Jesus’ words are not always easy to understand, and today’s reading is proof. What we want to be careful of is that we don’t take any of His words and extract a doctrine that contradicts the rest of Scripture. Those who are always attempting to persuade others of their aberrant doctrines rely heavily on Jesus’ difficult-to-understand or vague statements as their “proof-texts.”

John 6 is a favorite of Calvinists, for example, because they find a few verses that seemingly support a few of their five cardinal doctrines. But they must exalt those verses at the expense of many other verses in which Christ is quoted saying things that contradict Calvinist doctrine.

An example of this would be John 3:37. There Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me.” “See,” Calvinists say, “God chooses people for salvation before they are saved, and those whom He chooses He gives to Jesus, and then they come to Jesus.” Calvinists read so much more into Jesus’ words than what He said. If I said, “All the new employees whom the boss gives to me will come to me,” does that prove that the new employees had nothing to do with the fact that they work for the boss? Of course not. The boss can only give to me those new employees who first applied for a job! What Jesus said in 3:37 does not nullify individual free will in salvation.

Within the context of John 6, it is obvious that Jesus was offering salvation to everyone in the crowd that day. He said to them, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (6:27). Jesus undeniably offered eternal life to all of them.

In His very next sentence, Jesus told them that the means to eternal life was faith in Him (6:29), again implying His universal offer. But, quite amazingly, the same people who had eaten a miraculous meal the day before then asked Him for a sign in order to believe in Him! And they mentioned how Moses had provided manna in the wilderness. They wanted more food!

Jesus reminded them that it was not Moses who provided them bread the day before, but it was His Father who gave them “the true bread out of heaven” (6:32). Clearly, that “true bread” was Himself, and take note that Jesus said to the unbelieving crowd that His Father was giving them that true bread (6:32). The Father was giving Jesus to all of them so that they could have eternal life by believing in Him. In fact, Jesus declared that He was the true bread who came from heaven to “give life,” not just to them, but “to the world” (6:33). That’s everyone.

The crowd then asked Jesus for that true bread, not understanding that it was Him (6:34). So Jesus explained Himself again: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” (6:35). Again, His universal offer of salvation is implied. Then He said, “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe” (6:36). Clearly, He expected them to believe in Him. But they didn’t, and He found fault with them for it. This sure doesn’t sound like Calvinism!

Finally, in the very next verse, He said what Calvinists rip from its context: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (6:37). Was Jesus contracting everything He had just said? No. Obviously, those whom the Father gives to Jesus are those who believe in Him. He only grants believers the privilege of coming to Jesus (6:65). That anyone can believe in Him is underscored even more in the verses that follow (6:40, 47, 50-51, 54, 58).

No unregenerate person can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him (6:44). That does not prove that God only draws a few. Jesus later said, “If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32).

We are apt to picture John the Baptist delivering fiery, convicting messages of righteousness, but picture Jesus quietly teaching small groups of disciples. That picture, however, is unbalanced. Jesus’ message was identical to John’s: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:2, 4:17). Once Jesus began His ministry, the crowds of people streaming to John to be baptized diminished because so many were streaming to Jesus to be baptized. Jesus’ preaching ministry was all about repentance and baptizing the repentant (4:1-2). His ministry was very similar to John’s.

In Jesus’ day, most Jews hated Samaritans (and vice versa). The Samaritans were a mixed race, part Jew and part Gentile, a product of the Assyrian captivity of the 10 northern tribes of Israel some 700 years earlier. Because the Jews forbade the Samaritans to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, they established their own temple and religious services on Mount Gerizim.

Jesus, not one to follow culture’s lead, took time for a woman who was hated by other Jews, had suffered the rejection of divorce five times (and who was very possibly despised among her own people because of it), and was now living in an immoral relationship. What a lesson we can learn from Jesus’ love from this story of “the Bad Samaritan!” The church should reach out to foreigners and have no bigotry. The church should oppose divorce but love divorced people, and hate immorality but love immoral people.

We can also learn something about sharing the gospel from observing Jesus in this story. He first caught the Samaritan woman’s attention by His love. She was shocked that He, a Jew, would even speak to her. Who would be shocked if you spoke to them?

