2 TIMOTHY
2 TIMOTHY 1:1-7
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,
4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,
5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Paul is writing a second letter of instruction to Timothy who had ministered to him on his missionary journeys and whom Paul had often sent ahead of him with instructions or to let the churches know of his impending visits. Paul meant for the letter to be read publicly, therefore he presents his credentials as an apostle to show his identity and authority.
Paul also honors Timothy’s mother and grandmother, whose open faith and conduct were influential in causing Timothy to believe.
It is interesting that Paul seems to indicate that mental issues are more of a spiritual problem, rather than a physical deficiency. This is actually backed up in Scripture when Jesus cast out the legion of demons possessing a man in a part of western Galilee called Gadara.
The man had been uncontrollable and had been so violent that he broke bronze shackles and chains barehanded, cut himself with stones, lived among the tombs and was a threat to anyone who passed that way.
Jesus cast out the legion of demons in the man (a Roman Legion consisted of approximately 5200 - 6000 men), allowing them to enter a herd of swine feeding nearby (swine are an abomination and are considered unclean to the Jews). The swine immediately raced down a hillside and drowned themselves in the Sea of Galilee. Their keepers fled and told the townspeople what had happened. Scripture then says;
LUKE 8:35
35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
By this we can figure that many cases of insanity actually stem from spiritual causes rather than physical ailments. Some psychiatrists have (very) reluctantly admitted that some cases they’ve seen point to demon possession, but they will not admit to it professionally for obvious reasons. But only God knows the difference.
2 TIMOTHY 1:8-12
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
We need to heed Paul’s warning above in verse 8 for if we are ashamed to speak about Jesus or openly associate ourselves with other Christians, He will be ashamed of us before the Father at His return. As He Himself said;
MARK 8:38
38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Paul also reminds us that we were chosen by God before time began to be His children, not by our own righteousness, but by His grace alone. As Isaiah said concerning our own righteousness;
ISAIAH 64:6
But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
And Paul, quoting a compilation of Isaiah and passages of Psalms said;
ROMANS 3:10-18
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary was born sinless, but the Scriptures above disprove that. NO ONE is sinless in the sight of God and Jesus. As Solomon noted:
ECCLESIASTES 7:24
24 For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.
Sinless people do not need a Savior, yet Mary herself admitted to being a sinner when she said;
LUKE 1:46-47
46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
2 TIMOTHY 1:13-18
13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
15 This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.
18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.
Paul reminds Timothy to not slacken in his efforts and duties in the Churches. Satan never tires or sleeps and constantly seeks opportunities to corrupt the Church and its members. Like sentries on a wall, we are constantly warned to watch for any signs of enemy activity and sound the alarm if we see anything wrong.
Unfortunately there will always be some who will fall away from the faith and who will go back to their old ways. This flies in the face of the poisonous “once saved, always saved” doctrine which teaches that once you accept Jesus, you are still saved even if you fall away and return to your sinful ways. If this were true, why would Satan try so hard to get us to fall away?
People fear (with good reason sometimes) the ‘guilt by association’ concept in which someone in trouble (usually with the law) is shunned by their friends and associates lest they fall under suspicion themselves. Paul suffered the abandonment of his friends several times during his ministry.
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-7
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Paul’s words here have the ring of finality as if he understands that his time is becoming short and that these are last instructions to Timothy. He reminds Timothy that we are engaged in a war for the souls of men, and as with any conflict, hardship is to be expected. And we really need to consider whether we are willing to suffer for Jesus’ sake. As He Himself said;
LUKE 14:28-33
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—
29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Unfortunately some people eagerly accept Jesus, figuring that life will be easy from then on. Actually, envision tying a huge target on yourself, as you instantly become an enemy of Satan and the first thing he does is figure out where your weak points are so he can seek to neutralize you.
To many Christians, Satan is nothing more than a evil spirit that puts bad thoughts in our minds, who tries to tempt us to sin. And that’s exactly what he wants. They are no threat to him, nor do they feel that he is a threat to them.
In reality, he is a powerful, merciless, malevolent spirit whose goal is to subjugate or destroy all of mankind. He has been sentenced to the Lake of Fire by God and in his hatred he wants to take as much of mankind with him as he can. And he has been far too successful at accomplishing his goals.
