How the Church Is to Stay the Course

Transcript

GRM 840
03/02/2003
How the Church Is to Stay the Course
2 Timothy 2:14-26
Gil Rugh

I want to turn your attention to the book of II Timothy this evening. As you are aware II Timothy is Paul’s last letter. We’ve been studying the book of Acts and we find Paul a prisoner of Rome and the book of Acts will conclude with him in Rome as a prisoner. Most believe that Paul was released from that imprisonment, carried on further ministry, and then was rearrested and II Timothy is written during that final imprisonment and in the face of his impending execution. He makes reference to the fact that the process that will culminate in his death has already begun. He has finished the course and kept the faith and is looking forward to the reward now that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

He has a great burden for Timothy. He spends much time in this letter challenging Timothy and encouraging him to step up to be bolder, to be careful of not being ashamed of the gospel in chapter 1 verse 8, “therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me his prisoner.” Our first reaction as we read something like that is could anybody be ashamed of the gospel and of Paul. But stop and think, we probably all have been in situations where we’ve felt a sense of embarrassment because someone that we know and are with perhaps, testimony well known and we’re not sure we want to be associated with them. We’re embarrassed to present the gospel on occasion because we are uncomfortable with the response we might get. Paul’s concern that Timothy step up and not be intimidated, not be intimidated by opposition. His challenge is joining with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. Not asking Timothy to do something in his own strength, this is not a matter well Paul by nature is a bolder person. Timothy is more reserved and retiring. We’re not talking about what you can do in your own strength, we’re talking about what can be done in the power of God. Timothy, step up, don’t be ashamed, step forward and join with me in suffering for the gospel.

You come down into chapter 2, he continues his exhortations and gives a series of analogies for Timothy—being like a good soldier, like a hard-working farmer, and so on. Verse 8 he says, “remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendent of David according to my gospel for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal.” But the Word of God is not imprisoned. We’ve seen that during Paul’s imprisonment in the book of Acts. The Word of God is not imprisoned. Paul is bound and does not have freedom to come and go, but the Word of God goes forth in power. “For this reason, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, those who are chosen, that they obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

Then he gives three verses as we have it which seem to be part of perhaps a hymn of the early church, as many would take it. Really what it is is a further exhortation to Timothy to endure, stay with it. That is the challenge, to be faithful as God’s people, to not grow weary, to not ease up, become satisfied with less, say it’s good enough. But to continue to go full speed to the end of the course. In verse 14, and I want to pick up with this and look at some of what Paul says through the rest of chapter 2, he challenges him. “Remind them of these things in the presence of many witnesses.” He’s going to give a series of commands here. Having challenged Timothy to his own personal faithfulness, he continues now, you have to bring others along with you. He told him in chapter 2 verse 2, “the things which you heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, you entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Remember we are part of a ministry of the body of Christ in the world, and so it is not just that Timothy personally has to step up and move forward. But he has a responsibility to bring others along with him. The days are in the near future when Paul will not be there to personally challenge and prod Timothy. So it is of utmost importance that he gives it all of his energy.

The first command here is to remind them of these things. Command given in the present tense; this is to be the ongoing practice of Timothy. You know people are always interested in the new, the exciting. What Paul calls Timothy to do is not come up with a new, fresh plan, new ideas that will be invigorating and challenging. Timothy, I want you to continue a ministry of reminding. The Word of God is unchanging, I cannot make it new to people who have studied it for years. We are studying the old truths; we are being reminded again and again of things we already have been taught and learned. Timothy is to not think, well you know I’ve taught it; they have heard it, I think we’re all doing fine. You keep on reminding them, Timothy. That’s a key responsibility, one I have to remind myself of after many years in this ministry. I’ll look at a passage and say they already know that I’ve taught that number of times while I’ve been here. Then other teachers taught it. There are people sitting who listen to me teaching and say I could get up there and teach that. Yet we’re told what? Keep on reminding them of these things.

