We’ve been reading through the Apostle Paul’s second letter to his spiritual son Timothy. Paul knew that Timothy, a very reserved young man, would need a lot of encouragement to continue on in his calling to preach and bring the Gospel to the lost in the area he was ministering in. In addition, Timothy needed to combat false doctrine and growing apostasy which was already beginning to spread in the early Church. Let’s see what we can learn as we finish the third chapter and begin the fourth.
The early Christian Church was only a couple of decades old, yet already Satan was attacking it with false doctrine and teachings. Already some believers, or those who made a show of believing, were falling into the trap of apostasy. Thus, Paul urged Timothy that it was very important for him to continue to teach sound and true doctrines, the teachings from God’s Word that he had learned since his childhood (vs. 14-15). Timothy had been raised by his believing mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (II Timothy 1:5). They had carefully taught him the Bible from early childhood, and he knew the authority of God’s Word. It is important for Christians to teach their children the Bible from as early an age as they can understand it. Then, as we grow older, we need to cling to those truths that we have been taught, especially with the levels of deception and false teachings that abound today.
Next, we come to a verse that is filled with doctrinal truth (vs. 16). This verse teaches us the verbal, absolute truth of God’s Word, the Bible. Every word of Scripture is inspired, God-breathed. We must treat the entire Bible, every chapter and every verse, as authoritative. There can be no picking and choosing about what one should believe and follow or not. Too many denominations today have fallen away from sound teaching because they pick and choose what to believe and accept. They don’t like this or that in the Bible so they figuratively just cut it out. They feel that this or that teaching in the Bible doesn’t fit in with the world today, so they just toss it out. However, all Scripture is inspired by God and is His Word, whether it fits with society today or not, and whether they like it or not.
The Scripture will teach us God’s doctrine, what is right. It will also give us reproof, teaching us when we are wrong. God’s Word will give us correction, showing us how to get right with the Lord when we’ve done wrong, and it gives us instruction in righteousness, which if we follow and obey, will help us stay on the right path. As Christians, we need to follow those who defend the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. If your pastor or your church does not, that is not the church you should be attending. Instead, God tells us here to reject modernist or liberal views that question Biblical authority.
Paul reminds Timothy that it is God’s Word that completely equips him and us (vs.17). We will grow spiritually in the Lord the more we read and study His Word, and not from emotional experiences or by seeking after worldly wisdom.
We now come to where the Apostle Paul renews for Timothy a charge to continue to preach God’s Word (vs. 1-5). This is a serious calling for the young man Timothy, and for us, as well. We are accountable to God Himself for the work we do for Him. The central charge that is given is to preach God’s Word at all times, “in season and out of season” (vs. 2). We are to preach God’s Word, not ours or others opinions, stories, or the popular trends or philosophies of today.
We should be doing this faithfully and consistently, whether it is popular with the world or not. This might sometimes include reproving or rebuking some people, or giving them exhortations. These are not easy tasks, but require both courage and clarity. This also runs counter to the churches who want to be more of an entertainment venue, more of a rock concert than a Gospel message. Or to the churches who choose to only bring “seeker-sensitive” messages, or the warm and fuzzy “feel-good” messages that never mention sin but instead tell the people to “be the best ‘you’ that you can be”.
We are in a time of doctrinal apostasy now, where people prefer ear-tickling messages over God’s Gospel (vs. 3-4). We must guard against compromise and be discerning about what we hear and what we teach. Far too many preachers give their congregations what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. Thus we need to be vigilant, enduring hardship, and faithfully bringing God’s Word, and not man’s, to the lost (vs 5).
This is a tough message, but one that is important. Sound doctrine must be upheld, and we need to prioritize God’s truth over what is currently popular. Many will turn from the Bible to instead follow what society says is right, but we must remain faithful. This passage is a call to remain anchored in the Word of God, especially as deception and apostasy increase. Our orders are clear: preach God’s Word, endure affliction, and finish well.
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