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Handle
God's Word Rightly
Introduction
The Apostle Paul is
writing to Timothy, who is now stationed in Ephesus.
Paul had left him there to re-establish order and reaffirm sound
doctrine that had virtually been decimated by false teachers who had
infiltrated the local church. These false teachers had
brought all manner of diabolical doctrines that added to the already
extremely pagan, idol worshiping, and sexually immoral practices that
existed in Ephesus, and inevitably found their way into the church. Timothy therefore had a
difficult job, but Paul was confident that he would succeed for God had
chosen him for this work. The
Apostle Paul's task was now to strengthen him and encourage him to keep
going and not to falter. Timothy was a relatively
young man and was well loved by Paul, who affectionately referred to him
as his son. Paul knew that Timothy could be timid at times and would need
encouragement. Paul however
had no doubts about Timothy’s ability under the guidance and power of
the Holy Spirit, to set things in order. This letter to Timothy
was the last one that Paul would write.
Paul was now in prison and the Roman Emperor had imposed a death
sentence on him. The Apostle knew that this was his final message to his young
friend, and in his deathbed communication, he wanted to make sure that he
gave Timothy the best advice possible. This was his final chance
to encourage and strengthen Timothy for his long and knowingly difficult
work for God. Timothy had proven
himself to be a good soldier of the Lord, one who held to the truth of
scripture, unlike others who at one time walk with Paul, but had now
deserted him. Paul informed Timothy
that unlike those, Onesiphorous had not been ashamed to search for him in
the many prisons, finally finding him, helping him, refreshing him, and
ministering to him. This was a dangerous task, for the powerful and evil Roman Emperor had intended to kill Paul and anyone who befriended him. Onesiphorous did not let this trouble or deter him for this dangerous mission, but as a true friend, faithfully risked his life and searched for Paul, finally finding him and helping him. A true friend is the best
gift that a person can have. A
true friend never lets us down. When a friend is a dedicated man of God,
God will use him to help us when we're really down. One of the major themes
that run through these letters is the handling of the word of God; the
blessing of rightly dividing the word of truth, as well as the
consequences of its misuse. One of Timothy’s tasks
was to re-establish sound doctrine, teach and pass it on faithful men, who
in turn would be able to do likewise; that future generations would have
the blessing of pure doctrine and that God would be glorified. The present situation was
one of growing apostasy and a departure from the truth of the Word of God.
Timothy was told to guard the truth. It is always a problem to
preserve sanity, and to maintain truth when living in the midst of an
insane world, with its perverted and distorted values and the aggressive
proliferation of evil. Our text today deals with
Paul's step-by-step instruction on how we should do this. Paul used
several figures of speech to describe what a faithful believer and worker
for God should be like. He and all true believers should behave according to the
images depicted in the figures of speech, for this behaviour was
essential, if one was to rightly handle the Word of God. Paul wanted Timothy to
know exactly how he should behave, what he should do, and how he should
carry out his duty. The first figure of speech is found in verse one. Verse 1.
Chapter two begins “Thou therefore…”, linking it to
the previous chapter. That is, remember what I just told you; for this is
a continuation of the instructions that Paul is giving Timothy. Paul is evidently very
protective and especially cares for those who have demonstrated a passion
for the word, and who have come under his tutelage and have committed
themselves to be his helpers in the ministry. Timothy is as a son to
Paul and like a father who instructs his son in the way he should go, he
continually encouraged Timothy to be strong and hold on to the truth.
Note that not only is Timothy a son for Paul, but since he has been
born again, he is now a son of God Reminding him that his position in
Christ ensured the grace of God and that God’s favour will be active in
his life, and guarantee his success and cause him to stand (Eph 6:13). His
words therefore have great practical value. Therefore since he rests in the unmerited favor of God, he can have confidence and boldness. Grace provides the basis for all the strength that is needed for the successful and approved Christian life. Because of the grace that is in Jesus Christ we can sing: “ On Christ the
solid rock I stand All other ground is
sinking sand.” That is what Paul is
saying to his beloved young friend Timothy.
