2 Timothy 2b
May 20, 2017
2 Timothy 2b
Shawn Bumpers / General
2 Timothy / Doctrine, Timothy, Paul, Creeds
Introduction
Last week we left off with verse 10.
We did touch a bit on verses 11-13, but only enough to close out our message.
Hebrews 13:9 NKJV
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
Matthew 16:16 NKJV
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Romans 10:9–10 NKJV
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Philippians 2:5–11 NKJV
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
He found himself battling with a number of false teachings within Christendom.
As a result, he developed a statement of faith designed to affirm a number of Christian truths:
Irenaeus’ “Rule of Faith” from the Late 2nd Century was this:
The church throughout the world has received from the Apostles and their disciples this faith: “In one God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven and the earth and the seas and all the things that are in them; And in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation; And in the Holy Spirit, who made known through the prophets the plan of salvation, and the coming, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the bodily ascension into heaven of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and his future appearing from heaven in the glory of the Father to sum up all things and to raise anew all flesh of the whole human race in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess” to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all.”
Within years of the closing of the Canon of Scripture, early believers and church leaders were developing these statements of faith.
They were putting these statements into practice as they interviewed and initiated new believers.
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church (catholic means universal, not catholic as in Roman Catholicism), the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen
Our text for today depends on the creed of verses 11-13.
Paul says to Timothy, “Remind them of these things.”
And this is why creeds that are scriptural are so good … and why the Apostles introduced creeds into scripture.
2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
v11-13
These are the positive and negative aspects of the Christian experience.
2 Timothy 4:6 NKJV
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
But there is another layer of meaning here … something that applies to all Christians no matter the threat of persecution.
As a creed for ALL Christians, this speaks of dying to self.
Galatians 2:20 NKJV
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Romans 5:1 NKJV
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Acts 13:39 NIV
Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
1 John 1:10 NKJV
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 NKJV
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
Philippians 1:6 NKJV
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
The next part of this creed is just as interesting.
It’s the Greek word ὑπομένω Hypomenō which means “Remain With.”
Even when the chance of physical violence is slim … being a Christian has never been easy.
Matthew 24:9–14 NKJV
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
I doubt that it is surprising to any of us that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is, in fact, a Christian.
The Greek word for “Anointed” is Χριστός Christos … Christ.
Matthew 24:23–24 NKJV
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
And those who endure will one day reign with Him in glory.
Matthew 5:5 NKJV
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
While we are here, we should talk about what is known as “Once Saved Always Saved” or “Eternal Security,” and “Conditional Security.”
Many passages, like this one we are looking at, would seem to indicate that salvation can be lost because it is dependent on the endurance of the believer.
That’s the first part of this creed.
The second part of this creed deals with the faithless.
Matthew 10:32–33 NKJV
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
If that is the case, it truly becomes a grave warning.
But there is another way to read it, given the context we find it in.
The Greek word rendered “faithless” is ἀπιστέω Apisteō and means “Refuse to believe.”
Romans 3:3–4 NKJV
For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”
v14-19
In chapter 1, Paul was concerned to remind Timothy of those basic truths that underlie the gospel, and to which he must remain faithful in his preaching ministry at Ephesus.
1 Timothy 1:13 NKJV
although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
2 Timothy 2:8–9 NKJV
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
A sloppy pastor will handle God’s Word deceitfully in order to make it say what he wants it to say.
2 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV
But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
What is heresy?
2 Peter 2:1 NKJV
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
So then, heresy is anything that denies the teaching of Jesus.
Paul named two men who were false teachers, and he also identified their error.
It is likely that the Hymenaeus named here is the same man named in 1 Timothy 1:20.
v20-22
The “great house” is the professing church.
The foundation of the house is safe and secure because God’s seal is on it.
Numbers 16:5 NKJV
and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.
Numbers 16:26 NKJV
And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”
v23-26
“Servant” is the Greek word doulos which means “slave.”
5 New Testament authors called themselves “slaves [or servants] of Jesus Christ … Paul, James, Peter, Jude, and John.
Not that it’s easy … by no means is it easy to faithfully teach the Word.
Satan opposes him and, as verse 26 says, Satan tries to trap his listeners.
Jesus said in John 8 that Satan is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44 NKJV
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The Greek word for “come to their senses” is ἀνανήφω Ananēphō.
Jude 3 NKJV
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
2 Timothy 1:13 NIV84
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
What we believe affects what we do.
1 Timothy 4:16 NKJV
Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
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