"THE AVAILABILITY OF THE GOSPEL"
Notes
Transcript
The last two weeks we have looked at verses 8-9 where we saw the power of God:
The motivation for Ministry
The commitment to the Ministry
The promise of the Ministry.
Proposition - This morning we are going to be learning about the availability of the Gospel. We will look three aspects of evangelism: 1) the cost for evangelism, 2) the sovereignty of God in evangelism, and 3) the blessings of God through evangelism.
Interrogative question - How is evangelism being displayed in and through your daily life?
As Paul’s self-testimony continues, v. 10 supplies the reasoning behind his willingness to undergo suffering. There are two factors involved—divine power and human need. First, the opening phrase, translated as “therefore” by the TNIV/NIV (NRSV), identifies a reason for Paul’s willingness to “endure everything.” This reason, just mentioned, is the unstoppable “word of God,” that fuels Paul’s steadfastness on behalf of the elect (cf. Phil 1:12ff.).25 Paul’s imprisonment is thus interpreted as facilitating the gospel ministry, for it is another opportunity for God to display the gospel’s power. Towner, P. H. (2006). The Letters to Timothy and Titus (pp. 503–504). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
The two considerations which cause him to continue steadfastly in the course which he is pursuing are really one: the glorious and deeply-rooted conviction that the word of God will certainly triumph in the lives and destinies of the elect! Though Paul is in this dungeon, he does not despair. Victory is written on his banner. Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, p. 252). Baker Book House.
1. The cost for evangelism - vs. 10c
1. The cost for evangelism - vs. 10c
10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.
The “therefore” points back to v. 9. The knowledge that the gospel was not chained or bound provided Paul with an incentive to endure. Paul’s endurance involved an unrelenting commitment that moved straight ahead through difficulty. It was much more than a mere absence of complaint. Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, pp. 207–208). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
“I endure” - (hypomeno) - verb, present, active, indicative, first person, singular - finite verb - endure
Sense: to endure (withstand) - to face and withstand with courage.
Verb: ὑπομένω (hypomenō), GK 5702 (S 5278), 17×. hypomenō may be rendered positively as “endure, stand firm, persevere.” The term is used in the NT in its literal sense in Lk 2:43: “the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem,” and in Acts 17:14 “Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.” hypomenō can also refer to maintaining a conviction or action in the face of opposition and thus “endure” or “stand firm.” As a weight-lifter bears up under the weight of the bar, one bears up under trouble or affliction (Mt 10:22; 24:13; Rom 12:12). The individual who stands firm in trial is blessed (Jas 1:12; 5:11), and enduring suffering for doing what is right brings God’s commendation (1 Pet. 2:20). Finally, the preeminent example of standing fast under opposition and persecution is Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.… Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:2–3). Mounce, W. D. (2006). In Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (pp. 213–214). Zondervan.
“endure” -
Matthew 10:22 (NASB95)
22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
Matthew 24:13 (NASB95)
13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Mark 13:13 (NASB95)
13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (NASB95)
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
2 Timothy 2:12 (NASB95)
12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
Hebrews 10:32 (NASB95)
32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,
Hebrews 12:2–3 (NASB95)
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:7 (NASB95)
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
James 5:11 (NASB95)
11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
Notice how Paul “Endured for the sake of the Gospel” -
2 Corinthians 11:16–33 (NASB95)
16 Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20 For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.
21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? 30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
John Calvin taught the perseverance of the saints
God, who is rich in mercy, from his immutable purpose of election, does not wholly take away his Holy Spirit from his own, even in lamentable falls; nor does he so permit them to glide down that they should fall from the grace of adoption and the state of justification; or commit the “sin unto death,” or against the Holy Spirit; that, being deserted by him, they should cast themselves headlong into eternal destruction. So that not by their own merits or strength, but by the gratuitous mercy of God, they obtain it, that they neither totally fall from faith and grace, nor finally continue in their falls and perish.26 Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 484–485). Moody Press.
