Blowing Past the Truth

This may not be a challenge for you, but there are times when I am reading the Bible and I am very familiar with the passage that I find that I have read through the section, and nothing registered.  I was so familiar with the passage that I was looking at the words but thinking about something completely different.

Other times, I know what is coming and I speed up and blow through the passage.  When I realize I have done that, at times, I wish I could say it is all the time, I go back and attempt to slow down and really focus on the text.

That happened in Genesis 1 (Here at Bible Gateway) a while back.  When I went back and started over, I saw some things in 26 – 27 (Here at Bible Gateway) that were interesting.  The use of the pronouns our, them, him, as well as the interplay between the singular and the plural, and the use of the masculine and feminine was intriguing.  

The other interesting thing was the creation of man, singular, then him, singular, followed by male and female He created them, plural.

That raises a bunch of interesting questions for which I have leanings but no certain answers.  For instance, did God create the full image of God in each the male and the female or does the image of God reside in them together, that is the male and female together form the image of God.  I have a leaning that seems to comport with the rest of Scripture, but there are good people that hold to both answers.

The point here is that as we are working on getting a handle on the Word of God, one of the things we need to do is read through the Bible several times.  That does not mean we are studying each section, though at some point we should.  But it does mean we need to allow the details of the text not to completely escape notice.

It is ok, preferable, to slow down and enjoy the scenery.  

I mentioned yesterday that Jenny and I are on a tour of the Canadian Rockies.  Today we traveled from Vancouver to Victoria.  When we got to Victoria, we drove around the city as our tour guide pointed out possible places for us to explore.  We will have a lot of free time tomorrow because we are not going on one of the excursions.  Problem was we were going through the city so quickly it was difficult if not impossible for what he was saying to register.  Further, we had no way to connect what he was saying to where we were going to be staying that night because we had not been there yet.  It wasn’t until Jenny and I got a map at the front desk and spent about 45 minutes locating things he pointed out and determining if and how we could get there and if we wanted to that things began to make sense.  

So, the overview he gave us only began to help as we slowed down and put what he said in the context of where we were staying and where what he pointed out was in relation to our lodging.

So, slow down a bit as you are working through the Bible.  Go fast enough to get the overview, but slow enough that you do not lose the context.

Self Hardening?

During my time with the Lord, I start in the Word with the days reading from M’Cheyne’s Calendar for Daily Bible Reading.  In the past several months I have added the proverb of the day.  There are days that it doesn’t end there.  It seems like the Lord leads me on a journey through a topic or an idea.

One time, a few months ago, that started with Psalm 38:15a (here @ BibleGateway), “For, I hope in You, O Lord…”  The thought I wrote in my journal was, “I should not hope in anything else but You.  No salary, no person, no project, only you.”  Then there are a series of passages that follow:

• Psalm 39:4 15, 7 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Psalm 78:39 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Psalm 144:4 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Job 14:2 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Psalm 62:9 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Ecclesiastes 6:12 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Proverbs 1:28 – 33 (here @ BibleGateway)
• Hebrews 12:7 – 11 (here @ BibleGateway)

At the time I was in contact with an acquaintance that was also dealing with cancer.  They had just told me that their cancer was in remission.  I wrote: “I will never, as things stand now, hear those words this side of heaven.  Lord, I have no idea how much longer you have ordained for me to be here.  On the one hand, Philippians 1:21 (here @ BibleGateway), on the other hand, ten grandchildren with whom I wish to fully engage, Lord, please make me content with you and with what you have given me.”

Focusing on the last two passages it occurred to me that all the previous passages were context for those last two.  There are those in the body that refuse to engage, to listen to His Word, refuse to abide in His Word.  It is if they neglect or ignore the exhortation to abide, they neglect His counsel, do not want His reproof, hate knowledge, do not fear God.  It is as if they are choosing the passing pleasures of sin over following God.  That brought another passage to mind, James 4:17 (here @ BibleGateway).

To not accept His counsel, to spurn His reproof, would seem to have the effect that they eat the fruit of their own way.  Is this, could this be, the same as hardening one’s own heart?

The Use of Secondary Sources

Over the years the Lord has provided me with several opportunities to share with people why they need to be in the Word of God for themselves.  What that means is that they are not using secondary sources but directly reading and studying the Bible.