The only reliable source of strength in this madly deteriorating
world is the grace that is in Jesus Christ. Paul calls on Timothy to
be strong. He knows who he
really is, and therefore he starts with himself.
He makes sure that he is strong before he can encourage others. We should note that
strength comes from grace that is in Jesus Christ.
It definitely does not come from some hidden source inside us, our
personality, or some quality that we naturally have in ourselves.
The world likes to believe that people are strong and should be
strong in themselves but that is not what the Scripture teach. It is when we are weak,
and acknowledge that we are weak and have nothing in ourselves, that we
will rest on the power of God, for God’s grace is the only thing strong
enough to handle the pressures of a fallen world. Many testify that they
will follow Christ and stand for him no matter what, for they have made up
their minds, and therefore by their will, effort, and because of their
natural abilities and gifts, they will succeed. Many even buy into the lie
of the world, and take courses to empower them and make them strong. But
what they are learning is how to intimidate others.
This is not true strength, and surely does not come from God. Natural strength is a
greatest enemy. We need super
natural strength. Authentic Christianity and the way to true strength is
in the recognition of or own weakness, and our acceptance of God's promise
to work through us in our weakness and to make us strong. Then, when we discover
the grace that is in Jesus Christ, we will act on the expectation that God
is in us, and as one writer states: “he will enable you to do what
you otherwise cannot do”. Verse 2.
The scriptural instructions
show that God intends to, desires to, and has entrusted his doctrines to
faithful men, who operate under the direction and supervision of the Holy
Spirit. It is therefore most important that there be a succession of
faithful men that preserve the teaching of the word of God and faithfully
pass this Word on to other men. “And
the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses…”
many commentators suggest that this may refer to a charge that was
given at Timothy’s ordination service; where it is most likely that at
such an occasion, Paul would have given a summary of the Christian
doctrine and exhorted Timothy, in the presence of many witnesses, to
faithful adherence, holding fast to that which is true (2 Tim 1:13). It is not improbable that
this statement is not confined to a single event, such as an ordination;
but also represents the ongoing testimony of Paul to the truth of the
gospel and the doctrine of God, which Timothy had witnessed daily, while
accompanying Paul on several of his missionary journeys. Thus this doctrine was
what Timothy heard as he taught it publicly.
“…the same commit to faithful men.”
It was this same doctrine that Timothy was to pass on to other
faithful men, without dilution; thus Paul exhorts Timothy to warn others
to “…teach no other doctrine.”(1 Tim 1:3).
Rather, he was to teach them also, to pass on the pure doctrine to
other faithful men, in the same manner in that he had received it. Of course this
instruction is addressed to Christians everywhere, for everyone has a
responsibility to pass on the truth to their children, their friends,
their neighbors, and to everyone that they meet.
It is not just the responsibility of pastors, evangelists, and
church officials to spread the truth of God. The question that must be addressed is how do you tell faithful men or women? One writer suggests four qualities: “ First, I look for a searching mind, a mind that is ready to learn, a mind that has given evidence, both in secular and sacred ways, that it wants to know something.. Then I look for a
humble heart, for somebody who has already learned that truth is bigger
than he is. He will have learned that we are to set aside our own egos,
that truth is not given to us in order to build up our image in the eyes
of people, that we are not to manipulate people to gain standing or
prestige among them, but we are to be willing to submit ourselves, to put
ourselves down and not seek credit; a humble heart.. The third thing is an
evident gift. Look for
someone who is able to teach others also, somebody who has a gift of the
Spirit that can communicate and impart to
others what he himself has learned.
That is a process of duplication and reduplication that will
rapidly spread the truth throughout a body of people: an evident gift… The fourth thing I
look for is a faithful Spirit, somebody who has demonstrated by a track
record that he does not quit when the going gets tough.
He is not ready to leave when some more enticing thing comes along,
when the skiing gets good or the sun is hitting the beach, but he is
willing to stay with what he has committed himself to: a faithful
Spirit.” This thought is a most
critical one, and we should beware that we do not fall victim to or
neglect the instruction in this verse.
If we do, we will be consigning many that live after us to
lifetimes of suffering and agony. Many great churches and missions have been corrupted because of this neglect, not paying close attention to the teaching in this verse. We must understand that, as one writer puts it: “All of us live just
one generation away from total apostasy.
