Lesson 8
The Foundation of Our Faith-The Books of I & II Timothy, Titus, and Philemon
The Call to the Colors
July 20, 2003

Focus Thought
The call today is for all men and women to join the Christian army and rally
around the truth, which is its standard.

Scripture Reference
Matthew 16:24-25
Luke 9:26
John 13:20
Acts 20:24
Romans 6:7, 21-22; 8:18
I Corinthians 15:10
II Corinthians 4:17
Philippians 2:20-22

Expositional Passage
II Timothy 1:1-11
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the
promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that
without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be
filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which
dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am
persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God,
which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his
prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to
the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel:
11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the
Gentiles.

Focus Verse
II Timothy 1:13
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and
love which is in Christ Jesus.

LESSON OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
I. THE CALL TO REMEMBRANCE
 A.  Remembering Timothy
 B.  Remembering Unfeigned Faith
 C.  Remembering the Gift of God
II. ASHAMED OR PARTAKER
 A.  Of the Afflictions of the Gospel
 B.  Of the Purpose and Grace of God
 C.  Of the Light of Life in the Gospel
III. SUFFERING FOR A GOOD CAUSE
 A.  I Am Not Ashamed
 B.  I Know Whom I Have Believed
 C.  I Am Persuaded
IV. PERSONAL COMMITMENT
 A.  Hold Fast to the Doctrine
 B.  Keep the Good Thing
 C.  On Our Own
CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
      What soldier goes off to war imagining that the enemy will welcome him
onto the battlefield with love and kindness? Quite the contrary. Every
soldier knows that the goal of his enemy is to instill fear in his heart and
ultimately destroy him. He must, therefore, be on guard at all times,
protecting himself and his equipment on all sides, even as he strives to
overcome his adversary.
      In his second letter to Timothy, Paul exhorted his young protégé to
stay focused on the purpose of God. Perhaps Timothy was a timid man and
tended to get discouraged when confronted with severe opposition. But Paul,
the ever-triumphant warrior of the Cross, reminded Timothy of his spiritual
heritage, his divine empowerment, and his calling and purpose in the gospel.
      As fellow soldiers and laborers, we can find encouragement in Paul's
voice of experience. By putting our great task in perspective and reminding
us of the source of our empowerment, he enables us to persevere through
every fiery dart of our adversary. Let us come to the colors and line up
behind our flag-bearer, the Captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

I. THE CALL TO REMEMBRANCE
      Paul referred to the recipient of this letter as "Timothy, my dearly
beloved son" (II Timothy 1:2). We know that Timothy was not literally the
son of the apostle, since Acts 16:1 reveals that they met for the first time
when Timothy was a young man. But apparently Timothy so endeared himself to
the man of God that Paul looked upon him as a father would his own son. On
three other occasions Paul referred to Timothy as his son (I Corinthians
4:17; I Timothy 1:2, 18). It is clear that the relationship between these
two men of God was one of committed devotion.

A. Remembering Timothy
      Apparently Paul was profoundly a man of prayer. He was committed to
remembering Timothy in his prayers because of his deep care and affection
for him. Would it not be pleasing to God if we would remember our loved ones
in prayer with similar devotion?
      Because of his love for Timothy, Paul had an intense desire to see
him, indicating that it would fill him with joy (verse 4). Perhaps Paul had
learned that his fellow laborer was going through a time of emotional
distress, for he made reference to his tears. Possibly it was because
Timothy had heard that Paul was imprisoned in Rome and was soon to be
executed. Perhaps Timothy also was afraid that the same thing might happen
to him. Whatever the case, Paul quickly began his work of encouraging the
nervous soldier.

B. Remembering Unfeigned Faith
      Paul knew that Timothy would be encouraged by knowing that his mentor
was praying for him and had a great desire to see him. But Paul then went on
to commend Timothy for his "unfeigned faith." The word unfeigned means
"without pretense or hypocrisy." In other words, Timothy really lived what
he professed to believe. He not only talked the talk, but he walked the
walk.
      Timothy admired his mother and grandmother, so Paul encouraged his
friend by telling him that he was persuaded that the same faith that dwelled
in them also dwelled in him. What a word of encouragement! In essence Paul
said, "Timothy, my son, I believe in you. I believe your faith is real."
      Since those who are "real Christians" do not clamor for compliments
the way pretenders do, what an encouragement it is when someone we look up
to acknowledges the genuineness of our faith. As Timothy read this letter
for the first time, he probably was beginning already to feel the
strengthening effects of Paul's gracious words.