Paul’s Commitment to the Gospel -
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Consequently, Paul lays down for Timothy a pattern of sacrificial ministry shaped after Christ’s own. Somewhere in the background of this is the Pauline concept of “completing the sufferings of Christ” (cf. Col 1:24; see below on 4:16–18).37 What Timothy is to comprehend from this picture is that suffering is a normative part of the gospel ministry, as the lives of both Christ and Paul amply demonstrate. The picture stresses equally the mysterious paradox that makes human weakness the divine crucible from which ministry done in God’s power may emerge. This fact alone makes enduring the hardest of afflictions worthwhile, and the completion of the elect’s salvation is an urgent motive that Timothy himself must embrace. Towner, P. H. (2006). The Letters to Timothy and Titus (p. 506). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Paul not only suffered because his faithfulness to Christ provoked it but also because, like the Lord, he was “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). His heart reflected God’s heart, because, like Peter, he knew with certainty that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 2 Timothy (p. 61). Moody Press.
The apostle endures all things, that is, all his manifold trials, for the sake of the gospel (cf. 2 Cor. 11:16–33; cf. Rom. 8:35–39; note “all these things,” Rom. 8:37). He endures them, that is, he exercises the bravery of bearing up under them, the courage of positive perseverance and steadfastness even then when all things seem to be against him (cf. 1 Cor. 13:7). To endure means more than not to complain. It means more than acquiescence. It means going right ahead (believing, testifying, exhorting) though the load under which one is traveling on life’s pathway has become very heavy. Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, pp. 252–253). Baker Book House.
2. The sovereignty of God in evangelism - vs. 10b
2. The sovereignty of God in evangelism - vs. 10b
10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.
“chosen” - (eklektos) - adjective, accusative, plural, masculine - prepositional object - chosen; elect -
Sense: chosen one (of God) - a person who was chosen by the God of Israel for a particular purpose.
1. eklektos (ἐκλεκτός, 1588) lit. signifies “picked out, chosen” (ek, “from,” lego, “to gather, pick out”), and is used of (a) Christ, the “chosen” of God, as the Messiah, Luke 23:35 (for the verb in 9:35 see Note below), and metaphorically as a “living Stone,” “a chief corner Stone,” 1 Pet. 2:4, 6; some mss. have it in John 1:34, instead of huios, “Son”; (b) angels, 1 Tim. 5:21, as “chosen” to be of especially high rank in administrative association with God, or as His messengers to human beings, doubtless in contrast to fallen angels (see 2 Pet. 2:4 and Jude 6); (c) believers (Jews or Gentiles), Matt. 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27; Luke 18:7; Rom. 8:33; Col. 3:12; 2 Tim. 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1; 2:9 (as a spiritual race); Matt. 20:16; 22:14 and Rev. 17:14, “chosen”; individual believers are so mentioned in Rom. 16:13; 2 John 1, 13.¶
Believers were “chosen” “before the foundation of the world” (cf. “before times eternal,” 2 Tim. 1:9), in Christ, Eph. 1:4, to adoption, Eph. 1:5; good works, 2:10; conformity to Christ, Rom. 8:29; salvation from the delusions of the Antichrist and the doom of the deluded, 2 Thess. 2:13; eternal glory, Rom. 9:23.
The source of their “election” is God’s grace, not human will, Eph. 1:4, 5; Rom. 9:11; 11:5. They are given by God the Father to Christ as the fruit of His death, all being foreknown and foreseen by God, John 17:6 and Rom. 8:29. While Christ’s death was sufficient for all men, and is effective in the case of the “elect,” yet men are treated as responsible, being capable of the will and power to choose. For the rendering “being chosen as firstfruits,” an alternative reading in 2 Thess. 2:13. 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. 196). T. Nelson.