We are not to be afraid of Satan, but neither are we to become arrogant and seek to pick a fight with him. Fight only the battles that God assigns you to fight. Otherwise you will fight without His power and backing and He will allow Satan to humble you.
(For information on how to fight Satan and his demons spiritually, please see the Spiritual Warfare studies in this site)
2 TIMOTHY 2:8-13
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Paul’s persecutions make for a strong case concerning his claims of having seen the resurrected Jesus. How many would willingly work as hard and suffer as much as he did for a lie or a fairy tale?
Even hard-core skeptics wonder at the sudden change in the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection, suddenly changing from badly shaken, frightened men to bold lions, defying their corrupt rulers and even being willing to suffer death for His sake. Scripture records that Jesus’ own physical brothers went from being hard-core skeptics to true believers after His resurrection, so they obviously saw something that changed them. And Paul boldly states that over 500 people saw Him at once after His resurrection, most of whom were still living, if any contemporaries wished to verify his account.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-8
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
2 TIMOTHY 2:14-19
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
Unfortunately the Jews of Paul’s time were so hide-bound by the Law of Moses and genealogical records showing who came from what tribe, that they became stumbling blocks to the spread of Christianity. As a result, God destroyed them both along with the Temple, and with one bold stroke eliminated the Temple, the priesthood, the Law and the genealogical records. Why?
Because the Law had no provision for salvation. The animal sacrifices could only cover sins, they couldn’t remove them. With Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection Mankind’s sins were removed forever, at least for those who believe and accept Him so there was no further need for a Law that required imperfect sacrifices that could only cover sins.
And with a new Law and Testament, sealed and put into force by the death of the Lawgiver, Jesus Christ, and Jesus having come as promised, the Old Testament Law and the words of the Prophets had been fulfilled. Therefore there was no further need for genealogical records, Temple, animal sacrifices or a dedicated, ordained priesthood, therefore God did away with all four at once.
That being said, God never ordained another priesthood, as with the destruction of the Temple and our sins removed we are now ALL priests to Him before God. As Scripture states;
REVELATION 1:4-6
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth, to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Later in Revelation John stands before the throne of God the Father and sees 24 elders representing the original patriarchs of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles as well as four “living creatures” which appear to be seraphim. They and untold thousands of redeemed sang before the Throne;
REVELATION 5:9-10
9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”
And Peter, speaking to the believers everywhere said;
1 PETER 2:9-10
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Note that the Temple was still standing when Peter wrote this. He understood that the Old Testament priesthood had been abolished by God at Jesus’ death but the unbelieving Jews were still performing now-useless sacrifices, not accepting God’s plan of salvation. Therefore God destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. to put an end to the now-useless priesthood once and for all.
Today we have the gift of 20/20 hindsight and history in that we can look back and understand how God’s plan for salvation unfolded. Those who lived during New Testament times were living in the middle of the unfolding of God’s plan and had to “learn as they went” so to speak. Knowing this, God raised up men like Paul, whom the Holy Spirit used to explain these things for our benefit. And there was enough confusion and uncertainty over the New Covenant at the time that they certainly didn’t need corrupt teachers to add to it!
2 TIMOTHY 2:20-21
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
I need to digress here briefly as some people have a hard time with the fact that God creates vessels of dishonor in order to display His wrath and punishment for wickedness. They can’t understand why God would command all to repent, yet create individuals doomed to destruction who seemingly have no choice but to carry out His will.
But is that really the case? Let’s look at three examples.
The Bible sometimes uses analogies of potters and clay to illustrate a point. A potter can use the same lump of clay to make different vessels for different uses. For example he can make a bowl and a jug for culinary (eating) purposes, and can make a chamber-pot from the same lump as he wishes.
A case in point:
JEREMIAH 18:1-6
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:
2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.”
3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!
Even though God uses Israel as a example, we all are like clay in His hands, created for a specific purpose, some for honor and some for dishonor. Some people have a hard time with this, saying that God is unrighteous and unfair to create people as vessels of destruction in order to show His wrath as they have no choice in the matter.