Turn over to Peter, II Peter, Peter’s last letter, going toward the back of your New Testament, II Peter chapter 1. This is Peter’s final word written, he says in the face of his imminent execution. In verse 12 he says, “Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you.” Not only do you know them, but you’re firmly established in these things. You know what? I’m going to tell you again. “I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthy dwelling is imminent as our Lord Jesus Christ has made it clear to me.” Why do we remind, why is he reminding his readers? So that “after my departure you are able to call these things to mind.” You’ll note they are to be as we would say, second nature, they just come to mind automatically, they’re just right there. It’s just like you know you drive a car, and you teach your teenager to drive a car and what? Then you try to tell them something, I already know it, I know, I know you’ve told me that. You know they know, but you want it just to become part of them that it’s just there, it’s right there. And so that’s the way we are to be with these truths. Isn’t it amazing how many of the old truths, somebody will something and we’ll say I don’t remember, I can’t remember how that is. You people come and ask me things, I don’t know why you do that. I’ll say I can’t remember, I don’t know, it’s just cold in my mind on that. I’ve shared with you my practices when I do some exercise in the morning to listen to the Bible on tape. You know I am always amazed at my own, I was going to say stupidity, but it’s forgetfulness or whatever. I’m going through a portion and all of a sudden, I find myself thinking I forgot that was there. Maybe the third time this year I’ve gone through that portion, and I forgot it was there. If you had given me a Bible quiz, I would have forgotten that was there. That’s amazing, that’s really good. Peter says I want you to have it right there.

Look over in chapter 3 of II Peter verse 1, “This now beloved, the second letter I’m writing you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the word spoken beforehand by the holy prophets, the commandment of our Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.” The Spirit of God directed two of the key apostles, leaders, the church in their last letters to say what? I want to remind you. Then Paul tells Timothy it is your responsibility before God to continue this work of reminding. Timothy is not going to be coming up with new truth, he is not an apostle, he is not a prophet. Foundation is laid in the apostles and prophets. But Timothy’s responsibility is to take the truth that has been given and keep repeating it, keep teaching it. In the immediate context he is to be challenging them about their need to be faithful to endurance as well.

He goes on to say, charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. What he has in mind particularly are false teachers. These false teachers infiltrate among believers. We know Paul’s ministry was plagued by these false teachers, and they always entangle God’s people in fruitless discussions. We are not talking about being careful in our handling of the Word, we’re going to be doing this over and over again, but don’t get involved in those empty, worthless discussions that false teachers draw you away into. They accomplish no good purpose. Back in his first letter, in I Timothy chapter 6 verse 3 Paul told Timothy, “If anyone advocates a different doctrine that does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing. But he has a morbid interest in controversial questions, disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, constant friction between men of depraved mind, deprived of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” These false teachers come in and they always have a new twist, and they draw God’s people aside into these kinds of discussions that end up bringing division and conflict and suspicion. They undermine the work of the Spirit of God with the truth of the Word of God. They serve no purpose. Some of you from time to time will ask me about certain books or certain material and if I am familiar with it. No it’s not genuine, just don’t bother with it, don’t get involved in it. You have to be that way with false teachers. Don’t spend any time with them. Now we’re not saying you don’t have contact with unbelievers, unbelievers are welcome. We’re happy to have them come, we’re happy to talk to them about the Word of God. I don’t want to spend my time on fruitless discussions with false teachers. I will from time to time get letters from those who are advocating strange doctrines and they want to engage me in conversation. I usually don’t even bother responding, I don’t even want to respond and tell them I don’t think it’s fruitful to get into the discussion because I don’t want them to follow up to tell me why it would be fruitful. There is no place to go with it, just cut it off, I’m not interested, I’m not going to have any part of those things.

It’s not just that they are useless; they are worse than that. It leads to the ruin of the hearers. The Greek word translated ruin is the Greek word catastrophe. We’ve just carried it over into English and catastrophe. The word means to be subverting, to turn over, to overthrow, to cast down. It’s destructive, because that kind of influence when you open yourself to it and you get entangled in it, we underestimate the power of the enemy, his cleverness, the destructive influence of error. Soon it brings us down, throws believers into confusion, brings ruin. We are to have nothing to do with it, we are to be reminding believers of the truth that has been committed to us in the Word of God and to charge them, don’t have anything to do with false teachers and false doctrine. I try to follow that myself. You say you always make reference. I try to limit my reading and so on to be aware of what I need to be warning the sheep about. But I don’t want to immerse myself in their stuff. I want to be careful about the influence for myself as well that I allow to come into my life, and I want to protect the sheep. You say oh you don’t them to be exposed. No, I don’t. Just like your children, you don’t want them to be exposed to a lot of things. Some things are better not to have firsthand experience with, and false doctrine is one of those things.