Second, He used her current circumstance to create a bridge to a spiritual conversation. She was interested in drawing some water. Jesus was also interested in a drink, and asked for water from her. Yet He knew that He possessed some “water” that she needed, and He told her. That got the ball rolling.

She probably considered Him to be a little crazy at that point, and just to humor Him, asked for some of the living water that He was offering so that she would no longer be thirsty or have to draw water from a well. But her patronizing attitude quickly changed when He mentioned her five former husbands and her live-in boyfriend. This is the third point for us to remember: Before people will repent, they must be brought under conviction for their sin.

Once under conviction, the woman quickly turned religious and tried to divert the conversation away from herself to a contemporary theological difference between Jews and Samaritans about the proper place to worship. Jesus briefly addressed the issue and used it to bring the conversation back to what was important, revealing Himself as the Messiah. She left her water pot and hurried back into the city to tell others about Him. Missionary Jesus had crossed a culture, and a foreign revival had begun.

Notice that, during the old covenant, Jesus was offering someone “living water,” and a “well of water springing up to eternal life” (4:14), water which may well represent the Holy Spirit according to 7:38-39. That makes me wonder once again if the new birth was available under the old covenant.

When Jesus told the nobleman to go his way because his son lived, the Bible says that he “believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off” (4:50). If we examine the story closely, we see more evidence of his faith. He probably could have returned that same day to Capernaum, because it was only about one o’clock in the afternoon, and Capernaum was only about sixteen miles from Cana. But he rested in his faith. There was no need to rush home to see how his son was doing. He believed, so he took his time and arrived home the next day.

If we’re trusting God, we also don’t need to be in a hurry or check to see “if” God’s promise is coming to pass. Faith is a rest. Are you resting today?

Day 202, John 5

Obviously people were genuinely being healed when an angel periodically troubled the waters of the Pool of Bethesda: Otherwise there would not have been so many sick people waiting for the waters to move. I am of the persuasion that God, who periodically sent the angel, had more in mind than the occasional healing of one person. Israel’s covenant with God included divine healing. He promised that if they would serve Him, He would “remove sickness” from their midst (Ex. 15:26, 23:25; Deut. 7:15). But, as Jesus lamented in 4:48, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” So God mercifully performs signs to provoke people to believe, and He sometimes heals people who have no faith. Those kinds of healings fall under the category of “gifts of healings” which operate as the Spirit wills (1 Cor. 12:1-11).

Those who lost the periodic race to the troubled waters of Bethesda should have been encouraged by every demonstration of God’s healing power that occurred before their eyes. They should have wondered, “Is God trying to convey to us that He delights in periodically making all of us compete in a sickening race in which the majority of us come out as losers? Or is He trying to encourage us to believe that He is still in the healing business?”

One day, the God who periodically sent an angel to the Bethesda Pool showed up Himself in the form of Jesus—and healed one man. Should we conclude from this that it was not God’s will for the others at the pool to be healed? That would be an unwarranted assumption in light of the many stories we’ve already read in the Gospels in which Jesus credited the faith of those He healed as being the reason for their miracle. Had they not had faith, they would not have been healed, even though it was God’s will for them to be healed, as proved by the fact that He did heal them. All of this is to say that, if someone else is healed by God, it should encourage, not discourage, those of us who still need healing. If God forgives one person, is it right to conclude that the reason is because God singled out that person for forgiveness at the exclusion of others? Certainly not.

Another spiritual lesson from today’s reading is that sin can open the door to God’s judgment in the form of sickness. Jesus told the crippled man whom He had healed, “Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you” (5:14). The implication is that his former sickness was the consequence of his sin, and if he didn’t repent, he might find himself suffering something even worse.

The ultimate lesson that everyone should learn from all those whom Jesus healed (and even raised from the dead) is that Jesus is the one who will one day heal everyone of whatever killed them when He resurrects their dead bodies. This is not just true for believers, but for unbelievers as well, as Jesus declared in today’s reading. Note that those who will experience a “resurrection of life” will be those who did “good deeds” (5:29). Those who experience a “resurrection of judgment” will be those who committed “evil deeds” (5:29). We are saved by faith, but those who believe are characterized by good deeds.

Other scriptures teach us that not everyone will be resurrected at the same time. At the rapture of the church, all those who have died in Christ will be resurrected and given glorified bodies, as Christ has now. It won’t be until the end of the millennial reign of Christ that the unrighteous will be resurrected to stand at the final judgment (Rev. 20:5).