The work of the church can fall apart in one generation if we do
not faithfully pass on what we ourselves know-- parents to children,
elders to the younger ones, leaders to those who follow”. Timothy had witnessed and
most likely endured, a measure of the suffering that Paul had experienced
for the sake of the gospel and the elect.
We see throughout scripture, that the call to ministry and
leadership, where the spiritual well being of God’s people are entrusted
to one as an overseer of the local congregation, that such calling is not
for the squeamish. Today it seems
increasingly easy to enter pastoral ministry; all it takes is the
charismatic personality needed to win the popularity contest.
A sound understanding and acceptance of the scriptures seems less
and less necessary. Having a charismatic
personality is not bad in itself, but the scripture goes into great detail
to lay out the qualification that leadership requires.
I dare say that many of today’s leaders would not seriously
consider such a position if they had to endure the hardship and struggle
that true leadership requires. (see
the lesson – ‘Select good leaders’, for the qualification of an
elder or pastor) Elisha was totally
committed to serve Elijah, and would not actually receive his anointing
for ministry until he was proved loyal to the servant of God.
Timothy likewise, submitted himself to the leadership of Paul.
This model of discipleship is often lacking in today’s churches,
there seems to be a serious lack of commitment. The biblical standard is
clearly setout in the pages of scripture. Some claim that times have
changed and such extreme standards are not necessary. Though times may have
changed in certain respects, the word of God has not; neither has the
enemy’s relentless attack against God’s word.
In fact it seem to intensify as time goes on (false teachers will
abound in the last days). The foundation on which
many professing Christians stand seem very shaky; not because the word of
God is unsound, but because the doctrine has been committed to untried,
unprepared and uncommitted soldiers, who are unable to defend or rightly
divide the word of truth. It cannot be stressed
enough, that to whom much is given much is required.
Commitment to the cross must be tried – for when under intense
pressure, it is easy to abandon the word or alter it to fit the lifestyle
one wants or ease the discomfort one feels. To whomever the doctrine
is entrusted, such a one must be able to teach others.
Discipleship of faithful men will ensure a godly succession of
leader, who will labor to maintain a pure doctrine.
One commentator aptly says:- “There
is, doubtless, to be a “succession” of ministers in the church; but
the true line of the “succession” is to be found in good men who are
qualified to teach, and who have the spirit of Christ, and not merely in
those who have been ordained.” Verse 3.
The remainder of our
scripture study is Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, to persevere in the
truth of the word of God at all cost.
He shows Timothy that a life committed to defending the word of
God, will incur hardship and suffering, various kinds of struggles and
even physical danger at times; but it also includes an eternal reward that
makes completing the race all worth while. All would-be ministers
are also admonished by these words of wisdom, and as Timothy, they should
ensure that they are committed to rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Paul now compares several
characteristics of a soldier that fitly describe the life of a minister of
the gospel. These may be the lease desirable, but most necessary traits.
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ…” Notice, that
in order to be a good soldier one must be ready and willing to bear
hardship. All Believers, including
elders and other church officials, are in a war, and a war is not a
picnic. A soldier does not go out in a war to enjoy life and to see the
world and to experience wonderful travel and adventure. War always brings
with it an ugly, dirty and uncomfortable kind of living for soldiers. No one enlist in the army
expecting that active duty will be a calk walk.
And if such notion had been theirs, boot camp would soon set them
straight. Firstly, a true soldier
is deprived of the creature comforts of his home and the companionship of
his friends; his meals cannot compare to a home cooked dinner, neither do
the portions compare in size, and in the heat of the battle, will neither
have the time or desire to even contemplate eating.
Food and sleep become a luxury, while fatigue and constant danger
come almost with every breath. At times a soldier may
have marched for days before he even engages the enemy.
Perseverance is paramount, he cannot give in.
The defense of the word of God can be as arduous as this at times;
but consider, man has and will endure such hardship for king and country.
How much more then should we embrace this present hardship for the
King of Kings & Lord of Lords, for his kingdom and for the elect sake. It seems that few
Christians understand or value the cause of Christ, and so are not willing
to endure hardship for Jesus. Clearly then a godly pastor must be willing to face many hardships, and to work seven days a week. Verse 4.
