2 Timothy 3:10-17
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Questions:
- As you read this what are the first things that come to your mind?
- What in this text strikes you as remarkable?
- What is the main point of Paul’s words to Timothy?
- How does Paul emphasize the character and integrity of people?
- What role does Scripture play in character development?
- What role does character play in the authority of Scripture?
So what else is on your mind?
26 comments:
OK, OK, you have been very quiet lately! You should just tell me what’s going on. Are all of you getting together and talking somewhere else. I’m not paranoid or nothing, but I know something is going on. Ha ha ha.
Just kidding. Remember a few weeks ago I said that the blog is like life? Sometimes things are quiet and sometimes they are not. I am content either way.
There have been a few really good things said here in the last 2-3 weeks, even when it’s been quiet, so we’ll keep the blog open and going.
I know personally that I have been very busy. We bought the little house across the road, and we are working pretty hard to get it all cleaned and fixed up. I am really enjoying doing it so far.
The commandments is still in effect and here is the proof.
Matthew 5:17-19
17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them , the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 15:1-9 1. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4. For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6. And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free . Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Matthew 19:16-19. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17. And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is , God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:36-40 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38. This is the first and great commandment.
39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Luke 7:8-13 8. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free .
12. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
2nd Timothy 3:13-17 13. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them ;
15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
I think the message here is to keep our focus. When distractions around us bring us down, just keep on going and stay in the scriptures for answers and strength along with comfort. Nothing is more comforting to me than knowing that I am not the first to exprience these things or the last. Many do now and many have before me and victory is ours if we perservere. I believe that is the message of hope we find in Revelation. Paul is speaking as a father would to Timothy to perservere because trying times will come. He is encouraging Timothy to keep the faith. When trying times come but our hope is not in this world, our hope is in Heaven with Christ and God. Sherron
The part that always catches my eye is the "God-breathed" scripture part. There's something very mysterious, there, I think. I often wonder exactly what that means--God-breathed. Obviously, it refers to inspiration. But, what exactly, is that? I wrestle with that, from time to time.
Donna
I don't know exactly but just a theory on the term. Maybe the God-breathed was a term that was used to be better understood by us as humans. Life is synonomous with breath in our existance. If we cannot breathe we die. Scripture came from God's innermost being to us in order to equip us for life in Him. If He could speak into existance the world as we know it then it seems to me that the very essence of his existance and desire for us is put into words for our use in life to live close to Him. Just a guess. Sherron
Any thoughts about September 11th?
Sorry I have been fairly inactive/quiet in this place. The last 2-3 weeks have been very busy for me. On top of all the normal stuff, I have started my classes at OCU-B, which are wonderful by the way. I have some really eager, hungry, seeking students–the kind that hang around after class asking questions about Jesus. I think this semester could be extra special; it has that feel about it.
We have also been busy working on the house across the road. We have accomplished a lot so far, but there is a lot more to do. We’re just trying to work on it when we can between volleyball and football and...
Have you seen the weather forecast? Wow! Temps in the 40s?
If I was a betting man, and I am not, then I would wager that we are going to have a cool fall and a cold, wet winter. Now, I really hope we do have a lot of snow this winter. I love snow.
Some of you know that I dropped my relatively new laptop on Saturday morning, breaking the screen and making it unusable. I immediately called Todd, and he is presently fixing it. [I am on my old machine. Precious memories.]
I was really proud of the way I handled the whole situation. I didn’t yell, scream, get mad, get depressed or anything like that. I remained very calm and even keeled about it; a very stoic approach.
About the time I was giving myself a pat on the back about my behavior, by bragging to Kedra about it, she said, “Well, I’ll tell you what Ben said and what I was thinking: ‘I’m sure glad it wasn’t me who broke it.’” OUCH! I wonder if I would have been so grace-full and merciful to someone else as I was to myself?
Been looking at our text for the week...
You really need to begin in 3:1 and go through verse 9 to understand better what Paul says in 10-17.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth–men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
What is the connection in our passage, 10-17, and the one I just presented, as far as integrity is concerned?
And what is the connection between Scripture and integrity?