Secondary sources include but are not limited to:

• Notes in a study Bible
• Commentaries
• Devotionals
• Books about the Bible or Topics in the Bible
• Messages live or recorded
• Fill in the blank or other types of Bible Study guides.

Now before I explain why I encourage people not to use these, full disclosure, I have every one of those resources in my office and on my computer, in addition to some technical resources that I have not named.  Further, I have at various times derived benefit from all those types of resources.

Why then, do I encourage people not to use them?

The answer is priority or sequence.  These are appropriate after we have studied or attempted to study a passage on our own.  If we pick up one of these at the beginning of our study or interaction with the Word of God, what is said in the resource will become a filter for what we see in the text.  On the other hand, if we engage in the Word ourselves first, then when we utilize the resource, we are comparing what is said there with what we have seen.  So instead of it becoming a filter, it then becomes a supplement, another set of eyes on the passage.  Then we are in a dialog with the one who created the resource.

According to Jesus, and I will take Him at His word on this, one of the purposes of the Holy Spirit other than inspiring the Word of God, is to help us understand it, John 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  If when we are working through a passage we bail out of the text and go to secondary sources as soon as we hit something that challenges us, we are not leaving room for the Spirit to lead us into truth.

We need to let Him do what He was sent to do.

Peter’s View of the Bible – Part 2

Continuing to look at 2 Peter 1:16 – 21 (here @ Bible Gateway).

As I pointed out yesterday, this is the second of 4 passages in which Peter underscores the importance of the Word of God.  The passage is four sentences, 16, 17 – 18, 19, and 20 – 21.  I mention that because as we read and study our Bible, we should remember that while the paragraph is a unit of thought sentences are the building blocks of paragraphs.  Unfortunately, the chapter and verse divisions many times break up both paragraphs and sentences.  If we do not pay attention to that, we can focus on a part of a sentence and miss the point the author is making.

Verse 16
In this verse Peter is both substantiating why he is reminding his readers and setting up the contrast to the false teachers that follows in chapter 2.  He didn’t make up what he is sharing about Jesus, he was an eyewitness.  Specifically,…

Verses 17 – 18
Peter was present at the transfiguration of Jesus.  This shows up in our Bibles in Mark 9:2 – 8 (here @ Bible Gateway); Matthew 17:1 – 8 (here @ Bible Gateway); and Luke 9:28 – 36 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Peter state that Jesus received honor from God the Father, and there was a verbal affirmation of Jesus from God that Peter, James, and John all heard.

Verse 19
Peter declares that the result of hearing this verbal affirmation is the validation of the prophetic word.  Because of this, we are to pay attention to the Word.  Makes sense, but Peter does not stop there.

Verses 20 – 21
Peter emphasizes that no prophecy is a matter of an individual’s interpretation.  This is a tacit repetition of verse 16, Peter didn’t make up what he is sharing about Jesus, neither are the prophets.  Rather, the Holy Spirit move these men to speak from God.

Notice the parallel.  On the mountain of transfiguration, the verbal affirmation was from God.  In the written prophecy, the written Word, the Holy Spirit inspired men to speak from God.  The validation on the mount was from God, the written prophecy is from God through the Spirit.

Peter is comparing his experience on the mount to our experience when we engage in the written Word of God.  Both are from God.  This view of Scripture is a repetition of Peter’s first strong statement about the Word of God in 1:4 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Through the promises of God, which we find in the Word of God, we become partakers of the divine nature.  We encounter God in the Scripture as Peter encountered Him on the mount.

Peter’s View of the Bible

Since 2008, so for the last 12 years, 2 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway) has been the focus of all of the workshops I have done whether half-day, 10 day, or anything in between.  When we come to the exercises that include 2 Peter, I do them along with the participants.  As a result, I have studied 2 Peter, literally, hundreds of times in the last 12 years.  Additionally, the Tuesday morning group I participate in just finished a detailed study of the book.

One of the themes that runs through the book, is the elevation of the Word of God.  Peter has a high regard for God’s Word.

