THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapter 1)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Ben Bailey:
“Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Tim. 1:2). I’m Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
And I’m Timothy Sparks. Welcome to our study of 2 Timothy.
This message is being brought to you by individual members and congregations of
the churches of Christ. We invite you to visit the
Ben Bailey:
Paul begins this second letter to Timothy by reminding him
of the sincere (some versions will say “unfeigned”) faith that was found in both
his grandmother and his mother, and that now is in him (2 Tim.1:5). We learn in
the first few verses of 2 Timothy that Timothy’s faith was the result of a
family heritage. How great a message that is for grandparents and parents today!
If you want your children to grow up and be a modern-day Timothy, and to be something
like a minister, an elder, or a serious student of the Bible, they must first
see that type of faith in you—as a
result of your example. Grandparents, of all people, ought to be some of the
most faithful people there are in God’s kingdom. They ought to be there every
time the doors to the church building are open. They ought to be good students
of the Bible. When grandchildren have a Bible question, they ought to look to
grandparents for the answer. And parents, your children cannot be any more or
less than you have trained them to be. You lead them by your example. More
often than not, they will follow your good example.
Timothy Sparks:
We need to be mindful of what type of influence a parent really does have. As we look at the Scriptures, we frequently see stern warnings about how parents are to make sure that they do not mislead or misguide their children. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” This type of training is what a father is supposed to do. Children usually will follow in the footsteps of their parents. There is a poem that says,
“A careful man I ought to be;
A little fellow follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine;
believes in every word of mine.
Like me, he says he’s going to be;
that little fellow who follows me.
I dare not once go astray,
for fear he’ll go the self, same way.
Like me, he says he’s going to be;
that little fellow who follows me.”
Parents will leave an impact on their children—for good or for evil. We see here that Paul tells Timothy that the sincere faith that is in him, was first in his grandmother Lois, and then in his mother Eunice. Paul says, “I am persuaded that it is in you also.” Paul encourages Timothy to “stir up the gift of God that is in you, which you have as a result of the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6). From this, it appears that Paul had endowed Timothy with the ability to work miracles. The application for us today is that we need to “stir up our own faith.” That phrase, “stir up,” means “to fan the flame.”
Ben Bailey:
Yes it does. There are many people who have amazing talents that could be used to the glory of God. This is an interesting comment on Paul’s part, in light of the fact that we learn from some of Paul’s other writings that Timothy was a bit timid. Perhaps he was what we might call an introvert. Apparently, he wasn’t one to get up and automatically be a leader. But Paul encourages Timothy by saying, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (vs. 7). This is why Paul urges him (in verse 6) to “stir up the gift that is in you.” We, unlike Timothy, do not possess the ability to work miracles. But God has given all of us specific talents and abilities that we must use to His glory. At times, we may not use our talents as we should. Thus, the same encouragement that Paul gave Timothy is applicable to us as well. Each of us needs to ask ourself, “Am I using my talents to the glory of God?” In Matthew 25, we learn about three men who were given a certain allotment of talents to use. At the end of the account, we learn that the one-talent man was condemned. But it wasn’t because he was a one-talent man. Rather, he was condemned because he did not use the talent he had been given. It is interesting that in the account of the talents, there is no “zero-talent man.” Everybody has some talent. Everybody has some gift. I think that is a lesson that we need to apply here.
Timothy Sparks:
Think about the man who had one talent. If he had just used that one talent, he would have received the same commendation as the man who had been given five talents. If you are a one-talent person, don’t whine or apologize. Just use that one talent. If you have a talent, thank God for it, and then put it to good use. God can use each and every one of us, regardless of how many abilities we may possess. There is an important biblical principle at play here. Jesus expressed it like this: “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Mt. 25:29). Because the one-talent man did not use his talent, it was taken away from him. And to whom was it given? It was given to those who actually had used their talents. There is a valuable lesson here. We need to “stir up” the gift of God that we possess, whatever it might be. We must use our God-given abilities.