How tragic was the blindness of the Jews who debated with Jesus and rejected Him, refusing to accept the testimony of Moses (5:45-47), John the Baptist (5:33-35), and the greatest testimony of all, that of God the Father, who endorsed Christ through His many miracles (5:36-37). The rejection of Him was due to their loving men’s approval more than God’s approval (5:44). May we never forget who is on the throne!

Generally speaking, the Gospel writers portray the Pharisees of Christ’s time as hard-hearted hypocrites. So it is nice to read about one whose heart was soft. Nicodemus, a prominent Jewish teacher, visited Jesus secretly, and humbly confessed his certainty that Jesus was sent by God. Jesus’ miracles demonstrated God’s endorsement (3:2). Jesus replied that only those who are born again can “see the kingdom of God” (3:3). All others are blind to it. Jesus also said that only those who are born again will enter God’s kingdom. He then made it clear to Nicodemus that He wasn’t speaking of a physical rebirth, but a spiritual one, something that was done by the Holy Spirit.

Note that Jesus didn’t say to Nicodemus, “Of course, none of this has any application until after I’ve been resurrected.” Rather, He seemed to be telling Nicodemus that, even at that present time, only those who were born again could enter heaven. This makes me (and others) suspect that the new birth was available under the old covenant. That is, old covenant people who believed and were forgiven also had their spirits regenerated by the Holy Spirit, even though they were not indwelled by the Holy Spirit as we are under the new covenant. If that was not the case, then those who were saved prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection were left spiritually dead in their sins.

Speaking of sinners under the old covenant, Jesus indicated that Moses’ lifting of the serpent in the wilderness was analogous to His own “lifting.” He was speaking of either His lifting on the cross or His ascension to heaven, or perhaps both.

According to the original story found in Numbers 21, those who had been bitten by a deadly serpent—the consequence of God’s wrath upon their sin—could be healed by looking up at a bronze serpent that Moses had attached to a pole. The modern medical emblem of a snake curled around an upright post finds its origin in that very story.

Just as “whoever” among the Israelites looked at the bronze serpent on the pole were saved from death, “whosoever” (3:15 & 16) believes in Jesus “shall not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). This is based on the wonderful truth that God loves the world, which is what Jesus declared, in contrast to what modern Calvinists teach. If “the world” in John 3:16 means “those few who were preselected for salvation” as Calvinists maintain, Jesus was very confused, offering eternal life to “whosoever will believe.”

This particular passage is also an excellent illustration of the imperfection of any comparison, including every comparison found in the Bible, and how dangerous it could be if spiritual significance is assigned to every detail of an imperfect comparison. Obviously, a serpent is not a perfect illustration of Jesus. The bronze serpent that Moses lifted is, however, a good representation of Jesus in one sense: all who were dying, but in faith looked to it, lived. And that is where the similarities end. Jesus did not become a spiritual child of Satan on the cross, as some teach based upon this passage. Jesus cried out to His Father with His last breath (Luke 23:46).

John the Baptist, the greatest man who had ever lived according to Jesus (Matt. 11:11), demonstrated an attitude that God hopes to see in all those who serve Him. John’s goal was not to build a ministry or become “the foremost evangelist” of his day. He wanted everyone to be less focused on himself and more focused on Jesus (3:30). Praise God.

The inseparable correlation between faith and obedience is affirmed by John the Baptist’s statement found in 3:36: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John used the words believe and obey synonymously. Those who believe, obey. You can’t see the wind, but you can see the effects of it (3:8). Similarly, the effects of our inward rebirth show up on the outside. If the leaves aren’t rustling, the wind isn’t blowing!

John’s Gospel consists of twenty-one chapters, of which the first eleven cover about three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, while the last ten cover just the final week of His life. So John’s Gospel is heavily focused on what was the most significant aspect of Jesus’ life and ministry, that is, His sacrificial death. Even in chapter one we see that focus, as John recorded John the Baptist’s declaration that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He was looking towards the cross. Today’s reading continues with that same focus as John recounts the story of Jesus’ first miracle.

