"THE HANDLING OF THE TRUTH"
Notes
Transcript
Do you have a bank account?
Do you have investments?
How often do you check and or watch those account?
Proposition - I invite you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 6 - as we conclude our study of the book of 1 timothy this morning I want us to see 1) the responsibility to the truth, 2) the neglect of the truth, and 3) the abiding in the truth.
Interrogative question - How are you handling the truth?
This is the forth charge to Timothy to persevere -
1 Timothy 1:18 -
1 Timothy 4:1-16 -
1 Timothy 6:11-16 -
1 Timothy 6:20-21 -
1. The Responsibility to the Truth - vs. 20a
1. The Responsibility to the Truth - vs. 20a
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
“O” - (o) - interjection -
Matthew 15:28 (NASB95)
28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
Mark 9:19 (NASB95)
19 And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”
Luke 24:25 (NASB95)
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
Acts 18:14 (NASB95)
14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you;
Romans 2:3 (NASB95)
3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
Romans 9:20 (NASB95)
20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
19 times, and “Timothy” nine times. 1 a resident of Lystra, apparently, whose father was a Greek and mother a Jewess; he was Paul’s travelling companion and fellow labourer. Additional Information: Timothy = “honouring God”. Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
The Word Timothy is spoken of 24 times in the Scriptures -
Acts 16:1 (NASB95)
1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,
Acts 17:14–15 (NASB95)
14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.
Acts 18:5 (NASB95)
5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 19:22 (NASB95)
22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
Acts 20:4 (NASB95)
4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
Romans 16:21 (NASB95)
21 Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
1 Corinthians 4:17 (NASB95)
17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
1 Corinthians 16:10 (NASB95)
10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am.
2 Corinthians 1:1 (NASB95)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
2 Corinthians 1:19 (NASB95)
19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.
Philippians 1:1 (NASB95)
1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
Philippians 2:19 (NASB95)
19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
Colossians 1:1 (NASB95)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1 Thessalonians 1:1 (NASB95)
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
1 Thessalonians 3:2 (NASB95)
2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,
1 Thessalonians 3:6 (NASB95)
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,
2 Thessalonians 1:1 (NASB95)
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
1 Timothy 1:2 (NASB95)
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Timothy 1:18 (NASB95)
18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,
1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
2 Timothy 1:2 (NASB95)
2 To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Philemon 1 (NASB95)
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,
Hebrews 13:23 (NASB95)
23 Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.
Guard the Truth -
“Guard” - (phylasso) - verb, aorist, active, imperative, second person, singular - finite verb - guard; watch; observe; follow
Sense: to guard - to keep watch over
“to guard - to keep watch over”
Luke 2:8 (NASB95)
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 11:21 (NASB95)
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.
John 12:25 (NASB95)
25 “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
John 17:12 (NASB95)
12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Acts 12:4 (NASB95)
4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.
Acts 22:20 (NASB95)
20 ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’
Acts 28:16 (NASB95)
16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NASB95)
3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
2 Timothy 1:12 (NASB95)
12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
2 Timothy 1:14 (NASB95)
14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
2 Peter 2:5 (NASB95)
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
1 John 5:21 (NASB95)
21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Jude 24 (NASB95)
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
“has been entrusted to you” - (aratheke) - noun, accusative, singular, feminine - direct object - deposit; trust
Sense: entrusted deposit - property entrusted to another who then takes responsibility for it
1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
2 Timothy 1:12 (NASB95)
12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
2 Timothy 1:14 (NASB95)
14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
The use of this word in the Septuagint -
Leviticus 6:2–4 (NASB95)
2 “When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion, 3 or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; 4 then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found,
Verb: φυλάσσω (phylassō), GK 5875 (S 5442), 31×. phylassō means to “guard” physically or to “keep” in the sense of observing (see keep). It often indicates a careful and constant guarding of someone or something of importance. It is most often applied to guarding prisoners (Lk 8:29; Acts 12:4; 23:35; 28:16), but is also used of guarding personal property such as flocks (Lk 2:8), a palace (11:21), and garments (Acts 22:20).