Twice in both chapters 1 and 3, Peter emphasizes the importance of the Word of God for us as believers.  For this post we will focus on the second passage in chapter 1, 16 – 21.  There is a lot in these six verses.  Take some time and read through the passage, shoot, read the whole letter, it is only 61 verses.  Make as many observations on 1:16 – 31 as you can and then come back to the post.

So if you read the whole letter you saw that this passage sits between Peter’s declaring his diligence to remind his readers of what they already know and his warning of the certainty of the rise and multiplication of false teachers.  1:16 – 21 serves at least three structural functions in Peter’s thought.

First, it substantiates, gives the reason, why it is important that he reminds his readers.  Second, it presents the reason that Peter is sure of what he proclaims.  Lastly, it sets up a vivid contrast with the false teachers that he describes in chapter 2.

Think through that.  We will further unpack this section in tomorrow’s post.

Stamina

More frequently in the past couple of years I find myself tired during the day.  I am used to working 12+ hours a day.  Sometimes late into the evening.  I find that I cannot do that as much.  I can’t tell if this is normal for being old and decrepit or an oncoming symptom of the cancer.  They say getting tired faster is one of the things that will happen.

It appears that the Lord is setting up three trips to serve men in three different African nations this year.  A couple of them are close to back to back and those two are close to a vacation trip with my wife that is also overseas.  When I look at the schedule I wonder if I am going to have the stamina to make that work.

In reality sometimes I am struggling to get through the schedule here.

Last week part of my reading was Matthew 11:28 – 30 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The Lord tells us there – you know the passage – that His yoke is easy.  He got tired though.  Look at John 4:6 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Processing this, I was drawn to Isaiah 40:28 – 31 (here @ Bible Gateway), Colossians 3:1 – 4 (here @ Bible Gateway), and Romans 6:8 (here @ Bible Gateway).

The thing I have known is that He is our life.  He is our strength.  John 15:5 (here @ Bible Gateway) tells us that we cannot do anything apart from Him – that theme shows up at least 12 times in John.  What I need to do is learn to live in His strength.  To function in Him.  I suspect that more often than not, I am possibly doing the right thing in my own strength.

As I write this 2 Corinthians 12:9 – 10 (here @ Bible Gateway) leaps to mind.  I have to function in Him, in that way it is only He who gets credit.  So in a real sense I am looking forward to learning how to serve – the Lord just brought 1 Peter 4:10 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway) to mind – “by the strength which God supplies.”

This is going to be a great adventure.

The Rich Struggle of Scripture Memory, Part 2

Last post I shared some of my journey in Scripture Memory.  Currently…well…for about the last year, I have been working on memorizing Psalm 119 (here @ Bible Gateway).  John Piper’s message on William Wilberforce was the impetus for this project.

As I mentioned in the previous post, it is much harder now for me to memorize scripture.  But the exercise is rich.  The effort to repeatedly go through a passage endeavoring to commit it to memory is essentially prolonged meditation on the passage.  In doing so, much more is revealed than I see in simply reading through the passage.

For example, look at the first four verses:
1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.
3 They also do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways.
4 You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep them diligently.

Do you notice the repetition?  These words are repeated: way, walk, and the concept of intentional sustained obedience; “with all their heart” and “keep them diligently”.

In Hebrew poetry the second phrase is repeating the first, reinforcing, emphasizing, and clarifying the point.
So in verse 1, a blameless way is to walk in the Law of the Lord.  In verse 3 to “do no unrighteousness” is to “walk in His ways.”  So to walk in the Law of the Lord is to walk in His ways.  The implications of this are staggering.

When we consider the way of someone, we are contemplating how they behave.  How they live their life.  How we observe their character played out in the way they relate to others and to the world around them.

How many times have we said, heard, or thought of someone in trying to deal or explain their behavior with something like, “Oh, that is just the way he is,’’ or “that is just like him.”  It is that person’s “way”, we know what to expect because we have observed a consistency in their behavior.

What these four verses are revealing is that the Law is God’s “way”.  It reflects His character.  It reflects how He behaves.  Thus, if we keep the Law, we are behaving as God does.  We are, as it says in verse 1, blameless.  Why, we are acting, behaving in a manner that is consistent with the nature and character of God.

