But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause 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 that which I have committed unto him against that day. 2 Timothy 1:10-12

God became Flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14) This is one of the great mysteries that is hard for our minds to grasp, how can Christ be fully God and fully Man at the same time. (Philippians 2) But maybe the greater mystery is why would Jesus Christ do this? Why would the Son of God , take on human flesh, suffer and die for our sins on the cross? Simply because God loves us this much, that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16) Can you grasp what God has done for you? 

The Apostle Paul says here “is now made manifest by the appearing our our Savior Jesus Christ” The gospel message is manifested into human flesh, The Lord Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins. “Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” When Christ was crucified on the cross, Satan and the demons thought they have won a victory, however the death of Christ was their defeat! As Jesus said “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18)

Jesus Christ defeated sin and death by becoming flesh and dying for our sins on the cross, and rising again on the 3rd day , this is the gospel message! This is how Christ brought life to immortality, this is the light of the gospel, this is what needs to be preached every day continually until the end of the age. 

Now to just give some context to this epistle, the Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote this, and this time he was presuming he was going to be executed for his faith. But the Apostle Paul accepted his higher calling as a Apostle, Preacher and Teacher, this is why he was suffering and being persecuted. Understand when you submit to Jesus as your Lord and accept your higher calling by him, there will be a price to pay. But Christ already paid the ultimate price for your soul, if you truly love The Lord live for him!

But despite the persecution Paul sufferred he was unashamed of his Lord Jesus Christ, and he believed and entrusted that whatever happened, Gods will would be done for his life. Again Satan believed he had Paul defeated also, chained in prison and eventually beheaded for his faith in Christ. But The Lord still allowed Paul to finish his race, the gospel was still preached, the body of Christ still continued to grow, even today we are reading the words of the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, what God ordained, the devil can never stop! Christ died, Christ is Risen, and Christ will come again, Amen!

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,  2 Timothy 1:8-9

Are you ashamed of your Lord Jesus Christ? There are many people who profess to be Christians, yet they are ashamed of our Lord Jesus. Do you share the gospel with other people? Do you share your testimony of when you became Born Again with other people? They would say, No I’m embarrassed or backwards, or some other excuse, the reality is they are ashamed of their faith in Christ. If you truly believe in the gospel message, then you would be living the gospel message, because this is the power to give life!

As the Apostle Paul also said “I am not ashamed of the gospel because its the power of God for salvation to everyone” (Romans 1:16) Do you truly believe this? Do you understand that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation (John 14:6) and all other ways lead to the road of Hell? This idea that we should have a “personal faith”, that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves is not Biblical. In fact Jesus commanded us “Go into all the world  and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15)

Jesus also said “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words , in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes” (Mark 8:38) Our Lord became flesh and died on the cross for your sins, to bring you salvation, and yet your are too ashamed of him to share the gospel with someone? You are too proud to go to Church and serve? You are too politically correct to tell everyone that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation?

As the Apostle Paul instructs us here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” Do you have boldness for our Lord Jesus Christ? Do you love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, and soul? Do you actually love your neighbor? If you did you would tell them about Jesus, and tell them the truth, that without Christ the entire world is perishing! 

“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling” When you become saved in Christ, that’s just the beginning of your walk with Christ. It’s not about getting a golden ticket to Heaven, its about becoming Born Again and living for Christ, you are a new creation in Christ . As the Apostle Paul describes is, “he became a prisoner of Christ” meaning his whole life belonged to Jesus. 

So I ask you, are you ashamed of your Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord died for you, can you live for him? Share the gospel to the entire world before its too late, Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation! Amen

I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:3-6

The Second Epistle to Paul’s spiritual son Timothy once again begins in a prison. However things are different with this letter, as the Apostle Paul would not make it out of prison this time, and he understands the urgency and that time is running out for him with his earthly ministry. So the Apostle Paul is trying to make sure, Timothy is spiritually ready and prepared to lead the Church with a strong faith and uncompromising doctrine

The first thing to notice the Apostle Paul says “I remember you in my prayers night and day” Even though the Apostle Paul was in prison, he spent alot of his time praying for his brothers and sisters in Christ. Are we doing the same? Are we praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ without ceasing? And notice Paul “greatly desired to see you (Timothy)” Fellowship with the body of Christ is very important, this is why we should gather in person with other Christians, community is important. But also its clear Paul understands his time is near, he wants to see Timothy one last time to encourage him, to lead the Church

It’s very interesting here, that Paul then mentions Timothy’s mother Eunice and grandmother Lois, its clear Paul knows Timothy’s family, in fact he might have brought them to Christ by his preaching. It’s probable that Paul knew Timothy since he was a young boy and has been mentoring him most of his life. This is the strong community connection of the Church. Also Paul mentions to Timothy “the genuine faith that is in you” His family were true Born Again believers, they were not false converts, they were filled and led by the Holy Spirit

The Apostle Paul then acknowledges the gift of the Holy Spirit that is in Timothy “therefor I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you” Timothy was chosen to lead the Church because the Holy Spirit chose him. Paul recognized the gift of the Holy Spirit was in him, thereofor Paul is being obedient to God by training Timothy. 