Ben Bailey:
In 2 Timothy 1:8, Paul relates to Timothy a lesson that is
intended to complement his comments in the above verses. He says, “Therefore do
not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner, but share
with me in the suffering of the Gospel, for the power of God.” Paul teaches
Timothy, “Do not be ashamed of the Gospel!” Remember
that Timothy was living at a time when it was hard, in many ways, be a
Christian. Christianity was new, and was even viewed as a sect. Being a
Christian was an unpopular thing to do. It stood in deep contrast with idolatry
and the ungodliness in the world of that day. So Paul reminds Timothy, “Do not
be ashamed of the things I’ve taught you. Do not turn around and stab Christ in
the back by being ashamed of Him.” In Romans 1:15-16, Paul wrote, “I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in
Timothy Sparks:
Notice 2 Timothy 1:7, where Paul tells Timothy “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” We do not have to be bashful, timid, shy, and afraid. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Rather, He has endowed us with a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. God has given us the ability to be emboldened. We see this type of boldness throughout the Book of Acts. In Acts 4, for example, Peter and John prayed for boldness, and were able to speak the Word of God courageously. In fact, when the Jewish rulers saw their boldness, they marveled, and recognized that “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). When we have a relationship with Jesus, and when we are rooted and grounded in Christ through the Scriptures, then we, too, can have a spirit of boldness—not one of fear, timidity, bashfulness, or shyness. That is why Paul says, “Timothy do not be ashamed of me, and do not be ashamed of my sufferings.” Paul wants Timothy to know that the Gospel is the power of God, which reminds us of Romans 1:16—“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
Ben Bailey:
It is amazing to learn that God, even before time began, had planned man’s salvation. Paul talks about the Gospel being the power of God, “Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was in Christ before time began” (2 Tim. 1:9). What a beautiful passage! God saved us, and called us with a holy calling. There is absolutely nothing that man can do to merit or earn his salvation. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, “By grace are you saved, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” We cannot “earn” our salvation. We are saved by God’s grace and God’s purpose—which were “in Christ before time began.” Before the first second ever began on Earth—before God created Adam and Eve, and before the first moment of time began—God already had planned to save humankind. Think about what we can infer from that. First, God created us—even knowing beforehand that we would sin, and that we would fall away from Him. Second, this action on God’s part expresses the deep love that He has for us as His creation. God did not have to create us. He knew we would fall, yet He still created us—and then planned a way to save us. When you stop to think about it, the marvelous love of God is almost unfathomable. God knew that people were going to curse Him and fall away from Him, yet He still made a way of salvation for them. You could apply this to your own life. Think about the times when you have turned your back on the Lord, or the times when you have fallen short of His will and failed miserably. God had set in motion a plan to save you before you even did those things. He had a plan to save us from long ago, through His Son, Jesus Christ. The scheme of redemption is a beautiful demonstration of God’s love. We learn from 1 Peter 1:18-19, however, that we “were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” Thus, we learn once more that Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf was planned in the mind of God before time began. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul tells us that God made Christ, “Who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf.” Paul comments on this idea in Titus 1:2 when he says that we are living “in hope of eternal life, which God, Who cannot lie, planned before time began.” What a wonderful idea—to know that God loved us so much that He planned a scheme for our redemption, even before creating us!
Timothy Sparks:
We learn that from 2 Timothy 1:9-10 that God “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” The Gospel is like a light. The psalmist wrote, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psa. 119:105). God’s Word illuminates our path. It dispels darkness. It abolishes spiritual death. Paul wrote in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Sin brings death, but the Gospel brings life and immortality. Jesus has revealed God’s purpose and grace, and through Christ’s manifestation, John tells us in 1 John 3:8, Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil. Jesus, through the Gospel, brought life and immortality to light. The Gospel is good news. The good news is that people do not have to die and be eternally separated from God. Instead, people can be saved and go to Heaven to be in God’s presence forever. This is what God has in store for His faithful children.
Ben Bailey:
Paul says, “I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:11-12). What a great statement of faith! Why was Paul not ashamed? He could say with all confidence, “I know Whom I have believed!” Christianity is not a religion of doubt. It is not a religion of agnosticism, where we don’t have enough evidence either way. No, that’s not Christianity. Paul was able to say with all assurance, “I know Whom I have believed!” What about Christians today? Are we really convicted? Have we really been converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we really take hope in the words of John 14:6 where Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father but by Me”? Do we really have full confidence in the fact, as Peter said in Acts 2:36, “that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” If we are not convicted, we are not going to have a faith that will stand when it is challenged. If our convictions are not what they ought to be, we can make them that way through reading and studying God’s Word. Paul could say that he was convicted. He knew Jesus was “the way, the truth and the life.” Today, we, too, must have that same type of conviction. And we can, because, as Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” We build faith and conviction by hearing, reading, and studying the Word of God. Paul was able to say, “I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that day.” What, exactly, had Paul committed to Jesus Christ? He had committed everything—his life, his whole being, his salvation. Everything that Paul had or was, he had committed to God. That is a great statement of conversion! We, too, must also “commit all” to God. Likely, there are many Christians who are unhappy because they really haven’t committed “all” to God. We must be willing to turn it all over to God and say, “God, here’s my life; do with me as You will.” Paul did that. He had once persecuted the church. But when he repented, he changed 100%. Have we really given God our all? Do we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, as Mark 12:30-31 teaches? Or, are we giving God 95%, and holding onto that last 5% for ourselves?