Big problem…

There is no wiggle room.  We have to do that with all of our heart and keep them diligently.  The testimony of the Bible is that only one person did that, Jesus.

The good news is that through His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and immanent return we can be joined into His obedience and delivered from the reality that we do not diligently keep the Law or seek Him with all of our heart.

The other implication is that we can learn much about God by studying His Law.  Because it reveals who He is, His way.

The Rich Struggle of Scripture Memory

At the first Christian conference I attended after committing to follow Christ as Lord, I met with a man who was on staff with the ministry and was somewhat older.  He challenged me to begin to memorize Scripture.  He suggested Psalm 27:4 (here @ Bible Gateway) as a place to start.

As soon as the meeting was over, I went to the materials table.  I purchased both blank verse cards and a copy of the Topical Memory System.

Soon Scripture memory was part of my everyday discipline.  I finished the TMS, and begin to memorize passages.  Romans 12 (here @ Bible Gateway) was the first chapter I memorized.  Then books.

I found that my time in the Word, both quiet time and Bible study was impacted.  While studying or reading a passage, others that I had memorized came to mind as cross references.  A few years back I was leading an seminar on Bible study in Trinidad and Tobago at a Bible college.  During discussion on a passage that the participants had spent some time studying I suggested several cross references, I was asked how I came up with those parallel passages, I realized it was from memory work and study I had done over the previous thirty some years.

I am not blessed with a photographic memory.  Memorizing Scripture is hard work for me.  It is much harder now than it was when I was younger.  But that difficulty has, for me, a marvelous benefit.  That benefit is that in reviewing the passage, re-reading it over and over in the process of memorizing it, layers of meaning that otherwise would be overlooked are observed.

This happened again this week.  In the next post I will share those observations.  But, it seemed necessary to lay this as a foundation and context.

There is one other thing that seems to be important.  In the fall of 1987, I entered seminary in pursuit of a ThM.  At the time we had three young children, the fourth was born the next year.  I was working 30 – 40 hours a week, part time.  Going to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I committed to not study while the kids were awake.  With few exceptions I was able to do that during the four years it took to finish the degree.

The point is that that under that load, something had to give.  That something was Scripture Memory.  Every minute for that four years seem to be scheduled with either assignments from classes, something at work, or a commitment with my family.

It was a great time.  But, my discipline of Scripture memory has never recovered to the point that it was before that season.

Again, I share that for context.  I trust that it will deepen the understanding of the next post…

So Grateful

We celebrated Christ’s resurrection yesterday.  I am so glad.

My reading plan has had me in Leviticus (here @ Bible Gateway) for the past several days.  Chapter 5 (here @ Bible Gateway) was today’s reading.

This time through I have been struck by how grateful I am that I live on this side of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension.  The amount of work that had to take place – the detail of that work.  In order to come before the Lord to ask for His forgiveness is nearly beyond my comprehension.

I am, you are, able, because of Christ’s sacrifice, to come immediately into His presence with our confession, worship, requests, and intercession.  There is no separating veil.  There is no mediating high priest.  I do not have to look through the catalog of appropriate sacrifices to determine what I have to bring to the tabernacle or temple.  Knowing me, I would mess that process up somehow.

No, I do not need to go anywhere to be with Him.  He is in me and I am in Him.  I just begin to pray.  No preamble, no sprinkled blood – His took care of that requirement.

The most amazing thing is that I can do it myself.  It is personal.  I can know Him.  I can talk to Him.  He hears.  He responds.  I do not have to depend on some consecrated mediator.

This is so much better.

Focus and Truth

Take a minute and read through Matthew 16:13 – 23 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Peter both gets it right and wrong in the space of a few minutes.

In the first case the Father revealed the truth about His Son to Peter.  He got that right.

In the second case Peter rebuked Jesus when the Lord told the disciples that he would be killed in Jerusalem.  He got that one horribly wrong.

What was the difference and what are some of the implications for us?

In the first case Peter’s understanding was illuminated by the Father.  The Father allowed him to understand the truth of who Jesus really was.  Jesus said Peter was blessed to know this.

In the second case, Peter was focused on his interests, man’s interests, not God’s, not the Father’s.  Therefore rather than being illuminated with the truth, he was dead wrong.

