2 Tim 3:10-4:8 - Stick to the Operations Manual

If anybody has ever told you that receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior will make all your struggles disappear, he/she lied to you!

Today’s Scripture lesson tells us that each of us can expect persecution, and since we reside in a fallen and cursed creation, we can expect trials and tribulations. But God, in His mercy, has already provided a resource for these difficulties.

48 hours ago we laid to rest one of our Elders, a good and godly man who experienced much of what I described in my last paragraph. As the family made preparations for his memorial service, they said they would speak of the personal recollections, if I could bring a Biblical perspective to their grieving. The best that I could do was to be present and to repeat the Words of God, because His words endure and can be trusted.

TRANSITION: The passages read a few minutes ago provide us with 2 absolute declarations about God’s Word that can equip you and me for every good work.

Scripture is Profitable (2 Timothy 3:10-17)

We live in an era of “try this”

I have some dear friends who invested yesterday at a community festival selling toffee made by a relative. In their booth was a large banner advertising “free samples” (In my mind, that is the best part of going to Costco or Sam’s Club on Saturday morning). The idea is that if a person can be motivated to try something, then he/she will be willing to purchase more.

This same mindset invades our cleaning habits, our lifestyle choices, our politics, and our economics. Malachi 3:10 even says “put [God) to the test” If you first give Him in all that He asks, then watch and see Him provide all your needs.

In contrast to “test and see”, God’s Spirit is offering a stated guarantee. Sometimes language poses a question (?), sometimes it introduces conditional doubt (if/then), sometimes it issues a command (!), and other times it simply states what is. In front of us today is this last mood—stative realities. The first reality I want us to observe is that the Word of God is…

Profitable in Persecution (3:10-13)

Paul (vv.10-11) – Paul describes his own experience in 9 different dimensions. And v.11 implies that these are things that the audience of this book would have already observed and followed.

Paul is able to draw a conclusion about all of these ways he had experience the value of Scripture during these persecutions. Notice the last 7 words of v.11. 9 examples bred 1 conclusion: from them all the Lord rescued me.

2. Timothy (v.10a) – notice the way v.10 and v.14 begin. Paul is not only giving his testimony, he is preparing Timothy for his own future.

Paul has already spoken in this book of the false teachers who were attempting to undermine Tim’s ministry in Ephesus. And he knew it was only going to get worse (as he states in v.13)

3. All Christians (vv.12-13) – this is not only a “then and there” condition. Notice in v. 12 who can expect persecution; As long as v. 13 exists (and our own newspapers and social media tell us it is still true), then all those who have committed to follow Christ can expect the same persecution, and must rely upon the same Scriptures.

Note: this is not describing a subset of “super holy” Christians, it is describing the normative change of heart for any who have repented of sin and placed faith in Christ’s salvation and lordship.

I don’t want to be David Downer today (wow, thanks pastor, I’m so glad I came to worship!), but I do want to set real expectations for both the challenge AND the victory that are yours in Christ

Profitable in Training (3:14-15)

In response to the reality of persecution, Paul leans into the way that his reader has been prepared for this persecution.

Training while doing– the 3 cities listed in v.11 are described in more detail in Acts 13-16. In this fuller narrative we find out that Timothy was WITH Paul during at least some of hard times in those chapters.

Friday’s game at Ireland Field was a joy to watch as our Seniors started well and improved throughout the contest. A muffed kickoff early in the game, by an unnamed player, was erased when later in the game that same player returned a kick for a touchdown.

In Acts 13-16 Timothy was given opportunity to take the theory of the things he had been taught and put them into practice. I am deeply committed to a training cycle that says we learn by doing. Nobody expects perfection on the first attempt. Today’s 3:14 says that Timothy had experientially learned and come to conclusions about how God’s Word provides strength in persecution.

2. Training as preparation– pay attention that the things Tim learned in Acts were also the things he had been taught since childhood.

8-9 weeks ago thousands of freshmen jumped out of the minivan to begin their college experience. NONE of those students entered that experience without SOME preparation. 13 years of schooling permitted educators to shape study skills and impart understanding. For some 18 years parents and coaches had been imparting moral training.

Some students flame out from their first college experience because of inadequate training. Paul says the successes that Tim experienced in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra were connected to things he had learned from his mother and grandmother. This is why Sunday School, VBS, Kids Club, family devotions, and parent conversations are SO INVALUABLE.