Or do they?
Lets take the Pharaoh of the Exodus for example. The Pharaohs before him had been kind to the children of Israel, inviting Joseph’s family to live in Egypt during a harsh famine and granting them rich land in Goshen to live. And so it was for a number of generations.
Until;
EXODUS 1:8-14
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
And;
EXODUS 5:2
2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”
This Pharaoh already had an evil heart when he decided to keep Israel enslaved like his predecessors, before God hardened his heart during the plagues of Exodus. God only hardened his heart further than it already was so he could be used as an example of His wrath and punishment for sin. God knew what he would be like when he created Pharaoh, causing Him to say;
EXODUS 9:15-17
15 Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth.
16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.
17 As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.
And even though God destroyed Egypt through His plagues, He still let Pharaoh live. Pharaoh finally let Israel go, and God’s punishments stopped, sparing Pharaoh’s life and sparing Egypt from further destruction.
But even then Pharaoh didn’t learn. His natural evil took hold of him again;
EXODUS 14:5-9
5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.
7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.
8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.
9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
Pharaoh had returned to his evil nature despite what he had seen and what had happened before God hardened his heart again, so God proceeded to destroy his army in the Red Sea as an example of His wrath. And as He had prophesied, His name was spread across the region.
After Israel had come into Canaan they had sinned and God had allowed the Philistines to defeat Israel in battle as a result. So Israel, treating the Ark of the Covenant more like a good-luck talisman than a representation of God’s presence, had brought the Ark to the battle.
Scripture then records;
1 SAMUEL 4:5-9
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
6 Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.
7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.
8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”
Every nation that had opposed Israel as they came out of Egypt had been destroyed and word had spread far and wide concerning them and their God, as He had promised.
Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees was another example.
He was hand-picked by Jesus to be one of the 12 apostles, yet Scripture states that he was a thief and frequently stole from the common purse of the apostles. And even after seeing all of the miracles that Jesus did, and knowing who Jesus was he still betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave back then.
He had made his choices, and God had allowed Satan to have him to fulfill his destiny as prophesied even though Jesus had warned him that it had been better if he were never born, than to betray Him.
Interestingly enough, Judas later repented of what he had done, but he never asked forgiveness of God for his actions. Instead, he hung himself and died in his sins and is now in Hell awaiting his Judgment. Would God have forgiven even him if he’d asked? The following Scripture says it all;
2 PETER 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
A final example is Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.
God had used him to destroy Jerusalem and its first (Solomon’s) Temple and he had either killed or deported all of the Jews as captives to Babylon as slaves for 70 years as had been prophesied for 40 years by the prophet Jeremiah.
Scripture records Nebuchadnezzar as being a powerful, ruthless, proud, cruel, pompous, arrogant, narcissistic ruler and was one of the greatest, if not the greatest king in the history of the Middle East.
His pride was one of his greatest sins, and the prophet Daniel had interpreted a disturbing dream that the king had dreamed, warning Nebuchadnezzar that if he didn’t humble himself, God would drive him insane for seven years.
Nebuchadnezzar either ignored the warning, or forgot for as Scripture records;
DANIEL 4:29-33
29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.
30 The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”
33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
Like Pharaoh, God had used Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument to fulfill His wrath, but had also punished him for his wickedness. And like Pharaoh and Judas, God in His mercy gave Nebuchadnezzar space to repent after his punishment was completed. Scripture then records;
DANIEL 4:34-37
34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand, or say to Him, “What have You done?”
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
So while God uses wicked people as instruments of His wrath and punishment, He also in His mercy gives them space to repent after seeing His wonders. As Peter said above, He wants all to come to repentance so that none perish but He will not force someone to repent. Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and repented, Pharaoh and Judas did not.
2 TIMOTHY 2:22-26
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Lust is a hard thing to fight, as you are fighting the natural urges of your own body. But it can and must be brought under control and the Holy Spirit will help us with that, as He does with everything else.