I might suggest there are at least two implications of these moments in Peter’s life for us;

1. Just because the Lord has given us illumination and we understand better a portion of His truth, we are not immune from error in the next sentence we utter.  We have to be hard after the Word of God to make sure that we do not deviate from its revealed truth.
2. A primary source of error, if not the primary, is to set our mind on man’s, our, interests rather than seeking what God wants.

Unfortunately, I have made the error.  I have heard others do the same.  There are some

Under the reality of living in a fallen, broken world, it is all too easy to consider that our needs, wishes, and desires are what God wants to fulfill.  When we do that, it escapes our notice that what he wants us to do is focus on seeking His Kingdom, not our wants, needs, or desires.

Personally, I need continual reminders of that truth.

Dealing with Unfortunate Divisions

The chapter and verse divisions in our Bibles are necessary to both more effectively navigate the text and communicate with one another.  However, many times, they break up the train of thought, the logic of the passage.  1 Peter 1:22 – 2:3 is a good example of this.

Many of us have memorized 1 Peter 2:2.  It is a key passage on the importance of the word of God for growth in our Christian life.  However, first, it is the middle clause of one of Peter’s sentences.  Second, the first clause of the sentence begins with, “therefore”.

We all know that we do when we see a “therefore,” we look to see what it is there for.

The previous sentence, 1 Peter 1:24 – 25 begins with “for” which suggests it supports the previous sentence, 1 Peter 1:22 – 23.  That sentence begins with “since” which functions similarly to “for” but also sets up a cause and effect, since ________, therefore __________.

Look at the content of 1 Peter 1:24 – 25.  Notice – well there is a lot in there, but note the last phrase of verse 23, “through the living and enduring word of God”.  “Through,” is another one of those signpost words that indicates how something is done, the means to an end.  In this case, our being born again, purified.

Now back to 1 Peter 2:1 – 3.  Notice the last phrase of verse 2, “so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”  “By,” functions as “through,” it describes the means to an end; in this case, growth in our salvation.

There is a strong connection between 1 Peter 1:22 – 25 and 1 Peter 2:1 – 3.  The function of the Word of God is in focus.  First, in bringing us to faith.  Second, causing us to grow in that faith.

We must remember as we read and study to look past the chapter and verse divisions.  If we do not, we can miss some crucial truth.

The Last Brick – Part 4 (Firewall cont.)

The last imperative in 2 Timothy 4:5 is “fulfill.”  Paul commands his apprentice to “fulfill your ministry.”  Like many of Paul’s sentences, the word order in the original is emphatic placing the imperative at the end and the object first.  So literally, “the service (ministry) of you fulfill.”

Why would Paul stress this to his protégé?

If you read ahead in 2 Timothy 4:6 – 18, you will note that people left the ministry and deserted Paul in his time of need.  The implications are that though Paul finishes well, 2 Timothy 4:7, there are many who do not.  One of my friends points out that we find many in their 20’s and 30’s on fire for the Lord, but, he observes, there are few in their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s that do more than slide for home.

Paul wants Timothy to complete (the root of the word here translated fulfill) fully the assignment that the Lord has given him.

This last imperative is particularly important for all of us.  2 Peter 5:8 reminds us that we have a faithful, intentional, murderous enemy.  Success, completion, fulfillment in and of our Christian life and ministry to others is under constant attack.  This stark reminder by the apostle coupled with the similar warning by Peter in 2 Peter 3:17, should serve to keep us diligent to continually rely and depend on the Lord to finish this race.

The Last Brick – Part 3 (Firewall cont.)

The third command for Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5 is “do the work of an evangelist.”

Consider that for a moment.  I have heard many times that some people have the gift of evangelism.  I have heard some pastors tell their congregations that evangelism is getting people to come listen to the pastor share the gospel.

I cannot find evangelism on any of the lists of spiritual gifts.  That is on any of the lists in the Bible.  I am sure I have seen it on lists that man has produced.  Paul does not mention it as a gift in any of his lists, Romans 12:3 – 8, 1 Corinthians 12:4 – 11, or Ephesians 4:11 – 16.

He just tells his key man to do the work.  Share the gospel.  It is not a gift.  It is a command.

