Transformer - 09/13/2020

Learning from the Scriptures

Paul knew he was in his final days. In what is possibly his final letter (at least from the perspective of the Bible), Paul wanted to encourage his “beloved son” to remain faithful to Christ and the work of being an evangelist. In one of these comments, Paul reminds Timothy of what can be learned from the Scriptures.

The “sincere faith” of Timothy came about during his childhood when his grandmother and mother (who both had a deep faith) taught him the Scriptures, which we would call the Old Testament. From these Scriptures, Timothy learned “wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:15). These sacred writings were presented in such a way that he was “convinced of” their truthfulness.

Paul says “all Scripture is inspired by God;” originating from God. They were things God told the “writers” of the Old Testament to write. They were not writing what they thought was true, but what God actually was telling them was true.

Paul says these Scriptures are “profitable … for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). By reading, studying and understanding these writings, Timothy learned how to be righteous.

In the work Timothy was to do, these Scriptures were also “profitable for teaching, for reproof [and] for correction.” Timothy was to use these Scriptures to teach other people how they could have salvation. In his teaching, Timothy would use these Scriptures to gently point out to people why they were not living according to the standard Paul had taught. Timothy would also use these Scriptures to bring people back to the correct way of living.

In learning the Scriptures, Paul says “that the man of God would be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17). The Scriptures were to be the basis for the work Timothy was to do as an evangelist. Every good work Timothy and others were to do, as a Christian, was included in these Scriptures.

Today, our modern society, can learn from the Scriptures, which would include both the Old and New Testament. The Bible can be used to teach us how to live righteous lives. It can reprove us when we are acting in error as defined by God. It can bring us back to what is God’s standards for our lives. The question is, “Are we willing to learn from Scripture?”

This group of sacred writings, the Scriptures, will accomplish the same goal in our lives as it did in the life of Timothy. Being convinced of these things, we can become an “approved by God” worker. By putting into practice what we learn from Scripture, we will be living God’s way. - cgm

Thinking on the Word…

2 Timothy—An Encouraging Letter

Paul’s personal letter to his “beloved son,” Timothy is full of optimism and encouragement even though “the time for his departure has come.”

Reading this letter Timothy would have mixed emotions. Sadness, seeing his mentor realizing his time on this earth is almost done, but joy hearing his excitement about beginning an eternal life with the Lord. Heartbroken, knowing how much they miss seeing each other and Paul’s desire for Timothy to come see him.

For us, this book can be inspirational. Several things can be learned from this book which can be and should be practiced in our lives today.

We must have a “sincere faith.” We should not be ashamed of the teachings of Paul and the life he proclaimed. We should recognize that people are not going to like this message and may even “persecute” us for our conviction. We should be willing to share and teach this message to others who will help spread the message. We should remember that God (and Jesus) are always faithful, regardless of whether or not we are faithful to them. We should always be seeking to be approved by God in our work.

Maybe one of the most important things we can learn from this book is that we are to follow the example of Paul. We should be putting our total trust in the Scriptures and making sure they are proclaimed in every season.

Maybe the most encouraging thing, from this letter, for us is that if we will “finish the course” by keeping the faith, we can have a “crown” awarded to us by God.

Oh, to have such optimism, to be such an encourager to others, when we ourselves are facing hard and difficult times and especially when we are facing death.

One must certainly think that Timothy cherished this letter even more after the death of his “father in the faith.” May we cherish it also because of the encouragement it can give us! -cgm

Words of Wisdom

The rich man’s wealth is his fortress, the ruin of the poor is their poverty.” - Proverbs 10:15

There is never enough money to buy all the things we want when we want them. As the old saying goes, “too much month at the end of the money.”

The message of this verse may be saying that if we have wealth, then certain things can be bought that will protect us from life, money becomes our fortress or strong city. The poor do not have these benefits or blessings. Living from “payday to payday,” they cannot buy things that will protect them in life, and so their poverty becomes their ruin.

We can see that by having wealth we can possess better things. The car we drive is the result of our “wealth” or “poverty.” The type of healthcare insurance we can afford may result in us living or dying. Or what about the type of house we live in, or where we on vacation and what we can do when we get there? Or the types of clothes that we can purchase?

It is a fact of life that those who are wealthy will always have more than the poor. It was true in the days of Solomon and it is true in our day. So how do we live with this fact?

Let’s remember that one day the wealthy person is going to die and leave his possessions to someone else, just like the poor person will die and leave his possessions to someone else. The only difference is what they leave.

We need to be happy with our “riches” whether we are “wealthy” or “poor.” We need to use our money to enjoy life. We need to be content when we cannot buy what we want. - cgm