Note that when Mary informed Jesus that the wedding feast wine had run out, He replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come” (2:4). That phrase, “My hour has not yet come,” is repeatedly found in John’s Gospel. As we progress through it, it will become crystal clear that every time Jesus used that phrase, He was making a reference to His future crucifixion and death. The “wine” people truly needed would not be available until Jesus’ “hour,” the time when He would pour out His blood. When Mary informed Jesus of what appeared to her to be an urgent matter, in Jesus’ eyes it was trivial by comparison to everyone’s more significant spiritual need, the need to have His blood applied to their sins.

Nevertheless, Jesus met everyone’s temporal need for wine in a foreshadowing of what He would do for everyone’s spiritual needs on the cross. And may I add that the wine He created that day wasn’t made for just a select few, but for everyone who wanted to drink. If each of those six stone water pots held thirty gallons (2:6), Jesus provided enough wine for two-thousand,eight-hundred and eighty people to each enjoy an eight-ounce glass. There was plenty for everyone, praise God! The former wine was so good that the entire supply was quickly exhausted in spite of the certain planning for that not to occur. But the wine that Jesus made was even better according to the testimony of someone who was well-qualified to make that judgment (2:10).

Incidentally, the wine in Jesus’ day was often diluted with water and so low in alcoholic content that it wouldn’t even be considered an alcoholic beverage by modern standards. For a person to get drunk on wine, he had to consume a very large quantity. Scripture tells us that drunkenness is a sin, and one that can be damning (1 Cor. 6:9-10). A sure way to avoid ever becoming intoxicated is to avoid drinking any alcohol.

The Passover cleansing of the temple which we read about today was not the same incident recorded in the other three Gospels. This cleansing occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, while the other occurred close to the end of His life.

Why didn’t anyone attempt to restrain Him? Possibly Jesus was anointed with a Samson-like strength and no one dared get in His way. Or possibly everyone knew in their consciences that what they had been doing was very wrong, which weakened their wills to resist. Three years later when Jesus cleansed the temple again, He accused the sellers of making God’s temple into a den of thieves. So we assume it was not just the money exchanging and selling of animals that bothered Him, but also the fact that people were being cheated in the process. They were taking advantage of sincere seekers of God in order to make a dishonest gain. TV prosperity preachers, take note!

Again we see John’s focus on Jesus’ journey to the cross, as he recorded Jesus’ reply to those who questioned His authority to cleanse the temple. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (2:19). His statement foreshadowed His death (at the hands of the Jews) and His resurrection.

Jesus “was not entrusting Himself” to “many who believed in His name.” Why so? Because “He Himself knew what was in a man” (2:23-25). Jesus knows that, generally speaking, people are deceptive. He knows that many who claim to believe in Him are phony.

It is difficult not to think that we are living in the time that Paul describes in this chapter, when those within the church “will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth” (4:3-4). When so many embrace a false gospel that is nothing more than a license to sin, or think that they are safe in God’s grace without holiness, or believe that there is nothing they could ever do to forfeit their salvation, or trust that there is no possibility that they will have to endure tribulation, or expect Jesus to return twice, or flock to preachers who tell them that God wants them to be even wealthier than they already are, or believe that God has sovereignly predestined some to be saved and some to be damned, or think that Jesus did not die for the sins of everyone in the world, then surely we are living in the time that Paul foretold.

This sad state of things is not reason for us to put our heads in the sand, but reason to continue to boldly “preach the word” and to “reprove, rebuke [and] exhort, with great patience and instruction” (4:2), just as Paul solemnly charged Timothy to do. Paul knew that if Timothy did those things he would suffer hardship. He would also, however, fulfill his ministry and be ready to stand before the Lord (4:1, 5). Paul set an excellent example for Timothy to follow, describing his own ministry as the “good fight” and as a race that he had run. Fulfilling his own calling required great determination and perseverance. But in the end, he knew a prize awaited him, “the crown of righteousness” (4:8). That same crown awaits all “who have loved Christ’s appearing” (4:8), which would of course be all true believers. All of us, like Paul, must “not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb. 12:3).

Note that Paul declared that he had “kept the faith” (4:7), which means that it would have been possible for him not to have “kept the faith.” This is one more nail in the coffin of the idea that once a person is saved he is guaranteed to always be saved.