A Reformed view of the term understands the reference to be to those who have not yet come to faith but are destined to do so.28 But this requires an unlikely use of the term “elect,” which in the OT and NT refers to the people of God,29 and reflects an overly narrow view of the concept of salvation, which in Paul’s theology is a process initiated by proclamation and conversion but not concluded until the Eschaton (see on Titus 1:1).30 This is precisely the perspective on salvation reflected in the last half of the verse and in the faithful saying that follows, and it suggests as the more likely interpretation that Paul thinks of “the elect,” without splitting fine theological hairs, as “God’s people” for whom he willingly endures whatever afflictions he must to ensure that they receive the constant attention and effective teaching of God’s word they need to remain faithful from start to finish. Towner, P. H. (2006). The Letters to Timothy and Titus (pp. 504–505). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
“chosen one (of God)” - a person who was chosen by the God of Israel for a particular purpose -
Matthew 24:22 (NASB95)
22 “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Matthew 24:24 (NASB95)
24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
Matthew 24:31 (NASB95)
31 “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Mark 13:20 (NASB95)
20 “Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
Mark 13:22 (NASB95)
22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
Mark 13:27 (NASB95)
27 “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.
Luke 18:7 (NASB95)
7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?
Luke 23:35 (NASB95)
35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”
Romans 8:33 (NASB95)
33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
Colossians 3:12 (NASB95)
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
Titus 1:1 (NASB95)
1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
“chosen (selected)” - selected (by someone) in preference to another (or others) -
Matthew 22:14 (NASB95)
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
1 Peter 1:1 (NASB95)
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
1 Peter 2:9 (NASB95)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Revelation 17:14 (NASB95)
14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
The heart of Reformed theology may be summarized in The Canons of the Synod of Dort8 (1619), which responded to the Remonstrance—the doctrinal affirmation of James Arminius. Five positive statements that summarize Calvinism were set forth at the Synod of Dort: (1) total depravity of man; (2) unconditional election to salvation; (3) limited atonement (for the elect only); (4) irresistible grace; (5) perseverance of the saints. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (p. 463). Moody Press.
There are six main features involved in election.18 (1) Election is a sovereign, eternal decree of God (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4, 5, 11). (2) Election is necessary because of man’s fall and total depravity. It therefore reflects the grace of God, not human effort (Rom. 9:11). (3) Election is “in Christ.” From eternity past God chose believers to be united to Christ (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4, 5, 11). In election God effects salvation through sending the Savior and effectually calling certain ones to salvation. (4) Election involves the salvation of the elect and the provision for their salvation. God determined to predestine, call, justify, and glorify certain ones (Rom. 8:29–30). This was planned and effected in eternity past. (5) Election and reprobation are individual, personal, specific, and particular. The pronouns in Romans 8 and Ephesians 1 emphasize the individual nature of election. (6) The goal of election is the glory and praise of God (Eph. 1:6, 12). Everything is to ascribe glory and praise to God. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 482–483). Moody Press.
Major theological emphases of Arminianism are: conditional election based on the foreknowledge of God; God’s grace can be resisted; Christ’s atonement was universal; man has a free will and through prevenient grace can cooperate with God in salvation; the believer may lose his salvation. Although Arminianism is a product of a theological difference within the Reformed church, its theological views are held by diverse groups today. Methodism and Wesleyanism adhere to Arminian doctrine, as also do the Holiness movement, many charismatics, and others such as the Free Will Baptists. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (p. 489). Moody Press.
Arminius objected to Calvin’s doctrines of predestination and reprobation and sought to modify Calvinism so that “God might not be considered the author of sin, nor man an automaton in the hands of God.”1 In developing this concept he wrote a treatise on Romans 9, advocating conditional election. A corollary doctrine he advocated was man’s ability to initiate salvation and cooperate with God in salvation. In contrast to both Luther and Calvin, who taught that freedom of the will was forfeited at the Fall, Arminius believed that God granted everyone primary or prevenient grace, enabling anyone to respond to the call of the gospel. Arminius also argued against supralapsarianism—the Calvinistic view that God decreed the salvation and reprobation of certain people prior to the Fall. He believed that supralapsarianism made God the author of sin.
Arminius also taught an unlimited view of Christ’s atonement—Christ suffered for everyone. Additionally, he emphasized that God’s grace could be resisted. On the basis of 2 Peter 1:10, Arminius also taught that believers could be eternally lost. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 489–490). Moody Press.