Verse 15, another command. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of truth. Be diligent, be zealous, be eager, take pains with something, make every effort. King James version says study to show yourself approved to God, but the word study is too narrow in its meaning. The word here is to be zealous about something, to apply your energy and effort into something. You are to be diligent to present yourself as approved to God. That’s the goal, to having been tested to be approved by God. Isn’t that the goal? That God would say well done good and faithful servant; you’ve come through the test. The word here is used for putting something to the test, like metals, to test their genuineness. So, I want to be diligent in applying myself so that I would be approved of God, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. That’s the word of God, it’s the word of truth. We have truth, we have objective truth. It stands outside and apart from us, it is not subjective, it is objective. It has been given by God, and we are to cut it straight, which is the word meaning handling it accurately, cutting it straight, staying on the path.

Now you’ll note this is connected with being approved of God. He’s talked to Timothy about endurance, about not being ashamed, about joining in suffering, about being a good soldier. But you understand this takes place in the context of a faithful ministry of truth. To be approved by God means you’ve been faithful with His truth. That’s why as we study the book of Acts, we see Paul being a workman approved of God because he is being faithful with truth. He is just as approved of God when he’s ministering the Word to one or two people who respond negatively, as Peter was being faithful when thousands responded and were converted. Because the approval of God comes here, not because of the numbers that responded but because of the correct handling of the truth of the Word of God. We need to remember that as the church today as it gets caught up on so many methods and programs and all of that and forgets the truth we have to handle accurately.

When we talk about not wrangling about words and getting involved in that, that doesn’t mean we’re not serious about the study of scripture. I want to be very serious about the study of scripture, I want to sort through it, study it, be taught it, interact with believers about it, but I don’t want to get involved in tangents with people are going to draw me aside into fruitless, empty, worthless discussions and we want to grow in that context.

You’ll note it’s to present yourself approved to God, and ultimate responsibility and accountability to God in this area, and I want to be approved to God as a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed. It’s a workman, this doesn’t come easy. You know it’s easy to think we know more than we do. Went to the doctor recently for some tests and you know I read some books on health. I sat down, they did some tests, and the doctor said I’ll mail you a copy of your tests. When I got the copy of the tests, I didn’t understand anything, I couldn’t make heads or tail of it. I was happy when I got the sheet right side up. What is this? I got out these dictionaries and books and I’m trying to find this word and it’s not even in my dictionary. You know what I did? I went back to the doctor and said could you tell me what these things mean? He intended to do that anyway, I’m sure. But you think you know something better than you do and often that is the way it is with the Word of God. We have to be workmen. There is the initial bloom when you’re saved and you just can’t get enough of the Word, and there it is work but it is fun. You know the longer you’re a believer sometimes it just gets to be work, doesn’t it? I must apply myself to the Word and be diligent handling accurately the Word of God.

There’s a third command here, the first command was to remind them, the second command was to be diligent, the third command is to avoid, stay away from certain things, avoid, shun. Another command, stay away from worldly and empty chatter. It will lead to further ungodliness. In his first letter in chapter 6 verse 20, “Oh Timothy guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter. The opposing argument is what is falsely called knowledge.” Stay away from those things that are contrary to the Word of God. Why? They only lead to further ungodliness. This kind of talk and improper handling of scripture promotes an unhealthy attitude toward God, toward the lives we are to live honoring to Him. You’ll note this, their talk will spread like gangrene. I was talking with some men the past week and talking about how false doctrine takes hold and gets a group. The discussion came out of our talk about a pastor who just lost his ministry, I just heard about it this weekend. In fact, we carry some of his books in Sound Words. Had a good ministry. Know what happened? Some writings that are advocating false doctrine began to be read by some of his people, pretty soon it began to spread there, ends up he has to resign. What a turn upside down of a church. It spreads like gangrene. It seems like we work hard to get into the truth, to establish the truth, to teach the truth, and error comes, and it catches like wildfire. Why does error get hold so quickly and truth it seems like you have to keep working and working and working, keep reminding, reminding, reminding and somebody comes with error and all of a sudden it sweeps through like wildfire. Well, the scripture says this false teaching spreads like gangrene. You know you work to be healthy but something like gangrene you don’t have to work on it, just let it do its work and it will spread and bring destruction. So be warned. Some people say oh you’re a knit picker, you’re always being so narrow with the truth. Well do you want gangrene in your body? You know I’m not going to wait until it gets in there and then try to get it out. We’ve had to do that; we know the bloody mess it is to try to get rid of error once it gets in. That’s what he’s warning Timothy about. Error, false teaching, false doctrine gets ahold, and it spreads like gangrene. The church doesn’t believe that, talking about the church generally. They think that false doctrine, well we don’t have to be too tight here, I mean it doesn’t always have to be this way. That spiritual world of compromise and get along and go along infects the church, but once the false doctrine is in then it is a wretched job to try to deal with it and get it out. It’s like gangrene, it will spread.

