“that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2Tim 3:17)
Imagine being on the other end of the phone call when you suddenly hear Liam Neeson’s gravelly Irish growl. “What I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.” Hearing those words, you suddenly realize you’re in for a slightly different day at the office. Whether you know it our not, you’re about to be hunted down in a multiple motion picture franchise.
Did you know God calls every follower of Jesus to have a very specific expertise as well? No, He doesn’t train you to be a black ops agent who’s a cross between Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne. But according to Paul, the Lord has something so much better for you and me.
In a letter to Timothy, the apostle lets his protege know how Scripture preps us for anything God throws at us. So much so “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (v17). Now THAT’S what I call a very particular set of skills!
While Tim has studied faithfully at Paul’s feet for the last few years (2Tim 3:10-11), the secret sauce of his education has been God’s Word (2Tim 3:15-16). That’s critical since the apostle is now behind bars in Rome staring in the face of a death sentence (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7).
Paul scribbles down important instructions for continuing the spread of the Gospel after he’s gone (2Tim 2:1-4:5). He also pleads for his spiritual son to swing by for one last visit before his date with the executioner (2Tim 4:9, 21).
Knowing all that changes the urgency of these words, doesn’t it? We really need to remember that the Bible isn’t a dusty old collection of Sunday School lessons. Much of God’s Word involves real history lived by real people dealing with real problems in real places. The best part is there’s a very real God and Savior who’s coming to the rescue.
Meanwhile back in 2 Timothy, specifically chapter 3 and verse 17. When the apostle talks about “the man of God” (v17), you might wonder if he’s talking just to preachers, pastors, and other Christians who have turned pro. He is, for sure…BUT he’s also talking to anybody else who’s placed their trust in following the resurrected Rabbi from Nazareth.
You see, the word “man” here is actually the Greek word (Gr. ανθρωπος/anthropos), which means human being or person. It’s where we get our word “anthropology” or the study of human beings. As a matter of fact, the Amplified Bible adds a little tidbit that removes any confusion. Paul’s calling out “all believers, whether man, woman, or child.” Do you follow Jesus? Well, heads up. He’s talking to you, me us, and them.
Being a person “of God” (v17), I am uniquely identified with the Creator. I belong to Him. I am no longer a rogue rebel terrorist against His kingdom (Rom 5:8-10; Col 1:21). I am not my own. He’s bought me with a price (1Cor 6:19; 7:23). A staggeringly high cost. As a followers of Jesus, we now belong to our Savior.
As God’s personal property and personal representatives, we must be ready for anything He throws our way. That’s why He’s given us His God-breathed written Word (2Tim 3:16). With it, we “may be complete, equipped for every good work” (v17). You probably don’t see it in our English translations, but Paul is having a little fun with words as he writes from his cold cell on the Roman Green Mile. Okay, it’s not quite “Words with Friends,” but wordplay nonetheless.
The apostle uses a pair of verbs we translate as “complete” and “equipped” that are slight variations of the same root word which means “now” (Gr. αρτι/arti). The first one is “complete” (Gr. αρτιος/artios). It means to be ready, fully qualified, perfectly fit, specially adapted, exactly suited to a particular purpose, or having a special aptitude for specific uses. In this case, Paul says Scripture gets the right person ready for the right job right here and right now.
Remember those scenes in every James Bond movie where the agent drops by the MI6 home office to get the latest gadget from Q? He gives 007 the latest in espionage technology for his next assignment. Everything from a cyanide cigarette to an Astin-Martin with the optional ejection seat/machine gun package. The folks at HQ made sure the right agent was always complete, ready for the right job, right here and right now.
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
That second word Paul drops is “equipped” (Gr. εξαρτιζο/echartizo). It describes finishing, bringing to an end, made adequate, completely ready, totally furnished, and thoroughly prepared. This literally means that you’re fully supplied at the very moment when the action begins. You don’t need anything else. You may not have everything, but you do have everything you’re gonna need.
Think of a full furnished workshop. One of those places that’s loaded with any and every kind of power tool you’ll need for that next project. No reason to borrow anything from your buddy across the cul-de-sac. No running to Lowe’s four or five times before you’re done. It’s all there. This shop has everything for the current project. It’s fully “equipped” (v17).
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
With that in mind, it makes sense that Martin Luther compared this to being skilled. Picture a craftsman that not only owns a fully stocked shop but knows exactly how and when to use just the right tool at just the right moment. He’s not using a sledgehammer to install a light fixture. Not cranking up the table saw to change a tire. Unlike me, there’s no danger of loosing a digit. When I begin the next craft, my wife already has “9” and “1” already punched into the phone.