3. Timothy’s training from childhood was in the sacred writings. This is a little different form of the word Scripture we see in the next verse. Most scholars agree that the word in 3:16 expressly contains what is our Old Testament (or the Hebrew Scriptures). The word in 3:15 is a little broader—it no doubt included descriptions of the gospel story as well as other faith-based historical writings that were found in the Dead Sea scrolls. Some even point out the difference between the singular of the whole collection in 3:16 and the plural of the individual scrolls or parchments in 3:15. Even as the New Testament story was unfolding in the first century there was an awareness that the Canon of the OT was being expanded.

Profitable because of Source (3:16a)

Some of the profitability of Scripture is attributed to the sources of teaching. There was a relationalconnection between Paul and Timothy. There was a relationship between Lois/Eunice and Timothy so that he was able to observe that these were not just abstract theories, but ideas that were put to the test by his teachers.

Even more than the credibility of his teachers, was the credibility of the original source. I really like the way the ESV/NIV renders this word that is simply inspired in the NASB/CSB. Inspired in our common language can describe the way a person plays a game or performs a song. But Paul, the one attributed with most books of our New Testament, describes that sacred writings don’t start in the human authors. They are literally communicated through the breath or Spirit of God himself. The literal meaning of this word (that only appears here in all of Scripture) is God-breath. It is a one use only compound word, because this book is unique from all other religious writings!!

Profitable because of Effect (3:16b-17)

Paul continues without a new sentence to describe the benefits of this God-breathed literature. We get both pros and cons of both belief and behaviors.

Belief - teaching

Refute - reproof

Avoid - correction

Do – training

It forms an acrostic of B-RAD. Those younger than me, but older than many of you will recall a time when “rad” was slang for anything that was exceptionally good or radical.

Some of you may read this as BRAD, but prefer to break it up as Be Rad! The Scriptures are reliable and dependable for all that I Believe, Refute, Avoid and Do.

TRANSITION: Scripture is not only profitable for me, but deserves to be spread.

Scripture is Profitable and to be Proclaimed (2 Timothy 4:1-8)

Just as we live in an era of “free samples”, it has also become acceptable for public figures to claim “I believe x personally, but don’t expect the public to agree with me.” Paul’s premise is that Scripture is profitable both for me and for thee!

Proclaimed until end of time (4:1)

Paul points ahead into a time when Jesus will judge every person and all actions. Some either relish or despise “old-time religion” but As I read 4:1 I see it as all-time religion which includes end of time religion.

Proclaimed when disregarded (4:2-5)

Just as 3:14 describes morally deficient people and intentional imposters, 4:2 prepares readers to expect the message to be downplayed, disregarded and challenged by degenerate people.

As the OT Prophet Jeremiah lamented because his prophecy was disbelieved, so our proclamation is not to be silenced by those who disregard it.

Whether a person wants to admit gravity or not. One step out of an airplane will prove that personally acceptance does NOT determine veracity, or truthfulness.

Preach the word is embedded with the idea of correcting those who disagree. Reprove and rebuke are words that only make sense if someone holds wrong opinions. opposition. . text

It has often been repeated that “a faithful pastor will afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted”. Both of these challenges presume that something is not as it should be.

5. Exhort is similar but a little softer. Exhortation is needed when a truth is unlearned, rather than opposed. If a person is ignorant of the things of God, he/she needs patient teaching. If one is bound by falsehood, he needs reproof of ideas and rebuke of behaviors.

6. The proclamation or preaching of God’s Word is NOT dependent upon opinion polls! (4:4-5)

7. 4:5 begins with the same phrase as 3:14, Believers are NOT supposed to be like the evil imposters or the comfort-seekers with itchy ears.

Proclaimed at end of life (4:6-7)

Some scriptures bring more comfort at certain times in our lives. 4:6-7 indicate that Paul fully recognizes that his earthly life is coming to a close. The pouring out language speaks of libation offerings. And promotes the idea that “this wine will be no good use to anyone, but I want God (or the gods in Greek polytheism) to be honored and pleased.

More than any good that you can do to/for others there will be a time where we realize what is most important is if our belief and behavior are pleasing to God.

Proclaimed as promise of reward (v.4:8)

1. The text ends with a confidence that reward is waiting for those with whom God is pleased.

2. Some read crown of righteousness as a reward for being righteous. But I believe that the reward is righteousness.

Revelation 20:12 ESV:2016

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

3. I believe the difference between books that contain the deeds of the wicked is distinct for the book that contains the names of those who are redeemed.

4. This “another book” (Rev. 21:27) contains the names of those Paul is thinking about in 4:8.

Conclusion:

Those who desire to live a godly life (3:12) can expect to be persecuted on earth, they are also all who have loved his appearing (4:8) who are rewarded with the righteousness of Christ!

When all my labors and trials are o’er, Just to be near the dear Lord I adore Will through the ages be glory for me!

Response Song #539............... “O That Will Be Glory”