“Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion.” (1Tim 1:6).
“Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion.” (1Tim 1:6).
Blah. Blah. Blah.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Blah. Blah. Blah.
“Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion.” (1Tim 1:6).
Blah. Blah. Blah.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Back on Track
“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1Tim 1:5).
I am SO easily distracted. If there’s a bright light in the room, it’s got my attention. So many times, I’ve devoted myself to prayer and then suddenly something sidetracks me. Lord Jesus, thank You so much for all that You’ve…LOOK! A bird! Here in his letter to Timothy, Paul does his best to have the young pastor get the church in Ephesus refocused on what’s most important. Or in the words of the great philosopher and theologian Matt Foley, “How can we get you…BACK ON TRACK?!?!?”
This is a REALLY big deal for Tim and the folks of the Ephesian church. There’s a team of hucksters who have hornswoggled believers and distracted them from the mission Jesus has for them. Just in case they’ve forgotten, the apostle reminds Pastor Tim of the original focus. “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (v5). Remember the goal. Love. Paul tells Tim it’s time to get folks…BACK ON TRACK! Let’s shut down sales of spiritual snake oil and get back to our main job of loving God and loving people.
This city of Ephesus and the church in the city have a special place in Paul’s heart. He and his posse first hit town during his third tour of the Mediterranean Rim. Dr. Luke spends an entire chapter going into great detail about how the Gospel of Jesus absolutely turned this seaport on its ever lovin’ head (Acts 19). That’s the kind of crazy stuff that happens when God’s Spirit falls. Local Jewish rabbis kick the apostle out of the synagogue after Ephesian Jews start following Jesus as Messiah. That’s when Paul sets up shop at a local meeting hall and teaches about Christ for the next two years. There’s a bizarre scene where a demon kicks the butt of seven dudes and steals their clothes when try a little amateur exorcising. I’m pretty sure they missed the “don’t try this at home” disclaimer. Eventually tons of people start following Jesus and burning their books of black magic. There’s another citywide riot. They seem to follow the apostle wherever he goes.
Sometime later, Paul has a tearful meeting with elders from the church outside of town to encourage them to keep on keeping on (Acts 20:17-38). The man from Tarsus keeps in touch with the Ephesians regularly throughout the years. When he hears about the threat of counterfeit gospel headed their way, he writes them a letter from his prison cell in Rome to warn them. You’ll find that note tucked in your New Testament between Galatians and Philippians. After his release from the joint, the apostle drops off his trusted sidekick Timothy to pastor this growing megachurch (1Tim 1:3). Apparently those religious con artists were still able to dupe Jesus’ followers into buying their not-so-good news. While there doesn’t seem to be anybody living in a van down by the river, it’s Tim’s job to get the Ephesians…BACK ON TRACK! It’s time to shut down sales of spiritual snake oil and get believers back to their main job of loving God and loving people.
Paul points Tim back at the original target by reminding him of “the aim of our charge” (v5). “Aim” is the Greek word telos. It describes the goal, the end, termination of a trip or project, or even ultimate fulfillment. This is their original purpose and intent. Let’s face it. Once you get on the road, it’s easy to get off track. There are plenty of distractions. Tourist traps along the interstate trying to suck you in. If you’ve ever made the drive down I-95, you know exactly what I mean. The ticky tacky signs for South of the Border sing their siren song. It just takes one driving diversion to sidetrack you from your schedule and real destination. False teachers have distracted Ephesian believers. Like a GPS on the dashboard, the apostle recalculates the trip. Remember where you’re headed. Remember the aim.
Their goal is “love” (v5). But he’s not talking about working up a warm fuzzy feeling. This is what the NT describes as agape. Paul’s describing a one-of-a-kind attitude of affection which results in action. It’s a choice to act in a way that is loving and beneficial to another. Agape is all about sacrifice. Agape is all about action. It’s love that does. Love with arms and legs. Love with hands and feet. The apostle paints a spectacular (and convicting!) picture of it in 1 Corinthinans 13. It’s the kind of love Jesus poured out for you and me. He lived the perfect life of obedience to God’s commands when we totally failed. He died the brutal death on a cross that had our names on it. He rose from the graveyard to a glorious new life we don’t deserve. That’s love in action. That’s love that does.
