The Bond of Paul & Timothy

So Courtney didn't get through the introduction last week, so we'll try to see if we can finish that up. I made a mistake and I didn't send out the questions until 15 minutes ago. There are copies of them there. The electronic ones should be on your email. as of 10 minutes ago, hopefully. And we'll probably get to them.

We ended up last week, one of the things that, you know, and I don't know if it's that big a deal or not, but in chapter 1, verse 1, Paul says, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. And my question was, why does he use Christ Jesus rather than Jesus Christ? It's interesting that in the Greek grammar it's got Christ first. The word Christ just means Messiah, Deliverer, Savior. I would say that Probably for us, I think of them as Christ Jesus. Do you think of them as Jesus Christ? In contemporary Christianity, a lot of times you just hear the word name Jesus without Christ, which is probably a slight on who he really is. Jesus Christ is to the Jews as where Christ Jesus is to the Jewish. So when we come to 2 Timothy 1-2, it says that to Timothy, my beloved son, grace, mercy, peace from God the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord. So the question I thought, how did Timothy, or how did Paul view Timothy?

He kind of tells us here with the word son. And it's the word technon. What's the word technon mean? It's an affectionate word for a son. In other words, he calls Timothy, he's one of his true children. beloved. He called him, if you look at, he called him my true child in the faith.

It places emphasis on the genuineness of Timothy's salvation. Paul had a lot to do with his salvation. We'll get into the first verses. We're going to see that the influence on Timothy from being small by his mother and grandmother is tremendous if God had him in place right away.

And when he says, my beloved son, what is he emphasizing? What's Paul emphasizing? His affection for Timothy. You know, Paul at this point is 70 years old or maybe a little older. And Timothy is probably in his early twenties. Yet he's given responsibilities. We'll talk about a gift that he has that Paul encourages him to exercise a gift. His gift was administration. So he's the pastor of the church at Ephesus. It's a big job.

Timothy is Paul's son in a spiritual sense, meaning that Paul had been the instrument God used to bring him to the knowledge, the saving knowledge of Christ. I don't know if whoever led you to the Lord, don't you view them as kind of your spiritual father? I do. There were two guys that led me to Christ, and I always viewed them as, well, I have to say one of them as my spiritual father. The other one was a college buddy.

So, what's the name Timothy mean? Any idea? What's the name Timothy mean? It means one who honors God. cool name, huh? That's really cool. So I think probably his mother and grandmother named him, and they're both godly women, and they were instrumental in beginning to show him scriptures when he was young. One last question on the introduction. The verse says, grace and mercy and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Now that goes with the questions. So let's go talk about the questions. You got them? Everybody have a copy?

So, three and four say, I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you even as I recall your tears so that I may be filled with joy. So the first thing that struck me about verse three was I thank God whom I serve in clear conscience the way my forefathers did.

Who are his forefathers? He's grateful to God for his forefathers. He didn't know Moses. Who are the forefathers? I would say one of them was his father, who was a rabbi. Another one is Gamaliel, who was a rabbi that he studied under in Jerusalem. He was a man who was, from the very time that he was conceived, set on a course by God. And so one of the questions, as we get farther down the list, I'm going to ask is, when did Paul become a servant? Think about that. When did he become a servant? Yeah. He was a servant by calling from his mother's womb.

Now we can't say that his parents taught him Christianity because they didn't, but what they did teach him was that the true God was the God of Israel. See that? So when he says, what's he thanking God for? I thank, literally, I am constantly having thanks to God for what? because of my forefathers taught me who the real God was, is, Jehovah.

We're into the questions. We just started into the questions. If you don't have them, there are some over there. Paul is really interesting. He thanks God, whom I serve with a clear conscience, the way my forefathers did. So Paul's a servant from the very beginning. His forefathers were servants. He was taught to be a servant by his father and others in terms of who the true God is, Jehovah. We're not to Christianity yet. So that's his background. Then he says, I'm constantly remembering you in my prayers night and day. What does that point out? I want you to think about, where is Paul at this point? Where's he hanging out? Where's he hanging out?

No, he's in the Mamertine prison. Yeah. And I got within 20 yards of the Mamertine prison and found out it was closed. It's just a hole in it. It's a cave in the ground. That's what it is. And, you know, they put, they lowered you down into it. And then when you came out, you were coming out to be executed. It was cold and damp. Somebody had to come and feed you. Somebody, because the government didn't take care of you.

So I'm thinking about the long nights and days of just being in that place. So as I look around the room, I don't think any of you ever spent a night in jail. But you probably spent it. Oh, you probably have, yeah. But, you know, you're in a situation where you have no stimulus and the night just seems never to end. And not only that, you're really uncomfortable. You can't, you're either too cold or too hot. You know, I mean, sometimes you experience that in the military. You know, where?

Boot camp. Yeah, although I was so tired of boot camp that they'd always play taps. I never made it to the end of taps. I was asleep. So the thing is that Paul is talking about he used these long nights in the dungeon to do what? To pray. So I'm thinking about, and it's a prayer of thanksgiving. kind of cool. I've got to have a PET scan this week, and I hope it isn't one of those hour-long things where you're in the tube. Last time I had one of those, I thought, well, I'll just pray this whole time. About halfway through it, I ran out of people to pray for. So I started over. I mean, you can't move and you have earphones on and there's some guy talking to you. Don't move. Don't move. Everything's okay.