Spiritually, Paul exhorts Timothy to guard the deposit of faith in a careful, constant manner through the help of the Holy Spirit (1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:12, 14). People are also encouraged to guard themselves (i.e., beware) against certain things: covetousness (Lk 12:15), idols (1 Jn. 5:21), the error of lawlessness (2 Pet. 3:17), and those who seek their harm (2 Tim. 4:15). Paradoxically, Jesus says that whoever wishes to guard his life eternally must lose it and not be preoccupied with seeking to keep it safe on earth (Jn 12:25).
God also guards his people in a careful, constant way. Just as God guarded Noah from the flood and brought him safely to dry land (2 Pet. 2:5), Jesus guarded his apostles while he is on earth with them (Jn 17:12). He promises to keep believers safe from the evil one (2 Thess. 3:3) and to present them blameless in the last day (Jude 24). Mounce, W. D. (2006). In Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (p. 314). Zondervan.
Protect the Truth -
“Avoiding” - (ektrepo) - verb, present, middle, participle, singular, nominative, masculine - participle with imperative force - turn away; turn - participle with imperative force: A participle used to express a command or strong declaration. Lukaszewski, A. L. (2007). The Lexham Syntactic Greek New Testament Glossary. Lexham Press.
Sense: to shun - turn away - to avoid and stay away from deliberately; conceived of as turning oneself away from something.
“to turn from” - direct one’s interest, attention, or trust away from something (to something else)
1 Timothy 1:6 (NASB95)
6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
1 Timothy 5:15 (NASB95)
15 for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.
2 Timothy 4:4 (NASB95)
4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
“to shun - turn way - to avoid and stay away from deliberately”
1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
“worldly” - (bebelos) - adjective, accusative, plural, feminine - attributive adjective - pointless; worthless
Sense: profane characterized by violating the sacred character of someone or something (like a place, object, or institution).
“Worldly - Profane”
1 Timothy 1:9 (NASB95)
9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers
1 Timothy 4:7 (NASB95)
7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;
1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
2 Timothy 2:16 (NASB95)
16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,
Hebrews 12:16 (NASB95)
16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
“empty chatter” - (kenophonia) - noun, accusative, plural, feminine - direct object of the dependent clause - chatter; empty talk
Sense: prattle - idle or foolish and irrelevant talk; especially empty of an edifying value.
1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
2 Timothy 2:16 (NASB95)
16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,
“the opposing arguments” - (antithesis) - noun, accusative, plural, feminine - direct object of the dependent clause - contradiction.
Sense: contradiction - a statement that is necessarily false (a contrary position)
This is the only time that this phrase is used in the Scriptures
2. The Neglect of the Truth - vs. 20b-21a
2. The Neglect of the Truth - vs. 20b-21a
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
Fruitless discussion and dissension -
Here are those “certain individuals” again. We have already seen that the manner in which they are here pictured is in perfect harmony with their description in 1 Tim. 1:3, 4, 6, 7, 19, 20. The “profane empty jabberers” of our present passage are the “futile talkers” of 1 Tim. 1:6. Even the same verb is used in both places to describe them. They are said to have wandered away (1 Tim. 1:6; 6:21). Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, p. 212). Baker Book House.
3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,
4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
“falsely called” - (pseudonymos) - adjective, genitive, singular, feminine - attributive adjective - falsely bearing a name -
Sense: falsely - called - wrongly or speciously named.
This is the only time that this word is used in the Scriptures
“of knowledge” - (gnosis) - noun, genitive, singular, feminine - appositive - knowledge
Sense: knowledge - the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning; sometimes simply endowed by God (often with focus on application of the knowledge).
There is actually no such thing as Christian Gnosticism, because true Christianity and Gnosticism are mutually exclusive systems of belief. The principles of Gnosticism contradict what it means to be a Christian. Therefore, while some forms of Gnosticism may claim to be Christian, they are in fact decidedly non-Christian.
