Friday, December 21, 2012

STEWARDS OF SCRIPTURE



Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:13-14 HCSB)

The Bible we read may have a leather cover, worn with use and the pages yellowing with age.  It might even be a paperback, when new, it was purchased for a few dollars and now, tattered by time, could not even be sold at a second hand store.  But I am telling you that Bible you hold is truly a treasure—the treasure of truth.
 
The Psalmist declared, “Since I love Your commands more than gold, even the purest gold,” (Ps.119:127) and that speaks of Scripture’s inestimable worth. 

The value of something is determined primarily by two things: what someone is willing to pay for it and what is received from it.  We often take our Bibles for granted, not considering the suffering and blood that many have gone through to make this Book available. Its message has been written in the crimson ink of martyrs’ blood—and still people die for it today.  This Book is of infinite worth for it contains eternal wealth—the message of salvation!  “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it.  For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life?”  (Mark 8:35-36)  

Paul is reminding Timothy of this.  The text we focus on today is from the final letter of the Apostle Paul, who will soon die for his faithfulness to the truth.  He will testify, “I have kept the faith.” (4:7)  He had been entrusted with a sacred stewardship of Scripture and now will challenge another—his young protégé, Timothy—to be faithful to the Word of God, also. Timothy was being handed the torch of truth, which has been passed from runner to runner across the centuries, and now has been thrust into our hands.  Will we carry that light, and then as we complete our leg of the race, relay it to the next generation?

If we are to do so, then there are several elements of this stewardship that we must understand and apply.  The first one concerns GROUNDING IN THE TRUTH as underscored in 2 Timothy 1:1-5.

clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.” (v.5)

Paul can identify Timothy’s faith as genuine because it rests upon the solid ground of truth.

Observe that it is UNFAILING IN ITS TRUSTWORTHINESS.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the promise of life in Christ Jesus:

To Timothy, my dearly loved son.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (v.1-2) 

We stand upon the promises of God.  Paul speaks specifically of “the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” God cannot lie.  He never deceives.  He is never mistaken.  He always delivers, for there are no unforeseen circumstances that would prevent Him from keeping His word.

The dearness of Paul’s love for Timothy expressed here was rooted in the depth of God’s love for Timothy.  This is an incredible fact taught in the Word of God: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” 

Flowing from that fountain of love are rivers of grace, mercy and peace.  These are provided in salvation.

The ground of truth is solid, for it is not only unfailing in its trustworthiness, it is UNCHANGING IN ITS TRANSMISSION.

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.  Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy, clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.” (v.3-5) 

The revelation of God had been given to the nation of Israel.  Paul speaks of the heritage of faith that had been transmitted down to him from his ancestors (v.3) That truth had been manifested to him in the revelation of Christ at his conversion—all that the Old Testament prophets had proclaimed was fulfilled in Christ.  Once Paul understood this, he committed himself to join the other Apostles in transmitting that truth in what we now call the New Testament.  As a consequence of this, the same truth was transmitted to Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, who passed it on to Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and at last to him—from one generation to the next. 

Our stewardship of truth requires its unchanging transmission to our youth!  If we fail here, we fail completely! If someone comes into the Trauma Unit of the ER, bleeding to death, everything else becomes a secondary priority.  This is an evangelical emergency!  We are hemorrhaging young people in church life today.  The problem starts in the home, for God has given the parents the responsibility to transmit the truth to their children as Lois and Eunice did, but that is not helped by the church’s failure to train parents and support them!  Then, what about those who come through our doors from broken homes or unbelieving parents?  Our ministry requires a passion to reach the next generation as Paul evidenced here.

Go to many a Baptist church today and you will find the patient is dying.  All you see are a small number of white-headed people, their numbers declining with diminishing health and advancing age, where there are dramatically more funerals than baby dedication services.  That is a failure in stewardship of Scripture.  We have not grounded young disciples in the truth.

When there is grounding in the truth, it should lead to GROWING BY THE TRUTH as described in 1:6-12.

Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (v.6)

The fire had been ignited in Timothy’s soul, and now needed to be stoked into a blaze.  To change the metaphor, once the seed of truth has taken root in the soil of our soul, we must cultivate that truth so we grow and become fruitful. 

Paul was an example of this.  He was converted, then called and then committed to the task—eventually consumed by it.  Timothy is to follow that same model.  There are four components listed here.

