2 Timothy 1b

2 Timothy 1b

2 Timothy 1b

Shawn Bumpers / General

2 Timothy / Holy Spirit; Laying on of Hands; Gifts of the Holy Spirit; God: Grace; Immortality; Doctrine; Faith; Paul; Timothy

Introduction

• An influx of Jewish believers fleeing the violence in Israel.

• Congregants who are saying he is too young and inexperienced.

• His own timidness and self doubts.

• False Teachers who are twisting scripture and teaching false doctrines.

• Congregants who are believing and following after the false teachers, and bringing these things into the church.

• A lack of helpful leadership in the church.

• Congregants who had a problem with pastors receiving a living wage.

• People taking advantage of the church’s benevolence.

• People using church to make themselves rich.

1 Timothy 1:20 NKJV

of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

2 Timothy 4:15 NKJV

You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.

Now he was treated as an evil doer and kept in a dungeon prison.

But that’s not the only difference.

2 Timothy 1:15 NKJV

This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

Nero had returned to Rome from Greece, where he had participated in and won over 1,800 contests.

People were so afraid of him, they let him win … but he was convinced that he had won honestly.

2 Timothy is Paul’s final letter before his execution.

Regarding the circumstances of Paul’s trial we know very little. 

2 Timothy 4:16–17 NKJV

At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

However, it did not cause him to be released.

And some time in 68AD, Paul was executed.

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy with a sense that it was his final words.

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.

2 Timothy 4:7–8 NKJV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Ephesians 4:12 NKJV

for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

What happened in the Christian world after Paul died?

v6-7

And today we start with verse 6, but verse 6 starts with a “Therefore.”

“Stir up” is the Greek word ἀναζωπυρέω Anazōpyreō which means “rekindle”

“Gift” is the Greek word χάρισμα Charisma.

The laying on of hands was a common practice in apostolic days.

• In Acts 6, deacons were designated for ministry with the laying on of hands.

• And in Acts 13 Barnabas and Saul were designated for ministry with the laying on of hands.

John 14:16-17 (NKJV) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you (PARA) and will be in you (EN).

Para (with you):

En (in you):

Acts 1:8 (NKJV) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon (EPI) you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Epi (upon):

Acts 19:1–6 NKJV

And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

The disciples of Acts 19 were baptised in John’s baptism … in other words, they had repented.

But they had not trusted in Jesus Christ.

It was after they had been sealed by the Holy Spirit … that is the Greek Word EN … that the Holy Spirit EPI, “came upon” them.

The point of this passage is that they needed to trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior

1 Corinthians 12:31 NKJV

But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

1 Timothy 4:14 NKJV

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.

What was Timothy’s gift?

It doesn’t say what that gift was, but I believe that it was the gift of teaching God’s Word.

The Greek word for “sound mind” here is σωφρονισμός Sōphronismos and literally means “self discipline.”

Timothy, like his mentor, Paul, was naturally timid … something Paul had learned to overcome, but something Timothy still struggled with.

Luke 22:42 NKJV

saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

1 Peter 2:20 NKJV

For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

When we suffer for doing good, then we are sharing Christ’s sufferings and suffering on behalf of the whole church.

There is no one who is above suffering … our Savior suffered.

All of this grace was given to us in Jesus Christ. 

v10

When we are timid it is because we are afraid.

What are we afraid of?

“Abolished” in v. 10 is the Greek word καταργέω katargeō which means “made of no effect, disarmed.”

1 Corinthians 15:55 NKJV

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

v11-12

Paul had a calling … in fact, it was 3-fold, Apostle, Herald, and Teacher.

The churches that Paul had so faithfully ministered to were turning away from Paul just as they were turning away from sure doctrine.

They were even ashamed to be identified with the apostle! 

In Acts 9, it is recorded how Jesus Christ had stopped Paul on the Damascus road and had personally called him into the ministry.

The former persecutor of the church was now an Apostle to the church by the will of Jesus Christ.

In ancient times, a “herald” was the official messenger of the emperor, and his message was treated with great respect.

1 Peter 1:3–5 NKJV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

v13-14

Jesus is able to keep His church.

Yet it has also been commanded that WE should guard the faith.

There was a definite outline of doctrine in the early church.

Genesis 3:1 NKJV

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

v15-18

There was one man who dared to leave Ephesus and come to Rome to assist Paul—Onesiphorus (ohnee-SEE-forohs).

His name means “profit-bearing.”

Matthew 5:7 NKJV

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

Hebrews 6:10 NKJV

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.