C. Remembering the Gift of God
      After remembering Timothy and his faith, Paul called upon Timothy to
do some remembering of his own, telling him to "stir up the gift of God,
which is in thee by the putting on of my hands" (II Timothy 1:6). The term
"stir up" translates from the Greek word anazopureo, which means, "to
re-enkindle: KJV-stir up" (Strong's Concordance). In other words, it is to
rekindle a fire or fan a flame. The fire had come to dwell in Timothy by the
laying on of Paul's hands, but the flame now was burning low.
      The reference to the "gift of God" translates from the Greek word
charisma, meaning "a spiritual endowment" (Strong's Concordance), rather
than dorea, which is used in Acts 2:38 to refer to the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The word dorea means "a freely given gift," whereas charisma is used
in I Corinthians 12 to describe the spiritual gifts or endowments the Spirit
imparts to believers.
      When Paul wrote that Timothy had received this "charisma of God" at
the laying on of his hands, he probably meant that Timothy had received a
special anointing to minister the gospel of Christ. Evidently, this was the
flame that needed fanning.
      God has not given us a spirit of fear (verse 7). Strong's Concordance
and Thayer's Greek Lexicon both define the Greek word translated fear as
"timidity." Timothy needed to realize that he should not allow himself to be
intimidated by the adversary, Satan. He should allow neither his own inward
timidity nor external intimidation to overcome his faith. Instead he must
rely on the Spirit's endowment of power, love, and a sound mind.
      Two of the devil's greatest weapons against the church are fear and
intimidation. He wants to convince us that we are in danger and put out our
flame of revival and evangelism. But as Spirit-filled believers we have
access to the same power Timothy had (Acts 1:8).
      "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Acts 1:8).
      We also have access to the same love of God, for Paul wrote, "The love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto
 us" (Romans 5:5). We have access to the same sound mind, for Paul wrote to
the Corinthians, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given
to us of God" (I Corinthians 2:12). The Holy Spirit enables each of us to
witness with power, to love with fervency, and to think pure and edifying
thoughts. With this supernatural combination, we are equipped to march
straight into the enemy's territory and spoil his goods.

II. ASHAMED OR PARTAKER
      In God's economy His message and His messengers are inseparable. A
person cannot reject one without rejecting the other. Jesus told His
disciples, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I
send receiveth me" (John 13:20). The chosen messengers of the gospel are
standing in Christ's place, delivering His message. To reject the message is
to reject the messenger, which is tantamount to rejecting Jesus Himself.
      The messengers of Jesus sometimes are viewed as fools and spectacles
to the world (I Corinthians 4:9-10). After all, the world laughs and mocks
at what we consider to be the power of God unto salvation, calling it
instead "the foolishness of preaching" (I Corinthians 1:21). We must be
careful not to align ourselves with the world and its rejection of Christ by
passively standing by with mouth shut and lips sealed. We must not be
ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
      "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall
the Son of man be ashamed" (Luke 9:26).

A. Of the Afflictions of the Gospel
      Paul wrote the second letter to Timothy from a jail cell in Rome where
he was awaiting death. Nearly all scholars consider II Timothy to be the
last of Paul's letters, written only a short time before he was executed by
the maniacal Roman emperor Nero around a.d. 64 Paul possibly was concerned
that his incarceration and sentence could prove to be more than Timothy
could bear, and might even cause him to cave in to fear and stop preaching
the truth. Paul firmly exhorted, "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner" (II Timothy 1:8).
      Timothy was not to be ashamed of either the message or the messenger.
Paul's crime was not against the kingdom of Rome but against the kingdom of
darkness-not against Nero, but against Satan.
      Paul was a noble prisoner, locked in chains for the gospel of Jesus
Christ. The world may have sneered at him and mocked his chains, but he was
not rejected by those who knew him-not by those who had the spirit of power,
love, and a sound mind.
      Rather than being ashamed, Paul encouraged Timothy to become a
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. In other words, rather than
keeping quiet, Paul wanted Timothy to testify all the more. We must not
allow the fear of suffering hardship to stop us from performing our work in
the gospel. It is often the way we handle insults or slights we suffer as we
witness for the Lord that confirms the genuineness of our faith.
      The Bible frequently associates the afflictions of God's people with
the manifestation of divine power. Paul wrote of "the power of his
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings" (Philippians 3:10). He
also described his ministry as "always bearing about in the body the dying
of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our
body" (II Corinthians 4:10). Peter encouraged us by writing, "If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and
of God resteth upon you" (I Peter 4:14). The suffering, the dying, and the
reproaches are designed to bring forth the power, the life, and the glory.
Let us not shrink back from the intimidating forces of evil, but let us
rather confront them boldly.

