November 1930
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
532
T h e
V. 5. The unfeigned faith that is in thee. “Unfeigned faith” is faith that is genuine, true, loyal. Paul had a sad ex perience just before this time with some' professed disciples whose faith had been “feigned” and faithless (cf. 1:15; 4:10). Thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice .' Timothy had a wonderful heri tage from these godly ancestors. Would that more mothers and grandmothers had such “unfeigned faith” ; then there would be more preachers like Timothy. In thee also. Paul had long observed Timothy and had abundant proof of his absolute loy alty and fidelity, both to the apostle and to the Christian faith. V. 6 . I put thee in remembrance. Four times in these brief verses Paul refers to remembering. Timothy is remembered ■ constantly in prayer. Timothy’s tears, when he parted from Paul, are remem bered. Paul remembered the “unfeigned faith” of Timothy. Finally, Paul sought to “stir up” Timothy’s memory. Stir up the gift o f God. Literally, “stir into flame.” Perhaps the figure is that of a coal from the altar of God (cf. Isa. 6 : 6 ). “The gift of God” was unquestionably Timothy’s en- duement with power from the Holy Spirit. The laying on o f my hands. Doubtless this refers to Timothy’s being set apart by thè elders ( “presbytery” ) to the work of an evangelist (cf. 1 Tim. 4:14). In the ceremony of laying on of hands there was the double idea of the imparting of pow er and of setting apart to an office. II. Timothy and the Scriptures (3:14- 16). . V. 14. But abide thou. As pastor of the important church in Ephesus, Timothy had to face many deceivers and false teachers who would after Paul’s depart ure “wax worse and worse” (Acts 20 :29, 30). Therefore, Timothy neèded exhorta tion to “abide” in the truth fixedly and to resist firmly every form of error. Things which thou hast learned. He had learned from the Scriptures. Paul, Eunice, Lois had been his teachers. Hast been assured of. He was not groping after the truth, for he had assurance that he had found it. Knowing o f whom thou hast learned. His teachers were worthy of his confidence. V. 15. Hast known the sacred writings. That is, the Old Testament. The child in a Hebrew home began to learn the law by heart when he was five years old. Philo says: “They are taught, so to speak, from their very swaddling clothes by their par ents, masters, and teachers, in the holy laws, and in the unwritten customs, and to believe iti God, the one Father and Creator of the world.” Able to make thee wise unto salvation. The mere reading of the Bible is not sufficient. Eternal life is received by faith in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament scriptures point, the way to Christ (cf. Gal. 3:22-26). V . 16. Every scripture inspired o f God. This reading of the Revised Version is remotely possible, but it is not the most natural rendering. The change made by the revisers was unnecessary and unfor tunate, and one may suspect that it was made for theological reasons. There is no room for doubt that “every scripture is inspired of God” (or God-breathed). Nu merous other scriptures support this doc trine (cf. Rom. 15 :4; 2 Pet. 1:21). Is also profitable. Four important purposes of this “God-breathed” Scripture are told. It is the only manual for the teaching of doctrine. It furnishes the only reliable and
BLACKBOARD LESSON
to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). * * * L esso n in O u t l in e I. Timothy, a “Beloved Child ” (1 :l- 6 ). 1 . A son of God— recipient of “grace, mercy, peace” ( 2 ). 2. A “child” of Paul in the Gospel ( 2 - 6 ). He had: a. Paul’s love (2 ). b. Paul’s support by prayer (3 ). c. Paul’s desire for comradeship (4 ). d. Paul’s confidence in his un feigned faith” (5 ). e. Paul’s admonition to “stir up the gift” ( 6 ). 3. A child of godly ancestry (5 ). II. Timothy and the Scriptures ( 3 :14- 16). 1. He had “learned” the Scriptures (14). 2. He was “assured”— settled in the faith (14). 