Dazed and Confused

“And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2Tim 2:26).

Imagine a human zoo. A place where people who have been captured are kept alive. If that’s not bad enough, they happily do everything they’re told by their captor. The reason they are compliant is because they are under the influence. Roofied. Dazed and confused. If there was just some way to sober them up and they could escape.

Sounds like something Rod Serling cooked up for an episode of “The Twilight Zone”? Possibly. But I’ll bet you didn’t expect this to be a scene found in the Bible. That’s exactly the picture Paul paints in his second letter to his protege Timothy.

The apostle desperately wants the young pastor to treat any apparent opposition very gently. They’re not so much enemies but prisoners of THE Enemy. Handle them with care “and they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (v26).

They’re so wasted they don’t have a clue what’s really going on. Satan has slipped something in their drink and taken them alive. Paul insists we must not attempt to sober them up by pounding them with a ten-pound Bible. You can’t argue them into sobriety and salvation. It just won’t work. They’ve been roofied. They’re dazed and confused.

The apostle knows all about being taken alive as a prisoner. It’s his current reality. You can almost hear heavy chains rattle as he writes from Death Row in Caesar’s Supermax (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). In this final letter of his life, Paul pleads with Tim to get his tail to Rome for one last visit before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21). But more importantly, he furiously writes down his final instructions as he passes the torch of ministry to his spiritual son (2Tim 2:1-4:5).

Paul knows full well that a big part of any pastor’s time is devoted to dealing with problems caused by opponents. Specifically, problems caused by opponents WITHIN the church. Criticism from outside God’s kingdom is understandable. I get that. What drives me nuts are the attacks from folks we thought were wearing Team Jesus jerseys. But it turns out that many of them are nothing than false teachers who have weaseled their way inside to sabotage the Gospel of grace.

The apostle has dealt with this sort of nonsense before. It seems everywhere folks hear about Jesus, a team of spiritual hucksters is not far behind. They twist and contort Christ’s message into unbearable self-salvation of relentless rule-following. Paul fires off letter after letter to set churches straight. To the multisite church of Galatia. To his friends in Ephesus. To Christ followers in Colossae. To Timothy, not once but twice.

Here in verse 26, “they” are the same “opponents” we’re told to gently correct in verse 25. This is with hope that they will “come to their senses” (v26). This four words are actually just one (Gr. ανανηψω/ananespho) in the original language. And it’s the one and only time you’ll find it in Scripture. It’s a compound term which literally means “in the middle of (ανα-/ana-) sobriety (-νηψω/-nespho).”

Paul describes these folks as currently in the middle of a mind-bending buzz. They don’t realize it in their current altered state but they desperately need to snap out of it. They need to sober up. You’ve probably seen them walking around like mindless zombies totally zoned out to the world around them. No, they’re not playing Pokemon Go. It’s even worse than that! They’re under the influence. A very evil influence.

Take one guess who’s behind this diabolical plan. And no, the answer isn’t found in the latest political attack ad. It’s not just any enemy. It’s THE Enemy. “The devil” (v26). We’re talking Satan himself. You may have heard of him. The satanic snake who duped our first parents (Gen 3:1-7). “The evil one” (Mt 13:38). “The great dragon” (Rev 12:9). “Prince of demons” (Mt 12:24; Lk 11:15). “Accuser of our brothers” (Rev 12:10). “Ruler of this world” (Jn 14:30; 16:11).

Yeah, THAT devil. He’s very real and a very real threat. But we tend to make two mistakes when it comes to Satan. On one hand, we see him as a stupid little man in red suit with horns and a pitchfork. More of a bad Halloween costume than evil personified. On the other hand, some of us give him WAY too much credit, as if he’s God’s evil twin. The dude may be dangerous, but he’s NOT equal to God. Not even close. That’s why the devil has to get permission from the Almighty before tormenting Job (Job 1:12).

The most important fact to remember about Satan is that may be threat but he’s already a loser. We’re talking one with a capital L. God the Father called His Son’s head crushing shot back in Eden (Gen 3:15). Jesus personally stared the devil down in the desert (Mt 4:1-7; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13). Christ made healing folks tormented by Satan a top priority during His earthly ministry (Lk 13:16; Acts 10:38). The Son of God punched both the devil and death in the face on the cross (Heb 2:14-15).

But that’s nothing compared to Jesus’ ultimate and inevitable victory on our behalf that’s the last game on the schedule (Rev 20:1-3; 7-10). It will be like the greatest homecoming beatdown in history. No mercy rule in this one. The Lion of Judah will run up the score big time. Good night. Game over. Drive home safely. Jesus defeats Satan so we don’t have to.

That’s why the apostle tells Tim that the evil one’s captives have a chance to “escape from the snare of the devil” (v26) if they wake up and smell the coffee. Paul uses the word “snare” (Gr. παγις/pagis) to clue us in on how captures his victims. The Greek term describes anything that catches and holds tightly, such as a trap, noose, or net. It’s a hidden or unseen danger which happens suddenly. A snare deploys in an instant and you never saw it coming. Ancient writers used it to describe the sneak attack of the Trojan Horse.

It should come as a shock to no one that Satan is a liar and trying to trick us into his trap. While Jesus’ mission was to give us an overflowing life of goodness and grace, the devil’s goal is death and destruction (Jn 10:10). Our enemy looks for ways to tempt us with shiny things we want instead of beautiful things we need. Satan doesn’t so much jump us from behind and kidnap us. We like what he dangles in front of us. We jump willingly.