Look back in the book of Ecclesiastes. You know we as God’s people get into trouble because we don’t take seriously what God says is serious. Again, it is clear when we think of the analogy of our children. We have a concern about the disaster that could come to our children if they don’t take certain things seriously. God gives strong warnings to His people and yet sometimes we don’t take them seriously. Look in chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes verse 18, last verse of chapter 9. “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but note this, but one sinner destroys much good. Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.” Saying the same thing in these 2 verses, one sinner destroys much good, a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. You can have many people teaching the truth and you have one person come teaching error and that error does great damage. You have wisdom and honor, but a little foolishness sweeps many people away and undoes the good of wisdom and honor. What Paul was warning about was warned about in the Old Testament scriptures as well.

Come back to the New Testament. Isn’t it interesting that the Apostle Paul, whose life was once conflict after another has not come to the end of his life with some instructions to Timothy on how to get along with people better, how to compromise more, how to take the edges off the message. But just the opposite, to step up, to be bold, not to be ashamed, to be intolerant of error and those who would promote error. We are to be loving and kind, that’s going to come up in this section in a moment, but we are to be intolerant of those who would in any way distort or corrupt the Word of God. I would hope it would go out, if you have any intention of promoting false doctrine, new and novel ideas, don’t go to Indian Hills. It won’t be welcome, and you won’t be tolerated. That ought to be the reputation we have. This is not a place where anything goes, this is a place where people are committed to handle accurately the Word of truth, and I don’t say that because we are unique. This is to be the characteristic of the church of Jesus Christ which is the pillar and support of the truth as Paul wrote to Timothy in this first letter. They are a tolerant people, they are a loving people, they are a kind people, but they are an intolerant people, they are a firm people, they are a people that will deal with you immediately if you in any way mishandle the Word of God. Wonderful place to learn the Word of God, a terrible place to try to distort the Word of God.

Paul was not above giving personal examples and so he immortalizes two men in the scriptures here, men who profess to be believers but had infiltrated the church with false doctrine—Hymenaeus and Philetus. I talk about those who have worldly and empty chatter, whose teaching leads to further ungodliness and spreads like gangrene, I’m talking about men like Hymenaeus and Philetus. Well, that’s not nice to name names, not nice to say that about them. It’s important the church be protected. These men have done ungodly things in the church by spreading false doctrine. These are men who have gone astray from the truth, they are not handling accurately the word of truth, they are men not approved of God. In what area? They are saying the resurrection has already taken place and they upset the faith of some. You know false doctrine has an impact. The Apostle Paul labors, has poured his life into proclaiming the truth and here come these false teachers and they have already been effective in upsetting the faith of some. Some believers have become confused by this false doctrine, some have been unsettled. What they taught was the resurrection was already past, you know that doctrine infiltrated the church a long time ago and been through its cycles. We’ve had it in our day, and it continues to be there. There are those, a bodily resurrection, that’s not the important thing. You know what is important? You have a resurrection experience with the Lord. We’re not going to debate with you whether bodily resurrection occurs or not, these men said it’s already past, these kinds of distortions.

