“be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”… Paul's exhortation to Timothy to "be strong" reminds us of the Word of God to Joshua: ". . . As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage; for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous.” (Josh. 1:5-7). Moses, the representative of the Law, had died, and now Joshua was to lead the people into the riches of the land of Canaan. But there would be enemies there to keep them from enjoying these riches. Therefore there would be a need to be "strong and very courageous."
Through the finished work of Christ on the Cross the Covenant of the Law was temporarily set aside and we (the church the body of Christ) became dead to the Law Program. Therefore Paul says: "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held” (Rom. 7:6). "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. . .” (Gal. 3:13). "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross” (Col. 2:14).
So now, with the Covenant of the Law set aside, Paul, as the representative of the risen, glorified Lord, was commissioned to lead us into the riches of our "Canaan" - all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ“ (Eph. 1:3). But just like there were enemies in Canaan to prevent Israel from occupying the land and obtaining its blessings, so there are enemies in the “heavenlies” to keep us from occupying our position and enjoying our possessions there. Based on that knowledge, Paul urges us to "be strong in the Lord” and prepare to do battle with Satan and his hosts (Eph. 6:10-17).
“And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also”… I believe that Paul is signaling to Timothy a transition in the progressive revelation of the dispensation of the grace of God. For the first 30 years of the church the body of Christ, those who received the gospel as proclaimed by Paul (I Cor. 15:1-4) were nurtured in their Christian faith by men filled with the Holy Spirit and “spiritual gifts” distributed to each one as the Holy Spirit saw fit. These new believers would meet together in local assemblies and be instructed about the gospel of salvation and the revelation of the mystery. Before Paul was put to death, the church departed from “the faith” and II Timothy explains the final phase of God’s program for the church the body of Christ. Paul does not tell Timothy to reform the church, pray for the church, hold revival services for the church, or pray and fast for the church. He tells Timothy to turn his attention to individual men who are faithful with the message of grace. The best we can do today is to give the revelation of the mystery to faithful men who will in turn pass it on. If I am wrong about this interpretation, you should expect the following verses to instruct Timothy on how to address the apostasy and thereby turn the church around. We could expect Paul to tell Timothy something like---build a seminary, start a Christian school, train some pastors, evangelists, teachers, deacons, etc. But guess what? Paul instructs Timothy to consider a farmer, athlete, and a soldier. These three professions would guide the way for the servant of the Lord till Jesus comes again.
In this chapter Paul uses five metaphors (illustrations) to communicate what God expects of His people:
1. A Steward
Vs. 2…"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also”. Interestingly, the word "steward"(Greek--- oikonomos) is the root of the word "dispensation" (oikonomia).While this verse does not contain the word "steward," it certainly implies stewardship. A steward is a person who manages or administers someone else’s possessions. Abraham had a steward, Eliezer, who dispensed Abraham's affairs (Gen. 15:2).
“the same commit thou to faithful men”…The context of this instruction to Timothy is…everyone in Asia had turned away from Paul (I Tim. 1:15). Timothy was pastoring the church at Ephesus (capital city of Asia) and didn’t know how to deal with the departure from Paul’s distinctive message of grace. There are many options and strategies that Paul could have recommended to Timothy---rebuke the church through a series of sermons, call a special prayer meeting for the church, schedule a conference or revival with a celebrity preacher, or encourage a special time of fasting. However, the Lord Jesus chose to go in a surprising direction. In light of the defection from the message of grace Timothy encountered at Ephesus, he was to concentrate his ministry on finding individual men who evidence faithfulness (fidelity to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support). In the context, fidelity to the gospel of grace, the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery and the prophetic Scriptures (I & II Thess.). Timothy’s focus was to change from church building, church planting, church ministering, to teaching individual men who can in turn teach other men. I do not believe it to be a coincidence that Paul had written to this very church at Ephesus about four years earlier...He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: [13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Eph. 4:11-13). Therefore, Paul had already warned the Ephesian Christians that at a certain point in the progress of the dispensation of grace, God would transition from churches being taught by men with spiritual gifts (without a completed Bible) to teaching individual men from the now completed Scriptures which are to be studied rightly divided.
