Paul is
writing to Timothy his assistant and protégé. Paul it would seem knows that he
will soon die. There is a good possibility that this setting is what we would
call Paul's Second Imprisonment. The tone here is quite different from the
other Prison Epistles. This coupled with some other evidences from the Pastoral
Epistles points to activities unaccounted for in the book of Acts. Despite the
assertions of some unbelievers, this does not discredit the integrity of the
Biblical Text.
Paul is
passing on his final words of exhortation to Timothy. He's laying the last
foundation stones for his work and like Peter and indirectly like John the
Apostle in the Book of Revelation, he appeals to Scripture and in some ways
finalizes its authority... an authority resting on Apostolic Authority. The Old
Testament is ratified as Scripture but it is superseded and interpreted by the
Apostolic witness.
Thus, Paul
labours to identify himself as an Apostle. His credentials are essential to his
message and his concept of authority.
In v.3 Paul
declares his conscience pure. False teachers constantly lurk in the background
of the New Testament epistles. Paul can say that he's stayed true to the pure
Gospel as delivered to him and his motives have been right. He would not say
that all of his actions have been infallible. He's made his mistakes and
despite his transformed life he is still fully aware (in fact all the more)
that he's a sinner in need of grace. But his motives have been right and true.
He hasn't sought his own power or glory, he hasn't taken advantage of others.
He has stayed on the narrow path.
His
forefathers in the faith are the True Jews. This echoes the same concept he
appealed to in Romans 9. He is speaking of the True Israel, the faithful who
have lived in all ages that really and truly trusted in the coming Messiah. He
feels an intense unity with them while at the same time counting his heritage
but dung as he says in Philippians. It is only through Christian profession
that Judaism finds meaning. After the cross, Christ-rejecting Judaism is dead
religion. Today's Judaism makes that abundantly clear.
Paul prays
without ceasing, night and day. None of us pray as much as we should and most
of us are lacking time. Let us be sure we're not lacking in will. Praying
without ceasing might mean a chain of small prayers throughout the day or it
may even suggest a prayerful demeanour, a way of walking with God wherein we
engage Him almost constantly and petition Him in the smallest of matters,
constantly appealing to His aid and His wisdom. Regardless of Paul's meaning
and how it is applied, a Christian life without prayer is shallow and likely
empty.
Verse 4
speaks to Christian fellowship, the joy it brings and the right emotion present
in the Christian life and walk. Many verses point to Timothy's timidity,
nervousness and sensitivity and yet these are not flaws in character. It is
better to be cold and aloof as opposed to being the type of person who is
overly sensitive? Who can say? Let's avoid both extremes. We are to be
sorrowful and yet always rejoicing as Paul says elsewhere. There are many of these
tensions and paradoxes in the Christian life. They can only be understood
spiritually. Nevertheless, Timothy's tears are not a mark of shame.
Our culture
is engaged in pendulum swings in its understanding of gender. Masculinity today
is effeminate and yet the opposite extreme, the boisterous swagger that looked
to someone like John Wayne does not quite reflect Biblical Masculinity either.
We are to be Christ-like as Paul was. Firm, determined...male... and yet meek,
humble. Self-effacement and humility does not mean that we need to become
teary-eyed lisping and slope-shouldered. Just because most men today are not
engaged in physical type work does not mean we need to fall into being
metro-sexuals or the other extreme, buffoonish sports-types with 'man-caves'
and an SUV. The art of masculinity has been lost and we the Church can only
find it again in the Scripture. The picture presented is something wholly
different from our present cultural conceptions. A Christianity confused with a
culture is a sure formula for confusion and mixed allegiance within the Church.
Paul finds
joy not in possessions, worldly success, accolades or security. He finds it in
the realities of the Kingdom. The Church is comprised not of institutions and
buildings but of people. It's become cliché' but even those who say it,
demonstrate they do not understand it. Paul's joy and love for Timothy isn't
about sentimentality or the fact that Paul gets something out of Timothy's
being present. His joy is in looking at Timothy and seeing a fellow believer who
is also being transformed. His joy is in seeing Timothy helped and in knowing
that Timothy likewise cares for him and that being together they will
strengthen and encourage one another. This type of friendship is also absent in
our culture today and few understand it.
Verse 5
identifies Timothy's faith as sincere and Timothy is rare in that in the first
century he's already part of a multi-generational family of faith. With regard
to Lois his grandmother it's not clear if Paul is referring to a believing Judaism
or indeed a true Christian faith. Timothy was young and thus it's quite
possible his grandmother was still alive and like his mother had converted from
Judaism to Christianity.
