Ep. 338. 2 Timothy 1-2 | Son, Soldier, Athlete, Farmer

EPISODE 338

SON, SOLDIER, ATHLETE, FARMER: 2 TIMOTHY 1-2

First of all, can we just give credit to Lois and Eunice, Timothy's grandmother and mother? They were women of faith, and though Timothy's father was a Greek, they diligently taught young Timothy the scriptures since childhood. (2 Timothy 3:15) It is important to understand that when Paul talks about Timothy "knowing the Scripture," Paul is referring to the Old Testament. Timothy, his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, were familiar with the Old Testament and how it bore witness to the coming Messiah. So when Paul showed up preaching Christ, they were likely quick converts. And, of course, we know that Timothy then became Paul's traveling companion. But it all started with a godly mother and grandmother. What an incredible blessing that must have been for Timothy.

Second, since college, I have been taught to take "What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others" as instruction about personal discipleship. Every time I was encouraged to memorize this verse or taught this verse at any kind of conference or Bible study, the general sentiment was that every believer was supposed to take what God had taught them and then teach it to other people who would then be able to teach it to other people. This, after all, "Is the very model of discipleship." However, in my youth, I was not smart enough to consider context, author, or audience. As we have already discussed, Paul is writing this to the young-ish pastor Timothy and is imparting to him specific instructions for taking care of the needs of the church in Ephesus. The instruction we find in 1 Timothy 2:2 is right in line with what Paul was addressing in the first letter, specifically the need for godly elders and leadership in the church. This is not a general command to all Christians. That isn't to say we believers should keep to ourselves what God has shown us and revealed to us through his word, but as we saw in Ephesians 4, specific gifts were given to the church in the form of Shepherds/teachers, evangelists, apostles, and prophets "For the building up and the equipping of the church," that is the believers. Simply speaking, not every believer falls into one of those four roles. Not every believer falls into the footsteps of Timothy, and not every believer falls into the position of the "trained men" who should then "train others." For that matter, not everyone is a "worker," as mentioned in 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." I would remind you that in 1 Corinthians 3, it was Paul and Apollos who were the "workers," while the church people were just the "field" and the "building." It is okay, and even good, for any and all believers to share with those around them the work of God in their lives, but this letter is to a pastor for a specific task and should, therefore, be interpreted and applied in that context.

ADDITIONAL READING: Romans 1:1-11; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27