2 TIMOTHY (Letter 55, Larry Crabb’s 66 Love Letters)
A SOON-TO-DIE SAINT LOOKS BACK AT LIFE—AND AHEAD TO LIFE!
Too often we pray counting on Him for successful surgery, a more peaceful emotional life, visibly impactful ministry-whatever we think we need to feel happily mature. But He tells us to count on Him for enough strength to stay faithful to His purposes no matter what happens and-through either our death or His Son’s return-to count on Him to get us to His party.
Here’s Paul, chained in a desolate, hard-to-find Roman dungeon [1:16–17] after years of beatings, imprisonments, hateful opposition, vicious slander, at least one shipwreck, days without food or drink, clothed in rags, feelings of unbearable pressure, and many sleepless nights. And now he’s waiting to be murdered by Rome for the crime of telling people God’s story.
If Paul took the pulpit in one of our churches today, I can’t imagine he’d leave any doubt that we’re out of line when we expect (or worse, insist) that our lives move along smoothly. He begins this letter to a young pastor by encouraging him to get over his fears and join in ‘suffering for the gospel’ (1:6–8). From a jail cell, he’s exhorting Timothy to tell the same story that earned Paul a death sentence, to live the same life that ruined any chance Paul had for an easy existence. Like no other, this letter forever destroys the illusion that He calls us to struggle-free maturity.
Fight the good fight now. Enjoy the good life forever.
The life He wants us to live now is a life both to endure and enjoy. At times, such strong endurance will be required that joy will seem a far-off hope, a lost experience. But without endurance, we will know little of the very real joy He provides. With endurance, a joy will develop that frees us to appreciate the pleasures of life’s blessings without requiring from them a satisfaction they cannot provide.
Through Paul’s earlier letter to Timothy, He told us that godliness, a life lived consistently with His story, has ‘value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come’ (1 Timothy 4:8; emphasis added). As he looked back on his life with all its problems and as he looked ahead to his execution, Paul had no regrets. He had endured hardship ‘like a good soldier of Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 2:3) and invited Timothy to do the same. But he also invited Timothy while he lived in this world to ‘take hold of the life that is truly life’ (1 Timothy 6:19), to ‘take hold of the eternal life’ that was in him from the moment he was converted, by fighting ‘the good fight of the faith’ (1 Timothy 6:12). Looking back, Paul knew that enduring the bloody battle of the good fight for truth with the prospect of a certain and eternal victory brought joy.”
“Sit with Paul in his dungeon. He’s old, his body is frail, he’s feeling deserted by his friends [4:16], and he’s lonely and tired, with no hope of seeing daylight again. He’s been fighting the good fight for a long time. Listen as he speaks for the last time before he dies:
‘For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness… and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing’ (4:6-8). My Old Testament people poured wine over all their offerings, every morning and every night, as a way of declaring their willingness to give themselves entirely to Him and His purposes [Numbers15:1-12; 28:7-8]. Fight the fight, run the race, keep the faith. Endure and enjoy until you enjoy Him forever with nothing to endure.”
2 TIMOTHY: From Ray Stedman
Click here for entire Bible Summary from Ray Stedman
2 TIMOTHY: How Not to Collapse
The subject of his letter was how to keep strong in the midst of a collapsing civilization. That is the theme of the Second Timothy. And that seems an appropriate subject for this twenty first-century hour, doesn’t it?
Have you ever thought of the gospel, or of Christianity, this way, “the promise of the lifewhich is in Christ Jesus” – not life to come so
much as life right now? One of the big obstacles in coming to a satisfactory view of life is that Christianity is seen somehow as a detour – that if you are a Christian, you have to give up most of the exciting things about life. But Christianity is anything but a detour around life. It is a highway right straight through the middle of it. It is the key to life; the fulfillment of the hunger and longing of human hearts. And so, in this second letter to Timothy, the apostle is giving us this key to life.
Now he has four things that he wants to say to
this young man:
· The first one is, “guard the truth,”
· The second, “be strong in the Lord,”
· Third, “avoid traps and pitfalls along the way,”
· And, fourth, “preach the word.”
Guard the Truth
If we are anxious, if we are troubled, it is not from God. You have an ability given you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within you, and if you are not putting that to work, you are wasting your life. Charles Spurgeon was exactly right when he said, “Truth is like a lion. Whoever heard of defending a lion? Turn it loose and it will defend itself.”
We are called to patiently accept being offended because of truth.
Follow the pattern of sound words.
Be strong in the Lord
Be dedicated as a soldier is dedicated to one thing.
Be strong as an athlete. That means discipline: no shortcuts, no cutting corners or breaking the rules.
Follow him as a farmer. That means diligence.
Avoid traps and pitfalls along the way,
There are areas in the Scriptures in which honest, searching, earnest scholars will find differences; avoid getting into controversies in those areas; do not make final decisions and divisions over that kind of thing.
Avoid dangerous passions. Do not suppress them, but give thanks for them and walk honestly, in purity, before the Lord and God will use you for noble purposes.
A rebellious attitude
to be completed
Preach the word
Do not merely believe the word but talk about it, speak it, tell it to others
Three things: convince, rebuke, and exhort to counteract the characteristics of a decaying age.
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. {2 Tim 4:3 NLT}
As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. {2 Tim 4:6-8 NLT}
2 TIMOTHY – David Jeremiah (Understanding the 66 Books of the Bible)
Key thought: In perilous times, we must be steadfast and determined to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.
Key Verse: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of the our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:7-8
Key Action: The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2nd Timothy 2:2