Timothy Sparks:
Paul is trying to impart to Timothy that same type of commitment. He tells Timothy, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13). Paul wants Timothy to hold firmly to his faith. He also wants Timothy to be able to pass that faith on to others by teaching and preaching the Word of God. When Paul says, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words,” he uses a word for “sound” that means “healthy.” In other words, Paul is urging “healthy teaching”—teaching that will build up, as we learn from 1 Corinthians 14:26—“Let all things be done for edifying.” Healthy teaching is going to help people spiritually. But if you have false teaching, that is not going to be healthy teaching. Thus, Paul instructs Timothy to make sure that what he teaches is right, true, and healthy so it can build up people spiritually. Some people might say, “This means that Paul is telling Timothy not to do any ‘negative’ preaching.” But we know that is not what Paul is saying, because he told Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort” (2 Timothy 4:2). In 2 Timothy 1:15, Paul tells Timothy about two individuals (Phygellus and Hermogenes) who had strayed from the faith. But he also mentions another individual by the name of Onesiphorus (vs. 16) who, Paul says, “often refreshed me.” Onesiphorous apparently had helped Paul through difficult times, and was not ashamed of the fact that Paul was in prison. [As you read 2 Timothy, keep in mind that this is one of the letters that Paul writes from prison.] It has been suggested that this was the last letter of Paul’s life. So, in essence, he is in the process of passing the torch to young Timothy. He tells him to “stir up the gift of God,” and to “hold fast the pattern of sound words.”
Ben Bailey:
Many people today are offended at the suggestion that there is a pattern in Christianity. But throughout the Bible, there is always a solid standard presented for God’s people to follow. Think about how important a pattern is in every area of our lives. If a woman is going to make a dress, she cannot make it without a pattern of some kind. If a man is going to build a house, he first needs a pattern (a blueprint). The same is true in religion. We acknowledge the need for a blueprint or pattern in every area of life, but we sometimes step away from that and say, “Oh, but that doesn’t apply in religion. You do it one way, and I’ll do it another, because there is really no ‘set pattern.’” Yet Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:13, “See that you hold fast to the pattern of sound words.” God does have a pattern that we must follow. The Bible is our guide. It is a blueprint to help us get to Heaven. I am reminded of Hebrews 8:5, where God’s words to Moses are recorded: “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the Mount.” Moses had to do everything exactly as God told him, else God would not be pleased. In Genesis 6, God instructed Noah to build an ark. He set forth a specific pattern for Noah to use in accomplishing that task. Would God have been pleased if had Noah had made a few changes to His instructions? Absolutely not! The same is true today. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” There is a pattern. We should always ask, “What would Jesus do?” We must look to the Bible as our guide, and before we make any religious judgments, we must examine the pattern that God left for us.
Timothy Sparks:
We learn from Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” God’s Word should be our guide in all that we do. If we are going to know what God wants us to do, then we must consult the Bible. God set forth the scheme of redemption before time began. In the Book of 2 Timothy, Paul makes it clear that we have a charge to keep. We are to “hold fast to sound words.” God sent His son, Jesus Christ to die for you. If you are willing to believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, confess Him as the Son of God, and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, then you can be saved. We urge you to do that today.
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Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST is brought to you by loving, caring members of the church of Christ. The McLish Avenue church of Christ in Ardmore, Oklahoma, oversees this evangelistic effort. For a free CD or DVD of today’s broadcast, please write to:
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1. According to Paul’s comments, Timothy received his faith from two people. Who were they?
2. Explain Paul’s statement in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.”
3. In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul indicated that he had given Timothy “a gift.” What was that gift?
4. Paul told Timothy, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). What can we infer about Timothy from Paul’s comments?
5. What is the point for us today of 2 Timothy 1:7?
6. According to Matthew 25:29, what will happen to the talents we possess if we do not use them for God’s glory?
7. Paul was in a situation when he penned 1 and 2 Timothy that “could have” caused Timothy and other Christians to “be ashamed” of the apostle. What was that situation?
8. In Romans 1:15-16, Paul said that there was a reason he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. What was that reason?
9. When the Jewish rulers in Acts 4 saw the boldness of Peter and John as they preached the Gospel, what did they conclude from the apostles’ actions?
10. What did Paul mean when he wrote that God “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was in Christ before time began” (2 Tim. 1:9).
11. According to 1 Peter 1:18-19, what “redeems us”?
12. Using Ephesians 2:8-9 and 2 Timothy 1:9-10 as your guides, explain the types of meritorious works that men must perform in order to be saved.
13. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul provided the reason as to why Christ could pay for the sins of humankind. What was that reason?
14. According to 1 John 3:8, what impact has Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection had on the works of Satan?
15. In 2 Timothy 1:11-12, Paul said that had been appointed as a preacher to a particular group of people. What was that group?
16. According to 1 John 5:13 and 2 Timothy 1:11-12, why is it that Christians are not agnostics?
17. What was Paul’s point in telling Timothy to “hold fast the pattern of sounds words” (2 Tim. 1:13)?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,