“But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’” (2Tim 2:19).
The Irresistible Force versus the Immovable Object. It’s THE classic battle. A clash of the titans. In sports, you see it when a record-setting offense goes against a shutdown defense for the championship. The greatest hitter stepping in against the greatest pitcher. Something’s gotta give.
In a letter to his protege Timothy, Paul gives us a lesson in biblical physics. Nothing moves God or His Gospel. Skeptics, doubters, and false teachers can dig deep into their bag of dirty tricks but it won’t do any good. “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’” (v19).
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
One look at Paul’s situation as he writes this letter and you might think is faith would be wobbling. He’s not just behind bars but in full restraints (2Tim 1:16; 2:8). The apostle knows his days are numbered as he sits on Death Row in Rome (2Tim 4:6-7). If that’s not enough, there’s big trouble back at the church in Ephesus. A cancer of heresy is spreading throughout the body of Christ and driving folks away from Jesus (2Tim 2:16-17). That happened when a pair of goofballs shot a total air ball when it comes to the resurrection and turned the faith of many believers upside down (2Tim 17-18).
There would be more than a few cracks in the foundation of my faith if it were me. But the apostle has complete confidence. Not so much in Timothy. But in what God can and will do THROUGH Tim. Paul knows that the young pastor can use God’s Word as both a sword to defend the truth or a scalpel to remove the tumor (2Tim 2:15). Ultimately he knows that even the most destructive nuclear attack can’t quake the unshakeable base of God’s grace.
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
In the previous verse we read that a couple of con artists named Hymenaeus and Philetus have spread the word that Ephesian believers have missed the resurrection of the dead. Think about that for just a minute. That’s a huge part of what Jesus predicted would happen at His Second Coming. In other words, THE Big Event of your faith went down and you had no clue. They’ve been peddling a lie that’s totally turned people’s trust in Christ upside down.
Paul reassures us that none of this changes the end of the story. “But God’s foundation stands” (v19). You might not realize it but a huge part of what the apostle writes to Tim here is found in that first little word: “but.” The man from Tarsus dusts off a term (Gr. μεντοι) that indicates the strongest possible contrast in Greek. It means however or nonetheless. The author wants his readers to know that whatever you’ve just read doesn’t matter once we see what he has to say next.
Forget Sir Mix-A-Lot. There’s nothing better than a great big “But God.” Nevertheless God. However God. In other words, God is the ultimate Game Changer. He’s the cosmic Trump Card. Nothing that happens that doesn’t change when He shows up. Or to tweak the quote from “Animal House,” it’s not over until He says it’s over. Despite all the garbage false teachers like Hymenaeus and Philetus might stir up, God’s rock solid foundation isn’t going anywhere. But God.
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
Scripture is loaded with “but God” moments. A quick search reveals a minimum of 41 times we see the phrase “but God” in His Word. Old Testament. New Testament. You see it everywhere. There’s no situation so bad, no day so dark, no sin too deep that doesn’t get changed with a “but God” moment. Joseph knew his brothers tried to throw him under the bus BUT GOD turned it into blessing (Gen 50:20). We’re terrorists against His kingdom BUT GOD still drenches us in His grace (Eph 2:1-10). We’re total train wrecks of sin and disobedience BUT GOD loves us by giving us His Son (Rom 5:8).
Same idea here in 2 Timothy. While it looks like these two snake oil salesmen are destroying the church from the inside out, Jesus won’t let that happen. “But God’s firm foundation stands” (v19). What Christ has built isn’t going anywhere. Paul says this supernatural structure is “firm” (Gr. στερεος), a word that describes it as solid, compact, strong, steadfast, stiff, and stubborn. The term here is in huge contrast to something squishy, soft, or ooey gooey.
Check out a few other uses of this word in the NT. Pete tells us Jesus gives us the strength to dig in against Satan and stand “firm (Gr. στερεος) in your faith” (1Pet 5:9). The writer of Hebrews uses it to describe the high protein of the biblical ribeye as “solid (Gr. στερεος) food” (Heb 5:12, 14). Those who tried to get spiritual footing on the soft-serve stuff sold by Hymenaeus and Philetus would slip and fall.
Anybody in the building and contracting business knows that the strength of any structure starts at the bottom. Great buildings that stand the test of time always have great foundations. Same with God. He’s built an immovable “foundation” (v19). The apostle uses construction lingo by choosing the word θεμελιος. He’s describing the footings or base on which a structure is built. In the first century, this is the stones beneath the walls.
Jesus uses θεμελιος when talking about how we should construct a foundation of obedience to protect our lives from the storm surge of life (Lk 6:48-49). Paul tells the Corinthians how he’s made it priority one to build skillfully on the base of grace, “for no one can lay a foundation (Gr. θεμελιος) than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Cor 3:10-12). When the Apostle John gets a sneak peek at New Jerusalem, he reports that “the wall of the city had twelve foundations (Gr. θεμελιος)” (Rev 21:14).
