2 Timothy 2.19b-God's Seal is Upon the Church Because He Elected Her to Serve His Purpose
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday May 21, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 2:19b-God’s Seal is Upon the Church Because He Elected Her to Serve His Purpose
Lesson # 49
2 Timothy 2:16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness. 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” (NASB95)
“Having this seal” is composed of the following: (1) nominative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb echo (ἒχω), “having” (2) articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun sphragis (σφραγίς), “seal” (3) accusative feminine singular form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “this.”
The verb echo means “to bear” since it pertains to having something as an identification indicating that the church “bears” a seal of identification.
The participle form of this verb echo is a causal participle which indicates that despite the damage to the Ephesian church as a result of false doctrine, the firm foundation constructed by God, which is the church remains standing “because” it bears a seal which contains two inscriptions from Numbers 16:5 and 26.
The noun sphragis means “seal” indicating that church is God’s possession and is under His protection.
“The Lord” is the nominative masculine singular form of the noun kurios (κύριος), which is a reference to the Father.
“Knows” is the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb ginosko (γινώσκω), which speaks of God’s omniscient knowledge of the individuals members which compose the church.
Therefore, this citation from Numbers 16:5 indicates that the Father has an omniscient knowledge of those in the house of Israel who trusted in Him.
When Paul uses this citation, the verb indicates that the Father has an omniscient knowledge of each and every member of the church.
The aorist tense of this verb ginosko is a constative aorist describing in summary fashion for the reader God’s omniscient knowledge of each and every believer in the house of Israel and the church.
It speaks of eternity past when the Father elected the church to the privilege of having a relationship and fellowship with Him, His Son and the Holy Spirit.
“Those who are His” speaks of the church.
Second Timothy 2:19 However, despite this, the firm foundation constructed by God the Father remains standing because it exists in the state of bearing this seal: “The Lord knows in an omniscient sense those who are His.” (My translation)
The metaphor that Paul is employing here with the word sphragis, “seal” is based upon the practice of inscribing a seal on the foundation of a building in order to indicate ownership.
Sometimes this seal would indicate a particular function (cf. Rev. 21:14).
So like the foundation of a building in the first century would have a seal inscribed on it to indicate ownership and purpose, so God’s foundation, which is the church has inscribed a seal on it as well to indicate that the church is God’s possession and His purpose for her.
These seals in the ancient world would contain a short phrase or motto.
So God’s foundation, the church has the same thing.
The seal on the church contains Scripture quotations from Numbers 16:5 and 16.
The first indicates the church is owned by God or His possession.
The second expresses God’s purpose for the church.
Paul is quoting almost exactly the LXX translation of Numbers 16:5 and he makes a slight change to the quotation: ἔγνω κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ.
The reason is simple why Paul makes the change.
The Hebrew text of Numbers 16:5 has the noun yhwh (יהוה), which is translated “Lord” and not the noun ʾělō·hîm (אֱלֹהִים), which means “God.”
The noun κύριος is therefore, used by God because the LXX has it wrong.
So Paul’s knowledge of the Hebrew text led him to use κύριος.
Now, in Second Timothy 2:19, “Lord” in the quotation from Numbers 16:5 is a reference to the Father because the noun theos, “God” in the preceding adversative clause is referring to the first member of the Trinity.
We noted in this clause that the firm foundation, i.e. the church is constructed by the Father and thus His possession.
This first quotation is emphasizing that the church is the Lord’s possession.
Therefore, the preceding adversative clause indicates that the Father is being identified by the noun kurios, “Lord” in this first citation from Numbers 16:5.
This noun speaks of the Father’s absolute sovereign authority over the church.
The knowledge of God’s people being mentioned in Numbers 16:5 is a knowledge which is of course an omniscient and eternal knowledge.
Therefore, this citation from Numbers 16:5 indicates that the Father has an omniscient knowledge of each and every believer in Israel who trusted in Him.
When Paul uses this citation, it speaks of the Father’s omniscient and eternal knowledge of each and every member of the church.
So in Second Timothy 2:19, the apostle Paul is citing Numbers 16:5.
Numbers 16 records Moses and Aaron being confronted and opposed by Korah and his companions who were Levites to whom the privilege of the priesthood had not been given and who demanded the right to serve God as priests in the Israelite community.
So we can see that in response to this rebellion, Moses declared that God knows those who are His and specifically who is holy.
God confirmed His choice of Moses and Aaron by destroying Korah and all who sided with him in rebellion against Moses and Aaron.
This rebellion was of course ultimately against God because He chose Moses and Aaron.
Now, some have interpreted this as God choosing those who were false believers and true believers or in other words, He was choosing between those who were not really believers and those who were truly believers.
This is in error since Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 that all those who were led by Moses and passed through the Red Sea were all believers and Korah and his gang were of that number.
Therefore, in Numbers 16:5 Moses is saying that the Lord will identify himself and Aaron as those whom He has chosen to serve Him.
He is not saying that the Lord will identify those who are true believers in Israel and those who are not.
Therefore, Paul is not using Numbers 16:5 to teach that God knows those who are believers and not those who are not.
We must remember that in context, Paul has just got finished reminding Timothy that despite the false doctrine that Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching the church at Ephesus, the church will endure forever because it is constructed by the Father.
Then, he presents the reason why this is the case by drawing an analogy between the church as God’s foundation and a foundation of building in the natural realm.
Just as the foundation of a building had a seal on it to denote ownership of the building and its purpose, so God has affixed His seal to the church which indicates that the church is His possession which is to fulfill His purpose for its creation.
Thus, Paul must be using Numbers 16:5 to reassure Timothy that the church has been chosen or elected by the Father since this passage refers to the Lord’s choice of Moses and Aaron to serve Him.
So just as Moses and Aaron were chosen by the Lord to serve Him so the church has been chosen or elected by the Father to serve Him.
Paul is reassuring Timothy that the church will endure because it is constructed by the Father, and His possession and has been chosen by Him from eternity past to serve Him.
Therefore, the false doctrine taught by these two apostate pastors in Ephesus could never destroy the church since the church is under God’s care and protection and supervision to fulfill His purpose.
Since Numbers 16:5 is a part of the story of an apostate believer’s rebellion against Moses and Aaron as well as the Lord, Paul is also using this passage to identify Hymenaeus and Philetus with Korah and his gang.
Both Hymenaeus and Philetus and Korah and his gang were all believers who trusted in the Lord for eternal salvation.
Just as Korah and his group were disciplined severely by the Lord so the Lord will be the case for Hymenaeus and Philetus (Heb. 12:4-11; Rev. 3:19).