Satan will even bait the hook with good stuff. He’ll lure us with family, children, career, comfort, and control. He’ll even use ministry, worthy causes, and even serving in the church. The devil knows that the good is the enemy of the best. He’ll use anything and everything to fool us from a relationship with Jesus. Remember the words of the legendary Admiral Ackbar. “It’s a trap!” 

Once Satan gets his demonic mitts on you, he’ll do want he wants with you. Paul describes a grim scene: “after being captured by him to do his will” (v26). The apostle uses language here that paints the picture of prisoners being taken alive. “Captured”  (Gr. ζωγρεω/zogreo) is like when a game fish or animal that’s caught and kept alive instead of killed. It’s a compound word that literally means “live (ζω-/zo-) hunting (-γρεω/-greo).”

That’s because our enemy knows that death has nothing to do with the graveyard. Real death is separation from God. Without Jesus, we’re the walking dead. That’s exactly how Paul describes us. Dead men walking, “following the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:1-2). Picture that scene in “The Matrix” when Neo comes to his senses. After yanking the cable out of the back of his noggin, he realizes people are being used as nothing more than batteries.

That was pretty much our predicament before Jesus came to our rescue. But there are more out there still under the influence and held in the devil’s human zoo. They need to set free. And that’s the mission God has given each and every one of Christ’s followers. We’re to do everything possible to help folks “come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil” (v26). 

The great news about spreading God’s Good News is that He’s ultimately behind it all. His Holy Spirit is at work as well. While we can’t make anybody a believer, God can. Our role is simply to keep pointing people to Jesus (Mt 28:19-20). Spreading His Gospel. Sharing His love. We must never forget that our Savior died for every single person we see. But so many are dazed and confused. They need a wakeup call. An intervention of grace. I know I sure did.

The Superpower of Gentleness

“Correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2Tim 2:25).

Every hero has an enemy. Sherlock has Moriarity. Harry Potter has Voldemort. Seinfeld has Newman. Every superhero has an archenemy. Superman has Lex Luthor. Batman has the Joker. Captain America has the Red Skull.

In each and every case, the enemy MUST be defeated. A fight is inevitable. The only way to win is beat them in battle. And it’s going to take every bit of our hero’s amazing abilities or superpowers to come out on top.

According to Paul, someone who follows Jesus is going to run into enemies but must have a totally different method in mind. Instead of an all-out war against their rival, the Lord’s servant should be “correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (v25). Well that’s not exactly the kind of storyline you see in the Marvel Comic Universe! The apostle tells Timothy that every believer has a superpower and it’s kindness. When used correctly on the enemy, God may not only give them the gift of changing their mind but may also be giving you a teammate in the process.

Now don’t get the idea that Paul is some comic book fan boy living in his parents’ basement. Not even close. The apostle is doing hard time on Death Row in a Roman prison (2Tim 1:16; 2:9) and his execution date is right around the corner (2Tim 4:6-7). So he’s not writing to some random guy he met at Comic-Con but to the young pastor he sees as his spiritual son (1Tim 1:2; 2Tim 1:2). In this epistle, Paul pleads for one last visit from Timothy (2Tim 4:9, 21) in order to pass the baton of spreading the message of Jesus (2Tim 2:1-4:5).

The apostle tells Tim that a mega-theme in ministry is dealing with folks outside the faith who may actually weasel their way into the church. He wrote to him about it in his first letter (1Tim 1:3-7, 20; 4:1-3; 6:2-10, 20-21). Three times here in chapter two of this epistle he tells his protege not to get sucked into a word war with these knuckleheads (2Tim 2:14, 16-17, 23-24). It’s time to grow up and put on your big boy pants and start chasing the things of God (2Tim 2:22).

A huge part of that chase is dealing with people who aren’t on Team Jesus. Paul calls them “opponents” and uses a word (Gr. αντιδιατιθημι/antidiatithemi) that literally describes a person intentionally setting themselves against something or someone. Picture a nose tackle digging his cleats in the turf right across the line from offense. It describes someone who is not only headed in the opposite direction but who’s openly hostile to what you’re trying to do. They’ll do anything necessary to stop you.

But here’s the deal. They may look like the enemy. They may act like the enemy. They may talk like the enemy. But they’re NOT who we’re really fighting. In a previous letter to his Ephesian friends, Paul provides a detailed scouting report on our foe. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). In other words, the REAL enemy is Satan and his unholy horde. Jesus wants us to realize that the person who appears to be our opponent may actually be a future teammate!

Once we understand who we’re really fighting, our strategy changes when dealing with human opposition. The idea isn’t to pound them into submission. Instead we should be “correcting his opponents with gentleness” (v25). We shouldn’t destroy but instruct. The goal isn’t to eradicate but educate. A servant of Jesus is to school an enemy but not embarrass them. You don’t beat them over the head with a ten-pound Bible. You don’t rub their nose in it. You don’t run up the score.

We do it with “gentleness” (v25). Paul drops a Greek word here (Gr. πραοτης/praotes) that can be translate as meekness and mildness. Now before you think we’re to wimp out and wave the white flag when challenged, that’s NOT what’s going on. This is the idea of strength that accommodates the weakness of another. It’s the opposite of acting harshly. We’re to be like Jesus. Instead dropping onto our planet on His first visit as the Lion of Judah (Gen 49:9-10; Rev 5:5) He came as the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29). Don’t bulldoze someone weaker than you. Overpower them with strength under control. Defeat them with gentleness.

