Running toward Danger

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1Tim 1:18).

It’s a classic scene in every movie trailer. The hero running toward the camera as the building explodes behind him. But shouldn’t a real hero be sprinting the other way? Should they be heading toward danger? That’s exactly what Chris Mintz did when a gunman started shooting at an Oregon community college. He ran TOWARD danger, taking bullets himself and saving the lives of others. 

Here in his letter to Timothy, Paul encourages his protege not to run away from the fight but do just the opposite. “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (v18). Years ago, God revealed to Tim how one day the young pastor would courageously head toward the fight. Now that day is here. There are problems in Ephesus. Big problems. A gang of spiritual hucksters are stirring up trouble and it’s Timothy’s job to shut them down (1Tim 1:3-7). It’s time for Tim to run TOWARD danger, not away from it.

The apostle has special instructions for this special young man. “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child” (v18). The word the ESV translates as “child” doesn’t describe a little boy. It’s teknon, which can mean someone with whom you have close relationship and is your descendant. Paul addresses this letter “To Timothy, my true child in the faith” (1Tim 1:2). They’re not genetically but spiritually father and son. The apostle isn’t married and doesn’t have any kids of his own, but Tim is his direct spiritual descendant. Paul leaves a spiritual legacy in the young pastor of Ephesus. 

Chances are somebody was a Paul to your Tim. Now it’s time for you to pull on your big boy pants and be Paul yourself. So who’s your teknon? What spiritual legacy are leaving? Who are you encouraging? Who are you building into? One important thing to remember when it comes to leaving a legacy. It’s NOT about making a name for yourself. It’s about making Jesus famous. It’s ALL about impacting lives to give God glory. 

Paul then walks down memory lane as he looks at the present situation. His spiritual son is to lean into his next task by looking back into the past “in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you” (v18). Somehow, someway, God pulled back the curtain on Tim’s life and made some rather startling predictions. In case you’re wondering, when God makes a prediction about your future, you can pretty much take it to the bank! 

Let’s be clear on this. Jesus has never physically appeared at my kitchen table and personally clued me in on what’s going to happen. I’m NOT saying He couldn’t. I’m also NOT saying He hasn’t done something crazy like that for you. But there have been numerous times when He’s used others to encourage and challenge me to step into something I otherwise would have avoided. And more than once, I get the strong sense I’m supposed to deliver a specific message to someone. Ever happened to you? God’s Spirit can do some rather crazy stuff when we’re simply willing to do what He lays on our hearts. 

Paul recalls these specific “prophecies previously made” to Timothy. The Greek verb here is proago, which certainly can mean to precede or happen before. But it also can mean leading the way to something, going in front of, inducing, or bringing about a result. As his spiritual dad, the apostle implies that God used someone (probably Paul) to deliver prophecies about Tim about using his spiritual gift in the future. A little later in this letter, he reminds Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1Tim 4:14). Paul constantly encourages his spiritual son to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands” (2Tim 1:6). 

Long before he was Pastor Tim, he found all about his gift in a direct revelation from God through others. There’s a good chance this went down just before he joined Paul’s posse in Lystra during his second Mediterranean tour (Acts 16:1-3). Like Queen Esther, God put Tim in specific time at a specific place “for such a time as this” (Est 4:14). One day he run TOWARD danger, not away from it.

Just in case there’s any doubt about which direction Tim’s to go when disaster strikes, Paul says these previous prophecies were delivered “that by them you may wage the good warfare” (v18). It’s time for an assault, big boy, not retreat. “Wage” (Gr. strateuo) means to perform military service, fight like a soldier, make war, go into battle. “Warfare” (Gr. strateia) pictures a military campaign, an assault or a battle. The original language here is just a wee bit awkward. You can literally translate “wage the good warfare” as “war the good war.” Both of these terms are military terms from a root word meaning soldier. It’s where we get our English idea of strategy.

But wait a second. As followers of Jesus, are we supposed to go picking fight? Does the Prince of Peace really approve of me punching somebody in the nose? Doesn’t all this talk of going to war sound rather, I don’t know, Old Testament? Where’s the grace of Jesus? Where’s the love of the Lamb of God we read about in the New Testament? So glad you asked. Don’t make the mistake looking at the Bible that way. God’s grace drips from the pages of the OT. How else is a philanderer/murderer king also “a man after God’s own heart” (1Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22)? 

Meanwhile God’s justice a mega-theme in the NT.  Jesus goes all Jason Bourne on the money changers and vendors in His Father’s house not once, but twice (Jn 2:13-22; Mt 21:12-17). And don’t forget the description of Christ at His second coming (Rev 19:11. He has fire in His eyes. His tongue is a sword. His robe drips with blood. He’s leading an angel army. He’s got a wicked tattoo on His leg that says, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” I certainly don't want to be on the receiving end of THAT!

What’s the big idea? The writers of the NT paint a portrait of Jesus that’s anything but two-dimensional. He has a gentle, loving touch to the broken and humble. He’s ready and willing to open up a can on bullies and thugs. That’s what it means to be our Good Shepherd. He tenderly guides and cares for His flock. But when predators threaten, He’ll come to their defense. Christ is both tender and tough. It just depends on the situation at the time.

That brings us back to the clear and present danger Timothy faces in Ephesus. Don’t miss that Paul describes this as “good warfare” (v18). These false teachers and their spiritual snake oil are tearing this church apart. The Gospel must be defended. The people must be protected. This means war! It’s time for Tim to war the good war. Later in this letter, the apostle doesn’t pull any punches.“Fight the good fight of the faith” (1Tim 6:12). In a sequel to this note written just before his death, Paul looks back on his life and writes, “I have fought the good fight” (2Tim 4:7). When the Gospel is threaten and the church is terrorized, it’s time to run INTO trouble. It’s time to run TOWARDS danger!

It’s exactly what Jesus did for you and me. Our Hero ran into trouble to save us. Instead of kicking back in the heavenly palace, Christ sprinted into the disaster (which WE made, by the way!) to save our bacon. Like a soldier running toward the battle. Like a firefighter racing toward the blaze. Like a police officer speeding to the scene of the crime. Like Chris Mintz at the college, He put His life on the line for those in deep trouble. He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10). Jesus ran INTO trouble. Our Savior ran TOWARDS danger! In a similar way, it’s time for Timothy to do that for the believers in Ephesus. And there are times we need to do the same.