and transforms us into fully devoted followers of Christ, “mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 NLT). When we make spiritual maturity our highest priority, “then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth” (Ephesians 4:14 NLT). That is the goal, and it is achievable because You make it possible. Never let me become complacent about my spiritual growth or satisfied with where I am in my faith journey. Give me an unsatiable appetite for Your Word so that I can continue to grow more like Christ the older I get. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Dismal Days Ahead

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1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV

If Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to encourage Timothy, this section seems to veer wildly off course. In it, Paul shares a bleak, pessimistic view of the conditions Timothy can expect in the days ahead. Essentially, he warns his young friend that things will get worse before they get better. In his efforts to spread the gospel and instruct the saints, Timothy should not expect the world to be transformed into heaven on earth.

By “last days,” Paul refers to the period that began with the birth of the church at Pentecost and will continue until the Lord returns for His bride at the Rapture. In his first letter, Paul had already warned Timothy to expect an increase in apostasy and demonic activity.

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. – 1 Timothy 4:1-2 NLT

And  Paul was not alone in his gloomy assessment of the final days. The apostle Peter also shared a rather dismal outlook of the future.

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?” – 2 Peter 3:3-4 NLT

And Jude echoed the apostles’ words, warning his readers that the last days will be marked by an increase in “scoffers,” those who stand opposed to Christ, His followers, the things of God, and the truth of the gospel.

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. – Jude 17-19 NLT

If Timothy was successful in helping believers live lives set apart from the world, they would act as bright lights in the darkness, exposing the sinfulness of those around them and accentuating the glaring difference between holiness and wickedness. Paul talked about the exposing nature of the Christian faith in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. – Ephesians 5:11-14 NLT

Timothy could expect difficult days ahead because he would carry out his ministry in an increasingly wicked context. He would find himself sharing the good news of the gospel in a world filled with evil people with bad motives. Paul shares a blunt, far-from-flattering description of what Timothy can expect to encounter in these last days.

…people will love only themselves and their money – Vs. 2

People will be plagued by selfishness and self-centeredness. They will be narcissistic and self-consumed, refusing to love others, and will spend all their time and energy on loving themselves. They will use money to gratify their own desires, chasing the almighty dollar to satisfy their insatiable appetite for pleasure, possessions, power, and prominence.

They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God… – Vs. 2

Their growing affluence will make them self-sufficient and arrogant, as they glory in their own greatness. Their self-made success will cause them to dismiss the very idea of a sovereign God of the universe. They will see themselves as the masters of their own fates and the captains of their souls. Mankind will inculcate the values expressed by Napoleon Hill in his classic work, Think and Grow Rich.

“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct, and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.” – Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich (1937)

King David described the very nature of these kinds of people.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.

All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. – Psalm 14:1-3 BSB

In the last days, money will become a substitute for God, serving as the primary source of comfort, provision, and purpose in life.

Paul goes on to describe the world’s inhabitants as “disobedient to their parents” (2 Timothy 3:2 NLT). Each of these descriptions stands in stark contrast to the Ten Commandments. Rather than honoring their fathers and mothers, people will treat them with disdain by disregarding their God-given authority.

Ingratitude will become commonplace and will be primarily directed at God. A spirit of dissatisfaction fueled by unmet expectations will run rampant. People will never be happy with what they have and will refuse to thank God for all that He has done. Paul expressed this problem in his letter to the church in Rome.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. – Romans 1:21 NLT

And Paul warns Timothy that it will get worse.

They will consider nothing sacred… – Vs 2

Paul used one Greek word to describe these individuals: anosios, meaning “unholy” or “wicked.” Their lives will be marked by a complete disregard for all that God has deemed holy. While Christ-followers are called to live set-apart lives, the rest of humanity will share the common distinction of being unholy because they will not belong to God. In fact, they will stand in rebellion against Him, and their antipathy toward God will manifest itself in a range of godless behaviors that expose the destructive nature of their chosen lifestyle.

…unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. – 2 Timothy 3:3-4 NET

The last days will be marked by love of self and hatred of others. This narcissistic, self-consumed lifestyle will have corporate consequences; no one will care for anyone other than themselves. The world will become an increasingly selfish place where everyone looks out for their own self-interest, at the expense of all others. It will be every man for himself. Disunity, discord, dissension, and division will be the order of the day. Everyone will care only for themselves, a trait Paul describes as self-love that is motivated by self-pleasure.