We need to remember that God will not allow us to be tested or tempted beyond what we’re capable of resisting. As Scripture says;
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
We just need to look for the escape method that God provides and use it.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-9
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
We are indeed seeing this today, crime is skyrocketing, corruption is rampant, mega-church pastors are preaching erroneous Gospel messages while enriching themselves, children are running wild, parents are not allowed to discipline their children, politicians sell themselves and their services to Wall Street and business interests, just to name a few examples. Fake news is everywhere and what were formerly called “muckraking” news reporters are now lauded as “investigative journalists”; truth is hard to come by and there is so much fake news it’s hard to discern what is truth and what is not.
Can there be any doubt that we are living in the Last Days?
2 TIMOTHY 3:10-17
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,
11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Being a good example and following the lead of good Christians is incredibly important. When you become a Christian, you are immediately in a fish bowl. People may not believe in God or Christianity, but they have no respect for hypocrites either. And you never know if someone will come to Christ based on your conduct.
When I was in the Navy, we often stopped at the Subic Bay base in the Philippines to load up on provisions and supplies before heading out on patrol. The town outside of the base, named Olongapo was a sailor’s paradise - wall to wall prostitute filled bars and wall-to-wall hotels above the bars.
I was married and my Christian beliefs and devotion to my family were well-known to my shipmates at the time and I knew better than to enter that town, so I would take the shuttle boat to nearby Grande Island and go snorkeling there. I was surprised, honored and deeply humbled when some of my married friends came to me one time and said, “We want to go on liberty with you, as we know we won’t get into trouble.” They may not have believed as I did, but they respected my Christian lifestyle.
And that is something we need to understand - religion is something you practice, Christianity is a lifestyle, something you live every day!!!
2 TIMOTHY 4:1-5
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Satan is tireless in his attempts to deceive and corrupt Christians and keep people from hearing about the Word of God. We must be equally diligent in trying to reach people for Jesus, even if they don’t appear to listen. We sow the seeds, God determines if they take root and grow.
Again while I was in the Navy, I worked with a guy who was the party-hearty type, always got drunk on weekends (and some week nights). I never condemned him, and he knew my beliefs and lifestyle.
Several years later, I had rejoined civilian life and was working at a software store while putting myself through college. Suddenly this man whom I had not seen in years came in, spotted me, called me by name and shouted “PRAISE GOD!!!!” There was a loud smack as my lower jaw hit the floor! Apparently after I had left the Navy, the seeds I’d sown took root and grew and God allowed me to see the fruits of my labors.
I’m sure that people who knew me when I was deep into the Occult are going to be surprised when they see me in Heaven. I imagine they’re going to ask God, “What’s HE doing here?” I remember talking to a Christian friend after I’d accepted Jesus, and he stared at me in stunned disbelief while saying, “You are the last person that I’d ever expected to accept Christ!!!!”
Plant the seeds, let God determine if and when they grow.
As Paul prophesied, strange and weird doctrines and teachings are being preached and taught both on-line and in the churches today. Some of these people are what I call “patchwork preachers” in which they take bits and pieces of Scripture and sew them together into a seemingly believable doctrine. They sound good, but they are spiritual poison and only those who know the truth of God’s Word can tell the difference.
I once heard a teacher trying to justify the gay lifestyle, who taught that David before he became king of Israel, had a homosexual relationship with a man named Jonathan, king Saul’s son. David and Jonathan had become best friends, had fought side-by-side in Israel’s wars and deeply loved each other like brethren.
Jonathan had been killed in a battle with the Philistines and David mourned him saying in tribute;
2 SAMUEL 1:25-27
25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan was slain in your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me; your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
Sounds sordid on the surface, right? But as military members know, war forms incredibly deep, lifelong bonds of love and friendship between men, deeper than brotherhood and differing greatly from the love of women. Are they homosexual? Of course not!! And anyone reading 1 & 2 Samuel would know better, knowing that the verse was taken way out of context. But to someone who didn’t know the Scriptures, it could seem plausible.
Another problem is the laxity of some churches concerning ‘prophets’.
I attended a church one time where the pastor had a cassette tape from a self-proclaimed “prophetess” whom he praised highly, saying that “most of her prophecies came true”. After this pronouncement no one in the congregation reacted, but my first thought was “MOST of her prophecies came true?” That set off major alarms in my mind, and sure enough when she started talking I could feel the errors coming from her words. And sure enough, some of the things she prophesied never came to pass.