Gnosticism was perhaps the most dangerous heresy that threatened the early church during the first three centuries. Influenced by such philosophers as Plato, Gnosticism is based on two false premises. First, it espouses a dualism regarding spirit and matter. Gnostics assert that matter is inherently evil and spirit is good. As a result of this presupposition, Gnostics believe anything done in the body, even the grossest sin, has no meaning because real life exists in the spirit realm only.
Second, Gnostics claim to possess an elevated knowledge, a “higher truth” known only to a certain few. Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis which means “to know.” Gnostics claim to possess a higher knowledge, not from the Bible, but acquired on some mystical higher plane of existence. Gnostics see themselves as a privileged class elevated above everybody else by their higher, deeper knowledge of God.
Gnosticism is based on a mystical, intuitive, subjective, inward, emotional approach to truth which is not new at all. It is very old, going back in some form to the Garden of Eden, where Satan questioned God and the words He spoke and convinced Adam and Eve to reject them and accept a lie. He does the same thing today as he “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He still calls God and the Bible into question and catches in his web those who are either naïve and scripturally uninformed or who are seeking some personal revelation to make them feel special, unique, and superior to others. Let us follow the Apostle Paul who said to “test everything. Hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and this we do by comparing everything to the Word of God, the only Truth.
Gnosticism was thus a major threat to the early church, many of whose leaders, such as Irenaeus (died about 200), Tertullian (died about 220), and Hippolytus (died about 236), wrote voluminously against it. Many of the features of Gnosticism were incorporated into the sect of the Manichees in the third century, and Manichaeism endured as a heretical threat to the church into the fourth century. Songer, H. S., & Clendenen, E. R. (2003). Gnosticism. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 656). Holman Bible Publishers.
The “knowledge” of the heretics included empty discussions about fables, genealogies, and asceticism.174 Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 177). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Leads to eternal damnation -
“have professed” - (egangellomai) - verb, present, either middle or passive, participle, plural, nominative, masculine - instrumental participle - promise
Sense: to profess - to make open and free declaration of
The root word has the idea of a “promise” - this idea is seen 13 times in the NT
Example - Titus 1:2
Titus 1:2 (NASB95)
2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,
To profess - to make open and free declaration of -
1 Timothy 2:10 (NASB95)
10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.
1 Timothy 6:21 (NASB95)
21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
Use of this word in the OT -
Esther 4:7 (NASB95)
7 Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
“gone astray” - (astocheo) - verb, aorist, active, indicative, third person, plural - finite verb - deviate; depart
Sense: to deviate (vary) - to be at variance with; be out of line with
Used three times in the book of Timothy
1 Timothy 1:6 (NASB95)
6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
1 Timothy 6:21 (NASB95)
21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
2 Timothy 2:18 (NASB95)
18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.
3. astocheo (ἀστοχέω, 795), “to miss the mark, fail” (a, negative, stochos, “a mark”), is used only in the Pastoral Epistles, 1 Tim. 1:6, “having swerved”; 6:21 and 2 Tim. 2:18, “have erred.” Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 205). T. Nelson.
3. The Abiding in the Truth - vs. 21b
3. The Abiding in the Truth - vs. 21b
1 Timothy 6:21 (NASB95)
21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
“Grace” - (charis) - noun, nominative, singular, feminine - subject - grace
Sense: grace - goodwill freely disseminated (by God); especially to the benefit of the recipient regardless of the benefit accrued to the disseminator.
Noun: χάρις (charis), GK 5921 (S 5485), 155×. charis is “grace, favor”—the acceptance of and goodness toward those who cannot earn or do not deserve such gain. As in the OT, “finding favor in the presence of God” (Lk 1:30) means that God has an attitude of kindness toward someone, wishing to prosper them. Being “highly favored” highlights God’s decision to bless and use that person for his good purpose (of Mary, Lk 1:28; even of Jesus, 2:52; cf. also Stephen, Acts 6:8). Paul acknowledges that God’s “grace” has called and equipped him to be the authoritative apostle of Christ’s gospel (Rom 15:15).