The other day I picked up a book I read a few years ago: Reverence - Renewing a Forgotten Virtue. It’s a book on philosophy, but, unlike some, it has some really accessible, applicable things to say. How about this (p. 3)?
Reverence begins in a deep understanding of human limitations; from this grows the capacity to be in awe of whatever we believe lies outside of our control—God, truth, justice, nature, even death. The capacity for awe, as it grows, brings with it the capacity for respecting fellow human beings, flaws and all. This in turn fosters the ability to be ashamed when we show moral flaws exceeding the normal human allotment.
Try this one (p. 198):
Reverence, remember, is the capacity for certain feelings where they are due, and the most prominent of these is respect. Respect comes in three degrees of thickness: too thick, too thin, and just right. Thick respect is a judgement of quality and is supposed to be due only to those who deserve it. Thin respect expresses only equality, and is due to every human being. But the respect that flows from reverence is a felt recognition of a connection growing out of common practices. You owe reverent respect to anyone who satisfies two conditions—he or she (1) belongs to a practice in common with you and (2) recognizes his or her position in the practice.
Didn't mean to be a 'blog hog' this week but the last scriptures made me think and tells me that scripture defines the difference between right and wrong. It wipes out the gray areas. Without knowledge of scripture we can be led astray easily by the cunning ways of Satan. This is why it is important to stay in the word because any of us can be deceived if we do not. It reminds me to be on guard because Satan is a roaring lion on this earth, seeking to devour whomever he may. (I think Peter said that) Our focus must be on Christ and His good teachings. It is easy to let the negative traits filter in and we do need to be on guard but not be afraid. We have to be careful that our belief is genuine--a form of godliness--is a shallow belief that does not put it's trust in God but in self. I think that is why partaking of the Lord's Supper on Sunday is so valuable because it gives us time to reflect on our lives and align ourselves again with truth. OK, nuf sed. Love ya all, Sherron
We have a couple of wonderful, God fearing and loving women in our congregation that God blessed us with on September 11th!! Brenda Byers and Rita Slone. They are beautiful examples to all who know them..............take time to thank God for that blessing today!
:o)
Diane
well today I watched most of the 9/11 incidents on MSNBC. It always touches me when I see different shows dealing with 9/11 since I am a New yorker. The crying part is what gets to me the most because you feel so sorry for those that lost love ones. I couldnt imagine what was going through the mind of those who were jumping out of windows.
Out of all the people in the bible, how come Paul is more talked about than any other person in the bible. You talk about Christ and the next thing you know, you have people saying, well go to this scripture or go to that scripture and when you go to the scripture it is something that Paul wrote. If we are suppose to listen to what Christ says, how is it that Christ teaching is being override with what Paul teaches? I have nothing against Paul's teaching but how come all people talk about is Paul as if he is the only person that was mention in the bible. The way I look at it, some of the things that Paul wrote is the very reason this world is the way it is today. You have preachers complaining because of woman preachers. dealing with some of the male preachers I've dealt with over the years, If a woman is going to preach the word the way God expect out of her, I would sit in her church any day. If it wasnt for a woman preacher, I probably wouldnt be where I am today. I would listen to a God fearing woman preacher preach any day than to listen to a male preacher preach something that isn't from the Lord.
Paul was “hand-picked” by Jesus himself to be his “main man,” if I read Scripture right:
Acts 9:15
But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”
Acts 26:15-18
Then I asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the Lord replied. “Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Paul makes it abundantly clear that his life is totally bound up in Christ and in Scripture, as we talked about in Sunday’s sermon. I don’t think you could separate them, really.
Paul authored most of the New Testament, led by the Spirit of God.
Paul’s writings were considered Scripture by Peter; see 2 Peter 3:15,16.
It is not Paul vs. Jesus. Paul continues the message of Jesus and shows how it applies in churches. Jesus promised a church, but it did not come into being until Pentecost. Paul completes the mission of God by being the chosen vessel to the Gentiles, which is us. We are still a part of the mission. Paul’s words help us better understand Jesus.
Here’s a good article about Tony Dungy.