The decree of reprobation is the free and sovereign choice of God, made in eternity past, to pass over certain individuals, choosing not to set his saving love on them but instead determining to punish them for their sins unto the magnification of his justice.16
The doctrine of reprobation is a difficult teaching to accept. It is not pleasant to contemplate the miseries of eternal suffering in and of themselves, let alone to consider that the God who is love and is by nature a Savior has sovereignly determined to consign sinners to such a wretched end. Because it so easily offends fallen man’s sensibilities, many Christians who embrace the doctrine of election nevertheless reject the doctrine of reprobation altogether. That is also the case because the doctrine is so easily and so often misunderstood. Because of that, it is necessary to state what precisely we do and do not believe concerning the doctrine of reprobation. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 504–505). Crossway.
In the first place, reprobation is often wrongfully conflated with the doctrine of equal ultimacy. Equal ultimacy teaches that God’s actions in election and reprobation are perfectly symmetrical, so that God is just as active in working unbelief in the heart of the reprobate as he is in working faith in the heart of the elect. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 505). Crossway.
Instead, Scripture teaches an unequal ultimacy with regard to election and reprobation—that is, while God does indeed decree both the salvation of some and the damnation of others, there is a necessary asymmetry in these decrees. Such an asymmetry is observed in Romans 9:22–23, for example, where Paul uses the active voice to speak of God’s involvement in election (“vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory”) and the passive voice to speak of his involvement in reprobation (“vessels of wrath prepared for destruction”). When God chose some and not others for salvation, he regarded them not as morally neutral but as already-fallen creatures. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 505). Crossway.
God conceived of or contemplated all people in light of their fall in Adam and thus as sinful creatures.18 In the case of the elect, he actively intervenes—setting his love on them, determining to appoint Christ as their Savior and to send the Spirit to sovereignly quicken them from spiritual death unto new life in Christ. In the case of the nonelect, however, he does not intervene but simply passes them by, choosing to leave them in their state of sinfulness and then to punish them for their sin. While he is the efficient cause of the blessedness of the elect, he is not the efficient cause of the wretchedness of the nonelect; rather, he ordains them to destruction by means of secondary causes.19 Thus, the elect receive mercy, for they are not punished as their sins deserve, but the nonelect receive justice, for they are rightly condemned as their sins deserve. On neither ground can God be charged with unrighteousness, because all are guilty and because he is not obligated to show grace to any. MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 505–506). Crossway.
God’s Word clearly reveals that “He chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, [and] predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph. 1:4–5), that “whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). Disregarding other Scripture, some fatalistic interpreters use texts such as those just cited to argue that evangelism not only is unnecessary but presumptuous, claiming that God will sovereignly save those whom He has predestined, regardless of whether or not they hear and believe the gospel. But God’s Word just as clearly teaches the necessity of faith for salvation as it does that salvation is by God’s free and sovereign grace. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father” (John 6:65). But He also said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.… He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16, 18, emphasis added; cf. v. 36). Paul succinctly states those companion truths in the familiar and priceless words “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).
Scripture also is clear that, despite the Lord’s sovereign calling of men to Himself, He calls those who belong to Him to extend His call to those who have not heard and heeded it. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,” Jesus said, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). We are called to be Christ’s “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
In his letter to the church at Rome, immediately after declaring that “whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved,” Paul goes on to ask rhetorically, “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14).
The fact that our finite minds cannot fully understand or reconcile such truths in no way affects their validity. God sovereignly calls every believer in His grace; He sovereignly demands their faith to make His gracious calling effective; and He sovereignly calls those who are saved to be His witnesses to those who are not. MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 2 Timothy (pp. 61–62). Moody Press.
These elect are those on whom God has set his peculiar love from eternity. Cf. Col. 3:12. They are the objects of his sovereign goodpleasure, chosen not because of their foreseen goodness or faith but because God so willed. It was not man’s faith which caused election; but election, which caused man’s faith. If anyone wishes to see this for himself he should read such passages as the following: Deut. 7:7, 8; Is. 48:11; Dan. 9:19; Hos. 14:4; John 6:37, 39, 44; 10:29; 12:32; 17:2; Rom. 5:8; 9:11–13; 1 Cor. 1:27, 28; 4:7; Eph. 1:4; 2:8; 1 John 4:10, 19. Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, p. 253). Baker Book House.