Luke 12:42 our Lord asks: “Who them is that faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?”
To those who would try to convince Paul to abandon the "preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery," he responded: "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards (dispensers) of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards (dispensers) that a man be found faithful” (I Cor.4:1,2).
2. A Soldier
Vs. 3-4…"Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier”. In the soldier it is courage and self-discipline that are important. It is a sad fact that most of God's people simply do not want to be soldiers. They are sure that the battle for the truth can be won by “love." They ignore God's specific order to "fight the good fight of the faith" (I Tim. 6:12).
3. An Athlete
Vs. 5…"And if a man also strive for the masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully”.
The key requirement for an athlete is knowledge of and attention to the rules. When the referee says to the boxer: "Now don't throw low punches, and when I tell you to break, break, clean," etc., the boxer must observe these rules. The participants in athletic competition must abide by the rules of the game or be immediately penalized or disqualified. This is important, for there are many Christians who make their own rules where doctrine and service are concerned. Think about the so-called "Great Commission". People just decide for themselves which part of the commission is to be obeyed and which parts apply to the present dispensation. How important to take serious the Spirit-inspired words of I Cor. 3:10: "According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.” If you fail to proclaim the message of Romans 16:25-27 (unmixed with messages written to and about other dispensations) you will not receive a reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (I Cor. 3:10-15).
4. A Farmer
Vs. 6…"The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits”. A "husbandman” is one who raises animals or crops. He must spend long hours in the field, plowing, planting, tending and harvesting. This is what it takes to produce fruit from the ground (Gen. 3:17-19; Jas. 5:7). Farm work is hard work and most people do not want to do it. This is a perfect explanation why most Christians refuse to proclaim the revelation of the mystery---it is easier just to go to church and be done with it for a week. A second thought in this verse to encourage grace believers is that farmers labor with the knowledge that if they do not produce a crop they don’t have anything to eat. The history of farming in America has not been for the benefit of selling to others, it was to feed your own family. Also, in farm work one faces a lot of unknowns---lack of rain, flooding, extreme heat or cold, pests, disease, etc. A farmer has to deal with all these factors which mean it is easy to get discouraged and want to get into some line of work a little more stable. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (I Cor. 15:58). "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season WE shall reap IF we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).
Vs. 7… “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” Paul’s message is exclusively to the Body of Christ. Satan hates this message and hinders us from understanding. As we prayerfully study the message of grace we can be assured that the Lord will give us understanding in “all things of grace”. In a larger sense, studying the writings of Paul will also give us understanding of Israel and its program of prophecy. We see how God is working in both programs.
Paul prayed that the Ephesians would understand the will of God… “making mention of you in my prayers; [17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: [18] The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints…”
Vs. 8-9… “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: [9] Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.” The very heart and soul of what Paul taught and that we should consider and remember is the fact that Paul’s Gospel is different from that which was preached by anyone prior to him. Even though Peter was a contemporary of Paul, Peter preached a different gospel. Peter and the other disciples had proclaimed the resurrection of Christ, David's Son, to sit on David's throne as King (Acts 2:29-31), but Paul had now been raised up to proclaim the resurrection of this same Christ, to confirm the believer's justification (Rom. 4:25), his oneness with Christ (Col. 2:12; Eph. 2:5,6) and the spiritual victory that may be ours in Christ (Rom. 8:11,12; Phil. 3:10,11).
It is worth noting that at Paul's last visit to Jerusalem, he was arrested and imprisoned, but not the other Jewish Disciples. They were left alone (Acts 8:1). Why? Because Satan particularly hates the message committed to Paul. Scripture makes it crystal clear that Paul was persecuted for proclaiming the particular message committed to him by revelation from the risen, exalted Christ:
". . . the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds..” (Eph. 6:19,20).