Paul tells Tim that Scripture gives us the skills right now “for every good work” (v17). When I crack open my Bible and read what God has for me, He’ll provide me with plenty of opportunities to apply what He’s put before me. Earlier in this same letter, the apostle encourages the young preacher get himself ready cleaned and ready, just like the good dishes for the big Christmas meal. That way “he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2Tim 2:21).
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
Let’s be clear. God’s not getting me ready for rocket surgery or brain science. He’s prepping me live a life of loving Him and others. Or as the Apostle Peter puts it, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to His own glory and goodness” (1Pet 1:3).
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
The best example of someone God made sure was right now ready is found in the Old Testament. A beautiful young Jewish girl had just won the Persian version of “The Bachelor.” The king personally picked her to be his new queen. Yeah, it was a good time to be Esther. A very good time.
But things weren’t so good for the rest of the Jewish people. They were slaves in the Persian empire. If that’s not bad enough, the king’s righthand man Haman comes up with the idea of the Holocaust 2500 years before Hitler and the Nazis. His plan was to wipe every single Hebrew off the face of the planet.
Esther’s Uncle Mordecai knew the Jews had one last hope. He was certainly that God had perfectly positioned his niece for just this moment. Mordecai encourages the queen that no one else has the leverage and influence “for such a time as this” (Est 4:13). Like Hamilton, there was no way she was going to throw away her shot. God made sure Esther was right now ready for her “good work” (v17).
Paul’s point is that God gives us everything in His Word we’re going to need for the assignment at hand. Not what we want. What we NEED. There’s a huge difference. As the all-knowing, all-seeing Sovereign Lord of creation, He knows what I need for job better than I do. God’s Word preps us for whatever He throws our way. Nothing more. Nothing less.
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
So we just might want to pay a little closer attention to what we read in the Bible during our devotions. Don’t just mail in your so-called “quiet time.” Don’t simply check it off your spiritual to-do list. God’s getting us ready. Get into God’s Word so that God can get His Word into you.
I’m pretty sure He’s not equipping you with the same sort of expertise as Liam Neeson’s character Bryan Mills. But the Apostle Paul assures us God’s Word gives us the exact capability we need for our next assignment. A very particular set of skills to love, encourage, comfort, and counsel the people He brings into our lives.
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
Imagine being on the other end of the phone call when you suddenly hear Liam Neeson’s gravelly Irish growl. “What I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.” Hearing those words, you suddenly realize you’re in for a slightly different day at the office. Whether you know it our not, you’re about to be hunted down in a multiple motion picture franchise.
Did you know God calls every follower of Jesus to have a very specific expertise as well? No, He doesn’t train you to be a black ops agent who’s a cross between Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne. But according to Paul, the Lord has something so much better for you and me.
In a letter to Timothy, the apostle lets his protege know how Scripture preps us for anything God throws at us. So much so “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (v17). Now THAT’S what I call a very particular set of skills!
While Tim has studied faithfully at Paul’s feet for the last few years (2Tim 3:10-11), the secret sauce of his education has been God’s Word (2Tim 3:15-16). That’s critical since the apostle is now behind bars in Rome staring in the face of a death sentence (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7).
Paul scribbles down important instructions for continuing the spread of the Gospel after he’s gone (2Tim 2:1-4:5). He also pleads for his spiritual son to swing by for one last visit before his date with the executioner (2Tim 4:9, 21).
Knowing all that changes the urgency of these words, doesn’t it? We really need to remember that the Bible isn’t a dusty old collection of Sunday School lessons. Much of God’s Word involves real history lived by real people dealing with real problems in real places. The best part is there’s a very real God and Savior who’s coming to the rescue.
Meanwhile back in 2 Timothy, specifically chapter 3 and verse 17. When the apostle talks about “the man of God” (v17), you might wonder if he’s talking just to preachers, pastors, and other Christians who have turned pro. He is, for sure…BUT he’s also talking to anybody else who’s placed their trust in following the resurrected Rabbi from Nazareth.
You see, the word “man” here is actually the Greek word (Gr. ανθρωπος/anthropos), which means human being or person. It’s where we get our word “anthropology” or the study of human beings. As a matter of fact, the Amplified Bible adds a little tidbit that removes any confusion. Paul’s calling out “all believers, whether man, woman, or child.” Do you follow Jesus? Well, heads up. He’s talking to you, me us, and them.
Being a person “of God” (v17), I am uniquely identified with the Creator. I belong to Him. I am no longer a rogue rebel terrorist against His kingdom (Rom 5:8-10; Col 1:21). I am not my own. He’s bought me with a price (1Cor 6:19; 7:23). A staggeringly high cost. As a followers of Jesus, we now belong to our Savior.