“If it feels good, do it” will be the mantra of the day, and the love of pleasure will replace a love for God. The quest to fulfill sinful desires will overwhelm any sense of living in obedience to God’s will. But Paul warns Timothy that this will not be an irreligious time; people will pursue all kinds of spirituality in the form of man-made religions. But they will all prove unprofitable because they will lack any transforming power. Paul states that people “will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly” (2 Timothy 3:6 NLT).

Pursuing godliness apart from God is impossible. The desire for contentment, significance, and meaning in life can never be fulfilled apart from a relationship with Him. Man’s tireless quest for pleasure at all costs will fall short because true joy is unattainable without God. A restored relationship with God is impossible apart from belief in the saving work of Jesus Christ. So, as Timothy continued to do his work of preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, he was to avoid all those who displayed a persistent and stubborn rejection of the truth. The self-righteous and falsely religious were not interested in what Timothy offered. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, they viewed themselves as spiritually whole and in no need of a Savior. They proudly saw themselves as healthy individuals who did not require the services of the Great Physician.

But there would always be those who understood their need for healing. Timothy would find some who recognized their sickness and were unashamed to seek the Savior’s help. So, he was to keep on teaching, preaching, and proclaiming the good news of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone.

Father, the evidence that we are living in the last days is all around us. Social media is filled with proof of Paul’s assessment of humanity. Self-love, materialism, pride, arrogance, godlessness, heartlessness, slander, brutality, wickedness, and conceit are on full display. The culture is consumed with conspicuous consumption and the pursuit of pleasure — at any cost. People regularly sacrifice their convictions and abandon their morals while chasing success, significance, meaning, happiness, power, popularity, and their fleeting 15-minutes of fame. Yet, despite it all, You have called us to be salt and light. We are Your ambassadors, tasked with spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and calling those living in darkness to step into the light of Your grace and mercy. Don’t allow us to be overwhelmed by the circumstances or to give in to compromise or complacency. We need to remain firm in our faith, committed to carrying out Your will, and dependent upon the Holy Spirit’s power. Paul wasn’t trying to discourage Timothy; he was attempting to prepare him for the inevitable. The world is becoming increasingly wicked and godless., but the real danger we face is from within. The attitudes Paul described to Timothy were evident in the local church, not just the culture. These destructive characteristics can just as easily show up in the life of a believer as in a non-Christian. So, we must be vigilant, constantly assessing the spiritual health of the body of Christ and prepared to deal with sin in the camp. We are either to call them to repentance or avoid them like the plague. To treat godlessness among God’s people with kid gloves is unacceptable and, ultimately, dangerous. It weakens the body and damages God’s reputation. So, please continue to protect, preserve, and motivate us to love and good works — until Your Son returns. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Vessel of Honor

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20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. – 2 Timothy 2:20-26 ESV

Quarrelsome words. Irreverent babble. Gangrenous talk.

Paul pulled no punches when describing the erroneous teaching that was influencing and infecting the church in Ephesus. To Paul, it was like a deadly disease slowly spreading through the congregation, causing some to doubt their true spiritual condition. The doctrinal errors propagated by individuals like Hymenaeus and Philetus ran contrary to the message Paul had preached about the truth of the gospel.

Paul informed Timothy that he had the unenviable, but necessary responsibility of addressing this problem by “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). He encouraged his young protegé to do his job with an eye toward seeking the approval of God, not men.

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. – 2 Timothy 2:15 NLT

Telling people what they want to hear might help Timothy win over some of the dissenters in the congregation, but it would not score him any points with God. As a minister of the gospel, Timothy was responsible to teach the truth, regardless of how his audience responded; he answered to God. And Paul reminded Timothy that “God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and ‘All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil’” (2 Timothy 2:19 NLT).

The congregation in Ephesus was confused. With men like Hymenaeus and Philetus teaching contrary doctrine and sowing seeds of doubt and dissent, it had become difficult to tell who was telling the truth. But Paul emphasized that God knew; the Shepherd knows His sheep, and those who belong to the flock of God were expected to “turn away from evil.” As in any congregation, the fellowship in Ephesus was comprised of both the faithful and the unfaithful.