ALL Christians need to understand what God said concerning prophets;
NUMBERS 12:6
6 Then He said, “Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
DEUTERONOMY 18:20-22
20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’
21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—
22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
The early churches had problems (still prevalent today) in which people fake spiritual gifts especially tongues as tongues are hard to prove true or false. Prophecy is easier, as false prophecies will not come true and are easily verified.
Paul instructs concerning prophets;
1 CORINTHIANS 14:29-33
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.
30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Note that Paul states that if a prophet speaks, let other proven prophets judge as to whether it is truly from God or not. God hates false prophets and many times condemns them in the Old Testament.
Oh, and one other thing. I was in a church one time when a young man stood up in the middle of the sermon and began blurting gibberish, supposedly speaking in tongues.
KNOW THIS - God will NEVER interrupt the teaching of His Word for the display of a spiritual gift! King David states that God has exalted His Word above His own name, so do you think He will allow the preaching of His Word to be interrupted by a spiritual gift?
BOTTOM LINE:
God will appear to a prophet in a vision and talk to them in a dream. They should have no problem being challenged to verify this. If they balk, they’re more than likely false prophets. If what the prophet prophesies doesn’t happen, according to Old Testament Law they were to be killed. We can’t do that nowadays, so the best thing would be to banish them from the church.
2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Paul realizes that his time on Earth is coming to an end. Chances are very good that he was imprisoned again when he wrote this, awaiting his second trial before Nero Caesar (or his assigned deputy if Caesar was too busy to preside over the trial).
Paul shows that he is ready to depart, having finished the work that the Lord had assigned for him to do.
2 TIMOTHY 4:9-13
9 Be diligent to come to me quickly;
10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.
Paul relates that Demas, one of his traveling companions has left him, returning to his old sinful ways while others are preaching the Gospel in Eurasia. Being imprisoned, he had to rely on others to supply his needs.
Oddly enough he requests that John Mark, author of the Gospel of Mark come also. Mark had deserted them earlier on one of their missionary journeys, and in the book of Acts, Paul had forbidden him from accompanying them on his second missionary journey for that reason.
It sounds as if the weather was becoming colder, with Paul asking for a cloak to be brought, as well as books and parchments, possibly copies of Scripture or unfinished letters.
2 TIMOTHY 4:14-15
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.
15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.
Alexander may have made tools or shrines from copper, although pure copper instruments were quite expensive. That’s why most metallic objects were made of bronze at the time, in which copper was mixed with tin, making tools that were stronger (and cheaper) and less subject to corrosion than both separately.
In the book of Acts, Paul had raised the wrath of the local silversmiths of Ephesus who made silver shrines for the worship of the pagan goddess Diana. Apparently Paul’s preaching had caused a sharp drop in their sales and the local merchants were NOT happy and caused a riot in the city.
With Alexander it may have been a similar situation.
2 TIMOTHY 4:16-18
16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
Paul speaks of his first trial before Caesar Nero in which it appears that he was acquitted of all charges. At that time it was popular to throw Christians into the arenas with hungry lions and other wild beasts as Paul mentions above. Another favored method was to wrap Christians in animal skins and let wild dogs tear them apart.
Paul states that at his first trial, none of his friends stood with him at his defense (much like Jesus at His trial before the Sanhedrin), but Paul forgave them. But God wasn’t done with him yet, so Paul was able to preach the message to Caesar as had been prophesied and continue his mission.
2 TIMOTHY 4:19-22
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.
21 Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. Farewell
22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen
Paul asks Timothy and those with him to come before winter, as much of their travel was by ship and winter storms (especially Nor’Easters) could appear with little warning and many ships were lost during winter storms. In the book of Acts, Luke wrote that he, Paul and a group of Roman soldiers and prisoners were driven up and down the Adriatic Sea for two weeks straight by a Euroclydon which is a powerful storm which strikes during the winter. They were eventually shipwrecked on the Mediterranean island of Malta, so Paul knew what he was talking about.
Questions? Comments? E-mail: watchmen_777@yahoo.com