As God’s personal property and personal representatives, we must be ready for anything He throws our way. That’s why He’s given us His God-breathed written Word (2Tim 3:16). With it, we “may be complete, equipped for every good work” (v17). You probably don’t see it in our English translations, but Paul is having a little fun with words as he writes from his cold cell on the Roman Green Mile. Okay, it’s not quite “Words with Friends,” but wordplay nonetheless.
The apostle uses a pair of verbs we translate as “complete” and “equipped” that are slight variations of the same root word which means “now” (Gr. αρτι/arti). The first one is “complete” (Gr. αρτιος/artios). It means to be ready, fully qualified, perfectly fit, specially adapted, exactly suited to a particular purpose, or having a special aptitude for specific uses. In this case, Paul says Scripture gets the right person ready for the right job right here and right now.
Remember those scenes in every James Bond movie where the agent drops by the MI6 home office to get the latest gadget from Q? He gives 007 the latest in espionage technology for his next assignment. Everything from a cyanide cigarette to an Astin-Martin with the optional ejection seat/machine gun package. The folks at HQ made sure the right agent was always complete, ready for the right job, right here and right now.
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
That second word Paul drops is “equipped” (Gr. εξαρτιζο/echartizo). It describes finishing, bringing to an end, made adequate, completely ready, totally furnished, and thoroughly prepared. This literally means that you’re fully supplied at the very moment when the action begins. You don’t need anything else. You may not have everything, but you do have everything you’re gonna need.
Think of a full furnished workshop. One of those places that’s loaded with any and every kind of power tool you’ll need for that next project. No reason to borrow anything from your buddy across the cul-de-sac. No running to Lowe’s four or five times before you’re done. It’s all there. This shop has everything for the current project. It’s fully “equipped” (v17).
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
With that in mind, it makes sense that Martin Luther compared this to being skilled. Picture a craftsman that not only owns a fully stocked shop but knows exactly how and when to use just the right tool at just the right moment. He’s not using a sledgehammer to install a light fixture. Not cranking up the table saw to change a tire. Unlike me, there’s no danger of loosing a digit. When I begin the next craft, my wife already has “9” and “1” already punched into the phone.
Paul tells Tim that Scripture gives us the skills right now “for every good work” (v17). When I crack open my Bible and read what God has for me, He’ll provide me with plenty of opportunities to apply what He’s put before me. Earlier in this same letter, the apostle encourages the young preacher get himself ready cleaned and ready, just like the good dishes for the big Christmas meal. That way “he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2Tim 2:21).
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
Let’s be clear. God’s not getting me ready for rocket surgery or brain science. He’s prepping me live a life of loving Him and others. Or as the Apostle Peter puts it, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to His own glory and goodness” (1Pet 1:3).
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
The best example of someone God made sure was right now ready is found in the Old Testament. A beautiful young Jewish girl had just won the Persian version of “The Bachelor.” The king personally picked her to be his new queen. Yeah, it was a good time to be Esther. A very good time.
But things weren’t so good for the rest of the Jewish people. They were slaves in the Persian empire. If that’s not bad enough, the king’s righthand man Haman comes up with the idea of the Holocaust 2500 years before Hitler and the Nazis. His plan was to wipe every single Hebrew off the face of the planet.
Esther’s Uncle Mordecai knew the Jews had one last hope. He was certainly that God had perfectly positioned his niece for just this moment. Mordecai encourages the queen that no one else has the leverage and influence “for such a time as this” (Est 4:13). Like Hamilton, there was no way she was going to throw away her shot. God made sure Esther was right now ready for her “good work” (v17).
Paul’s point is that God gives us everything in His Word we’re going to need for the assignment at hand. Not what we want. What we NEED. There’s a huge difference. As the all-knowing, all-seeing Sovereign Lord of creation, He knows what I need for job better than I do. God’s Word preps us for whatever He throws our way. Nothing more. Nothing less.
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
So we just might want to pay a little closer attention to what we read in the Bible during our devotions. Don’t just mail in your so-called “quiet time.” Don’t simply check it off your spiritual to-do list. God’s getting us ready. Get into God’s Word so that God can get His Word into you.
I’m pretty sure He’s not equipping you with the same sort of expertise as Liam Neeson’s character Bryan Mills. But the Apostle Paul assures us God’s Word gives us the exact capability we need for our next assignment. A very particular set of skills to love, encourage, comfort, and counsel the people He brings into our lives.
God gets us “right now ready” with a very particular set of skills.
Excellent Jay! Thanks. 😎
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