Did you know God gives all His followers the superpower of “gentleness” (v25)? Okay, the Bible doesn’t exactly call them superpowers per se. Paul describes this package of supernatural abilities as the “fruit of the Spirit”. One of the awesome things that happens when Jesus comes to our rescue is that the Spirit of God makes His home in us. When He does, things change in a BIG way from the inside out. We begin exhibiting “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness(Gr. πραοτης/praotes), self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). I’ll take that over gamma rays or a bite from a radioactive spider.

This supernatural strength under control comes in handy as a follower of Christ. Paul says anytime someone sins we should always try to “restore him in a spirit of gentleness(Gr. πραοτης/praotes)” (Gal 6:1). The apostle makes a point to Titus how those who trust in Jesus are “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy (Gr. πραοτης/praotes) to all people” (Titus 3:2). Paul’s buddy Peter writes that every believer should be ready to tell others about our Savior, “yet do it with gentleness (Gr. πραοτης/praotes) and respect” (1Pet 3:15). God gives us the ability to overpower our opponents with strength under control.

Just as this supernatural gentleness comes from God, so does any change in our opponent. If we approach them with love and humility, “God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (v25). What?!? Repentance is a gift? You got it. Not only does the Lord provide us with the ability to be gentle, He gives our opponents the ability to turn from their sin and rebellion.

This isn’t the only place we see this idea of repentance as a gift. When Peter describes to the guys at the home office in Jerusalem how God is doing His patented crazy saving thing among non-Jews too, church leaders realized, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance (Gr. μετανοια/metanoia) that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). In the same way God’s Spirit gives believers the power of gentleness, He also gives us the power of repentance. Think of it this way. We can’t turn from our mess and turn to God without His divine help.

So what exactly is repentance, anyhoo? For most of us who grew up in traditional or fundamental churches, it conjures up images of red-faced preachers trying to scare us into heaven with sermons of hell’s fire and brimstone. “Turn or burn!” While purchasing eternal fire insurance certainly should be at the top of our spiritual to-do list, that’s not exactly a true understanding of the idea.

A closer look at the word “repentance” in the original language reveals the compound word μετανοια (metanoia). It literally means “after (μετα-/meta-) thinking (-νοια/-noia).” Repentance is a change of mind. It’s thinking again about something and coming to a new conclusion. Once God opens my eyes to His truth and my sin, I come to a new conclusion. I now see me as He does. I desperately need help. I desperately need a Savior. The result is a 180. I spin from my own hot mess to the holy Son of God. And it’s all a gift from God.

Jesus doesn’t bully anybody into belief. Sure, He does have a habit of blindsiding folks. Just ask Paul (more on that in a moment). But instead using threats and intimidation, He loves to overwhelm us with His overflowing goodness. It’s “God’s kindness that is meant to lead you to repentance(Gr. μετανοια/metanoia)” (Rom 2:4). In other words, Jesus is so incredibly wonderful to us that we have a massive change of heart and mind. It’s what inspired John Newton to write the famous line in his hit tune Amazing Grace: “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.” God’s grace is SO amazing that we turn from the counterfeits we’ve been chasing and make a beeline to our Savior!

The apostle knows this is the reality of repentance because it is HIS reality! Before he was missionary Paul, he was known as murderer Saul. The man from Tarsus absolutely hated the followers of Jesus and made it his life’s purpose to wipe them off the face of the planet. He hunted them down. He tortured them. He dragged many to prison (Acts 8:3). He murdered others. The dude was so ruthless toward what was known as the Way that he happily ran the coatcheck table at Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:58; 8:1). Paul openly admits every bit of it (1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6; 1Tim 1:13).

But before Saul could execute his next black ops search-and-destroy mission in Damascus, the resurrected Jesus blinded the young Pharisee in order to open his eyes (Acts 9:1-6). In an incredible act of divine kindness, our Savior gave him the gift of repentance. He graciously allowed the man devoted to terrorizing the church the chance to think again about what he was doing from God’s perspective. The result led to his “knowledge of the truth” (v25) about who Jesus is and what He has done. In this case, Jesus’ gentleness transformed an assassin into an apostle!

Back in Paul’s letter to Timothy, the apostle tells the young pastor how God’s gift of gentleness to us combined with His gift of repentance to our opponents may eventually be “leading to a knowledge of the truth” (v25). When the apostle uses this phrase, he’s talking about understanding truth with capital T. He’s talking about a relationship with Jesus, the embodiment of the ultimate truth (Jn 14:6). “Knowledge of the truth” is one of Paul’s ways of describing a relationship with Jesus.

The apostle’s talking about salvation. In his previous letter, he describes how God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4). Later Paul uses a very similar idea when talking about how false teachers love to target certain women in fragile situations who are “never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2Tim 3:7). In other words, they find easy marks and distract them from true salvation in Jesus with all sorts of religious mumbo jumbo.

The Lord certainly calls us to take on our opponents but not in the way you would expect. We’re to use the supernatural superpower of gentleness He’s given us. What we don’t see is what He may be giving them as well: the superpower of repentance. Instead of a very predictable knock down, drag out battle between good and evil, the enemy may well have a change of heart and mind. They may come to their senses and come to Christ. If that happens, our opponent may suddenly become our teammate. 