So what's going on here is that in the very third verse, third and fourth verse, Paul begins to sum up the letter to Timothy right at the beginning. Why does he do something like that? Now look at the verses. I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did and I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day. What's he telling Timothy? I know things are tough for you and I'm praying for you. And I'm longing to see you even as I recall your tears so that I may be filled with joy. when we parted company. There were a lot of tears. So what is this?

This is an encouragement for Timothy. Although Paul's the one in prison, Timothy's the one in Ephesus. He's not in jail. So it's like he's saying, I know that your weak point is deficiency in courage. Moral courage. One of the problems that Timothy has was his age. He was a young guy. And a lot of the other leaders at the Church of Ephesus were older guys that I think tried to bully him. And Paul was constantly telling him, you know, you have this gift of administration. God is with you, so, you know, stand up to these guys.

You all right with that? So, how encouraging is it when you're having a tough time and someone calls you up and says, you know what, I've been praying for you all day. Boy, that has an impact on you. Or you're in a hospital or a hospital bed, having surgery or something like that. They don't even have to call you. Like this body of believers, you know that they're praying for you. You know they are.

And how encouraging it is to you. How comforting it is. We had a couple over yesterday that we were counseling and one of the things we talked about was how important it is for them to be in a church body like this for that very reason. that they become your family and they hold you up to the Lord, they pray for you, you know, they're not in your business, it's not that. It's really comforting to know when you have a situation that here's all these folks that love you are praying for you. It's just, you know, People outside in an environment like that don't understand that. They really don't.

But Paul is trying to communicate that to Timothy. You see that? That's what he's trying to say to him. Maybe put it this way, I'm constantly thinking with thankfulness and prayer about your genuine and inborn faith and by the fact that the gift of the Holy Spirit which you received at ordination was that of the power and love and discipline. So it's just not winging it, it's specific. You all right with that? That was question three. I'm moving along fast. I already answered question four, right? I answered a question four.

What did Paul's forefathers teach him regarding a clear conscience? They didn't teach him about Christianity, obviously, but they had, however, led him to the true God of Israel. That's a big plus. A big plus. So now we get to your question, Mike. Maybe Paul is referring all the way back to Abraham in terms of his forefathers. Do you think he's gone that far? When he says, whom I serve with clear conscience, the way of my forefathers.

Now you can look at Acts 22.3. I am a Jew born in Tarsus of Sicily, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of fathers, being zealous for God, just as you all are today. That's Paul giving his credentials. Okay. or 2414, Acts 2414, but this I admit to you, that according to the Way, the Way, capital W, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the law that is written in the prophets.

So, How do I ask this? Paul recognizes, which is the next question, that he is called, he was called to be a servant, and that was from his mother's womb. You think we're all called that way? What do you think? Think about that question. Are you called to be a servant? Are you called to be a servant? Are you called to be a servant? To be a servant? So what's a servant? What's that? A slave of righteousness. What does that mean? There's only one way? So what is a slave of righteousness then?

Easy for you to say. You'll always do the right thing. Determined by? God's will. How do you know it's the right thing? Because he's working through me. How do you know he's doing that? Because I'm in Christ. How do you know that? Because I have been born from the blood. How do you know that? Because I trust God.

And we're fainting his words. So the point I'm trying to make is a lot of times when you're saved, it's all about you, right? I'm saved. But then after a while, and could be a long while, maybe I better get in front of the camera, huh? You begin to realize that God saved me to be a servant.

So then you embark down that road, what does it mean to be a servant? And you recognize it isn't, as the world defines servants, I'm not serving in order to rack up points so that when I get to the pearly gates I have enough. So what is a servant? What does a servant do? He serves. He what? He serves. Well, that's like defining the word by the word. Come on. He does what the Lord would have him do. Which is? How does he know? How do you find out?

Addie's a good example. Addie's going to be married soon. Zane and she are going to serve each other. How are they going to do that? Oh honey, whatever you want. Yeah, just tell me what to do and I'll do it. That's not service. That's where it starts. He's the center. So how long does it take the Spirit of God to get you off of your little I'm saved throne to the point where, wait a minute, I'm just a servant. Lord, what would you have me do? And I don't care what it is. Anything. That's from self-standardness to Christ-standard.

How long does that take? 40 years on the bad side of this. Yeah. So that's one of those things, I think, that Paul is trying to communicate to Timothy, that being a servant is something you learn. And you're not forced. You don't twist your arm. You don't even do it for the reward. It becomes a...

It's an attitude or a mindset of those that belong to the Lord Jesus. He's the ultimate servant, the Lord Jesus is, unto death. Yeah, yeah, and that's kind of how that goes. As you grow spiritually, and this intimacy with the Lord Jesus has developed, and you begin to realize, wow, you know, the God of the universe loves me. I live under his grace. Everything he does is trying to bless me, no matter what it looks like. And then through that process, this intimacy develops with him and you and him.