Jesus’ mission to the world is seen as the appearance of “grace and truth” (Jn 1:14, 17), even “grace upon grace” (1:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ can rightfully be called “the word of his grace” (Acts 14:3; 20:32) and “the gospel of the grace of God” (20:24), and being sent out to preach the gospel is seen as “being handed over to the grace of God” (14:26; 15:40).
In the NT, God’s grace manifests itself most clearly in the sacrificial, substitutionary death of Jesus Christ (Rom 3:24–26; Heb 2:9). By nature gifts of grace cannot be earned (Rom 11:6), for a gift earned is the opposite of a gift of grace (4:4). Grace, Christ, and salvation are so connected that those who attempt to earn righteousness have “fallen away from the grace” (Gal 5:4; cf. 2:21). Salvation is “by grace through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).
The undeserved blessings of grace are numerous. Jesus gave up the riches of heaven, making himself poor so as to make sinful humans rich—that is “grace” (2 Cor. 8:9)! Every step of God’s salvation (from eternity past to the everlasting future) is accomplished through grace: his precreational choosing of the elect in Christ (Eph 1:4–6), his inner call to the gospel (2 Tim. 1:9), his regeneration of dead sinners (Eph 2:5), his gift of saving faith (Acts 18:27), his redemption of sinners (including justification, Tit 3:7; forgiveness of sins, Eph 1:7), his sanctification of believers (2 Cor. 9:8; 2 Thess. 2:16–17), his preservation of the saints (1 Cor. 1:4, 8), and his glorification of believers (1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Thess. 1:12). God saves “in order that in the coming ages he might show the surpassing richness of his grace in kindness on us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7).
Grace is a new domain in which and by which Christians live (Rom 15:15; 16:20). In this realm sin no longer rules (6:14). By his grace, God affects Christians’ personal lives, giving them the ability to obey the gospel from the heart (Rom 6:17), the ability to work hard (1 Cor. 15:10), and an increase of joy in severe trials (2 Cor. 8:1–2). God graciously affects Christians’ interpersonal relations, giving them care in their hearts for others (2 Cor. 8:16) and different spiritual gifts that cause the body of Christ to function together (Rom 12:6). The believer is motivated to show practical grace to others. Jesus applies charis (translated “credit,” “benefit,” or “thanks”) to the act of doing something kind for someone who has not earned and does not deserve it (Lk 6:32–34). The Christian knows that no matter the level of suffering or weakness in life, Christ’s grace toward them is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9), allowing them to “approach the throne of grace with confidence in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb 4:16). Dependence on Christ’s power and grace causes an overflow of thanksgiving (2 Cor. 4:15). Mounce, W. D. (2006). In Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (pp. 303–304). Zondervan.
SO WHAT??
The most important measure of any church is how it handles the Word of God. MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 288). Moody Press.
First, by believing the Word of God. In John 5:24, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John wrote in his first epistle, “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:14).
Second, by honoring the Word. Job said, “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).
Third, by loving the Word. In Psalm 119:97, the psalmist professes, “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Fourth, by obeying the Word. In John 8:31, Jesus said to those who had professed belief in Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.”
Fifth, by proclaiming the Word. Paul charged Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2).
Sixth, by defending the Word. Jude 3 reads, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Seventh, by studying the Word. Paul commanded Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 293). Moody Press.
What is Timothy’s responsibility? To “guard the deposit” that God committed to him through Paul. God had given the Gospel message, the deposit of truth, to Paul (1:11), who had in turn committed it to Timothy (1:18–19). Timothy was to guard it (6:20) and pass it on to others (2 Tim. 2:2). This is the task of the church today; may we be faithful to guard the deposit and pass it on to others! Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 637). Victor Books.
OUR CHURCH -
JAKE AND ELDERS GUARD THE TRUTH
IN TURN COMMIT IT TO YOU (CHURCH FAM)
IN TURN PASS IT ON TO OTHERS
2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.