To truly be a soldier of
Christ, one must learn to untangle oneself from the affairs of this life.
One cannot whilst in the midst of battle be preoccupied with the
affairs of things back home. The
whole aim of the soldier as with the minister of Christ, is to be of one
mind with the commander, in order to win the battle. Thus when a one enlists,
he must leave behind his family and home, his friends, his business, his
farm, property and all other possessions, his investments and stock market
speculations. In fact, in
Paul’s day soldiers were forbidden to marry, so their mind would be
focused totally on the battle at hand. There are certainly great
rewards for those who make such sacrifice. Unfortunately the trend seems
to be that these rewards are sought after in this life. The possessions,
the wealth and the fame, become a snare, not only to ministers but to
those who seek after the same things, that they believe are the blessing
of God on the life of those ministers. God does indeed bless his
people materially as well as spiritually, but the minister of the gospel
must be very careful not to let his material gain be the reason people
follow him. Many have been destroyed
because of their pursuit of riches under the guise of righteousness.
And for this reason the scripture says it is hard for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of God. The
Pharisees and even the disciples at one point thought that wealth was a
sure sign of the blessing of God, it is not. And those who teach that
Jesus and his disciple were materially wealthy, do not rightly divide the
word of truth. Ministers should be very
careful how they handle the word of God and that those whom they oversee,
are not like the multitude that followed Jesus after the feeding of the
five thousand; most followed, not for the spiritual blessings or even the
miracles, but merely to get more food.
They like many Christians today were really only interested in the
temporal blessings. One commentator says: “That
is, him who has enlisted him, or in whose employ he is. His great object
is to approve himself to him. It is not to pursue his own plans, or to
have his own will, or to accumulate property or fame for himself. His will
is absorbed in the will of his commander, and his purpose is accomplished
if he meet with his approbation. Nowhere else is it so true that the will
of one becomes lost in that of another, as in the case of the soldier. In
an army it is contemplated that there shall be but one mind, one heart,
one purpose - that of the commander; and that the whole army shall be as
obedient to that as the members of the human body are to the one will that
controls all. The application of this is obvious. The grand purpose of the
minister of the gospel is to please Christ. He is to pursue no separate
plans, and to have no separate will, of his own; and it is contemplated
that the whole “Corps” of Christian ministers and members of the
churches shall be as entirely subordinate to the will of Christ, as an
army is to the orders of its chief.” Let us be careful about
double mindedness. If we have
skills and abilities, it is not wrong to use them in several business
enterprises, for God requires us to work to support ourselves and our
families. Still these
pursuits even though proper, are not to be the great objective in life.
We are to seek to manifest the character of Jesus Christ in
everything that we do and to make sure that everything we do serve his
interests. The Christian soldier must have as his only objective to follow Jesus Christ, and this must be done out of love not just out of duty. Verse 5.
Paul frequently used examples and metaphors taken from the culture
or environment in which he ministered; these he selected to drive home
crucial spiritual truths, that even the most simpleminded could grasp. Thus Paul makes a
comparison of an athlete competing in the Grecian (Olympic style) games.
The sense here is that of an athlete who appears to be best,
crossing the finish line first or jumping the highest or throwing the
furthest, but failed to comply with the rules of the game. He must want to win, but
he must also want to be crowned, and to be crowned he must complete
according to the rules. If he does not, he will not receive a crown, but
will be disgraced and some times punished. Just as in our modern day
Olympics, if an athlete fails a drug test, though he or she was the
apparent victor, they will be stripped of their medal and disgraced. The implication to the
minister of the gospel is that he too is engaged in a struggle that takes
skill and effort to win his crown; but if he fails to comply with the law
that governs his game, he like the athlete will be disgraced and stripped
of his crown. This does not
imply that true Christians can loose their salvation, rather that the
tares that grow with the wheat until the day of the harvest are manifest
at this time. It is important to note
that there is a proper kind of ambition.
