Category: Paul’s apostleship

Tips to Timid Timothy to Tolerate Troubling Times #5

Thursday, December 5, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We have often heard the expression “timid Timothy,” but have you ever wondered why he was timid?

Timothy was despised because of his young age (1 Timothy 4:12), he was imprisoned for Jesus Christ at least once (Hebrews 13:23), he was facing intense opposition from false teachers (1 Timothy 1:3-11), and he suffered “often infirmities” (1 Timothy 5:23). Now, Paul, his dear friend and brother in Christ, is in prison again. Timothy is beset with troubles, troubles, troubles! He is weary, mentally and emotionally distressed. He wants to give up.

If Timothy is to survive the troubles yet to come (more false teaching, and worst of all, Paul’s execution), his mind must be corrected, reminded of God’s truth, and this farewell letter from Paul will accomplish just that. Today’s Scripture is excerpted from the Apostle Paul’s final epistle. If ever Timothy needed to remember his identity in Jesus Christ, it is now!

The Holy Spirit, writing through Paul, is preparing Timothy to handle the impending death of his good friend, and the increasing doctrinal errors within the Body of Christ. The Church the Body of Christ needs Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1), to remain faithful in the message of God’s grace and pass it on to “faithful men” who will teach others also (verse 2), to “endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (verse 3). He needs not abandon God’s people when they need godly, mature leadership. The apostasy that is already occurring—the forsaking of Pauline grace truths and the embracing of the (Scriptural) Mosaic Law—is nothing new (2 Timothy 1:15).

Timothy needs to be reminded of today’s Scripture, three concepts that are key to handling all troubles. Let us discuss these three provisions that God has given Timothy (and us!) in Christ, and how they can sustain him (and us!) amidst those troubles of life….

Tips to Timid Timothy to Tolerate Troubling Times #4

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We have often heard the expression “timid Timothy,” but have you ever wondered why he was timid?

Let us read today’s Scripture in its context (Paul writing to Timothy): “Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (verses 4-8).

Timothy was a young man when he trusted Jesus Christ alone as his personal Saviour. His grandmother and mother had educated him in the Scriptures (cf. 2 Timothy 3:15). Before Paul first met him in Acts 16:1-3, Timothy had a respectable testimony among other Christians. Thereafter, Timothy faithfully served with Paul in his ministry amongst the Gentiles: Paul had ordained Timothy to function in that ministry as a “secondary” apostle (“the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands;” 2 Timothy 1:6). In the context of today’s Scripture (see previous paragraph), Paul is reminding Timothy of his ordination (which he evidently forgot because of his dire circumstances).

Timothy is now ashamed: he wants to surrender to the opposition. The persecution, the false teaching, his young age, and now Paul’s imprisonment, have distracted Timothy (Satan’s goal). He is not thinking like God has designed a Christian to think, and today’s Scripture is the key to him handling the opposition as a mature Christian….

Tips to Timid Timothy to Tolerate Troubling Times #3

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We have often heard the expression “timid Timothy,” but have you ever wondered why he was timid?

Satan, God’s arch-nemesis, has implemented—and is still employing—various clever strategies (“wiles,” “devices,” et cetera) that hinder God’s purpose for creation. Although most professing Christians are completely ignorant of how Satan schemes and deceives, he is very much aware of what they are supposed to be doing (and he works tirelessly to keep them unlearned).

For those Christians who do know what God is doing, and they are, by faith, doing the same, Satan has a two-fold plan of assault. Firstly, he will attempt to mislead the Christian and get him or her to water down God’s Word (message). If the Christian does not compromise, then Satan will attack the Christian (messenger). Although this is true throughout the Scriptures, acknowledging Satan’s implementation of it in Paul and Timothy’s ministries is needful in comprehending today’s Scripture.

Paul was committed to faithfully transmitting—preaching, teaching, and writing—the doctrines of God’s grace. Satan understood that he could not get Paul to corrupt God’s Word, so then he began to use evil men—kings, priests, emperors, and common unbelieving Jews—to physically hinder Paul’s ministry (as documented throughout the book of Acts; cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).