These references clearly teach that God did not choose his own because they are more numerous, but for his own sake; that he loves them freely; that they are given to the Son by the Father, drawn by the Father and the Son; and that with respect to them God exercises his own very unique kind of love. They teach that this predestinating love has as its objects sinners, viewed in all their foolishness and weakness; that it bestows its favor on those who have nothing and will never have anything except what they receive; on those who differ from other people for the simple reason that God in effectuating his decree of election causes them to differ; on those who, far from being chosen on account of their unblemished character, are chosen in order that they may be without blemish and unspotted before him; yes, on those who will love him because he first loved them! Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, p. 253). Baker Book House.
Instead of condemning this doctrine, a person should first of all prove that it is not scriptural! It fits beautifully into the present context. Paul courageously endures all things because he knows that the word of God will certainly triumph in the hearts and lives of the elect. Cf. Eph. 3:13; Phil. 2:17. If it were true that their salvation had its deepest root in their own works, would the apostle have been able to face death with such fortitude?133
But even though for the elect, salvation is certain from all eternity, it must be obtained. The scriptural doctrine of election, far from putting any restrictions on the exercise of human freedom, points to the One who makes man free indeed! The God who in his sovereign love chooses a person, in time powerfully influences his will, illumines his mind, floods his heart with love in return for God’s love, so that these “faculties,” under the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit, begin to function to God’s glory in their own right. The decree of election includes the means as well as the end. God chose his people to salvation “through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” And to this salvation they are “called through our gospel” (see N.T.C. on 2 Thess. 2:13, 14). Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, pp. 253–254). Baker Book House.
3. The blessings of God through evangelism - 10c
3. The blessings of God through evangelism - 10c
10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.
“may obtain” - (tynchano) - verb, aorist, active, subjunctive, third person, plural - finite verb - attain; find; experience -
Sense: to obtain - to come into possession of; whether figuratively or literally
“glory” - (doxa) - noun, genitive, singular, feminine - prepositional object -
Sense: glory (state) - a state of high honor -
1. doxa (δόξα, 1391), “glory” (from dokeo, “to seem”), primarily signifies an opinion, estimate, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion. It is used (I) (a) of the nature and acts of God in self-manifestation, i.e., what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way he reveals Himself in these respects, and particularly in the person of Christ, in whom essentially His “glory” has ever shone forth and ever will do, John 17:5, 24; Heb. 1:3; it was exhibited in the character and acts of Christ in the days of His flesh, John 1:14; John 2:11; at Cana both His grace and His power were manifested, and these constituted His “glory”, so also in the resurrection of Lazarus 11:4, 40; the “glory” of God was exhibited in the resurrection of Christ, Rom. 6:4, and in His ascension and exaltation, 1 Pet. 1:21, likewise on the Mount of Transfiguration, 2 Pet. 1:17. In Rom. 1:23 His “everlasting power and Divinity” are spoken of as His “glory,” i.e., His attributes and power as revealed through creation; in Rom. 3:23 the word denotes the manifested perfection of His character, especially His righteousness, of which all men fall short; in Col. 1:11 “the might of His glory” signifies the might which is characteristic of His “glory”; in Eph. 1:6, 12, 14, “the praise of the glory of His grace” and “the praise of His glory” signify the due acknowledgement of the exhibition of His attributes and ways; in Eph. 1:17, “the Father of glory” describes Him as the source from whom all divine splendor and perfection proceed in their manifestation, and to whom they belong; (b) of the character and ways of God as exhibited through Christ to and through believers, 2 Cor. 3:18 and 4:6; (c) of the state of blessedness into which believers are to enter hereafter through being brought into the likeness of Christ, e.g., Rom. 8:18, 21; Phil. 3:21 (RV, “the body of His glory”); 1 Pet. 5:1, 10; Rev. 21:11; (d) brightness or splendor, (1) supernatural, emanating from God (as in the shekinah “glory,” in the pillar of cloud and in the Holy of Holies, e.g., Exod. 16:10; 25:22), Luke 2:9; Acts 22:11; Rom. 9:4; 2 Cor. 3:7; Jas. 2:1; in Titus 2:13 it is used of Christ’s return, “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (RV); cf. Phil. 3:21, above; (2) natural, as of the heavenly bodies, 1 Cor. 15:40, 41; (II) of good reputation, praise, honor, Luke 14:10 (RV, “glory,” for KJV, “worship”); John 5:41 (RV, “glory,” for KJV, “honor”); 7:18; 8:50; 12:43 (RV, “glory,” for KJV, “praise”); 2 Cor. 6:8 (RV, “glory,” for KJV “honor”); Phil. 3:19; Heb. 3:3; in 1 Cor. 11:7, of man as representing the authority of God, and of woman as rendering conspicuous the authority of man; in 1 Thess. 2:6, “glory” probably stands, by metonymy, for material gifts, an honorarium, since in human estimation “glory” is usually expressed in things material. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, pp. 267–268). T. Nelson.