"... the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds” (Col. 4:3).
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner. . .” (II Tim. 1:8).
"But the Word of God is not bound.”… This is the basis for what he says in verse 10…"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Because the Word is not bound, Paul's sufferings were not in vain, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Just as Jesus personally spoke to Paul and revealed the message of grace, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word of God to teach us that same message of grace today.
Vs. 11-13… It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: [12] If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: [13] If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
“For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him”… If by faith we recognize Christ’s death as our death, and have been buried with him by baptism into death (Rom. 6:3), we shall also share in His resurrection life and ultimately in His "eternal glory". All this is part of the special message of grace committed to the Apostle Paul.
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” This has nothing to do with losing your salvation but rather with our Christian conduct and testimony that will be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ, by which we will "receive a reward" or "suffer loss" (I Cor. 3:14,15).
“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself”…The words "believe not" here are the opposite of the word "faithful" in the same verse. In context, the sense is…"If we are unfaithful to the message of grace, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." God is faithful to His message in this dispensation. He will not abandon His purpose in order to make you feel better at the Judgment Seat. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:10) Works has nothing to do with our salvation but specific works after we are saved are before ordained.
5. An Interpreter
Vs. 14-15… “Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. When it comes to Bible interpretation, it has been the tendency of preachers to do so by studying the Greek, Hebrew and English words. While defining words accurately is important, it is not the God-approved method of verse 15. You can be one of the finest linguists in the land but if you fail to "rightly divide the Word of truth", you can not be approved of God nor stand before Him “unashamed” in that day. Defining Greek, Hebrew and English words may impress the members of your church, but without right division, it only serves to subvert the hearers. SELAH
Vs. 16-18… But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; [18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples of “preachers” who we are encouraged to “shun”. Paul characterizes their “ministries” as "profane and vain babblings". There is one reason why Paul warns us about these types of “preachers”---their failure to rightly divide the Word of truth. This is not the first mention by Paul of Hymenaeus. He is mentioned in I Tim. 1:19-20 as having "made shipwreck" of the faith and is guilty of blasphemy. These are strong words indeed. It should spiritually shock us into a whole new appreciation and confidence in the importance of rightly dividing the word of truth.
Hymenaeus and Philetus had both been teaching "that the resurrection is past already" (vs. 18). These “preachers” did not deny the resurrection; they simply misplaced it. They did not deny the Word of truth; they wrongly divided it and therefore were guilty of perverting an important grace doctrine taught in I & II Thessalonians. Perhaps they based their argument on Paul's own words in passages like Eph. 2:5,6 and Col. 3: 1. We can not know for sure which verses they misinterpreted, but it is for certain that it had to be something Paul had written because of the words in verse 18 they "overthrew the faith of some”. This resulted in the saints having no hope of a bodily resurrection and their teachings led to further ungodliness because wrongly dividing the word of truth will eat like a canker.
Vs. 19… Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. How wonderful is this verse because based on the dire warning of the preceding three verses it is easy to become immobilized by doubt and fear…Who are we to listen to? How do we know who is rightly dividing the word of truth? How do we even judge whether they are saved or not? Was Hymenaeus saved in the light of I Tim. 1:20? We may rest in the fact that "the Lord knoweth them that are His”.
And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity”… Throughout the Scriptures, God makes a distinction between transgressions, sins and iniquities. Although they are all three closely related, there are some obvious differences. Psalms 51 is an example of this when David prays a prayer of repentance to God. To transgress is to go further than the Law of God allows. While God permits men to take a wife in marriage, He does not allow you to take another man’s wife. To sin is to respond to our own lusts by entertaining thoughts, speaking words, performing deeds or expressing attitudes that are unacceptable to God. Iniquities are destructive personal habits (addictions---power, food, sex, alcohol/drugs, religion) that show up in our lives over time. Iniquities are “stubborn sins”; it is our unique way of going astray (Isa. 563:6). Paul is simply telling us that if we claim to be a Christian, we have a responsibility to depart from the iniquity of interpreting the Bible any way we prefer.
