2 Timothy 1:3-7 says,...
Today's verses are 2 Timothy 1:3-7, which read,
v.3, 4 - I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.
As we read these words of Second Timothy we need to remember where Paul is. He is in a cold dark dungeon cell in Rome waiting for his execution. He is giving us his last words through this letter to his dear beloved spiritual son Timothy. He has been through great persecution and seen God do great things to keep him going unto the next town but this time is different. Notice that his language about God has not changed and he thanks God even though this situation looks grim. Notice also that he is not done serving in this cold dark dungeon cell for he is still praying night and day for Timothy.
Paul is facing what others have faced before him. He was at the stoning of Stephen the first martyr. He would have heard about the outcomes of James and the other disciples who gave their lives for the statement that Jesus is Lord and risen from the grave. His conscience is clear about what he believes even though it has put him in this situation.
Paul's emotions come out here as it will in other places in this letter. He remembers Timothy's tears from their last parting, probably in Ephesus after the writing of First Timothy. Paul also parted with the elders in Ephesus in tears in Acts 20. We are definitely not void of our emotions when it comes to seeing dear saints leave us for the true home land and promise land of believers, heaven.
v.5 - For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.
Paul will give Timothy three "for"s. The first "for" is about Timothy's tremendous upbringing from his grandmother and mother in the faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Timothy's grandmother and mother were saved and trained up Timothy to know of Jesus as the Messiah in their home. His grandmother and mother showed with their lives a sincere faith that doesn't hold it within but shares it with others. It is great that it was actual blood relatives that shared and brought up another blood relative in the love of the greatest blood of all time, the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
v.6 - For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which in in you through the laying on of my hands.
The second "for" deals with the fact that Timothy has had great Biblical training from his family in his home and he has also had confirmation from Paul of a call of God upon his life. Paul laid his hands upon Timothy as a sign of affirmation that God was working through Timothy to guide the young churches that Paul on his missionary journeys saw emerge with the preaching of the gospel. Timothy had a great home life spiritually and he also had a great spiritual mentor in Paul.
v.7 - For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
The third "for" deals with what Timothy might do when the great Paul is gone. The temptation would be to slack off or to be depressed to not go on. "I could never filled his shoes" might be the thought but Paul points Timothy back to God rather than himself. It is God who gives and He gives power, love, and discipline. The spirit of timidity about God does not come from God but from Satan. Timothy is to be reminded by Paul to look at his great spiritual upbringing in the home from those who love him most and to look at his great spiritual mentor ship with Paul who confirms his progress with the laying on of hands and then to look to God who will never leave him or forsake him and give him power, love, and discipline to journey on with the gospel.
It was a very fearful time to be a Christian. It could put you in a cold dark dungeon cell waiting for an execution. Paul doesn't tell Timothy to be timid but from that cold dark dungeon cell he calls Timothy to continue forth in the power of God and the love of God and the discipline of God. Paul doesn't tell Timothy to protect his physical self from harm but to make sure to protect his spiritual self from drifting from the God who has provided such tremendous upbringing and experiences.
It is graduation season and it is sad to say but many "Timothy"s who have been trained in the home by their "Lois and Eunice"s and the church by their "Paul"s will go off to college or the work force or the military and discard that upbringing. They will go off and follow the fear instilled by Satan to forget or to forego such training of Christ for the an easier way. The statistics bear this out year after year that graduates don't just walk unto the platform to get their diploma but at the same time they walk out of the church for a number of years.
Paul, from a cold dark dungeon cell, void of physical comforts, still tells Timothy to press on in the faith knowing that it could put him there too. He was still mentoring him from the cell that his spiritual life before God was more important and needed to be protected than his physical life before men. Graduates don't fall for Satan's strategy to be timid about God when you have been so guided in the ways of God from childhood and mentored by servants to serve no matter what. Let's pray.
"Lord, it has been sad to see graduates go from the church and leave You behind for a while. We all need to be reminded to think of our godly upbringing in who You are especially when times are tough. The call to abandon You is not coming from You. The call to be quiet about You is not coming from You. Thank You and may we thank those who have instructed and demonstrated You to us to stand with clear consciences of the God who gives power and love and discipline. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.3, 4 - I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.