But that only happens when we unleash our superpower of gentleness.

When It All Hits the Fan

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil (2Tim 2:24).

Perfect conditions foster perfect results. For instance, everything in science goes as planned in the lab. Chemicals and compounds react as they should in a clean and climate controlled environment. But when something gets spilled or broken, it all goes off the rails.

It’s the same in sports. Just about every decent athlete can perform during practice. A quarterback looks like superstar when there’s no pass rush. A slugger feasts on batting practice fastballs. Free throws are a piece of cake in a quiet gym. Perfect conditions foster perfect results.

But there’s just one little problem called the Real World. Things break. Stuff gets messy. To be effective, a scientific breakthrough must work when it’s not sterile. You may be a all-star at practice, but games are played with against skilled opponents in hostile conditions. Linebackers blitz. Pitchers throw nasty  curveballs. Free throws in front of a rabid crowd on the road with the game on the line are a different beast. And we haven’t even brought up bad weather.

We’re all pretty good when conditions are perfect. But who can still deliver the goods when when things are less than their best? That’s exactly the kind of situation Paul is writing to Timothy about here. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (v24-25).

Paul encourages Tim to keep his cool when the situation boils over. As a servant of Jesus, don’t get sucked into the fight. Instead of throwing gasoline on the fire, soothe with kindness. See it as a teachable moment. Hang tough in harmful settings. Be a grace-filled fire extinguisher. Remember, we don’t serve our Savior in a climate controlled lab. Life is messy. People are messier. Jesus calls us to be our best when things are the worst.

You might be saying, “But Paul, you’re an apostle. You wrote a huge chunk of the Bible. That’s easy for you to say. You have no idea the kind of crap I’m dealing with at (fill in the blank…work, home, school, church, or all of the above).” I hate to break it to you but I’m pretty sure the situation the author of this little letter is facing trumps anything you’ve got going.

As he writes this letter, the apostle is doing hard time behind bars at Caesar’s Supermax in Rome, better known as the Mamertine Prison (2Tim 1:16, 2:9). He’s in the final days of his life on Death Row (2Tim 4:6-7). He writes with two simple purposes. One, he’s passing the torch of ministry to Pastor Tim (2Tim 2:1-4:5). Two, he’s pleading for one last visit from his protege (2Tim 4:9, 21).

Timothy isn’t exactly kicking back on a long vacation at Sandals Jamaica either. He’s in big port city of Ephesus continuing the reform of what has become an incredibly dysfunctional church (1Tim 1:3). He’s dealing with a team of troublemakers who are spreading a fast-growing cancer throughout the congregation (2Tim 2:17-18). Three different times Paul tells the young pastor not to take the bait and get involved in a war of words with them (2Tim 14, 16, 23). Now’s the time to put on your big boy pants. Stop chasing kid stuff and start chasing God stuff (2Tim 2:22).

Paul reminds Tim just exactly where he sits on the org chart. He’s “the Lord’s servant” (v24). The apostle drops a term here (Gr. δουλος/doulos) that describes a First Century bondservant. It’s a person completely controlled by another. Someone devoted to another’s cause with no disregard of his or her own interests. In this case, that other person is the Lord. Like Timothy, I need to remember Whom I serve. I serve Jesus. He’s in charge. He’s the Boss. If you’re one of His followers, you’re His direct report. Let’s just say He’s the one handling your ultimate performance review.

That means I do what He says. Christ isn’t just my Savior, He’s my Lord. He’s not only my Rescuer, He’s my Leader. I can’t just buy His eternal fire insurance. I turn over my entire life to my Lord. His agenda becomes my agenda. His desire becomes my desire. His will becomes my will.

He calls me to serve as He served. What follows in verse 24 are qualities that He exhibited during His time here on Earth as the Suffering Servant. He didn’t go looking for a fight but was incredibly kind to everyone he met. He’s the greatest teacher the world has ever known. No one has ever withstood the kind evil he faced during His betrayal, torture, and crucifixion. He consistently corrected His enemies with a firm but wonderfully gentle touch. He’s my model. He’s my example. And just like Jesus, I serve by doing my best when everything is the worst.

One of the most important ways to serve the Lord is by not picking fights, or in Paul’s words, they “must not be quarrelsome” (v24). As we mentioned, the man from Tarsus just told Tim that we’re to steer clear of getting involved in War of the Words. Not once. Not twice. But THREE times (2Tim 14, 16, 23). Don’t walk around locked and loaded, looking for a fight. Too many so-called Christians are more like a hockey goon just hoping he can drop the gloves and pound somebody senseless with self-righteousness. There are few things worse than a religious bully. Put down the 10-pound Bible and back off.

Instead of being ready to throw, a servant of the Lord should be “kind to everyone” (v24). Note that there are to be no restrictions of who’s on the receiving end. We don’t make eye contact with anyone who’s not eligible for kindness. The apostle uses a Greek word for “kind” (Gr. ηπιος/epios) that describes being soothing, mild, or gentle.

In another letter, Paul reminds his friends in Thessalonica just how kind he and his team was when they were in town. “We were gentle (Gr. ηπιος/epios) among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children” (1Th 2:7). Is there a better image of tenderness and kindness than a young mother gently caring and comforting her newborn baby?