In the context of today’s Scripture, Paul is in prison for preaching an “illegal” religion in the Roman Empire (2 Timothy 2:8,9). Satan is attempting to use Paul’s troubling circumstances to discourage him and Timothy. In addition, Timothy’s young age causes older “educated” people to criticize and disregard his ministry: Paul encouraged Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth” (1 Timothy 4:12). Timothy has faithfully held to God’s Word rightly divided, just as Paul had instructed him (1 Timothy 1:3-11), but the constant opposition is beginning to greatly weary him. Timothy is beginning to shy away, wanting to give up. The false teachers have intimidated him to near-silence.

Now we see why Paul wrote what he did in today’s Scripture….

Tips to Timid Timothy to Tolerate Troubling Times #2

Monday, December 2, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We have often heard the expression “timid Timothy,” but have you ever wondered why he was timid?

Originally, Satan (formerly, “Lucifer,” the “light-bearer”) was “full of wisdom” (Ezekiel 28:12): Lucifer was created as an extremely wise creature, someone to devise ways to glorify His Creator, Jesus Christ. Yet, Lucifer was only interested in glorifying himself, and he corrupted his wisdom (leading to his fall from heaven). Thus, the Bible portrays Satan (“adversary”), the devil (“slanderer; accuser”), as a very sneaky character.

Satan has devised a very ingenious plan to accomplish his own goals in creation—he wants worship that God alone deserves (Matthew 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-8). The devil wants us to focus on anything and everything, as long as we are ignorant of what God desires us to know. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, we read about “the serpent [who] beguiled Eve through his subtilty.” Genesis 3:1, the verse Paul quoted, says, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made….” Scripture also speaks of Satan’s “cunning craftiness” (Ephesians 4:14), “wiles” (Ephesians 6:11) and “devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

This satanic policy of evil has operated on earth for 6,000 years now (ever since Adam chose to follow it; Romans 5:12). We observe it in the world’s governments, religions, educational systems, and so on (Galatians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; Ephesians 6:12). Upon considering the contents of the entire Bible, we can conclude that when a saint of God does not give in to this policy of evil—that is, when Satan attacks the message but the saint refuses to compromise God’s Word—then Satan will attack the messenger (the saint). Imprisonment, torture, and even the death penalty, were some of the awful consequences for the saints of old who unapologetically believed God’s Word (Hebrews 11:32-40).

Concerning today’s Scripture, Timothy has not compromised the message of God’s Word, so, as we will see, Satan has switched to personally attacking Timothy and his Christian brother and closest friend, Paul….

Tips to Timid Timothy to Tolerate Troubling Times #1

Sunday, December 1, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We have often heard the expression “timid Timothy,” but have you ever wondered why he was timid?

Paul first met this Hebrew-Greek Christian Timothy back in Acts chapter 16, on his second apostolic journey. Acts 16:2 says Timothy was “well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium,” so Paul took him along as a traveling companion and ministry coworker. Thereafter, Timothy accompanied Paul during his travels and helped him in his ministry (he was also known as “Timotheus;” Acts 17:14,15; Acts 18:5; Acts 19:22; Acts 20:4; Romans 16:21; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 16:10; 2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:2,6; 2 Thessalonians 1:1).

Years later, at the close of the book of Acts, Paul was held in Rome under house arrest for two years (Acts 28:30,31). After his release, he went on other apostolic journeys. It was during this time that he left Timothy in Ephesus, and then wrote 1 Timothy (1:3). Some years later, Paul was rearrested and imprisoned, and this is when he wrote a second and final epistle to Timothy, our Bible book of 2 Timothy (the context of today’s Scripture).

Timothy was considerably younger than Paul. Hence, Paul called Timothy “[his] son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:2; cf. 1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 1:18). This is also why Paul admonished Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth” (1 Timothy 4:12).

Notice, Timothy started out well, but as time went by, today’s Scripture indicates that he grew afraid and weary. Evidently, Timothy was on the verge of quitting his ministry. In fact, Paul reminds Timothy that he greatly desires to see him, “being mindful of [his] tears” (verse 4)—Timothy is under such pressure that he has actually cried.

Just what has Timothy so depressed and fearful, and what can we learn from this? We will search the Scriptures for the answers….

Enjoy a Grace Bible Conference!

Saturday, November 30, 2013

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2 KJV).

Having just returned from a grace Bible conference, let me summarize what occurred there.