B. Of the Purpose and Grace of God
      Before God ever uttered the words, "Let there be light," He conceived
a plan. His plan gave purpose to all that He would ever say or do. He
planned to live in union with individuals created in His own image and
likeness, and He planned to glorify Himself and make Himself known to this
creation. Moreover, He planned to become one with His creation through the
Incarnation. The man Christ Jesus was "foreordained before the foundation of
the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (I Peter 1:20).
      When God saved us and called us into His kingdom and glory, it was not
because of great abilities we had that He thought He could use to His
advantage. Rather, He saved us because it fulfills His purpose to do so. His
purpose involves saving us and calling us into His great gospel work. This
work requires more capability than any human being ever possessed in and of
himself. Therefore, God also provided His grace to enable us to perform His
work.
      When Paul reminded Timothy of these important truths, He was doing so
to further encourage him. After all, our success in overcoming the powers of
our adversary is not predicated on our power and strength, but upon God's
grace. We must never think that we can serve God apart from His empowering
grace and strength.
      We are involved in the eternal plan of God. The final result is
established already. All we must do is remain faithful to the One who called
us into this holy calling-our Captain, Jesus Christ. This reality alone
ought to encourage every believer to stand fast in the faith and resist the
devil at every turn.

C. Of the Light of Life in the Gospel
      Jesus Christ brought to us the light of life and utterly abolished the
darkness of death for those who choose the life He offers. He has made
available life and immortality through the preaching of the gospel.
      Because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, when
we repent and are buried with Him by baptism into the likeness of His death,
our sins are washed away, and we become free from sin. Moreover, since we
are dead with Christ by baptism, we also rise to walk in newness of life. As
Paul wrote, "For he that is dead is freed from sin. . . . But now being made
free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end everlasting life" (Romans 6:7, 22).
      For those who have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission (forgiveness, removal) of sins, death no longer holds any power
over us. Though it is appointed unto all once to die, it is clear that the
second death, eternal death, is abolished for those who are in Jesus Christ
(Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8).
      We should no longer strive to overcome sin from a motivation of fear
of God's judgment, but because we have been captivated by His love. We
should not endeavor to live right in order to be saved, but because we are
saved. Paul reminded Timothy of these realities in order to put the work of
proclaiming the gospel into its proper perspective.
      If the soldiers storming the beach at Normandy during World War II
could have read a history book written in the twenty-first century about
their heroism and bravery, they would have been encouraged to fight with
even greater intensity and determination. Seeing the big picture and knowing
the end of the story always serves as a catalyst for greater courage and
perseverance.
      Paul could write to Timothy as one who had experienced the fight. As a
God-appointed preacher, apostle, and teacher, he knew what it was to face
down the adversary and march triumphantly over him in the power of the
Spirit. He could do this over and over again because he saw the big picture
and he knew the end of the story.

III. SUFFERING FOR A GOOD CAUSE
      No one likes to suffer needlessly, but over the centuries many have
suffered gladly for what they knew to be a worthy cause. Paul understood the
cause for which he suffered. He understood that the shedding of blood was
necessary to initiate the plan of salvation and that some would give their
life to propel it forward.
      The cause of Christ was the greatest purpose in Paul's life. To Paul,
the sacrifices he made were nothing more than his "reasonable service"
(Romans 12:1). He had heeded the Lord's advice, counted the cost, and
concluded that no cost was too high.

A. I Am Not Ashamed
      Rather than being ashamed of his message and his affliction, Paul was
instead a willing partaker, an active participant. He told the Romans, "For
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). He
told the Corinthians, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II
Corinthians 4:17).

B. I Know Whom I Have Believed
      The reason Paul could make these statements, which to many would seem
wildly outlandish, was that he knew the One whom he had believed. When he
wrote to the Philippians earlier in his life, he declared with high desire,
"That I may know him . . ." (Philippians 3:10). But now, as his life drew to
a close, after countless beatings and imprisonments, stonings, fastings, and
harrowing trouble on every side, Paul could say, "I know Him."
      It is one thing to be introduced to someone; it is quite another to
really get to know the person. There are many people we know only on a
casual basis. We know them by name and conversation, but we do not really
know their inner character. But once a person has undergone a trial with
another, or when they have hunkered down together in the same foxhole, then
they can say they really know each other.