Ancient Greek writers used this word (Gr. ηπιος/epios) when describing medicines which bring relief. There was a commercial in a previous millennium for Alka-Seltzer with a catchy little jingle that went a little something like this. “Plop, plop. Fizz, fizz. Oh, what a relief it is.” Do you bring peace wherever you go? Do you provide soothing relief to the situation?

We’re not talking about conflict avoidance. There’s a boatload of evidence in the Bible where Jesus is more than willing to stir things up for the right reasons (Mt 21:12-13; Jn 2:15-17). We see several times in the NT how Paul is ready to confront sin. He even gets in the grill of the apostle Jesus nicknamed Rocky when he acted like a hypocrite (Gal 2:11-14). But each instance was to eventually bring healing to soothe the situation and restore God’s shalom when it hits the fan.

A servant of Jesus also sees tremendous value when life gets crazy. They are “able to teach (Gr. διδακτικος/didaktikos)” (v24). Paul uses a word that describes being apt and skillful to instruct. It’s that amazing ability that allows others to learn easily. Instead of acting like a hotheaded coach who berates their players in front of the entire team and the crowd, we’re not looking to punish or browbeat folks who fall short.

Use mistakes and sinful action as teachable moments. Keep your cool and ask questions. Why did you do that? What were you trying to accomplish? How did it turn out? How could you have done it differently? Remind them of who Jesus is and what He’s done for us. Remind them who we are in Him. It’s how Paul starts every one of his letters. And remind yourself while you’re at it. A good teacher teaches himself as well.

Finally the apostle tells the young preacher how the Lord’s servant must hang tough when under personal attack. It requires “patiently enduring evil” (v24). This little phrase is actually just a single word in the original language (Gr. ανεζικακος/anexikakos). It’s actually a compound term that literally means to hold on while in the middle of harm. God’s servant must be ready to bear up under difficulties without resentment.

Let’s not pull any punches. Openly identifying yourself as a follower of Jesus makes you an easy target. Society certainly has more than its fair share of hate for lawyers, politicians, and journalists, but they’ve added Christians to this list in the past few years. That’s in addition to Satan putting believers in his bullseye for as long as anyone can remember.

So how do we hold up in the middle of harm? Think of yourself like a big cactus in the desert. Amazing plants like the saguaro are incredibly drought tolerant. They not only simply survive in harsh conditions but actually thrive. Despite living some of the most hostile ecosystems on our planet, these cacti grow over 70 feet tall! In the same way, God’s servant needs to be harm tolerant. We do that by finding our source of nourishment in the endless supply of Living Water that only Jesus provides (Jn 4:10-11; 7:38). He gives us the strength to hold up in the middle of harm. He gives us the ability to not simply survive but thrive in harshest conditions.

At this point you may be more than ready to punch out. All this Jesus stuff is great but I don’t want any piece of this action! Look, dude, I’m trying to make my life as stress-free as possible. There’s no way I could ever keep my cool when things get crazy. If that’s you, here’s the crazy thing. You’re EXACTLY the person God is looking for! He specializes in using the weak and foolish to shock the world (1Cor 1:27). The weaker you are the more powerfully His grace gives you power (2Cor 12:9-10). His light shines brightest through broken containers (2Cor 4:7-11).

This doesn’t mean you’re going to serve God perfectly. We need to constantly remember that every single one of us is a work in progress. There are going to be times when we do quarrel, when we aren’t kind, when the only way we teach is by providing the bad example, where we fold under the pressure. When we do, repent and turn back to your Savior. We’re going to need Him every step of the way. Remember, He was perfect so I don’t have to be.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, life will be perfect some day soon. And it will be perfect forever! But in the meantime, we don’t exist in a clean room. We don’t live life in a lab. We don’t play our games on the practice field. Every single day we open our eyes in the morning, you can count on one thing. It’s going to get messy. Jesus is looking for servants who can serve when everything hits the fan. He’s calling us to be at our best when life is at its worst.

Moronic Arguments

“Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels” (2Tim 2:23).

Rude attacks. Cheap shots. Disgusting vulgarity. Sleazy rumors. Shameless lies. They’re everywhere you turn. Network newscasts. Your Facebook feed. The Twitterverse. The customer line at your local overpriced coffeehouse.

And just when you think this latest campaign couldn’t slide any further down the sewer pipe, there’s another soundbite, another commercial, or another slimy allegation. Is it any surprise that one of the debates was the same night as a WWE pay-per-view? Don’t think it didn’t cross Vince McMahon’s mind to combine the two.

Cool your jets. I’m not gonna use the Bible to endorse or condemn anybody. But if you or either of our presidential candidates are willing to listen to timeless truth, the Apostle Paul has has some incredibly wise words. “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels” (v23). Don’t get sucked into ludicrous debates that don’t make a difference. Nobody wins. Everybody loses. These arguments just give birth to more battles.

A couple of thousand years before America was a twinkle in the founding fathers’ eye, Paul is behind bars and in chains in Caesar’s SuperMax (2Tim 1:16, 2:9). He knows full well that he’s doing his final days on Death Row in Rome (2Tim 4:6-7). The man from Tarsus scribbles down what will be his letter to his protege Timothy with two purposes. One, he pleads with Tim to come see him one last time (2Tim 4:9, 21). Two, he desperately passes the torch of spreading the message of Jesus to the young pastor (2Tim 2:1-4:5).