Here’s an article about Fred Thompson where he mentions “the good Church of Christ” but says that he is not much of a church-goer.
Did something yesterday I’ve never done before. It just sorta happened. Spontaneous (my middle name). Kedra and I were in Sam’s Club, after completing some investigative work at Bloomington Hospital, the details of which I will share in another venue. Anyway, that part took a lot longer than I thought, and I needed to be back to talk to people who come to the food pantry. We were in Sam’s buying 30 pounds of hamburger and other stuff for WEM. I was hungry and knew it. Duty was not going to allow for lunch, so I was thinking it was a great opportunity for discipline and self-control. All this went out the window when in the check out line I look up and see these words: PIZZA COMBO $2.49. Animal instinct took over and for $5.00 I treated Kedra and me to this great offer. So we sat there on the little tables, like two really old people, eating pizza and drinking cokes. It was good! I said, “I wonder how long until someone we know sees us sitting here.” Kedra said, “There’s Teresa S.” Busted. But not ashamed. I think I now know where our next date may be.
I'm not a Fred Thompson fan. Not sure why; I just get the same feeling about him that I do about Dick Cheney. Just don't like'em, not sure why. I do respect, tho, that he's keeping his religion (or lack thereof) out of his campaign speeches. So many Republicans (and now, Democrats) just "talk God" to appease us. I'm not sure who I"ll vote for in '08; nobody's really ringing my bells. I wish with all my heart I could vote for a candidate I really respect and admire, and not for the lesser of two evils.
Donna
I was saddend that there wasn't a big deal made about 9/11. it seems like its becomming more and more just a day again. Not the major historical thing that it is.
I could go on and on about that but I'll stop...
Allen, I saw a very black and very fuzzy catapiller about a week ago.... if the old wives tale is true, we're in for a really cold winter and hopefully feet of snow!
havent blogged for a while. interesting article you posted allen. on dungy, isnt that a great contrast to the "spy coach" who has gotten so much press this week?also, what a contrast to the pacer organization and the press they get. no doubt dungy's example has led to the image of the colts. how about the press on isaiah thomas this week? i think he should talk to dungy!
allen, you can appreciate this, the weather sure has been a runner's dream the last few days. wow!
donna i too tire of politicians wearing their religion on their shirt sleeve. i am always concerned when they have to tell me how good of a christian they are. i used to be employeed by an organization which held monthly public meeting. two things just blew me away, first was every year they would pass an ordinance to adhere to follow Eph 4:32. the second thing was that the president would walk out into the room and take his seat and make a point to blop down his bible in front of him for everyone to see. of course this all was followed by "deals" and publically rude and demeaning treatment of employees and the public. ughh
RR
I've always took the last few verses "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." to be saying use the Word to teach, rebuke, correct and train others with. But the more and more I grow, I realize they were really meant for me to be taught, rebuked, corrected and trained 1st. How I sometimes I think I'm the one that's high and might and not in need of those things. How quick I am to assume that others need those things more than me.
ee
Good thoughts, ee! We have to allow Scripture to form and transform us first, don't we?
Of course no one evers get perfectly formed, so it's always the journey thing. One traveler helps another...
I just finished the sermon for Sunday. Ahhhh.
I just was thinking today how my life is defined by sermon prep. I know every week I have to stand up and say something from God's Word. I take this very seriously. Most of the time I really enjoy the privilege. I think a 3 month break will be enjoyable also, especially for you guys!
Don't think so Holy Smoker.. You'll be greatly missed for those three months.. truly...
Amen to that. We will truly miss you Allen, when you are away. You inspire us with your knowledge, humility and quiet caring and service. We are blessed to have you and your wonderful family with us. The entire clan---. The older I get the more I realize how much more I have to learn and how much farther I need to go for the Lord and as you said will never reach perfection, but strive toward it until He perfects us in eternity. What a beautiful, glorious week we have had. The flowers at home are doing their best to bloom profusely before the frost comes next month. They are kind of like people. I visited a 90+ lady this week in the nursing home who gets more beautiful and blooms more profusely as she ages and then again we have our Noni too don't we!! Sherron
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