2 Timothy, Day 3
Paul’s Instruction on Relationships #2 (2 Timothy 3 – 4:5)
“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 complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16 – 17).
At the beginning of this chapter, Paul is describing the end of the church age with Timothy and it seems very solemn and depressing. Paul mentions symptoms like selfishness, worldly knowledge, and imitation godliness, just to name a few. Basically, there will be many people who claim to be holy and righteous, but in reality, they will be consumed with their own desires without caring for others. While those who are like this may be adored by those around them, eventually the truth will be revealed. Paul goes on by stating that even though living a godly life will lead to persecution, we should still continue to push on and move forward. But how do we do that?
Christians do that by staying grounded in God’s Word — all of it and not just bits and pieces of it. The Bible is not a buffet where you can pick and choose what you want and ignore the rest. Instead, the Bible is more like a puzzle — all of the pieces belong and fit together. Just because there is a piece that we do not like or understand, that does not mean we can just throw it away because then the Bible will no longer be complete. 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 states, “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 complete, equipped for every good work.” The term “complete” in Verse 17 conveys the meaning of “mature.” Without the Bible as our central source of knowledge, Christians will never become mature. Every Christian should desire to be mature. The Old Testament is just as relevant and important as it was when it was first written. Recently, I have been reading through Genesis in my personal devotional time, and one thing that I keep being reminded of is that God used people who were immoral, deceivers, thieves, proud — and the list goes on. While that does not mean that I should repeat those same actions, it does mean that even though I have sinned in my past, God still can, and does want, to use me.
In the beginning of Chapter 4, Paul is giving a command to Timothy, but I believe this command should be followed by every Christian. First, Paul wants us to always be ready to preach the Word. How do we do that? By studying the Bible, of course. When we spend time daily studying God’s Word, we will be prepared to tell others about what the Bible says. Second, we are to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (Verse 2). This speaks to us Christians helping each other in our spiritual walk. We should not be judgmental, but instead, should encourage each other to live up to God’s standards.
Paul ends this section with a warning about those who do not desire the truth of the Gospel, but instead seek teachers who just tell them what they want to hear. There have been a few times in my ministry where I have disappointed parents because they wanted the Children’s Ministry to be more “fun” and less “instructional.” While I do enjoy playing games with the children, to me, that is not the most important part. The most important part of Children’s Ministry is for children to have a solid foundation of the Bible that they can refer back to as they get older. Without a solid foundation, they are more likely to be swayed by this world.
As a Christian, do not fall for the trick that people (you) need to be entertained to come to Christ and mature. Instead, we need God’s Word and His truth explained to us in a way that is meaningful to us. Fulfill your ministry and share the Gospel with those around you.
Pastor David Guenin