What a powerful reminder of the original purpose of what we call the New Testament. It’s really a collection of documents. Some are short bios of Jesus. Most of the others are letters. This is the latter. A letter from one real person to another real person. If we’re going to get a grip on how we’re to read and apply it today, we need to get a handle on what was going down when it was written in the First Century. In this case, it’s one last letter from a mentor to his spiritual son with their eyes locked on Jesus (2Tim 1:1-2).

Before we dig into this verse, let’s go back up the page just a bit. We see this is actually Paul’s third warning in chapter two against getting sucked into a war of words. Call it Word War III. It’s not a prophetic warning about the presidential campaign of 2016. Well, at least I don’t think so. The apostle sounds the first alarm when he tells Tim to make sure folks don’t start a War of the Words which that leaves the church look like a post-apocalyptic wasteland. (2Tim 2:14).

We see the second alert right after that when Paul instructs him to steer clear of “irreverent babble” which not only drives people away from Jesus but spreads like a cancer (2Tim 2:16-17). A couple of knuckleheads named Hymenaeus and Philetus have turned the lives of believers upside down by telling folks they’ve missed the resurrection of the dead.

Which brings us to warning number three. Right after Paul instructs Tim to put on his big boy pants (2Tim 2:22), he cautions him a third time, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies” (v23). A closer look at the original language reveals the verb  παραιτεομαι (paraiteomai) which means to beg off, reject, or refuse to listen to someone. It carries the idea of declining an invitation and intentionally ignoring what’s going on. In other words, make your RSVP clear. You are are NOT going to be part of that scene.

Back in his first letter, the apostle tells Tim to decline every invitation when someone wants to peddle any message that’s not grounded in reality. “Have nothing to do with” (Gr. παραιτεομαι/paraiteomai) irreverent, silly myths” (1Tim 4:7). Jesus compares our refusal to God’s kingdom to a man who throws an awesome party but people continually RSVP with regrets. “But they all alike began to make excuses (Gr. παραιτεομαι/paraiteomai)” (Lk 14:18). The writer of Hebrews warns us not to ignore Jesus’ invitation and “do not refuse (Gr. παραιτεομαι/paraiteomai) Him” (Heb 12:25).

It’s like those times we’ve been chatting with someone who suddenly sends the conversation somewhere we want nothing to do with. Rumors start to spread. Reps begin to be ruined. That’s when you hit them with,“Oh, no you di’n’t! Don’t go there!” And from what I’ve seen on Jerry Springer, it’s always more effective if you wag your head with your hands on your hips as you say it. Excuse yourself from the discussion. Make it clear that you will not join in their ridiculous reindeer games. Decline their invitation immediately. RSVP ASAP.

What kind of invitations are we to turn down immediately? Paul describes them as “foolish, ignorant controversies” (v23). Foolish” (Gr. μορος/moros) means something stupid, intellectually weak, irrational, rude, crude or with no respect for God. It’s where we get our word moron. Jesus says any doofus stupid enough to hear His words and fail to apply them is “like a foolish (Gr. μορος/moros) man who built his house on the sand” (Mt 7:26). Christ calls the religious bullies of Israel “blind fools (Gr. μορος/moros)!”

Paul tells the incredibly dysfunctional Corinthians how God loves to purposely picks knuckleheads and “what is foolish (Gr. μορος/moros) in the world to shame the strong” (1Cor 1:27). In other words, He loves to show off by using morons like you and me to embarrass the best and brightest. You see, Jesus and His team of ragtags, losers, and goofballs will beat a roster full of five-star recruits and first-round draft picks every single time. And if we’re going to be morons, let us be “fools (Gr. μορος/moros) for Christ sake” (1Cor 4:10).

The apostle goes further to tell Tim to avoid invitations to discussions which are “ignorant” (Gr. απαιδευτος/apaideutos). This is the only time we find this word anywhere in the entire Bible. I don’t have to tell you that this term paints a very unflattering picture of someone or something stupid, uneducated, untrained, rude, or crude. One commentator named Parry calls it “speculations of a half-educated mind.” In other words, these dipsticks know just enough to be dangerous. (Insert your favorite political joke here!)

What makes these discussions so moronic and dangerous is that there’s conclusion to them. The ESV uses the word “controversies,” which is the Greek noun ζητησις (zetesis). This term doesn’t just describes a heated discussion or dispute, but a forceful expression of differences of opinion with zero chance of seeking a solution. You won’t find anybody willing to agree to disagree. Listen, we all know someone who will argue about anything and everything, including the color of the sky. (If you don’t know someone like that and totally disagree with me, it’s probably YOU!).

Check out how the writers of the NT use this word. John remembers the time folks tried to stir up a fight between John the Baptizer and his cousin. You may have heard of Him. His name is Jesus Christ. “Now a discussion (Gr. ζητησις/zetesis) arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification” (Jn 3:25). John didn’t take the bait. He drops the mic when he tells everybody that his rep own must be reduced while the Son of God’s must continue to grow (Jn 3:30).

The term shows up a couple of times in Paul’s prequel when he orders Tim to shut down anybody who teaches goofball doctrine because all they do is “promote speculations (Gr. ζητησις/zetesis)” and drive people further from Jesus (1Tim 1:4). 

A little later in that same letter, he tells the young pastor that any spiritual huckster who peddles a counterfeit gospel is not only full of himself but also “has an unhealthy craving for controversy (Gr. ζητησις/zetesis) and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth” (1Tim 6:4-5).