Making disciples is not a gift either.  In Matthew 28:18 – 20, make disciples is the main verb and it is imperative.  Christ commanded us to make disciples.  Part of that process is to share the gospel.

It is not a gift.

It is a command.  A command that has been given to all of us who have trusted in Him.

You may say that you don’t know how.  You may say that you don’t know what to say.  May I suggest you read John 9 and Acts 26.

The Last Brick – Part 2 (Firewall cont.)

The second command that Paul gives his protégé in 2 Timothy 4:5 is “endure hardship”.  This specific word, κακοπαθέω (kakopatheō) shows up only 3 times in the New Testament, and once in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint:

Verse	Translation
2 Timothy 2:9	suffer hardship
2 Timothy 4:5	endure hardship
James 5:13	is suffering
Jonah 4:10	you did work (negated by the Greek word for “not” so it reads “you did not work”)

However, there are other instances of a compound word συγκακοπαθέω (synkakopatheō) that appears twice more in 2 Timothy, the only occurrences of the word in the New Testament:

Verse	Translation
2 Timothy 1:8	join with me in suffering
2 Timothy 2:3	suffer hardship with

2 Timothy 1:8; 2:3; and 4:5 are all commands, imperatives.

So what?

There is a thread here throughout Paul’s letter to his disciple.  Paul is calling Timothy to work hard at the task of entrusting the truth of the gospel to those to whom he has been sent to serve.  This command is repeated three times in 83 verses.  One could get the impression that Paul is serious.

But doesn’t this only apply to Timothy?  Or shouldn’t it only apply to those who are in leadership in our communities of faith?  Is it not our pastor’s job to work that hard in and for the gospel?

Perhaps.  But, consider:

• Matthew 6:33
• Matthew 28:18 – 20
• John 13:15
• Philippians 3:17
• 1 Thessalonians 1:7
• 2 Thessalonians 3:7, 9
• 1 Timothy 1:16; 4:12
• Titus 2:7
• James 5:10
• 1 Peter 2:6

It seems like the expectation of the New Testament is that all believers are subject to that imperative, does it not.

Why then, do you think, many do not seem to do so?

The Last Brick - Part 1 (Firewall cont.)

The third and last command Paul gives his protégé is in 2 Timothy 4:5.  There are four elements, four imperatives, four commands:

• Be sober in all things
• Endure Hardship
• Do the work of an evangelist
• Fulfill your ministry

The first, “be sober,” is strong.  The word appears only six times in the New Testament, of those six three are imperative: 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 4:7; and 1 Peter 5:8.  If we consider those passages in context, we see that the Spirit used the term in the imperative in the face of evil and false teachers (2 Timothy 4:5), the need to pray based on the reality of the ending of this world (1 Peter 4:7), and a solemn reminder that we are continually under attack by the enemy of our Lord (1 Peter 5:8).

In this passage, by starting with this imperative, Paul is adding enormous weight to his charge to Timothy.  This is not a casual assignment.  It is not optional.  It is deadly serious.  It is not one of several things in which we dabble; it is central to our life and calling in the Lord.

Many believers tend to delegate.  It is fine to delegate.  It is an essential business practice.  It is an incredibly important tool in the training of men and women in all walks of life.  However, there are some things that we cannot, or better, should not delegate.  Primary on that list is our walk with God.  We cannot live the Christian life by proxy.  We cannot know God through other’s study.  It is not OK to have several degrees of separation between us and our Savior.

Paul’s commands to Timothy are commands to us.  These are not marching orders for “professional Christians”.  We are called to be sober, serious, centered in our lives and relationship with Christ.  It is not ok for us to delegate that relationship to others.

The word accountability is much overused in the Body.  If you do a word search in your Bible app on your device or look in a concordance, you find that we are accountable to God, not each other.  In this matter, the word applies.  We are accountable to the Creator of the universe, the One who sent His Son to die in our place, the One who called us to Himself and gave us life and gifts for His purposes to be sober, serious about our relationship to Him and the work for which He designed us.

Another Brick in the Firewall, part 5 (Firewall cont.)

You are probably aware that the chapter and verse divisions were not in the original manuscripts.  Those were added much later.  The Chapters were added in 1227 and the verses were added in 1551.  There are some places where the divisions unfortunately break up the flow of the text.  The division between 2 Timothy 3 and 4 is one of those places.