Fellowshipping with like-minded believers in Jesus Christ was very enjoyable. Of course, “time just seemed to fly by.” How we wished to stay a few more minutes (or, a few more hours!) and further read and discuss the Scriptures with each other.

For some of us, the doctrine was “advanced;” for others, it was “review.” Although we may not understand everything that was taught, it still helped to familiarize ourselves with the Bible’s terminology and the Bible’s definitions of words. Although we do not understand every single verse in the Bible, at least we learned where each verse fits on the Bible timeline. Thus, we do not have to get bogged down trying to understand every last passage and verse that God gave Israel (verses He did not give to us anyway).

We learned how God has laid out His Word, and how He has a very clear method of how to study and understand it (“time past,” “but now,” and “the ages to come;” Ephesians 2:7,11-13). Learning that Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are God’s Word to us, surely provided a clearer resolution for our spiritual eyes that have been dim for ever so long, and it relieved us of the weights of religious tradition that amassed on our spiritual backs for ever so long.

In short, we simply enjoyed our lives in Jesus Christ, the grace life described in Paul’s epistles, and encouraged each other to do the same (today’s Scripture). According to 2 Timothy 3:16,17, God has stored profit in His written Word. As “workmen,” we studied that Book “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15) in order to extract that profit, to the intent that God the Holy Spirit will work in and through us that believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13), to the intent we may grow spiritually and be able to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12).

We look forward to seeing each other again… Either there or “in the air!” 🙂

Attend a Grace Bible Conference!

Friday, November 29, 2013

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13 KJV).

Before attending a grace Bible conference today, I will briefly discuss what such gatherings are all about.

The Apostle Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus (modern-day western Turkey). According to chapter 1 (verses 3-11), he charged Timothy to address a major doctrinal issue—legalism. Today’s Scripture communicates some of Paul’s instructions to Timothy until he could come and personally assist Timothy in Ephesus.

Timothy was to pay attention to three specific areas of ministry, and today’s Scripture lists them: “reading,” “exhortation,” and “doctrine.” When we Pauline dispensationalists (or “grace believers”) assemble, we do so to read and study God’s Word God’s way, to encourage one another to study and believe God’s Word God’s way, and to uphold and proclaim the doctrine that we learn when we study God’s Word God’s way.

Stated another way, we fellowship around three basic ideas that guard us against the errors in Ephesus (the same threats to our Christian lives today):

  1. FINAL AUTHORITY: We believe in the inerrancy and authority of the King James Bible—God’s preserved Word for us as English-speaking people.
  2. SOUL SALVATION: We believe in the sufficiency of the Gospel of the Grace of God—that Jesus Christ died and shed His sinless blood to pay for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day for our justification (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
  3. DAILY LIVING: We believe in the validity of the grace life—the doctrines of grace and their resultant manner of living that the ascended and glorified Jesus Christ first committed to the Apostle Paul (found in his epistles, Romans through Philemon).

We do not rely on the modern English “bible” versions for reading. We do not trust in works-religion for soul salvation from sins and hell. We do not believe in legalism (Mosaic law-keeping) as the operating system for the Christian life.

In short, we seek God’s approval, not a denomination’s approval.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 KJB

NOTE: I plan on video-recording the aforementioned grace Bible conference and uploading the footage to our YouTube channel. Updates will follow in the coming weeks.

Big Brother Versus Heavenly Father #5

Friday, November 8, 2013

“…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5c,6 KJV).

Big Brother is watching; Heavenly Father is, too!

In Daniel 9:24-27, the angel Gabriel informed the prophet that, in addition to Israel being out of her Promised Land for 70 years (the Babylonian captivity of 606-536 B.C.), so that her land could be cleansed of sin, there would be 70 weeks of years (or 490 years) for her people to be cleansed of sin. Verses 25 and 26 say that 483 years were fulfilled before Calvary. The last seven years—God’s wrath, the “Tribulation,” or “day of the LORD”—should have occurred in early Acts (Joel 2:28-32 cf. Acts 2:16-21).

However, rather than wrath, the ascended Jesus Christ poured out His grace and peace on Saul of Tarsus, his chief enemy on earth. In Acts chapter 9, Saul was saved, and was ordained of Christ as the Apostle Paul. The program that God had been operating—Israel’s prophetic kingdom program (Acts 3:19-21)—was interrupted. Jesus Christ’s earthly kingdom is still awaiting fulfillment.

