Happy Father’s Day Dads!
Since today is Father’s day, I thought we might look at our lesson in light of a father’s message to his son and draw some lessons from that perspective. Paul speaks of Timothy as his son four times in the letters of 1 and 2 Timothy. You might even get the impression that there was a missing father figure in Timothy’s life. This looks to be true. When Paul commends Timothy’s faith and how he received it he points to his Grand Mother and Mother, not to his father. Perhaps Timothy’s biological father was dead or missing from the family. Perhaps his father never confessed faith. What we do know about Timothy’s family is that his mother was a Christian but notice how the scriptures describe his father:
Acts 16:1 And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
His mother is a Jewish woman who believed, but his father… Well, what kind of impression does this leave? This is still an encouraging scripture for several reasons. Timothy was faithful even though it seems that his father was not. Young men and young ladies here today, listen to me. You can be faithful to your Father in heaven, even if your parents fail to be. It is far better and I’m sure, much easier to be faithful with the support of a godly mother and father. But God will bless you and strengthen you so that you can be faithful with or without parents who are Christians. You just need to decide that you will follow Jesus Christ yourself! You must take personal responsibility for your relationship with Christ as Lord and Savior.
Fathers and Mothers can make it easier or more difficult for their children to walk with the Lord. I was teaching a Bible class at Fall Creek Falls Christian Camp in the summer of 1999 and one young lady in my class was particularly interested in what the Bible said about baptism. I sat with her after class one day and we simply looked at the scriptures, read them together and I asked her what they said. We looked at Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38-41, 8:12-13, 8:30-39, 9:1-19, 16:13-15, 16:25-34, 18:8, 19:1-6, 22:16, Rom. 6:1-5, Gal. 3:26-28, Eph 4:2-6, Col. 2:12, and 1 Peter 3:21. I would just ask her to read the verse and then ask what it said about baptism. Then I would ask her if she believed it.
She informed me that her parents didn’t go to church much but they did belong to a church that said baptism was not a part of salvation. I proceeded to ask her if the Bible verses that we had looked at supported that teaching. She said, “No.” Then I asked her why she thought they would teach that baptism was not connected to being saved, and she said she didn’t know. I gave her a brief theology lesson showing how our preconceived beliefs can influence how we read and understand the Bible. Then I asked her this question. If you wanted the Bible to say that baptism was not necessary, what would you do with the verses I just showed you? She was sharp. She said she would either not read them or would try to find other verses that talk about salvation and left baptism out.
I suggested that this may be why some people fail to see what she just saw in the verses that we looked at. I prayed with her and for her and encouraged her to keep studying the Bible. A few weeks after camp I got a letter from her. Let me read just a few lines.
Dear Greg,
I do hope you remember who I am. If you don’t I will refresh your memory by saying that I am the girl from Bible Camp who asked so many questions about being baptized. It has taken me so long to get back to you because so many people had the need to talk to me. My mother was very displeased with the verses I came home with. She called three different pastors to come and talk to me, all of which think I have been brainwashed. I am no longer allowed to go to church unless my parents go (they never go) and I am not allowed to participate in anything that has to do with Church of Christ. This basically means I can’t go to church anymore, which to me is very disturbing. My parents also dislike you a great deal. In fact, I’m not even supposed to write you this letter…
After telling what the three pastors told her she goes on to say this:
If you have any more Bible verses please send them because the preachers who came and talked to me didn’t let me give them any of your verses. They just told me how it is and gave me verses as proof. I don’t know if calling me would be such a good idea because my mom thinks you are a cult leader or something. Please write back soon.
What do you do in a case like this? It made me wish I could be her father.
I don’t know much about Timothy’s biological father, but I know that Paul, his father in the faith, was a tremendous influence pointing Timothy to his Father in heaven and urging him to remain faithful to God by learning, and living by God’s Word. But there are many voices out there, even in the church, and sometimes in your family that are saying words that are contrary to and damaging to the faith. These words not only do not agree with God’s Word, they create arguments and division within the church. This is exactly what Timothy was dealing with when Paul wrote him this second letter.