Vs. 20…But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. In I Tim. 3:15 Paul calls the church the body of Christ "the house of God," here he refers to it as "a great house," in that there are all kinds of people professing to be a member of the church the body of Christ. Remember that Paul wrote Timothy previously (I Tim. 4:1) and warned about the great departure. This departure would continue throughout the dispensation of grace until the one-world church will be the only church left after the “rapture” occurs. John describes this remaining religious body (one-world church) as ". . . Babylon . . . the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Rev. 18:2). How careful, then, should the builders of the Church the body of Christ on earth be to rightly divide the Word of truth. When we fail to rightly divide the word of truth, the church the body of Christ becomes----------DIVIDED!!! Church history proves this to be a fact. Paul, by divine inspiration, wrote: "According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (I Cor. 3:10). God committed to Paul the "plans and specifications" for the Church of the present dispensation. Paul himself laid the foundation in his teachings to the Church of his day. How careful we should be as we build upon his foundation in Jesus Christ. Many religious men were building out of the Law, Sermon on the Mount, the Great Commission, the Gospel of the Kingdom, etc. even in Paul’s day. Therefore he warns Timothy about "a great house," with members, who brought anything but honor to God.
Vs. 21…If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. How then do we bring honor to the “master” of the house? By purging ourselves from “these” people who are obsessed with building a “church” with the wrong materials, we prepare ourselves for every good work, makes us worthy of honor and useful to God. I voluntarily submitted myself to one of these “great houses” for over forty years of my life. Thank God I saw the light and escaped the plantation mentality called “church”.
Note also that sanctification precedes service according to this verse. Apparently God does not want a servant who is not set apart to the message of grace. In fact, this is the first thing Paul tells us about himself (Rom. 1:1). Let’s proceed with caution in this doctrine of sanctification because it has at least three meanings: 1. Sanctification is a once-for-all transaction performed by the Holy Spirit whereby we become saints of God; this is our position/standing (Rom.15:16; I Cor. 1:2; 6:11). 2. Sanctification is also spoken of as a future work of God when He gives us a new glorified body at the Rapture of the church (I Cor. 15). 3. Sanctification means to cleanse ourselves from sinful conduct. This change occurs in a rather unsuspecting process. During the Law Program of Israel the Jews were required to look in the Law and see that they measured up (James 1). Grace believers are told to look at the glory of the Lord (our new position/new creatures); as we do we “are changed” by the Holy Spirit.
Vs. 22-23…. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. [23] But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. Paul tells us that we are to pursue righteousness (our state/condition) with the same passion that we have for “youthful lusts”.
"Follow… with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Choose your friendships carefully.
Vs. 24-26…And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, [25] In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; [26] And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
The word “strive” in verse 24 does not contradict what Paul told the Philippians…"stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:27) It means to quarrel or dispute. It is also helpful to remember that Paul is talking to Timothy about those grace believers in Ephesus who were departing from the message of grace. In that context Paul tells Timothy there is no need to engage in heated debates. However, you and I routinely deal with Christians who have never heard about the revelation of the mystery and under those circumstances Paul had a different response---Acts 15:7… And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
"in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves”… Rejecting the message of grace and building your life out of religious law and tradition is what it means to “oppose yourself” (Acts 18:6).
“if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth”… Departing from the message of grace after having seen it is so offensive to God that there is little chance of one ever returning to what he has abandoned. It is possible but not probable.
“And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will”…Not only would you have to get special permission from God to return to grace, in addition you must recover yourself from the trap of the devil. What is that will? To alter the dispensational program of God to man. You are either working with God in His program or you are working with the Devil in an altered plan.
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