Basic Biblical doctrine, the resurrection of the dead. Back up to I Corinthians chapter 15. You know everywhere Paul went to establish churches he had to then write letters and deal with the influence of false teachers and false doctrine. That’s why his letters aren’t just missals of positive encouragement, but they contain much warning and exhortation and rebuke. In I Corinthians chapter 15 verse 12, “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead,” note this, “how do some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?” This doctrine and teaching and teachers, some of these teachers had infiltrated the church at Corinth. He’s writing to Timothy whose responsibilities were in the region of Ephesus. The church is being infiltrated and their teaching is being tolerated, men who said there is no coming bodily resurrection. “If there is no resurrection of the dead not even Christ has been raised. If Christ has not been raised our preaching is vain, your faith is vain and we are found to be liars, we apostles, because we have been proclaiming that Christ has been raised and there is a coming resurrection of the dead. If that’s not true we’re liars, and if the dead are not raised Christ has not been raised, if Christ has not been raised your faith is worthless, you’re still in your sins and believers who have died have perished because there is no salvation. And if we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most to be pitied.” How in the world did the church become tolerant of teachers who are teaching there is no future bodily resurrection? The same way the church today becomes open. We don’t want to be known to be negative, we don’t always want to be against something. We can be loving and open and understanding and accept people whose beliefs aren’t just like ours. I can’t do that; I can only have fellowship with believers whose beliefs are just like the scripture. We say well does your interpretation of the scripture always have to be right? No, it just happens it is. No, I’m not always right, but the scripture is clear and some of these hucksters that are around peddling a message that is contrary to the truth, have nothing to do with them.

Back to II Timothy chapter 2. Now don’t get confused here. They’ve upset the faith of some, but they haven’t shaken the foundation. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal. Verse 19, “The Lord knows those who are His and let everyone who names the name of God depart or abstain from wickedness.” Now the firm foundation of God stands, and some would take this in the context, and I have no problem with that, that it refers to the church because he’s talked about the church in I Timothy 3:15 as the pillar and support of the truth. And this seal is given, the firm foundation of God stands. The church founded on the Word of God, the finished work of Christ, and that’s the picture. It stands firm, it has this seal, it’s a two-fold seal. Perfect tense on stands denotes something that stands in the past and continues to stand, denotes permanence. The true church, those who are part of the true work of God are not shaken. And the seal of God, one guarantees security the other guarantees purity. The first, the Lord knows those who are His. Those who truly belong to God are not promoting such doctrine and are not swept away with such doctrine. Doesn’t mean there are times believers don’t get confused by this and so on, but the Lord knows those who are His. False teachers come in and they sow seeds of discord and confusion, but you understand the Lord knows those who are His. Some people sometimes will come and say well I think what you said could have confused people. Well, I can confuse people at times, I realize, but I’ve also come to the conclusion I can’t confuse the elect if I’m being faithful to the truth. And I can’t keep confusion out of the hearts and minds of the non-elect. So that helps keep me on track. I sometimes have passages and say how am I going to present this? Lord, help me to present it as clearly as I can, and I know by Your grace the elect will understand it and the non-elect will continue in a fog. We all struggle with things, we go through times where we say I don’t put this together yet, we’re all growing and I’m growing. I can’t say I perfectly understand everything in the Word of God, and neither can you, but we don’t want to take this as an opportunity for arrogance. But nonetheless God intends us to understand, and His knowledge of the elect is secure. So even though we may get confused about where people are, God knows those who are His and let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness. Those who belong to the Lord, they have also the seal of purity. They have security and they have purity. The Lord knows those that belong to Him and those that belong to Him abstain from wickedness. There are those boundaries in their lives.

“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels but vessels of wood and earthenware, some to honor and some to dishonor.” I take it in the analogy we’re going to continue we’d be talking about the church generally. Already in the church there had been swept-in people who weren’t genuine believers, they did not genuinely belong to the Lord. I don’t always recognize them. The paper this weekend had an article on the openness of God theology, some of you saw it in the religion section, and indication of the church being infiltrated by those that are vessels of wood and earthenware, vessels to dishonor. They claim oh no we’re within the evangelical camp, we believe in Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection. You do not believe in the God of the Bible, the God of the Bible is not a God who dwells in ignorance, not a God who dwells in the realm of uncertainty, not a God who is waiting to see what will happen tomorrow like you and I are waiting to see what will happen tomorrow. He’s not a God who has to regret what He has done because it did not work out the way He hoped and planned. That’s not the God of the Bible. The fact that people come and say you must accept me, I believe in Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection while they deny the very character of God, and I won’t be deluded by that. They say I believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is not some kind of magic password that gets you in. You are saved by faith in the finished work of Christ, but if you have truly believed in the finished work of Christ, you are one who submits to the authority of scripture and by His grace you have come to understand certain truths. Can a person who denies that Jesus Christ is God be saved just because he says I believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus but I don’t believe He is God. I’m sorry, you’re not saved. You’ve denied the person of Christ. So just mouthing certain words, and we have an evangelical organization now that is going to vote on whether they ought to continue to accept the men who hold this openness of God theology as evangelicals and allow them to continue to be members of their evangelical association will be telling the future of that organization. If you can deny the very character of God, He’s a God who does not control the future, does not even know the future, a God who makes actions which He has to regret because they turned out badly. That’s not the God of the Bible. No matter what else you claim to believe. That’s just one example I use because it was in the paper this weekend. Multitudes of ways the devil infiltrates and corrupts the scripture and undermines it and works to influence and bring confusion, leading people astray. So, the work of the truth in handling accurately the truth is undermined.