Additionally, Paul makes reference to a man named Demas, who at one time was his traveling companion and a servant of Christ whom he mentioned in other epistles (Col. 4:14; Philem 24). Demas, however, had recently deserted Paul, “having loved this present world” (4:10). John wrote, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Tragically, Demas had been lured back to that from which he had been delivered.

I can’t imagine that Timothy was not moved to tears as he read Paul’s words, “The time of my departure has come” (4:6). From reading his story in the books of Acts, we know that Paul proved to have had an accurate foreknowledge of major future events in his life. Timothy was certainly well aware of Paul’s accuracy in foretelling his own future, so he knew that his long-time friend and mentor would soon be “going home.” Paul, however, did not believe that his death was just days away, as he requested that Timothy visit him as soon as possible and that he “make every effort to come before winter” (4:21). Timothy would be bringing Paul’s cloak that he left in Troas, which we assume he needed for warmth in the winter months (4:13).

Paul’s trial in Rome had already begun, and he had made his “first defense” (4:16), at which those whom he hoped would bravely testify in his favor sadly deserted him. Apparently, however, Paul felt that his first defense had gone well, as he was “rescued out of the lion’s mouth” (4:17). We don’t know if that expression was meant to be taken figuratively or literally. We do know, however, that the Romans sometimes entertained themselves by executing criminals by means of confining them with wild dogs, bears, boars and lions. Regardless, Paul has been in heaven for almost 2,000 years enjoying his reward!

The other three Gospels were probably all in circulation by the time that the apostle John wrote his account. Most scholars suggest a date of sometime between AD 90-100. John would have been an elderly man by then, and Peter and Paul would have been in heaven for at least 20 years.

Ninety percent of the information found in John’s Gospel can’t be found in any of the other three, so it is thought that his purpose was to “fill in the gaps.” Church father Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215) stated that John wrote to supplement the accounts found in the other Gospels. John was writing to a readership whom he assumed already had a fair knowledge of the Lord (1:16).

Clearly, “the Word” in 1:1 and 14 refers to Jesus, who certainly was a message, or word, from God to the world. But Jesus was much more than that. He existed eternally with God. He created everything. He was God (1:1-3). Beware of anyone who teaches that Jesus was anything less.

The priests and Levites from Jerusalem who visited John the Baptist wanted to know if he was the Christ, or Elijah or “the Prophet” (1:25). They were looking for one or all of those based on Old Testament promises.

Of course, “the Christ” was foretold throughout the Old Testament, and every Jew was expecting His appearance eventually. “The Prophet” whom they were also expecting was mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15: “The Lord your God shall raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.” Jesus, of course, was that Prophet (Acts 3:22, 7:37). Concerning their anticipation of “Elijah” coming, God had promised in the last few verses of Malachi that He would send Elijah before the coming of the “great and terrible day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5). John the Baptist actually fulfilled that prophecy in part, although he apparently didn’t realize it. All he knew was that he was fulfilling some verses in Isaiah, a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for the ministry of the Lord Jesus (1:23).

Most importantly, John the Baptist knew that Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:25). Taken at face value, any reasonable person would interpret that phrase to mean that Jesus, God’s sacrificial Lamb, made atonement for the sins of the whole world, and not just for a limited few (as Calvinists claim). In the book of Revelation, also written by the apostle John, Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb” 28 times, a continual reminder of His sacrificial death for our sins, foreshadowed by every other sacrificial lamb. His sacrifice for us deserves our sacrifice for Him.

It is interesting that John knew that he was Christ’s forerunner, and he personally knew Jesus (who was his relative through their mothers), but he didn’t know that Jesus was the Christ until he saw the Spirit descend upon Him at His baptism (1:33). Yet you may recall that when Jesus came to John to be baptized by him, John objected, saying, “”I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” (Matt. 3:14). John’s objection was not based on the fact that he knew that Jesus was the Christ, but that he knew how holy Jesus was. Remember, Jesus never sinned. Everyone who knew Him knew He was perfect. On that basis, John the Baptist considered himself unworthy to baptize Jesus. As holy as he was, he knew Jesus was holier.