The first is to have A PASSION FOR GROWTH, “keep ablaze the gift” (v.6). Passion fuels our growth.  There is always a danger that the fire will go out.  Tend the fire of your devotion!  It is what we literally do on a cold winter day as the fire begins to diminish in the fireplace.  We take a poker and stab and stir up the logs so that they flame up again.
Paul tells Timothy to do this.

Has the fire of your passion for the Word of God grown cold?  Do you find the Word of God as delightful and desirable as ever?  David said it was sweeter than honey out of the comb.  May God keep us passionate in pursuing truth!  I have been called of God to jab you with the poker through preaching—I pray it is working!

Then we find there will be A POWER FOR GROWTH.

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.  So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me His prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.” (v.7-8) 

Timothy had a struggle with timidity.  Truth would stiffen his spine and stabilize his steps.  It would drive away fear and supplant it with faith.  It would produce the fruit of power, love and sound judgment.  This would lead to reckless abandon to Christ.  Paul set this pattern.  He was writing from a prison cell, on death row, for the testimony of truth.  He underlines how he was able to stand, “relying on the power of God.”  That same power is available to us.  It sustained Paul and it would sustain Timothy and we will discover it will sustain us.

There is also A PURPOSE IN GROWTH.

He has 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.

This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

For this [gospel] I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher” (v.9-11). 

Did you notice the word “purpose,” conveying that God had a purpose in saving Paul?  We are told that purpose in verse eleven, “appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher.” Paul was saved to serve.  He speaks of it as being designed in eternity “before time began,” yet manifested in history. 

You are not an accident—God has a purpose for your life—and I would suggest it is to bear witness Christ for one thing.  We grow in Him in to go for Him.

Further, we find A PERSISTENCE IN GROWTH, “and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.” (v.12) 

We can persistently be faithful to God because He is persistently faithful to us!  Our commitment is connected to His commitment.  We entrust our souls to Him and He then will entrust a stewardship to us. 

How long must we be faithful?  When is the work done? Not, “until that day”—the day we stand before Him at the end of time and give account.  Then our labor is ended and we rest.  Our growing has reached its goal, for we will be made like Christ whom we then see face to face.  It is then we hear those precious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Grounding in the truth and growing by the truth calls us to stewardship and the GUARDING OF THE TRUTH as demanded in 1:13-15.

Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.” (v.14)

Someone will always try to steal your treasure.  Riches must be guarded.  The devil is a thief.  Cry out, “Stop thief!”

So, we have TRUTH TO HOLD FAST.

Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.  This you know: All those in Asia have turned away from me,including Phygelus and Hermogenes.” (v.13-15)

Greek scholar, Kenneth Wuest, has commented: “Particular words are to be retained and used so that the doctrinal statements of the truth may remain accurate and a norm for future teachers and preachers.”  This is “the pattern of sound teaching.” 

We would call this systematic theology and doctrinal confession. Don’t let it slip!  Engrave it on your heart and educate the young— both those who are young in age and in faith.

The truth is a TREASURE TO KEEP SAFE, ““Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.” (v.14) The Spirit of truth will help us preserve the truth.  He is its source of the truth and He safeguards the truth.  He functions as a kind of spiritual radar within the child of God sounding an alarm when error is detected. 

John describes this ministry of the Spirit as a sacred anointing, “I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.  The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as He has taught you, remain in Him.” (1 John 2:26-27)

When the alarm goes off in our heart, we must loudly sound it with our lips.  There are those who are not trained in detecting error so easily due to their immaturity.  “But solid food is for the mature — for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.” (Heb.5:14)

If we aren’t faithful to guard this treasure, we will answer to God!  It is His truth and we are accountable for how we handle it.

This means also that there is TREACHERY TO BOLDLY CONFRONT, “This you know: All those in Asia have turned away from me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.” (v.15)  

These false teachers were called out.  We shy away from that today—to our shame.  In our society where syncretism flourishes and the great doctrine of political correctness is the one creed, the church has lost her voice in speaking out against heresy.

No one likes to have the sharp scalpel of truth to cut away at them.  They will howl, but heresy is a cancer that kills churches.  It is a malignancy that never gets better, and must be excised.  This is our stewardship of Scripture.  It is our duty to safeguard the treasure of truth.

God has promised to preserve His Word.  He will do so.  Even in the darkest hours of apostasy in church history, there has always been a remnant that held to sound doctrine.  These will be rewarded in “that day.”  May we be in that number and not as those who, “turned away.”  

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