The athlete does not indulge himself in vices, luxuries, and things
that will stop him from winning the crown. Similarly Christians must
say no to many things, for those things will distract us and take our mind
away from our goal. There is
a striving that must be done if we are to receive our reward. It is a serious thing to
mishandle the word of God. This idea of hard-working is emphasized in the next verse. Being a Christian takes a lot of hours of labour, for the Christian life is not just floating through life enjoying the privileges which we think come from being a child of God and getting God to work for us, rejecting the Christian life when it gets difficult, and when it does not seem that God is giving us what we want. Verse 6. “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits…” The context in which Paul
is speaking, strongly suggests that the meaning is that one must labour
first, before one can partake of the fruit.
It would seem obvious, that one must sow first before they can reap
a harvest. Thus the hardship and labour of ministerial work, (and remember that every Christian is a “minister”, or in other words, “a servant”) precedes the heavenly harvest, when one will receive a crown of glory that fades not away. As one writer puts it: “It
was to remind Timothy that labor must precede reward; that if a man would
reap, he must sow; that he could hope for no fruits, unless he toiled for
them. The point was not that the husbandman would be the first one who
would partake of the fruits; but that he must first labor before he
obtained the reward. Thus understood, this would be an encouragement to
Timothy to persevere in his toils, looking onward to the reward.” Just remember that a
farmer has to get up early and work hard, laboring because he expects to
get a harvest. Similarly believers do the same. Believers know that when
we labor in this life, and even if we do not get much reward here, we will
be rewarded abundantly throughout eternity, and so we work hard for
Christ, patiently awaiting the end of the age. Verse 7.
“Consider what I say…”
many times we hear a good sermon but in a short little while would
not be able to accurately recall much of what was actually said.
In order to have a lasting impact we must think on those things,
play them over and over again in our mind, meditate on the scriptures and
seriously consider how they apply to our personal situation. This is the sense in
which Paul addresses Timothy, urging him to think deeply about the things
he had just told him. Consider
the principles that you learned from the characteristics of the soldier,
how he must struggle and bare hardship and face death daily, and done for
king and country. Then think on the superior cause and for whom you do battle. Consider also the athlete
who trains vigorously for an event, having his eye fixed firmly on the
goal, determined to be the best in his field, that he may win the crown
that awaits him. The farmer also toils in his field, first preparing it, and
then sowing the seed and finally waiting patiently for the prospect of a
distant harvest. If one approaches the work of God with a similar attitude and determination, the Lord will give us understanding concerning these truths and how to apply them to our circumstances, and for so much greater a prize. Verse 8.
Remember what you are fighting for, and what you are defending.
This gospel which you possess, and which you minister and which has
been entrusted to you, has the power not only to protect you, but contains
the power ultimately, to remove the power of death over your life. Think on the resurrected
Christ and it will give you strength to carry on.
Though three will be times when you are tempted to give in, think
on Jesus and how he toiled tirelessly, to ensure the power of the gospel
will bring you salvation. Most important, is that
when we constantly meditate on Christ, we learn more and more what it
means that the Lord Jesus is the risen Lord. This King of Kings and Lord
of Lords opens and no man can shut, and he shuts and no man can
open, according to Revelation 3. Every believer has this
kind of Lord at work on his behalf. He
is one of us, and knows what we are going through. He is our strength, and
therefore the frustrations, despair, hopelessness of life on earth can
never overwhelm us. All we
have to do is stand. Verse 9.
Paul hid nothing from Timothy, making clear that it is for the
cause of the gospel and the doctrine which he taught and now entrusted to
him, that he had suffered much and even been treated as an evil doer, a
criminal. This had also led
to instances where he had been deprived of his freedom, “even unto
bonds..” Paul’s first
imprisonment was more of an house arrest, though it is believed that he
was chained to a guard. He was still able to write letters to the
churches, this literally provided a captive audience, in the form a roman
guard who most certainly was exposed to the message of the gospel. Subsequent imprisonments were however in deplorable conditions. It was about this time that he wrote this epistle. Yet during the midst of this, Paul is undaunted and actually ecstatic, to see that the gospel could not be bound, and in fact was reaching further a field and bring more and more to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. One writer says; “The
gospel was prospered. That could not be lettered and imprisoned. It
circulated with freedom. even when he who was appointed to preach it was
in chains; see Phi_1:13-14. As this was the great matter, his own
imprisonment was of comparatively little consequence. What may befall us
is of secondary importance. The grand thing is the triumph of truth on the
earth; and well may we bear privations and sorrows, if the gospel moves on
in triumph.” Let us never forget that
when we work others are delivered. Some
of us must suffer in order that others might be saved. This is an unpalatable doctrine for many. But we should be encouraged in the fact that when we go through perils, having rightly divided the word of God, somebody somewhere is being strengthened, and is going to be blessed and experience the glory of God. Verse 10.