C. I Am Persuaded
      Paul knew Jesus Christ. And because he knew Him, he knew that he could
trust Him. What had Paul committed unto Him? Clearly it was nothing less
than his very life. Apparently Paul took quite literally the Lord's
admonition: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever
will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25). Paul had lost
his life in service to the Lord, willingly giving up his own desires to do
the will of the One who called him.
      But Paul had not really lost his life; he had only committed his life
to the Lord for safekeeping. There, in the faithful and loving arms of the
Savior, his life was being preserved for "that day"-the day when Jesus will
come to catch His bride away and be glorified for eternity in His saints.
      Paul seems to have been hoping that his persuasion and confidence in
Jesus would rub off on his dearly beloved son in the gospel, Timothy. He
knew that Timothy already knew the things that he was telling him, but he
also knew that Timothy needed encouragement in his present situation. We
likewise ought to be encouraged and learn from Paul's example how we can
encourage those around us.

IV. PERSONAL COMMITMENT
      All the encouragement in the world accomplishes little if it does not
result in a renewed commitment to the cause. The soldier who shrinks back in
fear of the enemy should be encouraged to persevere, but ultimately he bears
personal responsibility for returning to the battle. If he fails to return,
he can be tried as a deserter. Likewise, after Paul's exhortation and
encouragement, he placed the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of his
beloved son in the faith.

A. Hold Fast to the Doctrine
      Paul charged Timothy to "hold fast the form of sound words" (verse
13). He was not to let go of the doctrinal teachings he had learned from
Paul. We have also learned much from the writings of Paul and his fellow
apostles and would do well to heed Paul's advice. The day we let go of the
precious doctrines of the apostolic faith will be the day we cascade
headlong into the foamy seas of powerless religion.
      The doctrine must not be held in a spirit of arrogance or superiority,
however, but "in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (II Timothy 1:13).
Faith forms the foundation of our Christian lives, but we must add to our
faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly
kindness, and love (II Peter 1:5-7). To fail to speak the truth in love is
perhaps the greatest crime against the gospel. Paul clearly taught us that
God's love is both the means and the end of the gospel message.

B. Keep the Good Thing
      Timothy was also to keep under guard the "good thing" that had been
deposited within him, and he was to do this by the power of the Holy Ghost.
The "good thing" is apparently the anointing to fulfill his calling as a
minister of the gospel. He was to watch over it, be careful with it, and
take care of it. Paul understood the anointing is the thing that makes
ministry effective and meaningful. Without anointing, the minister labors in
vain.
      Paul also understood that were it not for the operative power of the
Spirit within us, we could not effectively protect our anointing. Without
God we can do nothing. Without God we will surely be deceived and go astray.

C. On Our Own
      One of the costs of devotion to the service of Christ is that on
occasion we may find ourselves all alone in the work. As Paul was writing to
Timothy, he mentioned that he had been abandoned by all who were in Asia.
Since apparently Timothy already knew this, we may wonder why Paul bothered
to mention it. This was probably Paul's way of warning Timothy that he may
well find himself in the same situation at some future date. And should that
happen, Timothy would need Jesus more than ever, because he possibly would
have no one else to rely on.
      This is why it is vitally important that we go beyond just knowing
about Jesus and really get to know Him. We need to become persuaded that He
is completely trustworthy, not just theoretically, but practically. Only
when we can trust Him with our lives can we trust Him with our salvation!

CONCLUSION
      When Jesus instructed us to follow Him, He was not placing the
greatest responsibility on us but was taking it upon Himself. He was in
essence saying, "I will not ask you to go through anything that I am not
willing to go through first. I will lead the charge. You just follow behind
me."
      It should be encouraging to realize that Timothy was much like many of
us. He was easily intimidated by the possibility of having to endure
hardship and persecution. He tended to look for the easier pathway. Yet it
is clear that the Lord used Timothy in many significant ways. Paul wrote of
him, "For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know
the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in
the gospel" (Philippians 2:20-22). What a commendation by the apostle!
      Perhaps the reason Timothy was able to persevere and serve the Lord
faithfully, even in difficult times, was that he had a caring, concerned
spiritual father who loved him enough to exhort him, encourage him, and
instruct him in his important responsibilities in the Lord. These two men,
Paul and Timothy, responded to the call to the colors and followed the
Captain of their salvation into the heat of the spiritual battle. From their
perspective, this was certainly the safest place to be.

REFLECTIONS
. When we think of our spiritual lives in the context of warfare, what
attributes of a brave soldier should we be working to establish in our
lives? Discuss.
. Discuss some ways in which we may be like Timothy.
. Many believers in foreign lands are suffering greatly with persecution and
imprisonment. Discuss how such tribulation would affect our faith in God.
. Discuss why understanding God's eternal purpose is important to our being
properly motivated in our service to God.


Our greatest freedom is freedom from sin.
Galatians 5:1   Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the
yoke of bondage.
YBIC, Thomas, And YSIC, Linda.
twilliamson2@...
pofm@...