And so what it does is that, well, I don't have to worry about me anymore. I can turn my focus to the body of Christ or whatever's in front of me because I don't gauge things by whether they're a benefit to me or not anymore as you mature spiritually.

Is that what you mean? That's 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. Whereas the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. How do I say that? Being a servant is an acquired thing. It comes with the life of the Lord Jesus. Do you see that? as you grow, as you get more and more conformed. That's why I always have trouble with theologians. They're too smart and they don't serve. They serve themselves. They wouldn't roll up their sleeves and get down in the trenches with you.

Your dad, Miles, read a story about Who wrote Born Crucified? What was his name? L.E. Maxwell. Had a conference in Oles way back when. And that was before they had flushable toilets. And so they had pots that you would stick outside your room at night and someone would come around and empty them. So this guy was up at night and he heard somebody out there and he peeks out the door. Guess who's emptying the pots? L.E. Maxwell. That's a servant. See? He thinks nothing of that. See? It's latrine duty in Vietnam. Well, whatever.

But a servant As the Lord moves you into this, being a servant, you don't even feel it. As a matter of fact, it becomes something you'd really like to do, and you don't find yourself being a busybody or stepping in where you don't belong. You just seem to fit. And sometimes prayer is the total service that you have with certain circumstances. There's nothing else you can do but pray.

So Paul, I think, is trying to get that message across to Timothy, that he's a servant, and what a servant means. You okay with that? Yeah. Okay. Hebrews chapter 11, which is the hall of fame of faith, the guys of faith, the people of faith, they're servants. Yeah. So, I've already I'll answer that.

What was the occasion for the tears mentioned in verse 4? And I wrote down that Paul remembered tears Timothy had shed at their parting. The Ephesian elders wept when Paul bid them farewell, Acts 20, 37 and 38. You know, you read those two verses and you think, And they began to weep aloud and embrace Paul and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his faith no more.

And they were accompanying him to the ship. Ever had somebody in your life that's leaving for some place and maybe you don't see them again and it's really hard to let them go? Really hard to let them go? I remember my son went to Texas. I thought, he's going to Sodom and Gomorrah. I had to drive him down there. Anyway, you know. it's that kind of a thing.

So Paul is careful to remind Timothy about the affection that he has for him and all the rest of the ruling group in Ephesus. So what do these verses tell us about the Apostle Paul? About Paul himself, what do you learn about him through verses like this? Life is difficult. and being arrested and being forced to have a distant opinion and being requested to come visit.

And so, there's a deep friendship in the faith that is not just superficial, it goes to its core. And so, there was a sense of missing one, that was very real. Yeah, I see the authenticity of the situation, or I think of it. I can't imagine how hard it would be for them as well. Well, and you read, you study a book like Galatians or 1 Corinthians and Paul is, you know, kicking butt taking names. He's not taking any guff out of, I mean, he's tough. As tough as they come.

He goes up to Jerusalem and tells the other apostles, tell me what you're teaching and it better line up with what I'm teaching. I mean who do you know? So I view Paul as a little man, just tough as nails. But what do you find out about him here? That he's also incredibly tender hearted.

Yes. Mm-hmm. As you were talking I was thinking one of the One of the things we learn as we grow is we begin to have the mind of Christ about things. And so we see them more and more from His perspective, not mine, or not the world. You know, that, oh, I see the Lord working in this situation. And so, and I'm comfortable with it. You know, I don't know what the details are, but I know what the goal is. I know where he's headed. And not only personally in your own life, but in somebody else's life, you know.

Does that make sense? We were talking about that, something that Chris told me the other day, and if God is seeking to hear any one of us, we've had perfection. If we didn't have ministry, that would not be the life that the Lord has for us. I mean, just to get you to a place of perfection, without being alive, then you miss what God created for you and how the life is designed and how you're being performed. So, service is the outward expression I'll give you one personal, I've probably told you this before, one personal experience from Miles Stanford, who was a spiritual man, about how he viewed things.

Back in, I don't know, around 1980, 1981, John Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan. Well, John Hinckley's dad, Jack, lived in Evergreen and was a member of the Bible study I was in at Sherr Hills. He's a really neat guy. So I remember hearing that, and I had an occasion to talk to Miles that same day, and I said, oh, by the way, Miles, did you hear about Jack Hinckley's son? He shot Ronald Reagan today. Miles said, oh. It looks like today is the first day of Jack Hinckley's spiritual growth. I thought, what? He was right, though. Jack Hinckley was a wealthy oil guy. And now his whole life changed. He moved to Washington. He supported his son.

I thought, boy, what an answer. So here's a crisis and here's a guy that looks at it as a beginning of a journey of spiritual growth rather than, oh, whatever else your attitude might have been about that circumstance. He looked at it from the viewpoint of spiritual growth. I thought, wow, that's different.

All right, we're going to close. Father, we thank you for your time with us. We thank you that we can study your word, that we can look at it carefully, and that we can, through the process, grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus. And we pray in his name. Amen.