Perilous times, 2 Timothy 3:1-9

As a surfer, I look forward to hurricane season with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Hurricane season can bring epic waves to the East Coast, which are for the most part much better than the normal summer fare. But at the same time, those hurricanes are best enjoyed when they are hundreds of miles offshore. When they get close to land, or make landfall, they can be extremely dangerous. We are now in hurricane season, and the waves we have this morning are the result of Hurricane Earl which is churning away somewhere off the coast of Greenland this

Read More…

An unashamed workman, 2 Timothy 2:14-26     

In the previous section which we looked at last week, Paul said in his admonition to Timothy that he was to be like a strong warrior, that he should be unafraid of making the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. As a warrior for the kingdom of God, he should not shrink back from affliction, persecution or even death, because of the eternal glory that awaited him. Today in this next passage, Paul changes analogies, saying that Timothy needed to be a workman that was not ashamed. And he uses yet another analogy, he was to be a

Read More…

Remember Jesus! 2 Timothy 2:8-13

I have read many commentaries, and listened to very many sermons by preachers who for the most part I admire, who seem to deride Timothy as a weak man, a timid man, a fearful man.  And they say such things with such certainty and conviction, that I suppose I have been prone to almost believe them.  I say almost, because I don’t really believe them.  They say that poor Timmy was young and timid and being fearful and shy had caused him to have poor digestion and a continually upset stomach. I said in our previous study I am not

Read More…

Four exercises for building faith, 2 Timothy 2:1-7     

At this point in the letter, in light of all that has been said before, Paul is now telling Timothy, his son in the faith, to grow stronger in his faith, to be strengthened in his faith. He says in vs 1, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” What Paul is calling for is simply for Timothy to grow stronger in his salvation. The grace that is in Christ Jesus is just another way of referring to salvation, which he said in ch.1 vs 5 he is sure that Timothy had, just

Read More…

Guard the gospel, 2 Timothy 1:13-18  

I want to first review the overall theme of this first chapter before we consider the details of this last couple of paragraphs at the end. Sometimes, I think that in attempting to exposit the word, verse by verse, we fall victim to the old adage that we can’t see the forest for the trees. We have spent weeks now going verse by verse through this chapter, and it’s good if we remind ourselves of the main thought and purpose that Paul is trying to convey. So to begin with, we need to remember that Paul is in prison as

Read More…

Unashamed of the gospel, 2 Timothy 1:8-12

Last time, as we introduced this letter of Paul to Timothy, his son in the faith, we noted that it was the faith of his fathers that Paul said he was passing on to Timothy. In that statement, Paul was referencing the faith of the patriarchs, the prophets and other saints of the Old Testament period, which he said was the same faith that he had. And I extrapolated from that passage the exhortation that we should endeavor to pass on our faith to our children, from our generation to the next. I also talked from a personal perspective as

Read More…

Faith of our fathers,  2 Timothy 1: 1-7  

Paul writes this second letter to his son in the faith, Timothy.  He says in vs2, “to Timothy my beloved son.” Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father.  Timothy’s natural father had died early in his life, from what we understand from scripture. His mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois raised him, presumably without a father figure in his life until the apostle Paul came on the scene. And at that point, Paul became his spiritual father, possibly leading Timothy to the Lord. Paul went on to mentor Timothy as a disciple in the faith, and then later as a brother in

Read More…

Storing up treasure,  1 Timothy 6:17-21

Many years ago, before I was called into ministry, I used to be an antique dealer. I used to try to explain my work as an antique dealer to people as being very much like a treasure hunter. There was a great allure in looking for treasures, whether in a flea market, or auction house, or someone’s attic. Occasionally, I would find something I used to refer to as a “national treasure.” That may have been an exaggeration, but not always. And when it really paid off financially, I said that I had hit a home run. I guess everyone

Read More…

Keeping the faith, 1 Timothy 6:11-16

If we have been born of God, or what is commonly referred to as born again, then we have become the children of God. Paul addresses such a person here, speaking in an immediate context to Timothy, his child in the faith, and calling him a man of God. That’s a reference to the spiritual maturity that is expected and desired once a person has become born again as a child of God; they are matured into a man or woman of God. Timothy has become a man of God, and he is a man of God in a deeper

Read More…

Godliness versus worldliness, 1 Timothy 6:1-11

Before we start our exposition of this sixth chapter of 1 Timothy this morning, I would like to turn to Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 3 verse 16 which says, 2Tim. 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” I quote that verse as a reminder that the text we are looking at today is indeed Scripture, and it is therefore profitable, even though at times we may question it’s relevancy today. 1 Timothy

Read More…