One of Jesus’ enemies try to pull a fast one on the Rabbi/Carpenter. Let’s just be clear on this. You’re fooling yourself if you think you can outfox God. You’ll lose. Every. Single. Time. Anyhoo, this dude asked Christ what he thought was an unanswerable questions. You know the ones. Can God build a wall so high that even He can’t step over it? This goober thought he had the drop on Jesus and asked Him which commandment in the OT is the most important. Our Savior never batted an eye. Love God and love people. When we do that, we’re obeying everything God commanded at the same time (Mt 22:37). The night before His murder, Jesus washed His disciples filthy, stinking feet. When He was done, He told them this is EXACTLY the kind of love in action His followers are to express. “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (Jn 13:34-35). Jesus’ best buddy John was sitting right there that night. Later he will write, “We love because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:19). Love is the purpose. Love is the goal. Love is the end game.
Paul then tells Tim about the Triple Crown source of this love. It comes “from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (v5). A clean heart. A clear conscience. A legit trust in Jesus. See something that each of the Big 3 has in common? Purity. They’re all legit. They’re all squeaky clean. Nothing fake. Nothing counterfeit. That’s in huge contrast to the bogus gospel the false teachers have been spreading. Let’s take a quick look at this Trifecta of Love.
Let’s start with a “pure heart” (v5). King David wrote a hit song about how God loves to bless “those who are pure in heart” (Ps 73:1). In the most famous section of His most famous sermon, Jesus says His Father will shower His blessings on the “pure in heart” and allow them to see God (Mt 5:8). In his second letter to Timothy, Paul tells his protege join other worshipers “who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2Tim 2:22). For the record, Jesus is the ONLY One to have a 100% sin-free clean heart. fThat’s in contrast to the absolutely a jacked up joint inside me. “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer 17:9). Yeah, that’s not good. Not good at all!
The only hope for my rotten heart is receiving treatment from the Great Physician. David knows the only One who can fix is his filthy heart is Yahweh. “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps 51:10). Only God has the surgical skills to pull off a supernatural heart transplant. “And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek 36:26). Only Jesus when gets involved in my life can I even dream of producing real love for God and others. If you’re wondering, folks with rock hearts don’t have a thimbleful of compassion for anyone other than themselves.
Next up is a “good conscience” (v5). The conscience (Gr. suneidesis) the part of the soul God gives to every person allowing us to distinguish between good and evil. That innate sense of right and wrong. The writer of Hebrews asks his readers to pray for he and his friends “that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things” (Heb 13:18). Paul’s friend and personal pastor Peter says that “having a good conscience” is key when it comes to telling others about our faith in Jesus (1Pet 3:15-16).
When we have a strong inner sense of moral law, that’s a clear indication there’s a Moral Law Giver. Otherwise, who makes the call on whether doing bad things to puppies and kittens is a bad thing? Who decides whether Hitler’s so-called Final Solution is the wrong answer? Who’s to judge Syria’s president for killing his own people with chemical weapons? Is it you? Is it me? Is that up to the talking heads on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC? It’s the ultimate Source of our conscience. If you haven’t figure out Who that is at this point, it’s God, the Righteous Judge. Can’t think of anyone else who’s more qualified, can you?
A key component in loving others is “sincere faith” (v5). Paul’s describing a trust in Jesus that’s the real deal. It’s not a put on. It’s not just for show. It’s not just showing up at church in order to pull the wool over the eyes of others. This is a bona fide belief in who Jesus is and what He’s done. It’s trusting in what He’s done that I could never dream of doing for myself. That kind of faith runs in Tim’s family. Paul will later write about how it all started with me-maw. “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2Tim 1:5). While it’s awesome when faith runs deep in your family, we need to remember that God doesn’t have any grandchildren. Your faith needs to YOUR faith. And it needs to be legit. It needs to be sincere.
