Lesson 1
Foundation for a Strong Life
2 Timothy 1:1-7
Having come from a family where spiritual matters did not hold a great importance, I feel like I am always trying to catch up in my personal growth. I cannot ever remember a time when either of my parents ever sat down and read the Bible to my brother or me. In fact I had to actually borrow a Bible to memorize Psalm 100 for a presentation in a citywide meeting. I can only imagine what a household where the Bible held first place in the home. Sadly, I fell down in so many ways in reading to my own children. When I said I am always trying to play catch up it was not until I was in my late twenties that I began to take the study of God’s word seriously. The terms theology, doctrine, apologetics and mentoring were completely foreign to me. From all the information available to us today, it is obvious that a vast majority of church members no matter the age or length of time in church are in the same boat. The real question becomes, If I had been mentored by someone would I have been different? The second question would follow closely behind it, “Who knew what mentoring was all about in the 1940’s – the 1990’s. It has only recently become obvious that there has been a huge hole in the life of the church in the area of discipleship. Much of what I have learned over the years has come from my curiosity and interest in the whole subject of the church. The third question then becomes, “What are we going to do to rectify the shortcomings of the past?”
With the statistic that the number of young people leaving the church today hovering around 80 percent, what are we doing to stem the tide? We can keep on doing what we have for the last sixty years or we can wait up and began changing the trend around to a more positive number. It is difficult to break out of the malaise in which we find ourselves but it can be done. If we do there is a strong possibility that we can begin to produce more young men and women of the caliber of Timothy in the church. One thing we cannot do is to ignore the situation any longer. Time is not on our side. If we continue on the path that is now prevalent in many churches we will see the body of Christ become weaker and weaker.
In “Kingdom Education” by Glen Schultz the metaphor is used to describe how to train of a child in a godly fashion. He said that education is like a three-legged stool that must have the legs of family, church and school working together to produce a strong young Christian. For any of those three components to be missing lessens what Paul would call the mentoring of a person. Only two of those in today’s society are truly working together. The public schools are no longer partners with the church and family. This means that we must not fall short of our responsibility to help grow spiritually healthy people.
As shared last week, one important theme throughout the book of 2 Timothy is the mentoring of those under our care. Paul emphasized this speaking of both his background and Timothy’s.
2 Timothy 1:1
It may seem strange that Paul would write about his apostleship. It must be remembered like all of his other letters he fully expected this one to be shared with not only the members of the church at Ephesus but other ones in Asia Minor. He wanted to make sure that all who heard the words of this letter understood that his authority came from none other than God Himself. It was God’s desire for Paul to be His witness everywhere he went. His message was always the assurance of the salvation found in Christ which he had discovered on the Damascus Road thirty some years earlier.
- Why did Paul once again open a personal letter by identifying himself as an apostle? (Other people, than Timothy would read the letter.)
- How would you fill in the blank, I have been called to be a _____________________ by the will of God? (Each of us has been called to a certain place of ministry according to our gifts, personality, passions, abilities and experiences. If you do not know what these are, avail yourselves of the opportunity to discover them.)
- What was the message Paul preached and taught everywhere he went?
- In what ways are we given opportunity to do the same?
2 Timothy 1:2
Even though the letter would be shared with others it was specifically addressed to Timothy. Although Timothy was not his son by birth, he considered him as his beloved son. His greeting of Grace, mercy and peace was only used in 1Timothy.
The meaning of those words is:
- Grace is a gift of undeserved favor from God. By it one receives salvation.
- Mercy is God giving to man what he does not deserves as opposed to justice in which God would give what man truly deserves. What man deserves is death because God must judge sin because of His pure and holy nature.
- Peace is for one’s well being in a world that is in turmoil and presents danger to the believer.
- Why would Paul call Timothy, his beloved son? (Their relationship in Christ was much stronger and deeper than the bond of even a blood relative. They had experience many things together out of which the deep relationship had developed.)
- What is the source of grace, mercy and peace?
- What do each of those terms mean to man?
- In what ways do you believe that God has given you those three things?
- How do you know that you do not deserve to have been given them?
2 Timothy 1:3
As he does in all of his letters he expresses a love for the recipients because of the relationship that God has allowed him to have with them. He was not always pleased with their actions but he always loved them through Christ. He then went on to say that his service of God has always been one of integrity. Even when he was persecuting the church he believed with all of his heart that he was doing the right thing based on the foundation of Judaism that he had learned from those in his family who had served before him. His previous life was lived in ignorance of whom Christ was and what He came to do for mankind. Once he met Christ on the Road to Damascus he never waivered in his devotion. Paul was truly thankful for God bringing he and Timothy together. Timothy was never far from Paul’s mind as he consistently prayed for him. Not only did he pray for the young man but wanted to see him again for sometime had passed since he left Timothy at Ephesus. Between the two men there was a great affection. When Paul left him there were tears shed at the separation and in those perilous times there was never a guarantee that they would meet up in this life. To be together again would bring great joy to Paul.
- For what was Paul thankful? (The relationship he had with Timothy.)
- How could Paul say that he had served with a clear conscience as his ancestors had when he had been a persecutor of the church? (He believed that he was following the teachings of Judaism and was against anyone who seemingly broke the law.)
- Why did Paul speak of his ancestors? (The foundation that they provided had brought him to the place of where Christ could build on those teachings and used them to reach the world.)