Before Andrew became a disciple of Jesus, he was a disciple of John the Baptist. This reveals Andrew’s spiritual hunger, and it gives us some insight into why Jesus ultimately called him to be one of the twelve. Like anyone else who has ever truly believed in Christ, Andrew wanted to immediately introduce his family members to Him, and he started with his now-famous brother, Simon Peter. Over the course of the next three years, Simon, which means “reed,” a tall grass with a hollow stalk, would become known as Peter, which means “rock.” Jesus is changing you too!

Although Paul apparently believed that he would not live to see what he refers to as “the last days,” he obviously believed that Timothy might live to see them. Therefore, he wanted him to be ready for the difficult times ahead (3:1).

Although sin has always characterized the human race, humanity’s ever-increasing rebellion will surge in the last days, which one would suspect, since the last days culminate with God’s wrath being poured out on the world. It would seem strange for the Lord to return to pour out His wrath upon a world making moral progress. I admit that I’ve never understood the “Kingdom-Now” and “Dominion” theologians who try to persuade us that Christians will increasingly take charge of the world’s institutions and improve life for everyone. Nor have I understood those who tell us that a world-wide revival is on the horizon.

Naturally, as the world approaches its apex of rebellion, things will become worse for everyone on the planet, as sin carries with it its own inherent judgment. Times will become uniquely difficult for Christians, whose holy lives will contrast even more starkly against the backdrop of the world’s wickedness. Persecution against the righteous will also reach its zenith, and they “will be hated by all nations” as Jesus Himself foretold (Matt. 24:9). There will be a world-wide political movement against Christians under the rule of the antichrist.

After Paul lists some of the specific sins that will characterize the ungodly in the last times, it is interesting that he mentions that they will hold “to a form of godliness” yet “deny its power” (3:5). It is hard to imagine how the extremely wicked people whom he has just described could also be characterized as “holding to a form of godliness.” I can only think that he meant that people will be religious but not righteous, maintaining a facade of morality that hides their rotten core. It is also interesting that Paul instructs Timothy to “avoid such men as these” (3:5). To share the gospel with these kinds of people is to cast one’s pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6). They are “men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith” (3:8). Tragically, their judgment is already sealed.

Never forget, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (3:12). That’s one promise that you don’t need to claim by faith for it to come to pass! Paul mentioned the sufferings he endured at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, out of which God delivered him every time (3:11). As you may recall, in Antioch, Paul was run out of town. In Iconium, he barely escaped being stoned. At Lystra, Jews from Antioch and Iconium succeeded in stoning him, leaving him for dead. But the Lord raised him up (Acts 13:14 – 14:20).

So why didn’t God deliver Paul from being executed shortly after he penned this letter? Because, as we’ll read tomorrow, he had fulfilled his ministry and his time of departure had arrived (4:6-7, 17). Paul viewed his death as a “drink offering” (4:6)—an act of worship whereby he could once more prove his devotion to the Lord.

“All Scripture is inspired by God” (3:16). The words “inspired by God” literally mean “God-breathed.” God’s words fulfill a five-fold purpose in our lives: they teach, reprove, correct, train and equip us (3:16-17). Don’t downplay the reproving and correcting aspect. I’ve met professing Christians who aren’t open to any teaching that reproves or corrects them because they’ve found out they’re “the righteousness of God in Christ,” and thus they no longer “receive any condemnation.” Such an attitude is a perversion of scriptural truth.

Notice also that Scripture is what Paul said makes the man of God “adequate, equipped for every good work” (3:17). The primary job of ministers is to communicate biblical truth. So the best thing anyone can do to prepare for ministry is read the Bible. Every Christian, and ministers especially, should “be diligent to present [themselves] approved to God as [workmen who do] not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2:15).

The biblical principle of discipleship is well illustrated at the beginning of today’s reading, as Paul writes to Timothy:

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2).

This principle is violated every time ministers entrust truth to unfaithful pew sitters who have no intention of obeying it, much less teach it to others. The successful minister seeks “faithful men” whom he can instruct, knowing that they will teach others what they have learned. Dear pastor, look for disciples who are comparable to good soldiers who are willing to suffer hardship, athletes who compete according to the rules, and hard-working farmers who enjoy the fruit of their labors (2:3-6).

Paul was certainly one who was willing to suffer hardship as a good soldier. As he penned this letter to Timothy, he was imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, and he would soon pay the ultimate price. He wrote, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2:10).