Now it’s time for a little Gospel math. “Pure heart” + “good conscience” + “sincere faith” = sacrificial and selfless “love.” In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They don’t just add up, they multiply! When you put each of them together, God does something incredible, something supernatural. He pours His love through us and transforms us into fire hydrants of His grace. That’s what happens we get focused back on the main purpose. Once Tim shuts down the sales of spiritual snake oil, the Ephesian believers can get back to what Jesus calls us to do…loving God and loving people.
What’s hijacked you from the main mission? What has weaseled it’s way into your heart and polluted your desires? How about your conscience? Is there something that’s got the warning lights flashing down at quality control? Do you have something you need to get off your chest and confess? And what about your faith? Is it the real deal? Or is it phony? Are just trying to fool folks into thinking you’ve got your stuff in one bag with a twist tie? Don’t freak out. Forget Matt Foley. Jesus is ready and waiting to get you…BACK ON TRACK!
Monday, September 7, 2015
Do You Speak Klingon?
“nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1Tim 1:4)
Do you speak Klingon? What’s your take on Yoda’s species? Do really think Captain America is a member of the Tea Party? Let me get this out on the table from the get go. I’ve paid cash money to watch more than my fair share of movies from the all the sci-fi and superhero franchises. But I have many friends who are so consumed with these fantastic stories you might think they live aboard a starship or in the Marvel Universe. Have they ever sucked you into a black hole of discussion about the impossibilities in the conclusion of “Interstellar”?
Well if you’ve been hanging around Christians for any length of time, you know our friends who go to ComicCon haven’t cornered the market. Have you walked down the aisle of your local Christian bookstore lately? We’re constantly playing a goofy game of “Pin the Tail on the Antichrist.” You’ve got “The Bible Code” and its whacky sequels. There are books cooking up countless crazy connections between 9-11 and obscure Old Testament commands. You’ll even find authors claiming to find the cure for your irritable bowel in the pages of the Bible. I would say you can’t make this stuff up, but somebody clearly has!
Don’t make the mistake of believing this is some sort of recent fad. Church folks have been cooking up whacked out conspiracy theories for a thousands of years. When we take a look at one of the letters Paul wrote Timothy, we see it was going on at the megachurch in Ephesus. Yeah, THAT Ephesus. The apostle tells his protege that Jesus’ followers should not “devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (v4). Some of the most popular hobbies in the Ephesian church are interminable discussions about urban legends that aren’t in the Bible. Stuff, in the long run, that doesn’t mean a hill of beans.
These aren’t occasional confabs over coffee at Starbucks. Paul talks about how they “devote themselves” to them. He uses the Greek verb prosecho, which means paying very close attention to something. It can easily be understood as being consumed or even addicted to a particular activity. That makes this a worship issue. Do you spend more time on particular preoccupations than on things that have no eternal significance? We can do this with our smart phones, Facebook, Pinterest, sports, and scrapbooking. None of these is really evil all on their own. But anytime you take a good thing and make it a god thing that’s a bad thing. In a word, that’s idolatry. A certain section of the Ephesian church has unhealthy obsession with debating issues that don’t matter. How about you? What have you allowed to be your personal time suck?
For the Ephesian church, a boatload of their schedule is loaded with debates over “myths” (v4). A closer look at the original language reveals exactly what’s going on. This is muthos, which is fiction, a fable, or made-up story. We’re talking about fairy tales. This term can even mean a wild rumor or whacky conspiracy theory. Imagine a small group devoted to digging into the pages of the Weekly World News or one of the other tacky tabloids at the checkout counter. I don’t know if you realize this or not, but you really can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Shocking, right?