Our text is in 2 Timothy 2:14-26
Here, Timothy, Paul’s son in the faith, is in the midst of spiritual warfare. He’s now a soldier of Christ, marching into the enemy territory and seeking and saving the lost while also protecting and equipping the saved. Paul, his spiritual father, is a P.O.W. in Rome and about to die, and from his prison he writes to urge Timothy to remain in the battle and never give up.
In this section of the letter we get a glimpse of the enemy within the camp. From verse 14-26 there is a lot of instruction about the danger of how people in the church talk and how to deal with it.
Listen to these phrases:
solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.
refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, (zaytaysis – searching questions), knowing that they produce quarrels.
Instead of promoting peace and the gospel of God’s grace, some are using fighting words! Stirring up a verbal quarrel! Others are asking deep disturbing controversial questions. Intentionally or unintentionally they are hurting instead of helping the faith. I tell you that verbal quarrels do not glorify God nor do they promote the cause of Christ! Good fathering, helps children walk in peace.
Timothy’s charge is to keep reminding the church about Jesus Christ while charging them not to fight over clever, human arguments that distract them from the faith or even destroy faith. Next Paul gives an example of what he is talking about. He even names two teachers! Hymenaeus and Philetus have missed the mark of the truth. What sort of thing do you think they were teaching? These two guys have gained an audience in the Church and are saying that the resurrection has already taken place! What is this teaching doing to the church? It is destroying some Christian’s faith! What if you thought that the resurrection had already taken place and you missed it or it was limited to what happened to you in a spiritual sense and occurred at your conversion. These false teachers were probably Greek thinkers who were spiritualizing the resurrection by saying that there was a spiritual renewal at baptism and that this was the only resurrection the Christian could expect. The impact of their teaching was destructive to the Christian faith. Paul argued strongly to this same idea in the Corinthian church saying basically, if this life is all there is, forget it! We are of all men most miserable! Then he teaches the most complete teaching in the entire Bible about the resurrection of the dead. Do you know where that is in your Bible? 1 Cor. 15. The entire chapter.
False teachings and false teachers will arise. Paul had already warned about this to the Ephesian elders. This is the church Timothy is working with. It is happening. So how do you handle it?
Here’s Paul’s instruction to his son in the faith:
First, You can have confidence… God’s house will stand. The foundation is sure. There’s a solid rock inscribed with this truth: God knows his own! Let everyone that confesses the name of Christ depart from iniquity, or turn from wickedness.
Second, there are different vessels in the house. Some are useful for good things some are useful for putting trash in. Which one are you! Get rid of things in your life that make you a garbage can.
Third he says plainly what to avoid and what to pursue.
22 Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Young people hear me! It’s almost summer. Late spring is in the air! The sun is coming out and the clothes are coming off! Guard your hearts! Flee from youthful lusts! On the news last week there was a story about why people fall in love in the spring time. Then it called it, Spring fling! The movie Camelot, Gwenavere sings, “Its May, its May, the lusty month of May!” You can be a golden offering plate to God or you can be a garbage can for the devil. You decide! You are driving on the road of life and here comes someone attractive and you get the urge to merge! Listen to me. God puts up a yield sign! Don’t think you can have what God says is not yours to take. Forbidden fruit always ends in death. Oh, it looks good, it tastes sweet at the time. But your heart will become a slop jar instead of a sacrifice. Read Proverbs 5-7, get God’s wisdom and flee youthful lusts! Run after righteousness. Fight for faith. Live in God’s love, practice peace, join with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart! Keep company with Christ centered companions. Live God’s way and you will find God’s fullness for your entire life! Live for yourself and you will find death and hell.
23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.
Avoid religious fights!
Finally, he shows Timothy, his son, how to handle those that are walking disorderly and contrary to the truth:
24 And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
Now, next week, Lord willing, we will see that not everyone is going to listen. But that doesn’t change the way God’s servant handles things.
