DAY EIGHTY-EIGHT:
Good Soldiers of Christ
This is Paul's second letter to Timothy, his spiritual son. It has a very different tone from the first letter. Paul's tender side comes out more. The last chapter reveals that he is in prison awaiting his hearing before Emperor Nero. He's virtually alone, but he has not lost heart. He knows his end is near but he knows he'll finish well. He wishes the same for Timothy (and for all of us). This letter is a great help to us, and especially to pastors, as we struggle through life.
"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him." The military runs on discipline. Soldiers obey their orders and do their duty. It's not always easy or pleasant, and sometimes that duty is downright dangerous. Paul encouraged Timothy to share in the suffering, not to shirk it. He also told Timothy to avoid obligations and entanglements that are outside the realm of his calling. Most of the time our choice isn't between good and bad, It's usually between good, better and best. We can't do everything, so we'd best do what Christ asks of us and trust He'll provide someone else for those other worthy projects.
"An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules." There are no shortcuts in working for the Lord. We may look for instant solutions in this microwave world of ours, but developing mature disciples requires time and work. Athletes have to train, and we have to train as well. When I was in high school I read an article about the great baseball player Carl Yazstrzemski. He put himself through a demanding exercise program in the off-season so that he would arrive at spring training in top shape. He played for 23 seasons, in large measure because he was so disciplined. We need that same approach if we're to grow as disciples.
"It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." Timothy and others who work for the Lord should receive their support from the harvest of the churches. Yes, Paul plied his trade of tent-making to support himself as he served the Lord. But when contributions from the churches came in he quit his job and taught full-time in Corinth. Tent-making is coming back, but it's almost never ideal.
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Paul is no longer under house arrest by this time. He's in the Mamartine Prison, which was little more than a widened out sewer. It's amazing that he was able to write anything under those conditions. Someone must have visited and carried the letter out. He spent his days chained to the wall and in near darkness. But it was all worth it to Paul. He might be bound up and imprisoned, but no one can chain the Word of God! And Paul took satisfaction in the fruit of his work. Timothy, Titus, Trophimus, Archippus and a whole host of younger men (and women) stepped up and the Gospel message was spreading. It didn't matter to Paul what happened to him. His concern was for the masses of people who would hear the Good News and believe.
"The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself."
This appears to be lyrics from an early hymn. Singing "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (Colossians 3:16) was and remains a very important part of our worship. Not only do our songs give praise and glory to God, but also speak to our hearts. They help and encourage us through the good and the bad of this life. I can almost hear Paul singing in that dank hellhole, just as he and Silas did in the Philippi jail many years earlier.
"Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." Paul reminded Timothy not to "major in minors." Don't let your people get off track with arguments over little things that don't advance the Kingdom. Such wrangling renders those who partake of it worthless for the work of the Gospel. He then encourages Timothy to continue in his own studies of God's word. The study is a part of a pastor's life that few see, but which is vital to the life of the church. Paul told Timothy to strive to be "approved of God." That word approved means to be found with integrity. The word comes from the way coins were handled in those days. There was a real temptation to shave the edges of the coin and keep some gold or silver dust for yourself. That's why our coins today have those ridged edges, to make it apparent if someone has shaved them. A moneychanger who had a reputation for honesty, for not shaving coins, was labeled "approved." Paul told Timothy to handle the Word well. The word means to cut straight and accurately. Timothy, like a good carpenter, must measure twice and cut once as he teaches the Scriptures.
"But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.'" Paul wasn't afraid to name names! Hymenaeus and Philetus were spreading the false doctrine that the resurrection had already taken place, unnoticed by most believers. On Friday we'll look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which deals with this subject. Paul said that their heretical teachings were upsetting some people. But regardless of how many false teachers pop up, the firm foundation remains intact. The Lord will distinguish His true servants from the false prophets and protect His Church.
"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. 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." My wife Vicki inherited a few antiques from her aunt. One of them is a nice porcelain bowl the likes of which I'd never seen. I asked what it was and Vicki told me it's a chamber pot. In the days before indoor plumbing a chamber pot would save one from having to make a run to the outhouse in bad weather. Certainly a chamber pot was created for a rather dishonorable use, not like the beautiful china used to serve our meals. Paul said that if we strive to cleanse ourselves, to grow more like Christ, we will be more useful to the Lord and He can use us for "every good work."
"So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Grow up, Timothy, and shun the sinful desires that overwhelm the young and naive. Instead, pursue these good thing, and don't do it alone. Get with a group of other likeminded souls and together seek the Lord with a pure heart.
"Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels." I've seen my share of arguments that lead nowhere. Perhaps the most damaging have been the many controversies over when and how Jesus Christ will return. Again, we'll deal with that in more detail on Friday. Some preach that the return of Christ is so imminent that there's little reason to make long-term plans. No need for education, life insurance, etc. The signs are right there in front of our eyes! But then time passes and Jesus hasn't come back. So they point out a whole new set of signs that point to His return. Then more time passes.... We have more important work to do!
"And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." I try to review this passage on a regular basis. Well-Intentioned Dragons: Dealing With Problem People in the Church, by Marshall Shelley, addresses this issue. Shelley wrote, "Pastors who personify a nondefensive spirit of joy and generosity tend not to attract as many dragons. And when they are attacked, the majority of the congregation begins to notice something amiss. When the fruit of the Spirit becomes characteristic of the church’s daily life, it becomes painfully clear whenever one person violates that spirit, and the body itself will work to take care of the irritation." I've seen this in my own ministry and in that of many other pastors. I didn't have a very thick skin when I started in the ministry, and thus was often wounded. By God's grace, however, I've learned that love and grace in the face of opposition goes a long, long way.
Here's a beautiful song to remind you of how precious a gift that God has given us in the Scriptures:
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