2 Timothy 3: Three stories
-
I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. -
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
-
Revelation
I would like to share my reflections on 2 Timothy 3 but I invite you to chip in with your comments and questions to make this more like a study than e sermon.
Context:
2 Timothy is Paul’s last letter before he was martyred in AD66. Paul is in a Roman Prison. This is a letter from the Apostle Paul to his young pastor - Timothy who will continue in leadership in the Church. Paul is saying farewell, with a warning about dangers ahead and gives a testimony and guidance about the word of God to Timothy and us.
The three stories that stand out in 2 Timothy 3 are: The Self Story, His story and the Story of the Word
1. Self Story
2. His Story
3. Word Story
Self Story
Self Story is the narrative about me. Pauyl is saying at the start of Chapter three that, people are the problem - lovers of self rather than God lovers. Paul lays out the nature of the challenges ahead. Don’t be naive Timothy.
He gives a last days ref 2 Timothy 3:1
‘but mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Love of self is the opposite of all that God has for us.
The Westminster Confession states that our main purpose in life is to ‘Glorify God and enjoy him forever.’ Conversely, in this day and age the Western world’s mantra seems to be to ‘Glorify and Enjoy self forever.’
Self is the place of worship today. I define who and what I am. I have the right to be happy in my own way and own terms. There is also an absence of gratitude (v2), a lack of self-control and respect for family, malicious lander and brutality ……
The time of the selfie. We are here. This is my story, no one else’s, click, this is what I am eating. Narcissism at its worst. The Selfie.
There is a concerted challenge to bible’s authority. Human sexuality for example, the family unit. Questioning, can the bible be true? We are experiencing an immoral revolution. We bow to it, or stand firm but sadly, today proclaimers of the gospel have lost confidence in the message.
Paul is talking about a religious type, people of the church, a form of godliness, but a sham - it is shocking v5.
Pauls is warning Timothy ‘you need to be true to the word and the Lord.’ The new way may be slick and attractive but it is not of God. Avoid such people.
Paul mentions type of women who will be vulnerable. Treat them with pure sisterly thoughts.
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” Paul in Romans 1:16
His Story
When Paul tells his testimony, Christ is glorified. That is what a testimony is a witness statement of someone who transformed your life. That person is the Lord Jesus Christ who lived a sinless life and atoned for our sins on the cross and is alive today because he defeated death in rising from the tomb.
In verse 10 Paul is not boasting when he speaks of his story. His story os Christ’s story. His identity is now based on who he is in Jesus and he urges Timothy to see his conduct and his teaching - there is no hiding place. Despite his hardships, he gives the glory to God, 2 Timothy 3:11 ‘Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.’
Integrity. God knows all - In the secret privacy of our own lives Paul says do not have the form of religion but ungodly. It is a hard road, ‘Live a Godly life…. you will be persecuted.’ We read in Acts 14 that Paul was stoned, nearly to death. There is no prosperity Gospel here. The world hates you Jesus says because it has hated me before it hated you. John 14:33
2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Inspiring people – share their testimonies that encourage us to endure and bare witness ourselves - ‘from infancy, you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’
Word Story
Paul writes ‘all scripture is God breathed’(NIV). It is a well-known memory verse. ‘God breathed’ is a good translation (KJV, GNV RSV says ‘inspired word’ of God). This implies that Scripture is brought into existence by the breath of God (not that writers wrote it and God rubber-stamped it) it is the inspired word of God, it originated in the mind of God and he breathed it, whispered it is profitable.
Paul goes on to say scripture is useful in: 1>Teaching 4>Training (what to do) 2>Rebuking 3>Correction (what not to do). Jeremy Myers, Salem Oregon Moody Bible Institute writes that verse 16 is written in parallel synonym so that the first and fourth are best understood together as are the second and third.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Inspired word rebukes or corrects our ways and brings us to the cross where we are put right with God. There is an old hymn we used to sing:
“The way back to God from the dark paths of sin, there’s a door that is open and you may go in. At Calvary’s cross is where you begin, when you come as a sinner to Jesus.”
The inspired word thoroughly equips us to serve and minister to those around us (v17) God prompts through his word today.
Practical suggestions - Read it, pray beforehand. Memorise it. Meditate is another way eg imagine ourselves there Ignatian spirituality.
There is right Christian belief (Salvation) & right Christian living (holy life).
J I Packer A Quest for Godliness (Crossway, p1251990) said over the last century we have allowed a new gospel to be told. It is not the true Gospel but it sounds similar and is easier to speak about. It’s centre of reference is us, a gospel that is “helpful” to us, to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction and too little concerned about glorifying God.
The inspired word has Jesus at the centre. Sounds obvious but we waver from it today.
JI Packer writing 22 years ago said that the Gospel had changed its emphasis. How much more has it changed in the last 22 years?
Look at what Bishop Croft said in November 2022, about same-sex marriage. The only Orthodox response to date is Bishop Andy Lines who said that marriage is a creation ordinance and cannot be changed (14/11/22).