“glory” - (state) - a state of high honor -
1 Timothy 1:11 (NASB95)
11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
1 Timothy 1:17 (NASB95)
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:18 (NASB95)
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Titus 2:13
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
“heaven” - glory - heaven understood according to its resplendent nature -
1 Timothy 3:16 (NASB95)
16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the dwelling place of God’s glory. Colossians 2:9 tells us that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” causing Jesus to exclaim to Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In Christ, we see the visible manifestation of God Himself in the second person of the Trinity. Although His glory was also veiled, Jesus is nonetheless the presence of God on earth. Just as the divine Presence dwelled in a relatively plain tent called the “tabernacle” before the Temple in Jerusalem was built, so did the Presence dwell in the relatively plain man who was Jesus. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). But when we get to heaven, we will see both the Son and the Father in all their glory, and the Shekinah will no longer be veiled (1 John 3:2).
Since δόξα (see the comments on 1 Tim. 1:11; 3:16) is used normally in the NT of God’s glory, majesty, and sublimity, it is natural that it also be used of the future eternal state (αἰωνίου) and realm of existence in which his splendor is everywhere and immediately present and, as here, of that in which the redeemed participate in a marvelous and endless way as they behold his splendor in a full and direct way (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2; Rom. 5:2; 1 Cor. 2:8; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 1:17; Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4; 2 Thes. 1:9; 2:14; Tit. 2:13). In 1 Pet. 5:10 (the only other NT occurrence of δόξης αἰωνίου; cf. 2 Cor. 4:17: αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης) the “eternal glory” is said to be God’s (“his,” αὐτοῦ). Knight, G. W. (1992). The Pastoral Epistles: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 400). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
μετὰ δόξης αἰωνίου, “with eternal glory,” refers to the glory and splendor of the next life. Since δόξα (see the comments on 1 Tim. 1:11; 3:16) is used normally in the NT of God’s glory, majesty, and sublimity, it is natural that it also be used of the future eternal state (αἰωνίου) and realm of existence in which his splendor is everywhere and immediately present and, as here, of that in which the redeemed participate in a marvelous and endless way as they behold his splendor in a full and direct way (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2; Rom. 5:2; 1 Cor. 2:8; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 1:17; Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4; 2 Thes. 1:9; 2:14; Tit. 2:13). In 1 Pet. 5:10 (the only other NT occurrence of δόξης αἰωνίου; cf. 2 Cor. 4:17: αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης) the “eternal glory” is said to be God’s (“his,” αὐτοῦ). Knight, G. W. (1992). The Pastoral Epistles: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 400). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
“eternal” - (aionios) - adjective, genitive, singular, feminine - attributive adjective - eternal
Sense: everlasting - continuing forever or indefinitely; sempiternal
Every time that this word is used in the Pastoral’s it means everlasting - continuing forever or indefinitely; sempiternal.
Adjective: αἰώνιος (aiōnios), GK 173 (S 166), 71×. This adjective typically functions in three settings: the eternity of God and the divine realm; the blessings of salvation; and everlasting conditions that have neither beginning nor end. Forty-three times aiōnios is linked with “life,” particularly in John’s writings.