As we read these words of Second Timothy we need to remember where Paul is. He is in a cold dark dungeon cell in Rome waiting for his execution. He is giving us his last words through this letter to his dear beloved spiritual son Timothy. He has been through great persecution and seen God do great things to keep him going unto the next town but this time is different. Notice that his language about God has not changed and he thanks God even though this situation looks grim. Notice also that he is not done serving in this cold dark dungeon cell for he is still praying night and day for Timothy.
Paul is facing what others have faced before him. He was at the stoning of Stephen the first martyr. He would have heard about the outcomes of James and the other disciples who gave their lives for the statement that Jesus is Lord and risen from the grave. His conscience is clear about what he believes even though it has put him in this situation.
Paul's emotions come out here as it will in other places in this letter. He remembers Timothy's tears from their last parting, probably in Ephesus after the writing of First Timothy. Paul also parted with the elders in Ephesus in tears in Acts 20. We are definitely not void of our emotions when it comes to seeing dear saints leave us for the true home land and promise land of believers, heaven.
v.5 - For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.
Paul will give Timothy three "for"s. The first "for" is about Timothy's tremendous upbringing from his grandmother and mother in the faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Timothy's grandmother and mother were saved and trained up Timothy to know of Jesus as the Messiah in their home. His grandmother and mother showed with their lives a sincere faith that doesn't hold it within but shares it with others. It is great that it was actual blood relatives that shared and brought up another blood relative in the love of the greatest blood of all time, the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
v.6 - For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which in in you through the laying on of my hands.
The second "for" deals with the fact that Timothy has had great Biblical training from his family in his home and he has also had confirmation from Paul of a call of God upon his life. Paul laid his hands upon Timothy as a sign of affirmation that God was working through Timothy to guide the young churches that Paul on his missionary journeys saw emerge with the preaching of the gospel. Timothy had a great home life spiritually and he also had a great spiritual mentor in Paul.
v.7 - For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
The third "for" deals with what Timothy might do when the great Paul is gone. The temptation would be to slack off or to be depressed to not go on. "I could never filled his shoes" might be the thought but Paul points Timothy back to God rather than himself. It is God who gives and He gives power, love, and discipline. The spirit of timidity about God does not come from God but from Satan. Timothy is to be reminded by Paul to look at his great spiritual upbringing in the home from those who love him most and to look at his great spiritual mentor ship with Paul who confirms his progress with the laying on of hands and then to look to God who will never leave him or forsake him and give him power, love, and discipline to journey on with the gospel.
It was a very fearful time to be a Christian. It could put you in a cold dark dungeon cell waiting for an execution. Paul doesn't tell Timothy to be timid but from that cold dark dungeon cell he calls Timothy to continue forth in the power of God and the love of God and the discipline of God. Paul doesn't tell Timothy to protect his physical self from harm but to make sure to protect his spiritual self from drifting from the God who has provided such tremendous upbringing and experiences.
It is graduation season and it is sad to say but many "Timothy"s who have been trained in the home by their "Lois and Eunice"s and the church by their "Paul"s will go off to college or the work force or the military and discard that upbringing. They will go off and follow the fear instilled by Satan to forget or to forego such training of Christ for the an easier way. The statistics bear this out year after year that graduates don't just walk unto the platform to get their diploma but at the same time they walk out of the church for a number of years.
Paul, from a cold dark dungeon cell, void of physical comforts, still tells Timothy to press on in the faith knowing that it could put him there too. He was still mentoring him from the cell that his spiritual life before God was more important and needed to be protected than his physical life before men. Graduates don't fall for Satan's strategy to be timid about God when you have been so guided in the ways of God from childhood and mentored by servants to serve no matter what. Let's pray.
"Lord, it has been sad to see graduates go from the church and leave You behind for a while. We all need to be reminded to think of our godly upbringing in who You are especially when times are tough. The call to abandon You is not coming from You. The call to be quiet about You is not coming from You. Thank You and may we thank those who have instructed and demonstrated You to us to stand with clear consciences of the God who gives power and love and discipline. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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