From Paul’s salvation onward, God began to form a body of people, the Church the Body of Christ, who would govern the heavens for His glory like Israel would do on earth (Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 2:6,7; Colossians 1:16-20). The Bible calls this the mystery program, which God had kept secret until He revealed it first to Paul (Romans 16:25,26). We, living in the Dispensation of the Grace of God, are actually living in an interim time period between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel’s prophecy.

The program that God is operating today has nothing to do with Israel’s prophetic program; our current dispensation, the mystery program, revealed first to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1,2), is totally isolated from Israel’s program. Hence, earth’s governments remain corrupt: God’s program to restore them is currently postponed so He can operate our program to restore the heavenly governments to Himself.

Howbeit, before we discuss God’s present-day dealings with mankind, let us see the resumption of Israel’s program….

Arrayed in Hypocrisy

Thursday, October 31, 2013

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27,28 KJV).

“Looks can be deceiving” is not only true during Halloweentime, but confirmed year-round within Christendom.

Today is Halloween, when children dress up and feign themselves to be creatures they are not. Likewise, many church leaders today wear “Christian” garbs, but their ministries do not bring the Lord Jesus Christ glory and honor. They promote their denomination, and seek to perpetuate it, rather than serve and exalt the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Bible manifests these who appear to be good, as “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

In today’s Scripture, Jesus Christ exposed Israel’s corrupt religious leaders who misled the nation in His day. In His Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13:24-30,37-43, Christ explained how just as He had sown good seed (wheat, believing Jews) in Israel, Satan had also sown tares/weeds (unbelieving Jews). Tares resemble wheat; unbelieving Jews resemble believing Jews. The unbelieving Pharisees and scribes, for instance, looked like God’s people (believing Israel). Judas Iscariot was another example of Satan’s tares—the apostles never realized who Judas really was until it was too late!

But Satan’s counterfeit believers are not confined to Israel’s program. Today, within local assemblies of the Body of Christ, there are people feigning themselves to be Christians: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Beloved, beware of the church leaders who are arrayed in hypocrisy, “and avoid them” (Romans 16:17b). If their teaching does not agree with the rightly divided King James Bible, you have no business as a child of God to be listening to them.

*This is excerpted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

Shallow #7

Monday, October 28, 2013

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34 KJV).

If the professing “Church” is to impact our culture as the Lord Jesus Christ intended, then it had better recognize today’s Scripture as applicable to it!

The Scriptural record demonstrates that, by the opening years of the first century A.D., the LORD God has dealt with the most wretched, rebellious, unbelieving race of creatures in all of His creation. Some 4,000 years since creation, and God’s will in the earth (His earthly kingdom) is still not accomplished.

When He offers Israel her Messiah-King (Jesus), the Person who alone can redeem her from sin and Satan, and who alone can cleanse her of her sins, Israel demands His crucifixion (John 19:15)! Even into the early Acts period, Israel is still unrepentant. She continues to intentionally reject God’s Word to her, as the Prophet Stephen testified: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). Shortly after Stephen spoke these words, Israel stones and murders him; national Israel has now committed the “unpardonable sin” of Matthew 12:31,32, and thus (temporarily) falls before God.

In Acts chapter 9, God implements a plan that He has kept secret in Himself since the world began (Ephesians 3:1-11). He saves His chief enemy in the earth, Saul of Tarsus, commissions him as Paul the Apostle, and sends salvation to the Gentiles without Israel’s kingdom (Romans 11:11-13), thus beginning a new agency, the Church the Body of Christ, and His purpose and plan for the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20-23).

And so, we (finally!) reach the context of today’s Scripture. Unfortunately, members of the Body of Christ are just as sinful and ignorant of God’s Word as the billions who lived during the previous 4,000 years (or 6,000 years if we include the present-day). Sin abounds in Corinth, in the lives of these Christians (read 1 Corinthians). Today’s Scripture, sadly, applies to many sincere Christians today. Religious tradition and the world’s “wisdom” have polluted their souls and corrupted their minds. Consequently, they too have rejected God’s Word to them… often, deliberately….