One thing that is mention here is Paul says “by the laying on my hands” This was a practice by the early Church when someone was a new convert the Church would lay hands on that person to receive the Holy Spirit. Another practice that can’t be performed over a Zoom call, this demonstrates the closeness of community and faith in Christ as the body of Christ, led by the Holy Spirit, Amen!

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.  1 Timothy 6:17-19

Once again we see the Apostle Paul giving us a warning about obsession with money. In fact as you read through the New Testament Jesus spends a great deal of time warning about the dangers of money and letting it become your idol. As Jesus said “It will be easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than a rich person to enter the Kingdom ofHeaven” (Mark 10:25) Why will it be impossible according to Jesus for a rich person to enter Heaven? 

Consider what the Apostle Paul says under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit “don’t trust or hope in the uncertainty of riches or wealth, but trust in the living God” If someone is rich, typically they didn’t become rich by accident. Money has become an idol for this person, they labor and slave to this wealth all day. Instead of focusing on God they are continually forced on their wealth, which is all temporary and will eventually fade away.

Secondly they put all their trust and hope in their bank account instead of God our provider. While its Biblical we should work and provide for our family, we shouldn’t rely on our wealth to be our god. When disaster strikes , the rich person believes they will just buy their way our of it, or if a health issue occurs, they believe I’ll just hire the best doctors to cure me. They never turn to Christ as their Lord, money actually has become their Lord

The Apostle Paul here makes another profound statement “ God who gives us all things richly to enjoy” We as fallen humans like to believe we are in total control of everything, this is one of the illusions wealth creates. Buts its God who gives us all things, as Jesus taught us in Matthew 6 “Look at the birds of the air, they never sow nor reap, nor gather in barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26)The rich man will take credit for providing for his family, when actually it was God who provides for us and our family. Yes its a difficult concept for our minds to grasp, the sovereignty of God, yet this is what our Lord reveals to us.

Now with that being said , its not that the birds don’t do anything. The birds don’t sit in their nest all day and wait for food to fall in their mouths. No they go out and build nests and gather food and take care of their young, however God is the source of their provision. Jesus is telling us the same things, go out and work and provide for your family but keep God first and nothing above him!

I want to just end with more wisdom by the Apostle Paul “storing or laying up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come” Are you building a good foundation for eternity? Or do you have a carnal and temporal perspective on life? Prepare for the Kingdom of God , which is at hand. Don’t worry about this temporal world which is fading away, put your faith and trust in The Lord Jesus Christ, our true Provider, Amen

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:13-16

It’s amazing to me nowadays when you see all the false teachers that have infiltrated the pulpit. People who have no fear of God, that don’t preach the Word of God, in fact not only do they not preach the truth, but they preach blasphemy against Christ. The pulpit should be one of the most feared places on earth, let’s meditate on what the Apostle Paul says here to Timothy under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

“I give you charge or urge you in the sight of God” this is a command in the presence of God, does anyone understand the seriousness of being a preacher of Christ. You are entering into a covenant under God, in the sight of God and before The Lord Jesus Christ. What is this commitment? “To keep this command without spot or blame” The modern Church would say Paul is being a legalist! Preach the Word of God without corruption! Preach the Word of God without fault or error. Many false teachers twist and corrupt the Word of God today with no conscience.

How long shall we keep preaching the Word of God? As the Apostle Paul says here “until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” Preach the gospel until the end of the age, until our Lord tells you to stop, keep preaching the Word of God that has been given to you by the Holy Spirit through the prophets and apostles. Churches don’t need self help sermons and social issue sermons, Churches need to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ until the day of His return!

When will Christ return? As the Apostle says “which He (God) will manifest in His own time” as Jesus said “Nobody knows the day or hour” (Matthew 24:36) Instead of spending your time trying to figure out the rapture, spend your time saving souls by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Lord will return when He wants to return, you are His faithful servant, obey the commands of The Lord Jesus Christ

Why should we obey The Lord? Because as the Apostle Paul says  “He (Christ) who is the blessed and only Potentate (Sovereign) King of all Kings and the Lord of All Lords” If you are a Christian, Jesus Christ is your Lord (Master) everything is in submission to Jesus Christ, the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords, who is sovereign over ALL things. Every knee will bow and tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord, preach the Word of God, to serve your Lord and King, Amen!