Apparently these whacky goofball stories are all the rage in the first century church. Later in this letter, Paul tells Tim, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths (Gr. muthos)” (1Tim 4:7). A few years later in another note, the apostle warns Tim again how Jesus’ followers are easily distracted and “wander off into myths (Gr. muthos)” (2Tim 4:4). Paul alerts Titus that the congregations on Crete must avoid “devoting themselves to Jewish myths (Gr. muthos)” which pull them away from God’s truth (Titus 1:14). Don’t think the man from Tarsus is the only one who sees these religious fairy tales as something to be avoided. Pete’s the leader of Jesus’ apostles and promises, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths (Gr. muthos) when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2Pet 1:16).
But that’s not the only unhealthy distraction. Tim’s also trying to put the kibosh “endless genealogies, which promote speculations” (v4). Folks are spending WAY too much time and energy trying to trace their family trees. We all want to tell people about our impressive ancestors. Tell me you haven’t looked back at your ancestors to see if you’re a descendant of royalty or some celebrity. While it’s nice to know all about your memaw and pawpaw, there’s nothing to truly gain by spending hour upon hour climbing your family tree. I don’t know about you, but I’m a little afraid about what I might find along the way. A dive into one of these genealogical rat holes is “endless” (v4). Paul uses a Greek term here (Gr. aperantos) that means something that cannot be passed through. It’s boundless, limitless, and interminable. A series that never stops. It’s a conversation from which there is no escape! You’ve been cornered in a few of those, I’m sure.
All this mindless lip-flapping will simply “promote speculations” (v4). These aren’t so much controversies as distractions. God’s people argue about a boatload of stuff in the Bible that we don’t really have the answers to. How often should we celebrate communion? Should be people be dunked all the way under during baptism? Worship songs or hymns? How loud the music should be? Should we go on? I’ll answer for you. No. Some folks refer to these as open-handed and close-handed issues. There are doctrinal points we need to keep in a kung fu grip. You know the ones. The Trinity. God’s creation of the universe. How we broke His perfect creation. Jesus is the sinless Son of God who died for our sin, was buried, and rose on the third day.
The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing. We should put all our efforts into “the stewardship from God that is by faith” (v4). Don’t major in the minors. Let’s avoid speculating on things that we can’t know for sure. Instead, let’s focus on our loving Heavenly Dad, our awesome Big Brother Jesus, and the brothers and sisters we’ll be spending eternity with. That’s the family we need to devote ourselves to. That’s the genealogy that really matters. This is a HUGE reminder that we’re to carefully take care of all that God has given us in Christ. It’s all about our faith in Jesus. What He did for us that we could never do.
I really don't care if you can shoot the breeze with Worf in his native Klingon tongue. What intergalactic race of beings Yoda is part of, I care not. And I don’t give a hot hoot about Captain America’s political leanings. Instead, how about we spend a good bit of our calendar on what really matters? Who Jesus is. What He has done. Loving those around us. Being a firehose of His grace to everyone we meet.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Snake Oil in E City
“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine” (1Tim 1:3).
Radical problems call for radical measures. A diagnosis of cancer probably means treatment involving chemo, radiation, or even surgery. The driver who suddenly finds himself behind the wheel of skidding car on ice, has to take action NOW! That’s the scene in Ephesus as Paul writes to his buddy Timothy with important instructions about what to do next. The apostle had to leave for his next assignment and handed the reins of leadership of the Ephesian megachurch. Things may be at DEFCON 1 in the congregation, but Tim is to hang tight in E City with some very specific instructions. “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine” (v3). You see, there are certain situations which demand immediate and drastic action.
It’s really easy to read these books of the New Testament as pie-in-the-sky theological treatises that have nothing to do with real life. These original churches back in the first century must have been perfect. Everybody gets along. The preaching is pure. The worship is awesome. Yeah, right. These expansion franchises dealt with much of the same garbage your church does today. Paul’s note to Timothy is a perfect example. This is a real letter to a real person in a real place dealing with real problems. It’s a snapshot in time which God has included in His Word that not only describes what they faced in Ephesus but godly instruction on how we roll up our sleeves to fix the same problems 2,000 years later.
