July 31st, 2010
Thoughts on 2 Timothy
I was laying today, awake from an afternoon nap (I feel a bit like Pooh Bear) and I decided to spend some time with the Lord. It was really sweet. I feel that I’ve neglected my faith in favor of school, work, dreams and ambitions, and the like. Here are a few verses from 2 Timothy that struck me, and some thoughts about each one.
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. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 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.
2 Timothy 2:3-7 (ESV)
I’ve heard these verses preached so many times, but I’m not sure I understand what they mean to their full extent. The neat part is that Paul, in writing to Timothy, is saying “I know this will be hard to understand – I’m using metaphor – but the Lord will help you understand.” I pray, like Timothy, that I will know the fullness of Pauls meaning in time. I pray for discipline and stamina to run the race, to keep focus.
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. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 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.
2 Timothy 2:20-26
There’s a list of things here that Paul is telling Timothy to do and not do – which I think I should heed myself.
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:1-7
Again, Paul is listing how not to be human – but the verse at the end really caught my eye. I am an information addict. I love researching and learning. Part of it is my job, part of it is what I’m good at and how I’m wired. But I do not want to be the one who is “always learning but never able to arrive at the knowledge of the (T)ruth.” Lord. may it never be! Teach me!
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
And finally, I love that we will be equipped for every good work with the Scripture of the Lord. We joked the other day in the Institutional Effectiveness meeting about the word “competent” and how we cringe at that word when it is used in education. But it is not a bad word and it means that we’ll be ready. Lord may I be ready! Wash me in your word!