When I started this series I made the mistake of not reading past the end of chapter 3.  The structure in the Greek reveals yet another brick in the firewall against evil men and impostors in 2 Timothy 4:5.  You may remember that each of the other “bricks” were set off by the Greek phrase, Σὺ δὲ, literally “you but.”  That same phrase starts 2 Timothy 4:5.

That means structurally that the second brick, the necessity of abiding in the Word of God does not end at 2 Timothy 3:17 but at 4:4.  When we consider the text with that in mind some important observations come to light.

First, after exhorting Timothy to abide in the Word of God so strongly in 3:14 – 17, he then strongly – really strongly – charges him to proclaim what he learns from his abiding in the Word continually.  Your Bible probably translates the first word of 4:2, “preach”.  The word throughout history meant to herald or proclaim.  It is the sense of proclaiming or heralding the message of the king or another authority.

Why would that matter?

What comes to mind when you read or hear the word preach?  If you are like most of us you think sermon, preacher, Sunday morning, or Saturday night.  But, we are all tasked to proclaim the Word.  That is, if Jesus was serious about Matthew 28:18 – 20 and Paul meant what he told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2.

Second, notice that how Paul expands how "proclaim" mirrors the ministry of the Word of God in 4:2;

Teaching	Proclaim
Reproof	Reprove
Correction	Rebuke
Training in Righteousness	Exhort

Our ministry to each other not only should emerge out of our abiding in the Word it should also mirror the ministry of the Word of God.

Lastly, note that 4:3 – 4 mirrors 3:1 – 5.  This middle brick of proclaiming the results of abiding in the Word of God is a major counter to those who are spreading false teaching.

Which brings us to the third and final brick in the firewall…

Another Brick in the Firewall, part 4 (Firewall cont.)

You probably have 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 memorized.  It is yet further emphasis on the importance of the Word of God in the process of building a firewall to stand against evil men and impostors.

Paul reminds his apprentice that Scripture is not just any other book.  The Word of God is inspired, the ESV translates the word θεόπνευστος (theopneustos), “breathed out by God”.  The point?  Timothy best pay attention to, and remain in the inspired by God's Word.

Paul emphasizes his point by outlining for his man the function and purpose of the inspired Word of God.  The ministry of the Word of God Paul expounds here is fourfold:

• Teaching
• Reproof
• Correction
• Training in Righteousness

This illustration from the Navigators, Design for Discipleship, Book 2, is a great illustration of Paul’s instruction.

The purpose of the ministry of God’s Word in Timothy’s life and by extension ours is, according to Paul, critical.  It is to make us adequate.  Again our translations hide Paul’s emphasis.  The passage literally translated would be, “in order to adequate may be the of God man, toward all work good equipped.”  The word order emphasizes the purpose of making us adequate and equipped for good work.  The two words translated, adequate and equipped are the noun and verb form of the same word family, again emphasis.

The point here is that in the face of the increasing number of false teachers, the evil men and impostors, it is critical for Timothy to abide in the Word of God.  Not to do so will render him inadequate and unequipped.

Based on Matthew 28:18 – 20, and Paul’s exhortation to entrust this to others, 2 Timothy 2:2, the critical need to abide in the Word of God is true for us as well.  Not to do so, would, as with Timothy, render us inadequate and unequipped to deal with false teaching.

There is much more to say here, especially about verse 16, but that will have to be covered in another post at another time…meanwhile, there is one more brick…

Another Brick in the Firewall, part 3 (Firewall cont.)

We have been examining, somewhat closely, 2 Timothy 3:14 – 17, Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to build a firewall to protect the church against evil men and impostors.  We saw in the last post that the center of the second brick was an emphasis on continuing in the Word of God.

In verse 15 Paul amplifies his argument.  He reminds his apprentice that he has known the sacred writings since childhood.  This has much to those of us who are parents or hope to be.  It is a tacit reminder to us that we are to, early and often, expose our children to the Word of God.