Understanding the setting is a pretty big deal. Paul is finally out of Caesar’s Supermax after waiting around five years for a hearing over his role in a riot at the temple in Jerusalem. Dr. Luke spends almost eight chapters in his sequel writing all about the apostle’s legal troubles and how Jesus uses them to spread His message of grace across the Mediterranean to the capital of the Roman Empire (Acts 21:27-28:31). While he’s behind bars, Paul writes a series of letters to various churches helping put out fires in the fellowship.
The apostle writes one of those epistles to the Ephesian church. There’s false teaching just down the road in Colossae that’s almost certainly headed their way (Col 2:16-23). A team of spiritual hucksters are telling Christ followers that Jesus may have gotten them into God’s kingdom but they have to follow some VERY specific rules in order to stay in. Once he’s released, Paul makes a point of dropping by to see his friends in E City, a cross cultural crossroads and important seaport on the west coast of what is now modern day Turkey. It certainly appears that despite his previous efforts, a doctrinal cancer is growing in the church he planted about ten years ago (Acts 19). So you may want to see 1st Timothy as 2nd Ephesians. The only difference is that Paul and his buddy Tim have had boots on the ground and seen the situation firsthand. It doesn’t take long to find out the Colossian cancer has spread the 100 plus miles to Ephesus.
Right out of the chute we see Paul’s not there. But he gives detailed instructions “as I urged you when I was going to Macedonia” (v3). The apostle has hit the road to handle stuff just across the Aegean Sea in Europe. Jesus used Paul to plant Macedonian churches in Philippi (Acts 16:12-40), Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9), and Berea (Acts 17:10-15). While the apostle certainly has a ton of friends in Macedonia, he also made an army of enemies. Folks got so ticked off at him that huge riots erupted in each of those cities. He’s not exactly going to kick back for a few days of R&R on a beach chair holding a drink with an umbrella in it. When the Gospel gets ahold of your heart, you’re like a first responder. You run INTO trouble, not away from it.
Paul tells Tim to “remain in Ephesus” (v3). In giving his instructions, he uses the Greek verb prosmeno. It means to hold fast, continue with the current situation, stay, or endure. Throughout the NT, this term doesn’t describe hitting the pause button for a few seconds. We’re talking about endurance and faithfulness. Barnabas did his best to fire up the church in Antioch “to remain faithful (Gr. prosmeno) to the Lord with steadfast purpose” (Acts 11:23). Paul hung tight at the church in Antioch and “stayed (Gr. prosmeno) many days longer” (Acts 18:18). Later in this letter, he tells Tim how a truly godly widow “continues (Gr. prosmeno) in supplications and prayers night and day” (1Tim 5:5).
Hang in there, Tim. Hold what you’ve got. Stay…just a little bit longer. How about you? Are you thinking of bailing on your current situation? Thinking of pulling the rip cord? Maybe God has placed you in that circumstance to be the one to spread His salt and shine His light during these difficult days. Maybe He’s doesn’t want to deliver you from what you face but deliver you THROUGH it. Hey, I’m not exactly the poster boy of perseverance myself. I’ve punked out when times got tough. But God’s Spirit has also given me the strength in the storm more than once. Maybe, just maybe Jesus wants you to hang in there. Stay…just a little bit longer.
The apostle tells Tim he’s to hang in E City “so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine” (v3). There’s a pretty good chance these are probably the same spiritual hucksters who stirred up trouble down the road in Colossae. Paul tried to inoculate them from this false teaching in his letter from prison to the Ephesians. Clearly this rotten gospel has jacked up these believers in a big way.
Before the apostle hit the road for Macedonia, he tossed Hymenaeus and Alexander out of the church (1Tim 1:20). They were probably the ring leaders of this posse of religious snake oil salesmen who had weaseled their way inside the fellowship. Interestingly, John MacArthur believes these goobers held official leadership positions in the Ephesian church. That may explain why he gives very specific instructions about the qualities and characteristics of elders later in the letter (1Tim 3:1-7) as well as what to do when an elder sins (1Tim 5:19-22). These two knuckleheads may be gone, but their influence remains.