There were those who adhered to the truth of God and sought to abstain from evil, and those who “swerved from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:18 ESV) and, in doing so, embraced wickedness. This led Paul to use yet another illustration to help Timothy understand what he faced in Ephesus.

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. – 2 Timothy 2:20 ESV

This simple analogy was intended to expose the diverse composition of any local congregation. In a church, as in a fine home, it is only natural to find both honorable and dishonorable “vessels.” This is not a reference to the saved and the lost. Paul focuses on the word “honorable,” which in Greek refers to “value” or “esteem.”

Paul’s point is that God deems honorable those who rightly divide the word of truth; they meet His approval. But those who twist and distort the truth are viewed as dishonorable or unworthy. A wealthy homeowner would not use clay dishes to serve his dinner guests. To do so would dishonor himself and his guests. And God will not use those individuals who distort the truth of the gospel because to do so would bring dishonor to His name.

The primary issue here is that of holiness, or the state of being set apart. Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ have been set apart by God for His use. Having been saved by God through the sacrificial death of His Son, they now belong to Him.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

Those who belong to God are expected to honor Him. But when a believer embraces teaching that is contrary to God’s truth or commits sins that are unacceptable for God’s children, he renders himself unfit for service. Paul is not teaching that a believer can lose his salvation; He is simply stating that a Christian can fail to live a set-apart life by choosing to follow the desires of their sinful nature. When they do, they disqualify themselves from service to God. But Paul also says disqualification can result from believing or teaching false doctrine. He insists that this “irreverent babble…will lead people into more and more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:16 ESV).

The word “irreverent” is the Greek word bebēlos, which refers to something “common” or “unholy.” It contradicts being set apart by God for His honor and glory. In veering from the truth of God and encouraging others to follow suit, a believer renders themself unfit for His service. They become common rather than holy or, as Paul put it, they become a vessel for dishonor rather than honor. And to ensure Timothy doesn’t miss his point, Paul puts his warning in practical, everyday terms his young disciple can understand.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. – 2 Timothy 2:22 NLT

Paul challenges Timothy to live a set-apart life; to live in a way that reflected his status as a new creation in Christ. He was to seek the company of those who shared his desire to live a holy life.

But Paul wasn’t telling Timothy to form a “holy huddle,” an elite group of super-serious Christians who chose to sequester themselves away from the less honorable members of the congregation. Paul wanted Timothy to teach and train up a group of believers who would positively influence the rest of the church body through their words and actions. Rather than pick a fight with those who disagreed with them, they were to “Gently instruct those who oppose the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25 NLT). The goal was to provide loving instruction with an eye toward reconciliation.

Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. – 2 Timothy 2:25-26 NLT

In Paul’s mind, the “dishonorable” vessel was not doomed to remain that way; he could be renewed and restored. Every believer is responsible to compassionately care for those who stray from the truth.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. – Galatians 6:1 NLT

Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. – 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 NLT

Paul greatly desired that the church be marked by a spirit of unity and solidarity. But he knew that the sinful natures of those who made up the church could make that difficult. But he also knew that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit provided every believer with an ample source of power to overcome sin and resist the lies of the enemy. But Timothy, as a minister of the gospel, would need to set the example, modeling the life of an honorable vessel, “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 ESV).

Father, You saved us so that we would bring You honor, and You placed Your Spirit within us so we would have a constant source of guidance and power to make it possible. Thankfully, You didn’t leave the goal of our sanctification up to us or it would never happen. We can’t transform ourselves into the likeness of Your Son, but that doesn’t absolve us of the responsibility to cooperate with Your Spirit and to make godliness our primary goal. As a follower of Christ, I should want to honor You with my life because of all You have done for me. Seeking to faithfully follow Your will should motivate all that I do. But it requires that I know the truth and that I refuse to veer from it. Yet, the world is constantly selling a different version of the truth designed to produce compromise and complacency among Your children. The enemy constantly seeks to distort Your Word through the subtle dissemination of plausible lies and convincing half-truths. It all sounds good but it doesn’t produce honorable vessels. Those who buy into the lies end up shipwrecking their faith and rendering themselves unfit for service in Your Kingdom. Open my eyes to see the battle raging all around me and to recognize the enemy’s deceptive attempts to lure me away from the path of righteousness. I want to be “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 ESV). Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.