personal goals. Such is certainly not in accordance with God's will. To do so is to distort basic issues and miss life's greatest blessings. When Christ comes first, other things will fall into place naturally. Paul pointed out that Timothy had learned to work with other Christian people (vs. 22). This is a lesson a good many people have failed to comprehend. Most of us want to be so independent that the work has to be all ours, being run only according to our concep tion of things. The real mark of spiritual maturity is the ability to work with others cooperatively un der the common banner of Jesus Christ. How wonderfully encour aging to see people like Timothy given over entirely to Christ. Paul had referred to Timothy's service as of a son with his own father. Their's was a joint service. With these two there was no question about any "generation gap." By the way, the difficulties between the various ages is not anything new. It dates back to earliest history. Euripides spoke of the young women of Sparta who were "always out on the street in scanty outfits, making a great dis play of their naked limbs." That was more than 2,000 years ago! Socrates similarly penned, "Our youth now loves luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for author ity and disrespect for older people. Children nowadays are tyrants; they no longer rise when their elders come into the room. They contradict their parents and they chatter before company. They gobble their food, and they tyran- ize their teachers." Quite a philos opher was this ancient Creek. And Page 47
Paul was very generous concern ing his words of praise for Tim othy's faithfulness in the Gospel testimony. He wrote to the believ ers at Philippi of him, "I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state." It appeared that everyone else had sought after his own interests rather than being concerned about the ministry of Jesus Christ. Paul had found Timothy at Lys- tra in Asia Minor. He had been taken on the missionary journies to gain valuable and practical first hand information. Now, with Paul's incarceration, the young evangel ist takes on even greater impor tance in being the Apostle's hands and feet (Philippians 2:19-22). Certainly Timothy was unique; Paul had found no one quite like him. He was the only one who could be looked to to perform his particular job. Paul had been ex plaining in earlier verses about the attitude of mind which thinks hum bly of oneself while much of others. He had found that Timothy was also self-effacing in his own Chris tian conduct before the world. In addition, Timothy served oth ers with the disposition of a true shepherd, faithful in the care and protection of his own wonderful flock. This younger servant of the Lord guided others very gently, which should be a challenging example to all of us as well. Gen erally speaking, Timothy was an example of everything a true be liever in Jesus Christ ought to be in the Lord. He praises Timothy for all of these important attri butes. We, like him, should learn to put proper priorities to life. Too many of us put first our own reputation, pleasure, business, and
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