Paul wants us to come closer and read what’s written on cornerstone of God’s rock solid foundation. There are twin inscriptions. “‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’” (v19). Just about every Bible commentator agree that the apostle is digging deep into the OT for a couple of quotes from the Book of Numbers.
They come from what’s known as Korah’s rebellion. It seems there was dude named Korah who led a nasty attempt to overthrow Moses and his leadership team (Num 16). The Big Mo made it clear to this rebel without a clue that he was making a HUGE mistake.“The Lord knowns those who are His” is paraphrase of Numbers 16:5. God’s not confused. He won’t accidentally pick the wrong people for His team and mistakenly leave someone off His roster. God’s Word reassures us of that consistently (Jer 1:5; Nah 1:7; Jn 10:14, 27-28; 1Cor 8:3). That’s inscription number one.
The other one reads “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (v19). It’s a rewrite of Numbers 16:26 when Moses warns folks to steer clear of that dingbat Korah before it’s too late. It doesn’t take a seminary degree to figure out what God wants us to do here. If you say you follow Jesus, start acting like it. Stop slapping His name on your sin and trying to justify your disobedience.
The original language here reveals a cool use of words that gets, shall we say, lost in translation. “Depart” (Gr. αφιστημι) means to go away, desert, leave, keep away but can also describe to rebel, reject authority, or event incite a riot. Instead of starting a revolution against God and His authority like crazy Korah, rebel against wrongdoing in the name of Jesus! Reject the authority sin no longer has over you. Incite a riot of righteousness. We must fight the power! Fight the power of sin!!
So what does all this have to do with you and me 2,000 years later? Much as we’ve tried, people are still spreading all sorts of distortion and lies when it comes to Jesus. Remember the craziness and controversy Dan Brown caused with “The DaVinci Code”? The current rage against our faith is led by the self-described Four Horsemen of Atheism: Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens. Like wrecking balls, their teaching slams against the core of our faith in Christ. It causes lots of us to question what we believe. But just because a bad teaching has left our faith in a shambles, we can trust that the foundation of God’s truth never moves. Despite all of these fierce attacks, God’s foundation never wobbles.
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
You see, God is not only the ultimate Irresistible Force, He’s also supreme Immovable Object. Jesus tells Peter that on the of rock of his faith in the Son of Man He “will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18). My faith my wobble at times but God and His Gospel never wavers. Just read the inscription on His unshakable foundation. Here’s how it’s paraphrased in the Message. “Meanwhile, God’s firm foundation is as firm as ever, these sentences engraved on the stones:
God knows who belongs to Him.
Spurn evil, all you who name God as God” (v19 The Message).
The Irresistible Force versus the Immovable Object. It’s THE classic battle. A clash of the titans. In sports, you see it when a record-setting offense goes against a shutdown defense for the championship. The greatest hitter stepping in against the greatest pitcher. Something’s gotta give.
In a letter to his protege Timothy, Paul gives us a lesson in biblical physics. Nothing moves God or His Gospel. Skeptics, doubters, and false teachers can dig deep into their bag of dirty tricks but it won’t do any good. “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’” (v19).
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
One look at Paul’s situation as he writes this letter and you might think is faith would be wobbling. He’s not just behind bars but in full restraints (2Tim 1:16; 2:8). The apostle knows his days are numbered as he sits on Death Row in Rome (2Tim 4:6-7). If that’s not enough, there’s big trouble back at the church in Ephesus. A cancer of heresy is spreading throughout the body of Christ and driving folks away from Jesus (2Tim 2:16-17). That happened when a pair of goofballs shot a total air ball when it comes to the resurrection and turned the faith of many believers upside down (2Tim 17-18).
There would be more than a few cracks in the foundation of my faith if it were me. But the apostle has complete confidence. Not so much in Timothy. But in what God can and will do THROUGH Tim. Paul knows that the young pastor can use God’s Word as both a sword to defend the truth or a scalpel to remove the tumor (2Tim 2:15). Ultimately he knows that even the most destructive nuclear attack can’t quake the unshakeable base of God’s grace.
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
In the previous verse we read that a couple of con artists named Hymenaeus and Philetus have spread the word that Ephesian believers have missed the resurrection of the dead. Think about that for just a minute. That’s a huge part of what Jesus predicted would happen at His Second Coming. In other words, THE Big Event of your faith went down and you had no clue. They’ve been peddling a lie that’s totally turned people’s trust in Christ upside down.
Paul reassures us that none of this changes the end of the story. “But God’s foundation stands” (v19). You might not realize it but a huge part of what the apostle writes to Tim here is found in that first little word: “but.” The man from Tarsus dusts off a term (Gr. μεντοι) that indicates the strongest possible contrast in Greek. It means however or nonetheless. The author wants his readers to know that whatever you’ve just read doesn’t matter once we see what he has to say next.
Forget Sir Mix-A-Lot. There’s nothing better than a great big “But God.” Nevertheless God. However God. In other words, God is the ultimate Game Changer. He’s the cosmic Trump Card. Nothing that happens that doesn’t change when He shows up. Or to tweak the quote from “Animal House,” it’s not over until He says it’s over. Despite all the garbage false teachers like Hymenaeus and Philetus might stir up, God’s rock solid foundation isn’t going anywhere. But God.