Paul clearly believed the possibility existed that “those who are chosen” might not “obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.” If their being chosen was unconditional—an arbitrary act of God’s sovereign choice—then there would be absolutely no possibility that those chosen ones would not “obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.” This being so, Paul must have believed that those who are chosen of God are conditionally chosen, and thus there exists the possibility that they may not meet His conditions in the end, falling away from the faith. Being one of God’s chosen at the present is not a guarantee that one will be among God’s chosen in the future since God’s choosing is conditional.

In the very next verses, Paul underscores this very fact. His words are undeniably addressed to believers, and he writes, “For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us [just as Jesus promised in Matt. 10:33] (2:11-12). Notice all the conditional “ifs.”

Those who reject the gospel invite God’s curse upon them, not only when they die, but immediately upon their rejection of the gospel. This is one reason why Jesus told His disciples to shake the dust off their sandals as they departed from any city that rejected their message. Scripture is clear that those who harden themselves against the truth stand in danger of having God Himself harden their hearts or darken their understanding to a greater degree. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians of this form of God’s judgment:

For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness (2 Thes. 2:11-12).

But is there no hope at all for those who initially reject the truth? Is their doom sealed? No, as long as they are breathing there is hope that God might be merciful, which is why Paul wrote to Timothy:

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will (2:25-26).

Again, if people’s repentance was purely God’s decision, with individuals themselves playing no part at all (as some try to make Paul say here) there would be no reason for the Lord’s servants to gently correct “those who are in opposition” (2:15). Gentleness can help soften hard hearts. So let’s be gentle, “kind to all,” and “patient when wronged” (2:24). We might help someone obtain eternal life.

Paul’s second letter to Timothy could be considered his last words, as he knew that “the time of [his] departure had come” (4:6). He wrote from Rome during his final imprisonment there, apparently during a second trial before Nero. Church tradition tells us that Paul was beheaded just outside Rome in AD 67, around the same time that Peter was executed by being crucified upside down. When Paul wrote this letter to his “beloved son” in the faith, Timothy had been his close and trusted companion for about 15 years. Paul longed to see Timothy before leaving this world and requested that he come to Rome (1:4; 4:9, 21).

Times were very hard for Christians when Paul wrote this letter. Because Nero was being blamed for the burning of Rome in AD 64, he fastened blame on the Christians, whom he consequently violently persecuted. Roman historian Tacitus reported:

Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.

It would have been dangerous for anyone to associate with Paul, and concerning this, Paul writes near the end of this letter, “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them” (4:16). And although Paul also reports that “all who were in Asia” had turned away from him (1:15), thankfully, Luke had faithfully stood by him (4:11) as well as a disciple by the name of Onesiphorus, who was not ashamed of Paul’s chains or afraid to visit him (1:16-18). Thank God for faithful friends who stick with you in your trials! Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

The current wave of persecution had apparently affected Timothy as well, which is why Paul reminded him that “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline,” and also admonished him, “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join me in suffering for the gospel” (1:7-8). God has not given any of us a spirit of timidity, but like Timothy, we can yield to the temptation to be fearful of man. When we do, the remedy is to “kindle afresh the gift of God which is in us” (1:6), namely, the Holy Spirit who can make us bold. Paul’s analogy is excellent. A fire is a supernatural thing that none of us can create, but that any of us can start with a spark. The spark that ignites boldness is faith. Step out of your comfort zone by faith and then stand amazed at the fire that burns! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! (Phil. 4:13).

Although Timothy knew well the fundamentals of the faith, Paul wisely reiterates them to him, knowing that there is nothing comparable that can motivate us to action than the simple knowledge of the gospel. God 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 granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (1:10). For this, we live, and for this, Paul “was appointed a preacher and an apostle and teacher” (1:11). For this, he also suffered without shame, knowing that in the end he would be vindicated and rewarded.

Anyone who truly follows Christ will be persecuted to some degree. At bare minimum, we will find ourselves mocked by those who are in darkness. So we would be wise to follow Paul’s admonition to “guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted” to us (1:14). That treasure is eternal life and the new birth, and if those need to be guarded, then they can potentially be forfeited. Jesus warned that when persecution and affliction arise, some fall away (Matt. 13:21). Paul was not one of them. Make sure you are counted with him!