“Therefore I endure all
things for the elect’s sake;”
This simply means that Paul was willing to suffer for the cause of
the church – in particular for the purpose of securing the salvation of
the elect. “That they
may also obtain salvation…” One might think that the
elect would be saved regardless of what we do, so why go through all that
suffering?. One would be right, however God not only purposes to save
those whom he has elected; but God has also purposed to save the elect
through the instrumentality of the saints.
That is through the prayers of the saint and by them preaching the
word of God. (1 Cor. 1:23, Rom 1:16) Thus Paul deems it a
great privilege to suffer, that he may bring some to the saving knowledge
of Jesus Christ. It is also clear that as people come to salvation through the
preaching of the word, it is vital to have a pure and untainted doctrine. We have a great
responsibility and must consider seriously.
When we think of the sobering words we will strive to be faithful
in all things, willing to suffer, and never to deny our Lord. The Apostle now pictured life as a testing ground, where we are required to show the world, the Angels, and God, whether or not we are really Christians, or whether we are just faking. Verse 11.
This faithful saying or
statement is profound and complete credence is given it, having been
settled for all time. “For
if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him…”
This saying then, is to encourage all those who have the hope of
salvation, and help them through their present trials.
Knowing also that nothing can compare to the glory that will be
revealed in them…” Because our life is now hid in him, we have eternal salvation and the assurance of a bodily resurrection. (Rom 6:8; 6:3-5, J 11:25; 1 Thes 4:14) There is a promise of resurrection to all those will have died with Christ. Every faithful believer will have his eternal reward. This is a certainty. Verse 12.
“If we suffer, we shall
also reign with Him…” the consolation for suffering for Christ,
the cause of the gospel, the defense and uncorrupted transmission of his
word, will be to share in his reign.
As one writer says – “If we share in his treatment on earth,
we will share in his triumph in heaven” Rom
8:17 And if children, then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer
with [him], that we may be also glorified together. The
flipside of this bountiful blessing however, is unimaginable grief, which
will come to those who deny Christ. For
when they stand before Jesus, expecting to be crowned, they will find
themselves stripped of every eternal blessing as Jesus denies them
entrance into his rest. “If
we deny him, he will also deny us…”
How then does one deny Christ?
Lets us be reminded of the context; Paul is not speaking of
unbelievers, but is addressing Timothy and by extension every minister of
the gospel and particularly those in position of leadership who teach the
word of God. DENY,
(the dictionary definition) 1.
To contradict; to gainsay; to declare a statement or position not
to be true. We deny what another says, or we deny a proposition. We deny
the truth of an assertion, or the assertion itself. 2.
To disown; to refuse or neglect to acknowledge; not to confess. 3.
To reject; to disown; not to receive or embrace. Thus,
one denies Christ when they
contradict his word, when they refuse to accept that the whole word of God
is inspired by him; when the clear statements of the deity of Christ are
rejected; when the doctrine of the atonement is abandoned; and when they
purposefully and persistently pervert the word of God. Anything
thing that conceals or contorts the doctrines of the Bible, and thereby
presents a false image of Christ, who he is and what he has truly done for
man, is a blatant denial of Christ. “…whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father
which is in heaven.”
Mat 10:33. He
hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 1 Tim 5. (Luk_9:26,
Luk_12:9; 1Jo_2:22; 1Jo_2:23; Jud_1:4;) As
the scripture clearly states, the penalty for denying Christ, is eternal
damnation. Verse 13.