- In what ways have your families been a positive or negative influence in your life?
- How can Christ use even the less than best circumstances in service to Him?
- What do the words Paul had for Timothy say about their relationship?
- What were the things Paul shared that would be an encouragement to him?
2 Timothy 1:5
The one thing, of which Paul was sure, concerning Timothy, was the young man’s faith. He had no doubt from all they experienced together that Timothy was a true follower of Christ. He went on to say that he knew that the teachings and deep faith of his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice had been influential in his life. As was seen in the book of Acts, his father was a Greek but it was the women in his life that had had the greatest impact on the direction he took in following Jesus.
- How could Paul be sure of Timothy’s faith?
- What obstacles may have been in the way of Timothy coming to Christ? (His father was a Greek and most likely a pagan.)
- Why were Lois and Eunice able to be such a great influence in Timothy’s life? (Not said but we can definitely see the Holy Spirit defeating the influence of the father and drawing Timothy to the truth he would have seen in the teachings and faith of the women in his life.)
- Who or what have been obstacles in your life that may have kept you from coming to Jesus?
- Who has been that influential person in your life that helped you overcome any obstacles in your path to Christ?
- Why is the foundation that Timothy had in his home life so important in our growth as Christians?
2 Timothy 1:6
Whenever a person becomes a reborn follower of Christ he or she receives at least one spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit. As a person grows in maturity in the faith so does the gift become stronger. Timothy, from all indications had been given the gifts of pastor/teacher and ministry. In fighting the fires taking place in Ephesus he may have begun to neglect his gifts. Paul gently called on Timothy to refocus and stir up and regain his passion for the ministry for which God had gifted him to accomplish. The verse brings to mind a picture of a person tending a fire in a fireplace. Left unintended the flames eventually will begin to die down and the fire must be stirred up to give it the air it needs to keep burning. Paul was putting in the poker and calling Timothy to get on fire once again in spite of persecution and controversy taking place all around him.
- What may have been some of the issues in the church that may have caused Paul to call Timothy to a new passion for the work?
- What are the kinds of things that can wear you down as you try to live a Christian life and serve Christ?
- What is the danger of allowing the gift of God has given you to begin to lose in its power in your life?
- How does a person keep the gift given to him or her strong?
- How are you using the gifts God has given you?
- How can you once again regain the passion for serving Christ?
2 Timothy 1:7
Based on the reality of Timothy’s faith and giftedness Paul reminds him that timidity is the opposite of those characteristics. With the realization that he may never see his mentor again may have caused Timothy to become somewhat anxious in light of a future dealing with the obstacles alone. Satan uses the tool of fear or timidity to paralyze a follower of Christ keeping him from serving God. Man’s understanding of what God provides will help him overcome the fear or being timid. God has given every believer, including Timothy:
- Power that is greater than anything the devil may try to bring into a person’s life.
- God’s kind of love which allows the follower to overcome every circumstance and keeps one from wanting to take revenge even on one’s enemies.
- Discipline and self-control that would allow Timothy to stay focused the ministry he had been given and not other things that would distract him. He lived in a dangerous world but the only thing that would under mind what Christ was doing in his life was the fear of the unknown over which he had no control anyway.
- What are the things of which you are fearful?
- Which of those are bigger and more powerful than God?
- Why do we allow those things to control us?
- Why do you find it difficult to have a godly love operating in your life?
- Why does Paul call Timothy to have that kind of love? (His enemies could not cause him to act in an ungodly way thus gaining victory over him. To love one’s enemies allows God to possibly work in their hearts when we are willing to treat them with kindness and prayer for them.)
- Why is discipline and self-control important in one’s life? (It allows a person to stay focused on those things and people that are a priority.)
- Each week I am going to share a Scripture from the lesson that I believe you can use for memorization and reflection. This week look at 2 Timothy 1:5-7 that speaks of faith and the importance of family in its development.
- Encourage someone this week who may be going through a difficult time and pray for them the entire week at whenever they come to mind.
- Discover and begin using your spiritual gift or gifts in service for God’s kingdom.
- Using the example of the three legged stool make sure you are doing your part in the spiritual growth of young people. Your involvement may be as a church leader, parent or school teacher/administrator.
The world of Paul and Timothy was not so much different than the one in which we live. Probably the one area with which we can most identify is the proliferation of false teaching inside and outside the church. For that reason it all the more imperative that all of us do all in our power to encourage and provide the foundation for each of us no matter what the age or position to face the enemy of the church. It is becomes more difficult the further we get away from the time when the Bible was written and taught by the eyewitnesses of the actual events. We must ever watchful against the things that will destroy the credibility of the church. Paul had to encourage and admonish Timothy to stay strong. It is our responsibility today to heed those same words. It will only happen as we continue to study God’s word and disciple those during the time we have been given. The next generation of believers can only be as strong as the one preceding it. Weak doctrine will lead to a diminished faith.
Paul said that God does expect us to be timid and fearful. God has given us so much more. He has given us his power to face the enemy. Also He provided us with the ability to love all kinds of people with His love. Finally we can develop a lifestyle of discipline and self control so that we can stay focused on what is important. Our vision statement clearly expresses what Paul was saying to Timothy. We are called to be disciples who makes disciples.