Though Paul
doesn't dwell on it, the verse is also a testimony to the faith of Christian
women. How often have they proven to be the backbone of many congregations?
Their place is not one of leadership or glory but that's part of their beauty,
the way they through their actions and by example display their love of truth
and devotion to it.
Paul in
verse 6 encourages Timothy to stir up the gift or fan the flames of the fire
that burns within him. I don't think Paul is suggesting that Timothy is
flagging but as Paul knows he will soon be gone, he is in effect 'passing the
torch' to a new generation of leaders. He is exhorting and encouraging Timothy
to fulfill the commission given to him and to act with zeal and according to
the prophecies laid upon him. This laying on of hands usually refers to
something we would call ordination. It's not specifically laid out and
explained in the New Testament but the concept is there and it is closely tied
with the same types of rituals in the Old Testament wherein a person is set
apart for a special task.
There are
two errors we can fall into with regard to the laying on of hands. One is to
treat such an action as a trivial symbol and one that carries no meaning. The
other is treat it as if it were magical power and that it somehow invested
Timothy with infallibility or some kind of special commission that all but
eliminates the normal means of growing the Church, which had been and continues
to be the preaching of the Word.
There are
those who bring what they know about Election or Grace to the discussion and
all but cancel out the possibility that any rite or symbol could be efficacious
or possess true meaning.
And there
are those that focus just on the act, on the ritual and empower it beyond its
scope.
The New
Testament era is one of simplicity with little in the way or rite or ceremony.
Yet because we still live in 'This Age' and cannot function with the vision of
Eschatological certainty, God has established a few rites for us to look to. We
can't tell what is happening in anyone's heart, nor can we tell with certainty
exactly what the Holy Spirit is or is not doing. But we can look to the
symbols, the water of baptism, the bread and wine of the Supper, and even the
laying on of hands and understand that these symbols have a real meaning and
they are utilized by the Spirit to give us understanding of His internal
workings, and ultimately these rituals strengthen our faith. We aren't to put
our faith 'in' them but they help to establish our faith.
Paul
constantly employs the preposition 'in' to point to internal reality. We are
indwelt, God is at work 'in' us, the Spirit dwells and works 'in' us, and in
Colossians he speaks of the Word being 'in' us. All of this points to the fact
that reality consists of something more than the purely external. We know that
and yet to some degree we are still bound to the external. The best we can hope
for is an external form that matches the internal reality.
The internal
reality of our hearts and our faith are known by God and He sees these things
from the Eternal perspective. He knows how the story ends as it were, what it
is in its pure substance. We cannot have this perspective. Our faith rests on
certainty but we proceed based on His promises and our faith must persevere.
The symbols God provides are to strengthen us and provide a tangible symbol of
the internal reality. Too many have focused exclusively on Election or on a
concept of Justification which places all emphasis on the moment of conversion.
The Scriptures say much more and it is in this context that we can understand
the employment and utilization of Means, ordinances, symbols etc...
Today we
might say that just because some preacher had hands laid on him, it does not
mean the Holy Spirit is truly indwelling him and has set him aside for a
special work. That observation would be true. And yet when a preacher is in
fact being set apart by the Holy Spirit working through the Church, then the
symbol reflects the reality and in that sense it may be spoken of as
efficacious. In fact it can even be pointed to as the mechanism by which the
Spirit is working. This man has the Spirit at work in him. How do you know?
When did that happen? The best we can tell and in fact what we're meant to look
to is the moment he had hands laid on him. It's to strengthen our faith. Just
because some will abuse this doctrine and turn it into superstition (as Simon
Magus did) doesn't mean we need to abandon the correct understanding.
Just as
preaching is a 'means' by which the Spirit works, the symbols (if they are God
appointed) are also visible representations of the Word at work.
In verse 7
God has given us a sound mind. We are grounded and self-controlled. We are
anchored amidst a chaotic sea, a sea from which the Beasts arise. We need not
fear and in fact we must be anxious for nothing. This world has nothing to
offer us and thus it cannot harm us either. Fear paralyzes and promotes
inaction and uncertainty. By keeping our focus on Christ with a living faith we
are prepared for what warfare in this Age is really all about... and that's suffering.
Following
the example of Christ we share in the sufferings of the Gospel and we glorify
God thereby. We are like sheep to slaughter and yet in these things we are more
than conquerors. God is glorified when we turn our backs on the world and its temptations,
when we refuse to submit to its threats and because we love the Truth and hate
the Lie we are willing to count this life as nothing and but a vapour.
Self-denial
and suffering are what we are called to and it is through these means that we
wage war and glorify God. There is nothing appealing about this message to the
'seeker' and it must be said that modern Christianity has all but lost this
message.