3. He was exhorted to “abide”— to hold fast (14-16). a. Because of confidence in his teachers (14). b. Because Scripture alone can make him “wise unto salvation (15). . . . I c. . Because Scripture is inspired of God” (16). ( ' d. Because Scripture is “profit able” (16)- * * * A ppro ach of t h e L esson TT is believed that Timothy and his fam- 4 jiy i;Ved at Lystra, in Asia Minor, a place made famous to the Christian be cause Paul was stoned there while on his first missionary journey. Timothy is not mentioned in connection with Paul until the second missionary journey. His moth er, Eunice, was a Jewess and a Christian, but his father was a Greek (Acts 16:1). Whether or not his father, was an idolator is not known. If he was, there is all the more credit due to the godly mother and grandmother whose influence and teach ing laid such a splendid foundation for the Christian life and ministry of Timothy. Paul had many friends and fellow laborers whom he appreciated, but Tim othy, his “true child in faith,” was one of his most trusted helpers (1 Tim. 1 :2). Near the close of his life, Paul said of him : “I have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your state. For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 2:20, 21). Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy was, so far as is known, the last of his writings. It was sent from Rome during the apos tle's second imprisonment there. Its pri mary purpose appears to have been to cheer and encourage Timothy, and also to urge him to come speedily to Rome to be with Paul during the closing days of his earthly life (cf. 2 Tim. 4 :9 ). * * * H eart of t h e L esso n I. Timothy, a “ Beloved Child’’ (1 :1-6). V. 1. Paul, an apostle o f Christ Jesus. Our last lesson gave the story of Paul’s call to apostleship. It will be remembered
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that, in order to qualify as an apostle, he must see the Lord Jesus and have a per sonal, direct call to apostleship. Through
the w ill o f God. The first step into the kingdom was ta ken by Paul when he said: “Lord, what wilt thqtr have me to do ?? In r e respon se to that question, God sent
Ananias to Saul to make known the will of God for him (cf. Acts 22:14,15). Life which is in Christ Jesus. The Gospel is nothing at all if it is not “life in Christ Jesus.” That life means the knowledge of , God through Christ (John 17 :3), the dis covery of all desirable joy, peace, and strength in this present world, and an eternity of unfolding and unending bless edness in the life to come. V. 2. Timothy, my beloved child. In his first letter, Paul calls him his “true child in faith” (1 Tim. 1 :2). The old Saul of Tarsus would have had nothing to do with this young son of a Jewish mother and a heathen father. But, having become a believer in Christ through Paul’s min istry, Timothy was his spiritual child, ten derly beloved. Grace, mercy, peace. Grace is sometimes defined as unmerited favor; peace is the product of God’s grace. Paul puts mercy between the two, as if to say that the humblest Christian or the most faithful apostle must confess that grace and peace are obtainable only because of God’s infinite mercy. These gifts come from God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. The merit is Christ’s ; the bless ing is ours. V. 3. I thank God. The apostle was an expert in the giving of thanks. He ex horts Christians to give thanks in all things (Phil. 4 :6 ) and for all things (Eph. 5 :20). Whom I serve from my fore fathers. Paul was not ashamed of his an cestry (cf. Phil. 3 :4 ,5 ). In a pure con science. In our last lesson we noted how Saul was a misguided persecutor and yet had a good conscience (Acts 22 :3; cf. 26:9). My remembrance o f thee. Paul’s concern for the young disciple was', very great. Timothy needed to be supported constantly by prayer lest the approaching separation from the apostle should dis courage him. V. 4. Longing to see thee. The preced ing words, “night and day,” may belong at the beginning of V. 4 , as in the Re vised Version. Paul comes back to the same thought later in the epistle (4 :9 ). Remembering thy tears. A slightly differ ent translation may make the meaning a little more clear: “When I remember the tears you shed at our parting, night and day I long to see you again, that I may be filled with joy.” It is a tender expression of desire for Timothy’s companionship.
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