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
Scripture is loaded with “but God” moments. A quick search reveals a minimum of 41 times we see the phrase “but God” in His Word. Old Testament. New Testament. You see it everywhere. There’s no situation so bad, no day so dark, no sin too deep that doesn’t get changed with a “but God” moment. Joseph knew his brothers tried to throw him under the bus BUT GOD turned it into blessing (Gen 50:20). We’re terrorists against His kingdom BUT GOD still drenches us in His grace (Eph 2:1-10). We’re total train wrecks of sin and disobedience BUT GOD loves us by giving us His Son (Rom 5:8).
Same idea here in 2 Timothy. While it looks like these two snake oil salesmen are destroying the church from the inside out, Jesus won’t let that happen. “But God’s firm foundation stands” (v19). What Christ has built isn’t going anywhere. Paul says this supernatural structure is “firm” (Gr. στερεος), a word that describes it as solid, compact, strong, steadfast, stiff, and stubborn. The term here is in huge contrast to something squishy, soft, or ooey gooey.
Check out a few other uses of this word in the NT. Pete tells us Jesus gives us the strength to dig in against Satan and stand “firm (Gr. στερεος) in your faith” (1Pet 5:9). The writer of Hebrews uses it to describe the high protein of the biblical ribeye as “solid (Gr. στερεος) food” (Heb 5:12, 14). Those who tried to get spiritual footing on the soft-serve stuff sold by Hymenaeus and Philetus would slip and fall.
Anybody in the building and contracting business knows that the strength of any structure starts at the bottom. Great buildings that stand the test of time always have great foundations. Same with God. He’s built an immovable “foundation” (v19). The apostle uses construction lingo by choosing the word θεμελιος. He’s describing the footings or base on which a structure is built. In the first century, this is the stones beneath the walls.
Jesus uses θεμελιος when talking about how we should construct a foundation of obedience to protect our lives from the storm surge of life (Lk 6:48-49). Paul tells the Corinthians how he’s made it priority one to build skillfully on the base of grace, “for no one can lay a foundation (Gr. θεμελιος) than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Cor 3:10-12). When the Apostle John gets a sneak peek at New Jerusalem, he reports that “the wall of the city had twelve foundations (Gr. θεμελιος)” (Rev 21:14).
Paul wants us to come closer and read what’s written on cornerstone of God’s rock solid foundation. There are twin inscriptions. “‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’” (v19). Just about every Bible commentator agree that the apostle is digging deep into the OT for a couple of quotes from the Book of Numbers.
They come from what’s known as Korah’s rebellion. It seems there was dude named Korah who led a nasty attempt to overthrow Moses and his leadership team (Num 16). The Big Mo made it clear to this rebel without a clue that he was making a HUGE mistake.“The Lord knowns those who are His” is paraphrase of Numbers 16:5. God’s not confused. He won’t accidentally pick the wrong people for His team and mistakenly leave someone off His roster. God’s Word reassures us of that consistently (Jer 1:5; Nah 1:7; Jn 10:14, 27-28; 1Cor 8:3). That’s inscription number one.
The other one reads “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (v19). It’s a rewrite of Numbers 16:26 when Moses warns folks to steer clear of that dingbat Korah before it’s too late. It doesn’t take a seminary degree to figure out what God wants us to do here. If you say you follow Jesus, start acting like it. Stop slapping His name on your sin and trying to justify your disobedience.
The original language here reveals a cool use of words that gets, shall we say, lost in translation. “Depart” (Gr. αφιστημι) means to go away, desert, leave, keep away but can also describe to rebel, reject authority, or event incite a riot. Instead of starting a revolution against God and His authority like crazy Korah, rebel against wrongdoing in the name of Jesus! Reject the authority sin no longer has over you. Incite a riot of righteousness. We must fight the power! Fight the power of sin!!
So what does all this have to do with you and me 2,000 years later? Much as we’ve tried, people are still spreading all sorts of distortion and lies when it comes to Jesus. Remember the craziness and controversy Dan Brown caused with “The DaVinci Code”? The current rage against our faith is led by the self-described Four Horsemen of Atheism: Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens. Like wrecking balls, their teaching slams against the core of our faith in Christ. It causes lots of us to question what we believe. But just because a bad teaching has left our faith in a shambles, we can trust that the foundation of God’s truth never moves. Despite all of these fierce attacks, God’s foundation never wobbles.
Something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
You see, God is not only the ultimate Irresistible Force, He’s also supreme Immovable Object. Jesus tells Peter that on the of rock of his faith in the Son of Man He “will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18). My faith my wobble at times but God and His Gospel never wavers. Just read the inscription on His unshakable foundation. Here’s how it’s paraphrased in the Message. “Meanwhile, God’s firm foundation is as firm as ever, these sentences engraved on the stones:
God knows who belongs to Him.
Spurn evil, all you who name God as God” (v19 The Message).
In other words, something’s gotta give alright. But it won’t be God.
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