Paul tells Tim to shut it down right here and right now. He’s to stuff a sock in anyone who would “teach any different doctrine” (v3). This phrase is actually one Greek verb: heterodidaskaleo. It means to teach something other than what should be taught, instruct error as if it was proper, or teach a false doctrine. This word only appears one other time and it happens to be later in this very same letter. “If anyone teaches a different doctrine (Gr. heterodidaskaleo) and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing” (1Tim 6:3-4). These hucksters had duped believers into thinking they had to follow a certain set of rules to ensure their place in God’s family.
Don’t be fooled. There is only ONE Gospel. There is single message of Good News. The only way to have a relationship with God is by trusting in who Jesus and what He’s done for us that we could never do for ourselves. He followed God’s Law perfectly. I’ve failed miserably. He died the death on a cross for my disobedience. I certainly should have. He rose to new life. I absolutely don’t deserve it. He does it all for me and you. There’s absolutely nothing left for us to do to seal the deal of our salvation. It’s the reason Jesus shouted for the world to hear from the cross, “It is finished! (Jn 19:30). Instead of counterfeit not-so-good news, we to place our trust in the “Gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1Tim 1:11). Accept no substitutes.
False gospel garbage not only stinks up the joint but is incredibly unhealthy for everyone around it. It can’t continue. It needs to be cleaned up and taken to the dump. Here’s an important part of church life that some of us don’t like to talk about. There are critical times when you have to confront folks who are teaching something other than the true Gospel of Jesus. Yeah, we want the church to be a place of love and grace. But in order to get there, evil and wrong must be dealt with. Jesus places pastors and church leaders in the position to protect His flock. When wolves infiltrate and start spreading their stinking thinking, drastic measures are required. They must be confronted. They must be shut down. Radical measures must be taken.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
That's My Boy!
“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (1Tim 1:2).
Who’s your go-to? Who’s that person you’ve got in your contacts you can’t wait to call? That one who’s always been there and will always be there? For Paul, there’s no question that’s Timothy. The apostle writes the first of two personal notes to his young and trusted friend while Tim’s on special assignment pastoring the megachurch Paul planted in Ephesus (1Tim 1:3). As he opens this letter, Paul gushes over his young buddy. “To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (v2).
Just who is this guy? What’s the deal with Timothy? You’ll be glad to know that there are very few people other than Jesus and His crew of apostles the New Testament has more to say about than the Timster. His name literally means “one who honors God.” That comes as a shock to no one. Let’s take a quick look at his bio. He grew up in Lystra in modern day Turkey. He’s a product of a mixed marriage. His dad was a Gentile and his mom Jewish (Acts 16:1). Just more proof that the only pedigree you need to enter God’s kingdom is placing your trust in Jesus. Paul mentored several younger dudes over the years. But Timothy is on the short list of his personal favorites.
Dr. Luke describes Paul meeting Tim on a stop in Lystra during the second tour (Acts 16:1-2). By calling him a “disciple,” the good doctor lets us know Tim’s been a follower of Jesus for a while. The apostle was apparently was instrumental in introducing Jesus and Tim on his first trip through Lystra with Barnabas a couple of years before (Acts 14:8-18). That original stop in Lystra is one for the books. Things escalate quickly when God uses Paul to heal a man disabled from birth. The people of the city are so blown away that they actually believe Paul and Barney are actually the Roman gods Hermes and Zeus. The dynamic duo make it clear they aren’t superheroes but messengers of great news from God. Some Jews from neighboring cities got so upset at what Paul and Barney were teaching that nearly killed Paul and left him for dead just outside the city limits (Acts 14:19).