“In a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels but also vessels of wood and earthenware, some to honor, some to dishonor," note this. Does that mean therefore that we just tolerate unbelievers? No, these who are promoting false doctrine. “If any man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared for every good work.” There are some people you just have to have nothing to do with, you have to cleanse yourself from them. I don’t want anything to do with them, I don’t want anything to do with their teaching. And be careful because we get trapped in this because we say oh, I think they say a lot of good things. That’s not enough, that’s not enough. That’s why I say it’s where we disagree that is significant, not where we agree. People have gotten in bed with Roman Catholicism as evangelicals because they say we agree on so much. Yes, but the crucial issue is what we disagree on. Is salvation by faith alone, or is it not? The church keeps getting deluded by this same deceptive work of the devil again and again and again and again. People say oh you’re always finding something wrong with someone. I can’t help it. It’s like I go to the doctor and I’m feeling good when I go in and they do my test and I come back, and he says you know you’re not nearly in as good health as you think you are. In fact, I found something that could be fatal. I storm out of there and say I’ll never go back to him again. I went in feeling good and I came out feeling terrible, I went in expecting him to tell me what good shape I was in, and he told me I wasn’t in that good of shape, in fact I could be dead if something is not done very shortly. I go around and tell all my friends don’t you ever go to that doctor; he just tells you bad news and finds something wrong with you. That’s not the way I am. I say thank you, Lord, for sending me to a doctor who was careful in his diagnosis and told me the truth.

That’s the way we have to be with the Word of God. We’re to handle accurately the Word of God, we have to stay on the straight path, cut it straight. It means I have to tell you we don’t want to hear we have to point out what is unpleasant. One thing that is unacceptable is false teaching and false teachers. You have to separate these things from you if you want to be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the master. What’s the purpose of our lives? To make friends, to get along, to have everybody like us? We’re to be useful to the master. I have to cleanse myself from the vessels of verse 20, the vessels of wood and earthenware, the vessels of dishonor, if I am to be useful to the master and prepared for every good work. This is a serious matter, has to do with our usefulness to God.

Verse 22, “Now flee from youthful lusts. Pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the name of the Lord from a pure heart.” We are to be joined together, we’re not just to pull ourselves off in isolation, doing our own thing. God has made us part of the body of Christ, and we are brought together in the church as a fellowship of believers, and we are to flee youthful lusts and follow after righteousness, faith, love and peace. And we do that with others who follow the Lord and call on the Lord from a pure heart. We refuse foolish and ignorant speculations knowing they produce quarrels. There is this ongoing work of discernment. I want to be joined together with those who are faithfully serving the Lord and call upon Him from a pure heart. They are devoted to Him and His truth.

I don’t want anything to do with those who are developing their own ideas and twisting the Word of God and want to get involved in foolish and ignorant speculation. The word foolish is the word moron, stupid things, they don’t make any sense, they’re not of any help or any value. They are destructive. They’re ignorant speculations. Same thing he warned them back at the end of the first letter, those arguments from what is falsely called knowledge. They come, they’ve got this great insight, they know more than their teachers, they know more than those who have been faithful to the Word of God, they’ve got this great insight. Well, you refuse those things, you reject it, knowing that they produce quarrels. You’ll note who produces the quarrels. Sometimes they call you divisive when you’re always standing for the truth. No, it’s those who don’t stand for the truth that are dividing the church. They are bringing in the error. We don’t cause the division because we oppose the error and oppose them in their false teaching, they have caused the division. The church is the pillar and support of the truth and anyone who doesn’t cut the truth straight, doesn’t handle the truth accurately is causing division and conflict, quarrels. I didn’t say we shouldn’t fight with them and then there’d be peace. It’s not my church, it’s not your church, we’re not free to allow people to teach what they would want. It’s God’s church, we’re called to be faithful to Him and the stand for the truth.