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12

If anyone thinks being a Christian is easy, they have never truly been a Christian. Jesus warned us to “count the costs” (Luke 14:28-29) Also Jesus warned “if anyone wants to be my disciple, they must deny themselves, carry their cross, and followJesus” (Matthew 16:24) So setting the context of this walk, lets dive into the instructions by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

Paul says “Man of God, flee these things” this was in regard to our previous post about “Money being the root of all evil” which also leads to many other sins, greed, envy, lust, and you can go down a rabbit hole of depravity when your fully engrossed with the world. We have all probably seen it before, when people open the door to the world of its pleasures and traps, it will destroy your soul. That’s why the Apostle Paul is warning us, “Feel from these things!”.  Flee from sin, don’t hold hands with the devil, its not going to end well for your soul

But going back to Jesus instructions, if you truly are a Christian, a disciple of Christ, then you must deny yourself first. This is a very hard teaching for carnally minded creatures. This is why we need to be Born Again by the Holy Spirit. Your flesh and your spirit will war with one another on a daily basis (Romans 6) Be led by the Holy Spirit, Flee from these things and follow Jesus Christ your Lord

So what should we do? The Apostle Paul says “follow or pursue these things, righteousness, godliness, faith , love, patience, meekness” How can we possibly do this? By the blood of Christ, by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, by the sovereignty of our Heavenly Father. 

And this is when the war begins, when the scales are removed from your eyes, you realize you are in a spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6) as the Apostle Paul instructs us “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” Jesus and Paul never said this would be an easy walk, they said the opposite, you must fight the good fight!

Most people who claim to be Christians are being consumed by the sins of this world, FIght the good fight of faith, put on the Armor of God so you can stand against the schemes of the devil, Amen!

Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. 1 Timothy 6:1-2

Here again we see the Apostle Paul addressing the relationship between a bondservant and their master. I covered the commentary on Pauls teaching in Ephesians 6 on basically the same topic called Slaves and Masters. The original Greek word here is “Doulos” this word can be translated as slave but also translated a “bondservant” which is the way the NKJV translated it “Bondservants” Which I believe is the more accurate English translation of the word. This relationship between a bondservant and master is more like an employee and employer relationship of today. This is not the same type of slavery that is known by the Western culture, which by reading these scriptures of out of context brings you the incorrect interpretation.

The Apostle Paul , under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is telling “bondservants” to treat your Master with honor. In this context a Master could be anyone in authority over you. It could be your boss at work, it could be your teacher at school, it could be your Pastor at Church. One of the values of a Christian is to live in obedience to authority and demonstrate respect. 

As the Apostle Paul states here “So that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed” When you are obedient and respectful to authority, you are actually giving glory to God. Think about at work, there is a lazy employee who never listens to their boss, never shows up to work on time, never gets their job done, would this person be a good representation of Christ? Now I understand not all situations fit , however this is the basic principle. Now on the flipside, lets say you have a corrupted Master, you have a bad boss or teacher, does that mean you should join in when they dishonor God? No, the Bible says “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) While we strive to “live in peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18) We also don’t want to corrupt ourselves with wicked leaders.

Now this whole concept of being a bondservant is a Biblical principle, as Jesus tells us “If anyone wants to be my disciple, they must deny themselves , carry their cross, and follow Him” (Matthew 16:24) Jesus Christ made himself a bondservant to God the Father, and was obedient even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:7-8) Amen

I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid. 1 Timothy 5:21-25

Looking around Christianity today, there are many false teachers, Pastors, Bishops and leaders of the Church. This was not uncommon in the early Church either, however instead of embracing or tolerating these people, the true Church was to rebuke these people. To be set apart from false Christians, as the Apostle Paul said “If anyone preaches another gospel, let them be accursed “ (Galatians 1:8)

Now as we worked through this epistle to Timothy, we notice the qualifications for a leader (Pastor, Elder, Bishop,ect) in the Church was very strict, however when you understand the damage a false leader of the Church does, you see why. The flock that is under these wolves are great misled and become scattered and some fall away. The damage of a false leader in the Church can’t be underestimated, in some communities it has led the entire Church community to shut down and go elsewhere.

So the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says to Timothy “I charge you before God, The Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels” This is a serious command Paul is giving Timothy , a command so authoritative it is by the authority of God himself and the witness of His Holy Angels. And Paul warned Timothy “Do these instructions without partiality or favoritism” In other words, adhere to the commands of God over your feelings. Isn’t this something we can learn as the Church? Often we make decisions based on feelings instead of truth. 

We may excuse someone for something they did or maybe elevate someone to a position they don’t deserve because it just feels right, but does it align with the Word of God? This is the tough calling for the Shepherds of the Church, because we live in a world based on emotions and feelings instead of truth. The Shepherd who usually sticks to the Word of God in truth, is typically the Shepherd who is hated by the world

What did Paul warn Timothy by the Holy Spirit? “Don’t be so quick to lay hands on people or you will share in their sins” That is a bit of paraphrasing on my part, under the context, typical when someone becomes the leader of a Church, the community lays hands on them, to pray for them and receive them as a leader of the Church. What Paul is warning against , is being yoked to people who are blasphemous and false teachers, as you will share in their sins. Those who continue to remain yoked to a false teacher or organization are bringing judgment upon themselves, as you are to be set apart in Christ Amen