Paul’s emphasis is strong on this point.  The strength is obscured again by most of our English translations.  Paul places the object of the verb before the verb, literally it would read, “from childhood the sacred writings you have known.”  That is awkward in English so it is rendered differently in our translations.  Reversing the word order, though is one way of emphasizing a point.  Paul is emphasizing the sacred writings, the Word of God, to Timothy.

There is much error afloat in the Christian community, much like what Timothy was facing in Ephesus.  At a significant level what we face is orders of magnitude more difficult.  Timothy did not have to counter Radio, Television, the internet, nor was there anything yet in mass print.  Communication and the transmission of false teaching was done in person, traveling impostors.

Now we face all of that and more.  It makes it so much more important that first we abide in God’s Word and equip our children to as well.  Abiding, by the way, is more than a consistent devotional life…

Paul though, is not done with his instruction to Timothy…

Another Brick in the Firewall, part 2 (Firewall cont.)

Continuing our look at 2 Timothy 3:14 – 17, we are looking at the second brick in the firewall that Paul is commanding his apprentice, Timothy, to erect against evil men and impostors who are teaching a different gospel.

There are two elements in this brick:

• Abide in that which Timothy has learned from his mother, grandmother, and Paul
• The things that Timothy has learned are rooted in the Scripture

The result of this exhortation seems to be that Paul is reiterating the need for Timothy to remember his example and to abide in that learning as well as its source the Scripture, sacred writings, God’s Word.

This is where things get confusing for me.  Confusing in this sense.  There is no question that there are still false teachers abundantly multiplying and continually gaining followers.  The source of my confusion is how it seems that leaders in the Church seem to be attempting to deal with the false teaching.

I have seen communities focus on detailed doctrinal statements as a means to protect against false teaching.  I know of classes that have been held to teach the correct way for Christians to think about certain topics.  Messages have been shared from pulpits, podiums, chairs, videos, MP3s, and books that explain the proper way to think and or act as a believer.

What I don’t see is any of those answers in the text here.  The majority of the exhortation here is centered on the Scripture.  It seems like Paul is setting personal abiding in the Word of God as a significant brick in the firewall against the propagation of error.

Yet when and where are we equipping and encouraging people to dig into God’s Word.  How often do we exhort people, remind them how critical it is for them to be in the Word of God for themselves.  Not just reading the text, but digging in, allowing it to transform our thinking, reorient our priorities.

Christ tells us in John 8:31 – 32, that we are to abide (your Bible may say continue, but it is the same Greek word translated abide in John 15:1 – 16) in His Word.  John 15:1 – 16 repeats the idea of abiding in Christ and His Word 11 times in those 16 verses.

It seems that the clear message is that we are supposed to do this.

And yet there is more to Paul’s exhortation…

Another Brick in the Firewall (Firewall cont.)

As we have seen in the previous posts, the first brick in the firewall was for Timothy to follow the example of Paul…  Before we look at the second brick, it would probably be a good idea to note how we know there are two bricks.

As I mentioned before our English translations somewhat obscure Paul’s repetitive structure.  The illustration below is from Bible Hub using the Interlinear option (purple highlight).  You can only look at one verse at a time in this view.  I have put 2 Timothy 3:10 and 14 together to show the repetition.  Look at the first two words circled in red, in both cases they are the same two words, Σὺ δὲ, literally “you but.”  In the NASB the two words are translated; “now you,” in verse 10 and “you, however,” in verse 14.  The second translation seems to add more weight to the second brick.  However in the original the vocabulary and structure is the same.  (One could argue that the second brick, since it is in the last position, may be more important – for your consideration.)

Now that we have established the two, let’s look a bit more closely at the second.  There is quite a bit here so we may spill over a few days.

The first thing we may notice is the continued contrast with the reality of the evil men and impostors that will continually increase in the last days.  In contrast to this reality Paul has told Timothy to follow his example and now the second thing, the second brick in the firewall, to continue in what he had learned.

The word continue, μένε (mene) is a form of the verb μένω (menō) to abide or remain.  The word is thickly repeated by John in John 15:1 – 16.  It seems to be a key concept in John.  Here Paul is using the same word to describe how Timothy is to stand against the coming reality of increasing false teaching.  He commands his apprentice to abide, remain, continue in that which he has learned.

Think through that.  We will expand on this and the rest of Paul’s exhortation in the next post or so…