A Letter From Paul

Try something out of the ordinary. As you read the following chapter taken from 2Timothy 2, read it as if it were a letter written by the Apostle Paul directly to you personally, which in truth it is.

Dear (your name):

So you, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is to be found only in Christ Jesus. And the instructions which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust (as a deposit) to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also. Take (with me) your share of the hardships and suffering which you are called to endure as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of civilian life: his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). It is the hard-working farmer (who labors to produce) who must be the first partaker of the fruits Think over these things I am saying [understand and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything. Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ (the Messiah) as risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David, according to the good news (the Gospel) that I preach. For that [Gospel} I am suffering affliction and even wearing chains like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained or imprisoned! Therefore I am ready to persevere and stand my ground with patience and endure everything for the sake of the elects [God’s chosen], so that they too may obtain [the] salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with [the reward of] eternal glory. The saying is sure and worthy of confidence: If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny and disown and reject Him, He will also deny and disown and reject us. If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself. Remind the people of these facts and [solemnly] charge them in the presence of the Lord to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good but upsets and undermines the faith of the hearers. Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. And their teaching [will devour: it] will eat its way like cancer or spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, who missed the mark and swerved from the truth by arguing that the resurrection has already taken place. They are undermining the faith of some. But the firm foundation (laid by) of God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): the Lord knows those who are His, and, let everyone who names himself by the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble use and some for menial and ignoble use. So whoever cleanses himself [from whatever is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. Shun youthful lusts and flee from them; aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word and deed); and aim at and pursue faith, love, peace (harmony and accord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. But refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels. And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it], and that they may come to their senses [and] escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him, [henceforth] to do His [God’s] will.

Your brother in Christ,
Paul

Within just this one chapter, there are encouragements, exhortations and warnings to each and every one of us as believers. Paul’s message today would be the same as it was when he sent this to Timothy. God is the same yesterday, today and forever; there is no shadow of turning in Him. We need to hear Paul’s words today, just as much as the early church members needed to hear them. Paul was appointed by Jesus to be a special messenger; [teacher] to the Gentiles. He walked in a living relationship with Christ, and tried to encourage others to enter into the very same kind of relationship-walk for themselves. This is but a sampling of what is to be found in the pages of the Holy Bible. Herein lie the keys to knowing God. When you read the Word, make it personal. Do not mentally apply it to others, but take it to heart, and apply the message to your own life. You can’t change any one but yourself, and if you change, then others may see it and want what you have. What makes reading the above chapter like this different? It flows when we take out the verses and separations. We should always read the Word of God just like God is talking to us personally, and we should expect to learn something new every time we read. There are heights and depths to be discovered in the scriptures, which we will never see or be aware of if we fail to keep an open, expectant heart. Too often we take verses at face value, think we know what they say and never look any further. We also accept the teachings and doctrines of men as being from God, when in fact many of them are doctrines of devils.

The only way to know the Truth; the only way to grow spiritually, is to make your first priority pressing into a relationship with God. We tend to confuse membership with relationship. We tend to accept the religious organizations of men as being representatives of all that is Holy. Jesus told us to “follow Me”, not join the church on such and such corner. Forms and rituals, padded pews and stained glass windows are not what God inhabits. God inhabits the hearts and lives of believers. 2Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Because all scripture originated from God, it is the one sure way to come to know God. How often have we heard someone read a verse that we may have heard hundreds of times before; perhaps you have had it memorized since childhood, and we don’t pay much attention? We can develop an over-familiarity with the Word, to the point where we can actually skim over those parts that we are familiar with, looking for stronger meat. What we fail to take into consideration is that if we have never fully digested that which we have already partaken of, and allowed it to do its transforming work within, we will never be able to digest the stronger meat we are seeking. The Word is not given to us so that we can accumulate vast storehouses of knowledge, categorizing and cataloguing the things of the Spirit. The Word became flesh and dwelt among men, that we might partake of His life and death, even while in these mortal bodies, in this world. When we try to approach the Word with our intellect, we make it dead and of no effect. The Word is just as vital and alive today as when Christ walked this earth. The Spirit that raised Jesus Christ up from the dead is just as present and powerful today, to raise us up from the death of this carnally minded life till we live and walk in heavenly places with our Lord. [We do not have to wait till we die and leave these mortal bodies, to live in and by the spirit].

Just as this one chapter illustrates the encouragements, exhortations and warnings Paul continually spoke throughout the New Testament; so does the rest of the Bible contain the same message. It is a record of how God has dealt with mankind down through the ages. From Genesis through Revelation we find examples of how to come to know God; how to be clothed in the righteousness that comes from above; how to overcome evil with good; how to walk in the fullness of the Spirit. I pray that we will have a greater appreciation for the Word that we so freely possess, and that we will submit to the tutoring of the Holy Spirit, who will lead us into all truth.

There are many treasures to be discovered in God’s Word; but our primary aim should be directed at reading all of Jesus’ Words. As we read and re-read the red-letter words, we will gain insight into what our Lord deemed important. We will discover for ourselves what Jesus taught, and what we can expect if we decide to believe and follow Him. As we pursue to know God, we can expect to encounter obstacles and barriers. To follow Christ requires a very strong man or woman. We can be more than overcomers, just as Paul and a multitude of others were and are Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and make it yours.

Amen.

C. Morris: 02/15/03