You know this is similar to what Paul told Timothy. Here he has told him to flee youthful lusts, to follow righteousness and to refuse foolish speculations. At the end of his first letter, he told him in chapter 6 of I Timothy verse 11, flee from these things that he’s talked about, follow righteousness, godliness and so on. Verse 12, fight the good fight of faith. Similar kinds of commands and exhortations to Timothy. He reminds him, its review, but it is so important.

Back in II Timothy 2 verse 24, “the Lord’s bondservant must not be quarrelsome.” You’ll note that. We’re going to fight for the truth, we’re going to stand and do battle with those who would undermine the truth or distort the truth, but we must not be quarrelsome. You know who are quarrelsome? Those who distort the truth, according to the preceding verses. Foolish and ignorant speculations produce quarrels and we’re not quarrelsome because we don’t get into foolish and ignorant speculations. To stand for the truth and preach the truth and defend the truth and oppose those who oppose the truth is not to be quarrelsome. To be quarrelsome is to deal with foolish and ignorant speculations. Those are the people who are quarrelsome. But when he says the Lord’s bondservant must not be quarrelsome, don’t disassociate that from the preceding verse. Sometimes people say aren’t we being quarrelsome when we’re constantly getting in battles over the truth? Let’s evaluate it, are we standing for the truth as the truth? Yes, but we’re opposing these people. Well, they’re being quarrelsome because they bring up foolish and ignorant speculations, things that are not true to the Word of God.

“Be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition.” If perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. They may come to their senses, escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. We will not allow or tolerate their teaching. We do separate ourselves from false teachers, but in our constant proclamation of the truth we don’t hate these people. We desire that by God’s grace the truth will take hold of their lives. We’re going to see this in Paul’s passionate appeal to Herod Agrippa in Acts chapter 26, that he would respond to the truth, a godless man who had rejected the truth repeatedly. We desire their salvation, and you’ll note at the end of verse 25, “if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.” Paul never lost sight of the fact only God’s gracious intervention in the life could turn them from their rebellion and rejection of God and His truth to repentance and thus a knowledge of the truth.

“That they may come to their senses, escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” Interesting in a context where he tells Timothy to step up, do battle, to oppose, to disassociate yourself from false teaching and false teachers, and at the same time continue to proclaim the truth and desire the salvation of all these people. They are the slaves, the captives of the devil. Only the glorious truth of the Word of God can set them free. That’s why we cannot allow the Word of God to be corrupted and distorted, we cannot allow the church, which is the pillar and support of the truth, to be distracted from its ministry of truth by being involved in these kinds of fruitless discussions. That’s why we maintain a unified theology and our teachers must be committed to that Biblical truth for the health of this church and the health of the people of the church and the strength of the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Paul writes this on his way to glory. Timothy had to step up and do it. Two thousand years later the Spirit of God using this truth for what? We are the ones to step up, we are the ones to take the challenge, to assume the responsibility. This truth has been passed on to us, and now it is our obligation and responsibility before the living God to do with this truth exactly what Paul under the direction of the Spirit was instructed to tell Timothy to do. Then to pass it on to faithful men who would do that right down to our day, and here we are. Why has this church been established? To be a pillar and support the truth and to do exactly what Paul has said here. That’s why we come back to be reminded of these things, that the Spirit of God will strengthen us, fortify us that we might be even more firm than we’ve ever been before. The desire is that by God’s grace many of these held captive by the devil, doing his will, will by the grace of God be brought to repentance and a knowledge of the truth.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for raising us up in these days. Lord, it’s only your grace that enabled the church to survive over these 2000 years. By your grace you have used the truth as it is passed on from one generation to the next, by your grace faithful people have been raised up to stand for this truth, to proclaim the truth. Lord, we want to be such a church today, we’ll be noted for our stand for the truth, we manifest the beauty of your character and kindness and love, patience. But Lord in firmness, in intolerance of those who would weaken the church, who would undermine the truth, who would attack the truth, who would try to entangle the church in all kinds of fruitless and empty discussions that only can lead to ruin. Lord, give us wisdom and discernment that we might stand firm, that we might be bold, that we might endure and not be ashamed. Lord, may we pass this on as we teach the coming generation and as we model for them as Paul did for Timothy true godly endurance and fortitude and faithfulness. May this be so until Christ comes. We pray in His name. Amen.