“He cannot deny
himself…” that is, he
cannot do anything that is self-contradictory, he cannot do anything that
goes against his nature or would alter his essence.
For example – God cannot save an unrepentant sinner, for this
would constitute a contradiction in his Holiness and Justice and his very
Word; how then could the Word be trusted. Likewise it is a certainty that every false teacher and false prophet, who subvert the word of God, and lead people astray, will be denied before God and his holy angels. Verse 14.
“Of these things put
them in remembrance…” Thus
Timothy is instructed to pass on these great principles of the kingdom and
in like manner to exhort all those whom he installs or ordains to the
ministry; for they too are entrusted with the word of God and the
preservation of its pure doctrine. “Charging them
before the Lord…” shows how
solemn and serious this responsibility is, and should never be entered
into lightly. “That they strive
not about words to no profit…”
avoid foolish disputes concerning the word – this is a characteristic of
false teachers, who often twist the plain teaching of the word, who major
in minor issues and cause contention in the church.
“…some having swerved
and turned aside unto vain jangling;…” 1 Tim1:6 “He
is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of
words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse
disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing
that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
1 Tim 6:4-5
It
is clear that such ministers are in the ministry to serve themselves, not
God. The outcome of those who teach false doctrine, purposefully or otherwise, is the subverting of those that hear their words. One writer put it this way – “Turning
them away from the simplicity of faith. It is rare, indeed, that a
religious controversy does not produce this effect, and this is commonly
the case, where, as often happens, the matter in dispute is of little
importance.” Note
that Timothy faced a two front war, consisting of persecution from the
outside, and trouble and dissension from inside the body. He was told to remind the
Brethren who they were, the cause they were upholding, and the true enemy
they were facing; for when they forget who they were, and the nature of
the warfare in which they were engaged, catastrophe would result. He was next told to handle these internal quarrels and dissensions by demonstrating a proper handling of the Scriptures. Hence the stress in the next verse. Verse 15.
The crux of the whole
matter, is to ensure that the minister of the gospel, and leaders in the
church be extremely diligent in the study of the word; equipped and well
able to defend the word. “Holding
fast to that which is true”, and uncompromising in teaching of pure
doctrine. This is the only
way to win the approval of God and avoid the shame of not rightly dividing
the Word of Truth. The practical implication is that in order for the minister to truly help those under his care, he must have a right understanding of the word and be able to wisely apply it to various situations or whatever circumstance his sheep find themselves in. One writer adds: “The
object of the ministry is not to please men. Such doctrines should be
preached, and such plans formed, and such a manner of life pursued, as God
will approve. To do this demands study or care - for there are many
temptations to the opposite course; there are many things the tendency of
which is to lead a minister to seek popular favor rather than the divine
approval. If any man please God, it will be as the result of deliberate
intention and a careful life.” “Rightly
dividing the word of truth…”
This phrase is used only once in the New Testament, it literally
means to cut straight, to divide right.
The allusion here is that the minister carefully feed his flock the
word of God. Other allusions drawn from this scripture include the Jewish
priest, cutting or dividing the sacrifice into proper parts; or
the scribes dividing the law into sections; or to a carver
distributing food to the guests at a feast. Robinson
(Lexicon) renders it, “rightly proceeding as to the word of truth;”
that is, rightfully and skillfully teaching the word of truth. The idea
seems to be, that the minister of the gospel is to make a proper
distribution of that word, adapting his instructions to the circumstances
and wants of his hearers, and giving to each that which will be fitted to
nourish the soul for heaven. CONCLUSIONAll who live godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer. We
know that the world hates Jesus, therefore they will also hates those who
love him. For our persistence in
the truth of the word, we will be persecuted.
But it is this same word that brings us to salvation in Jesus, and
therefore must be kept pure. A
tainted distorted word will only lead to a distorted view of Christ, it
amounts to a denial of who he is and what he has done for us and if we
deny him, he will deny us. In these times as it was with Timothy’s, there is a great need for faithful men to whom the doctrine can be entrusted and passed on to others, a great need for qualified men to teach the word, and a need for every believer to hold fast to that which is true, study the word and rightly apply it to all of life’s situations. |