Paul warns us that these arguments are a real lose-lose proposition. Why? Because “they breed quarrels” (v23). The cycle just spins. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Mudslinging word wars are fertile ground for further conflict. Maybe it’s all the fertilizer (if you know what I mean and I think that you do). Before you know it, you’re in an endless dispute loop. Go ahead and Google “fastest breeding animal.” I don’t care what the interweb tells you. Rabbits, rats, cockroaches, and bandicoots finish a distant second to pointless debates. They give birth to even more battles.

In a note to another one of his direct reports, Paul uses some of the very same language and gives some of the very same orders. He tells Titus, “Avoid (Gr. παραιτεομαι/paraiteomai) foolish (Gr. μορος/moros) controversies (Gr. ζητησις/zetesis), genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels (Gr. μαχη/mache) about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless” (Titus 3:9). Don’t take the bait. Don’t get sucked into moronic arguments. They are a total waste of time.

So what does this mean for you and me 2,000 years later? It doesn’t mean we just crawl into our backyard bomb shelter and just wait for Jesus to come back. There will be times when we should take a stand for Christ. But we need to remember who the real enemies are. If you need a quick refresher, they are Satan, the world, and our own flesh. Notice nowhere on that list do you see democrats or republicans.

Our Savior came to our rescue so that we be active agents of His love and His light in this fallen world. That’s not simply having a warm fuzzy feeling toward folks. It’s actively loving and serving the people God brings into our path. They don’t have to earn it. Remember, we certainly did nothing to deserve His love (Rom 5:8). 

Just before He headed home to heaven, Jesus gave us one last command. “Love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35).

This is NOT a call to excuse yourself from the political process. Be a good citizen who’s fully involved wherever you live. But when someone invites you to join in a endless argument, RSVP ASAP. Refuse the request quickly and clearly. There are always going to be controversies that are nothing more than vicious cycles. Check out how the Message paraphrases Paul’s words. “Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights” (v23 The Message).

Before you get your undies in a bundle one more time, it’s probably time to turn off the debate and turn on God’s love. That message will get Jesus’ vote every single time.

Hot Pursuit

“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2Tim 2:22).

It seems like everybody is chasing something. Lawyers chase ambulances. Parents chase their kids. Athletes chase a ring. Actors chase an Oscar. Dogs chase cats. Cats chase mice. What are you chasing? Are you chasing your dream career? A big house in the ‘burbs? A sweet ride? A fat 401k?

In his second letter to his spiritual son, the Apostle Paul encourages Timothy to make sure he stops chasing the wrong things and start chasing the right things. “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (v22). It’s time to grow up. Stop the wild goose chase and start the wild God chase. Make it a priority of hanging out with folks whose hearts are focused on Jesus. Run away from kid stuff and run toward God stuff. We must be in a constant hot pursuit of the things of Jesus!

While Paul encourages Tim to get moving, the apostle isn’t going anywhere. Well, at least not physically. The man from Tarsus writes the young preacher from Death Row in Rome while wearing heavy chains (2Tim 1:16; 2:8). Paul’s race is just about over and he’s leaning toward the finish line (2Tim 4:6-7).

He pleads with his protege to hurry and see him one last time (2Tim 4:9, 21). Just in case he can’t get there in time, his mentor hurriedly scribbles down instructions for how to continue telling people about Jesus and spreading His Gospel (2Tim 2:1-4:5). 2nd Timothy is the very last thing from Paul’s pen. It’s incredibly urgent. It’s powerfully personal.

The apostle tells Tim to “flee youthful passions” (v22). It’s more evidence of the work God has done in the the dude from Lystra who was still just a kid (Acts 16:1). In his first letter to the young buck, Paul encourages him to not let anybody think he’s too wet behind the ears to lead and shepherd the church in Ephesus (1Tim 4:12).

Like so many other talented young leaders, Tim needs a reminder to put the stuff of youth in the rearview mirror. “Flee” (Gr. φευγω/pheugo) means to escape, run away, take flight, seek safety, or quickly disappear. It’s where we get our word “fugitive.” When Jesus chases a truckload of demons into a herd of pigs and they jump off a cliff, “the herdsmen fled (Gr. φευγω/pheugo)” back to town (Mt 8:33).

Paul makes the bigger point that we can’t get locked in the prison of childish activity. Grow up and escape from the juvy joint. We’ve gotta get away from “youthful passions.” Be a fugitive from immature behavior. Be on the lamb from acting like a middle schooler. And the form of the verb is what Greek scholars call present imperative. That simply means it’s a command that never ends. In other words, start escaping and never stop escaping. It’s like Richard Kimball in “The Fugitive.” He had to keep moving because the feds were always one step behind.

Run away from kid stuff and run toward God stuff.

We need to chat just a moment about what Paul is NOT saying. He’s not contradicting Jesus’ encouragement to His followers to have a childlike faith (Mt 18:3-17; Mk 10:13-16; Lk 18:15-17). That’s when we place our simple trust in our awesome and loving Heavenly Dad. He loves your more than you can imagine. He wants His best for you. That’s having the faith of a child. Never lose that.