(1) The only place where aiōnios describes God himself as eternal is Rom 16:26. However, his glory and Spirit are eternal (Heb 9:13; 1 Pet. 5:10), and he himself is immortal (1 Tim. 6:16). Jesus is the source of “eternal salvation” (Heb 5:9), delivering the righteous from “eternal” fire and judgment (Mt 18:8; 25:41; 2 Thess. 1:9; Heb 6:2; Jude 7). There is only one sin that will never be forgiven (i.e., “an eternal sin”), namely, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29–30).
(2) One of the great blessings of salvation is “eternal life.” This is the gift of God for anyone who believes in Jesus (e.g., Jn 3:16; 1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12; Rom 2:7; 5:21). Such life originates with God, and we receive it only by his grace. The rich young man who asked Jesus how to obtain eternal life was pointed first to the commandments (indicating the need for righteousness), then to the “impossible” act of faith of selling everything and following him—impossible for a human being, but entirely possible for God (Mt 19:16; Mk 10:11).
(3) God’s kingdom is eternal, having neither beginning nor end (2 Pet. 1:11). Those who believe receive an “eternal inheritance” (Heb 9:15). The resurrected body will also be eternal, dwelling forever in heaven (2 Cor. 5:1ff.). Mounce, W. D. (2006). In Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (pp. 219–220). Zondervan.
“the salvation” - (soteria) - noun, genitive, singular, feminine - genitive object - salvation; deliverance -
Sense: salvation - the sate of being delivered or preserved from harm (of judgment); especially as what that state entails, a safe haven in heaven.
12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
The salvation to which Paul referred is that final consummation of salvation to be made clear at Christ’s return (Heb 9:28). This is the result of that experience initiated by faith in Jesus Christ. Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 208). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
SO WHAT?
John Wesley traveled by foot or horseback some 250,000 miles, preaching more than 40,000 sermons, and he wrote, translated, or edited more than 200 books. He lived simply and gave away most of whatever income he received. Yet he was continually ridiculed and pelted with stones by ungodly mobs and was ostracized by fellow clergymen in the Church of England. When maligned, he answered, “I leave my reputation where I left my soul, in the hands of God.” He never lost his joy of service or his love for the Lord and for men, both saved and unsaved. One biographer commented, “To Wesley was granted the task which even an archangel might have envied.”
George Whitefield, a close friend and fellow worker with John and Charles Wesley during his early ministry, spent thirty-four years preaching the gospel in the British Isles and in America. He made thirteen transatlantic voyages, which were still perilous in those days, and preached at least 18,000 sermons on the two continents. The noted poet and hymnwriter William Cowper—who wrote “Oh! For a Closer Walk with God” and “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood”—penned the following tribute to Whitefield:
He loved the world that hated him.
The tear that dropped upon his Bible was sincere.
Assailed by scandal and the tongue of strife,
His only answer was a blameless life.
That resolute man of God heeded Peter’s counsel to “keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (1 Peter 3:16–17). MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 2 Timothy (p. 62). Moody Press.
The fact that our finite minds cannot fully understand or reconcile such truths in no way affects their validity. God sovereignly calls every believer in His grace; He sovereignly demands their faith to make His gracious calling effective; and He sovereignly calls those who are saved to be His witnesses to those who are not. MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 2 Timothy (p. 62). Moody Press.
The two considerations which cause him to continue steadfastly in the course which he is pursuing are really one: the glorious and deeply-rooted conviction that the word of God will certainly triumph in the lives and destinies of the elect! Though Paul is in this dungeon, he does not despair. Victory is written on his banner. Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, p. 252). Baker Book House.
Instead of condemning this doctrine, a person should first of all prove that it is not scriptural! It fits beautifully into the present context. Paul courageously endures all things because he knows that the word of God will certainly triumph in the hearts and lives of the elect. Cf. Eph. 3:13; Phil. 2:17. If it were true that their salvation had its deepest root in their own works, would the apostle have been able to face death with such fortitude?133
But even though for the elect, salvation is certain from all eternity, it must be obtained. Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles (Vol. 4, p. 253). Baker Book House.