Instead the apostle is warning his spiritual son Tim and the rest of us that there comes a time to put on our big boy and big girl pants. The bell has rung and it’s time to come in from your eternal play period. You can still play video games if you want but those marathon sessions of Doom need to stop. Guys, quit spending every waking moment away from work on the golf course or in a tree stand. It’s time to come in from recess and be a man. If you’re married, be the husband God has called you to be. If you’re a dad, lead your family. Paul himself knew there came a point when he had to grow up (1Cor 13:11). Stop the wild goose chase. Stop chasing your tail. Stop chasing rainbows.

Run away from kid stuff and run toward God stuff.

So if I’m sprinting from immaturity at top speed, what exactly am I hightailing it toward? Paul is so very glad you asked. “Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” (v22). The apostle drops another intense and aggressive term here. “Pursue” (Gr. διωκω/dioko) paints a picture of running after, hunting down, chasing aggressively.

John uses this verb when the religious police “were persecuting (Gr. διωκω/dioko) Jesus” for breaking their manmade Sabbath rules (Jn 5:16). Our Savior repeatedly said that being intensely harassed pursued for following Him is actually a good thing (Mt 5:10-12). Luke uses this same word when describing Saul’s relentless hunt for the followers of Jesus in order to wipe them off the face of the earth (Acts 9:4-5; 22:4-8; 26:11-15).

But you can also turn “pursue (Gr. διωκω/dioko)” around when talking about the non-stop chase of “righteousness, faith, love, and peace” (v22). If you want to hunt something, the season is open and there’s no bag limit. Race after them. Chase after them. Don’t walk, RUN! And like the previous command, this is also in the present tense. That means we are to never stop pursuing. Think of a linebacker who’s always around the ball.

Run away from kid stuff and run toward God stuff.

Let’s take a quick look at the God stuff lineup. First out of the gate is “righteousness” (v22). Ultimately this is being perfect in the eyes of God. You DO realize that’s not happening, right? Not on your own, at least. Take a page out of Abraham’s playbook. He placed his trust in God’s goodness and God “credited to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:4-6; Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6; James 2:23).

While we can’t earn spotless perfection, there’s good news. Or I should say Good News. Jesus gives us what we could never get on our own. Our Heavenly Father allowed His sinless Son to take our sin “so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2Cor 5:21). It’s the Gospel of grace in concentrated form. Martin Luther liked to call it the Great Exchange. Even that might be an understatement.

Paul tells us we should also be in hot pursuit of “faith” (v22). This isn’t just the random belief that good stuff is going to happen. It’s trusting in who Jesus is and what He has done. I place my faith in the fact that the Lord lived the perfect life I’ve failed to live. He died the substitutionary death for my sin I should have died. He rose to a spectacular new life I don’t deserve. We chase faith by diving into the deep end of the pool of the Gospel. It doesn’t just get us into God’s kingdom. It’s what keeps us there too!

Number three in the pursuit of God stuff is “love” (v22). One of the megathemes of Scripture is that this sort of “love” (Gr. αγαπη/agape) is anything but a warm and fuzzy for someone. This is love in action. Love that’s demonstrated. Love that’s expressed. It’s a love that does. Love with hands and feet.

This kind of love is at the very core of God’s personality (1Jn 3:8, 16). We put love into action because we’ve been loved in the very same way.  God loved us first when we were totally unlovable (Jn 3:16; 1Jn 3:19). That means we’re to also love the unlovable. Jesus demonstrated it for us practically time and time again. He did it when He rolled up His supernatural sleeves and washed the disciples’ filthy feet (Jn 13:1-20).

Christ said that our love for each other will be signal to the world that we’re His followers (Jn 13:34). I don’t know about you but this would be a great place to start. Stop throwing fellow believers under the bus and start loving on them where they are. I have a sneaking suspicion our neighbors would wonder what got into us.

Batting cleanup in the God stuff lineup is “peace” (v22). The peace Paul’s describing is a whole lot more than just the lack of fighting and war. Let’s just say, that’s a GREAT place to start! If you’ve got a beef with someone, take a long, hard look at what’s behind it. Step one: stop fighting. Step two: forgive. Step three: attempt reconciliation.

But anytime we see the writers of the Bible talking about peace, they’re pointing to the Hebrew word “shalom” used in the Old Testament. Shalom is the unspoiled and perfect rhythm of life. It’s when the world is humming on all cylinders. There’s just one BIG problem. Our sin jacked up the engine of God’s flawless creation. He gives us His gracious Gospel not just as a tuneup and an oil change. It’s a NEW CAR! (Read that again using your game show announcer voice.) Let’s do everything we can to seek His peace in everything we do. Let’s face it, everyone loves that new peace smell.

Want to know what to pursue? Try this Fantastic Four. Righteousness. Faith. Love. Peace. Chase these and you’re doing what Jesus commands. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mt 6:33).

Run away from kid stuff and run toward God stuff.

Paul gives Tim and his readers one last and very important tip. Don’t chase these things by yourself. Get yourself a posse and do it “along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart” (v22). While Jesus comes to save each one of us individually, we need to remember that faith is a team sport. We need each other. I need you. You need me. Collectively we’re His body. His hands. His feet. His heart. We can’t do it alone. Intentionally associate with people who love Jesus with all that they are.

If you’re a fan of racing you know that competitors always go faster when they run together. Race cars go faster when they draft. The pack of cyclists in the peloton can collectively chase down a breakaway leader. It’s the same with following Jesus. Don’t chase Him alone. Intentionally get together with others “who call on the Lord with a pure heart” (v22).

Run away from kid stuff and run toward God stuff.