Jesus has clearly transformed the young buck over the past couple of years. “He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium” (Acts 16:2). Despite his age, Tim is clearly growing like crazy spiritually. He’s gained quite a rep among the local churches in the area. His name keeps coming up over and over as other believers talk to Paul and Barney. At this point it seems obvious to the apostle that this is exactly the kind dude who needs be part of his team.
Who are folks talking up around you? Who’s name do they keep dropping as a rockin’ disciple of Jesus? That’s somebody you probably ought to meet. And what about you? What’s your rep? We’re not talking about managing an image. We’re talking about integrity. Do folks both inside and outside the church see you as a person as someone who is looked up to and can be trusted? Later in his first letter to Tim, Paul talks about how leaders in the local church should be “well thought of by outsiders” (1Tim 3:7).
Because Tim was half-Hebrew and there was quite a controversy about what it meant to be a Jewish follower of Jesus, Paul “took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek” (Acts 16:3). Remember, tensions between Jews and Jesus’ disciples exploded into a riot the last time Paul hit Lystra. There’s no reason to stir up that hornet’s nest again.
Stop and think for just a moment about Tim’s commitment to follow Christ. He was so passionate about who Jesus is and what He had done in his life that he’s willing to let Paul circumcise him as an adult! Normally this rather delicate procedure happens at a bris when a baby Jewish boy is just eight days old. It’s a little different for a grown man. I don’t know about you, but that’s dedication to the cause of Christ in my book! And I complain about getting up early and reading my Bible everyday. Boy, do I feel like a wimp!!
As a result playing a key role in his walk with Christ and not to mention being the rabbi at his adult bris, Paul sees himself as Tim’s spiritual father. He addresses this note to “my true child in the faith” (v2). Luke mentions Tim’s name at several key spots throughout the book of Acts. When a posse from Thessalonica threatens Paul in Berea (are you seeing a trend here?), he leaves Silas and Tim behind to wrap things up before rejoining him down the road (Acts 17:14-15). Tim and Silas arrive in Corinth just in time to see Paul kick local Jews to the curb for opposing the Gospel (Acts 18:5). Tim and Erastus are the apostle’s advance team on his third tour, making preps for his visit to Macedonia (Acts 19:22). Luke lists Tim as a member of Paul’s posse heading to Jerusalem with much needed famine relief (Acts 20:4).
When Paul writes his letter to his friends in Rome, Tim is right there with him (Rom 16:21). The apostle uses his protege as key part in putting out the dumpster fire at the church in Corinth. He gushes to the Corinthians that Tim is “my believed and faithful child in the Lord” who’s coming to get them back on track in following Jesus (1Cor 4:17). Paul encourages folks in Corinth to throw out the welcome mat for Tim because “he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am” (1Cor 16:10-11). He’s right there when the man from Tarsus composes another letter to the Corinthians (2Cor 1:1).
He’s there again with Silvanus when Paul drops both of his notes to the Thessalonian church (1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1). The apostle reminds them how “we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the Gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith” (1Th 3:2). Clearly one of Tim’s gifts is his ability to stoke the fires of faith in Jesus when things are cooling off. Who does that for you? Who do you want to be around when the flames of faith are fading? It’s also a reminder of how important is for each of us to continually stack kindling around fellow believers. Let God use you to stoke the faith fires!
Later, Tim’s with Paul in prison when he writes to both the Philippians (Phil 1:1) and Colossians (Col 1:1) as well as his buddy Philemon (Phm 1). The apostle sends the young fellow from Lystra to visit the church in Philippi and says “I have no one like him” (Phil 2:19-23). For all the awesome guys Paul mentored over the years, that’s quite a recommendation! If I’m Timothy, I’m pretty sure that’s going on my resume and LinkedIn profile. Apparently he also did time in the slammer like his mentor. The writer of Hebrews says, “Our brother Timothy has been released” (Heb 13:25).
And who does Paul write to just before his own death? You’ve got three guesses and your first two don’t count. When the apostle knows he’s a dead man walking, he reaches out to “Timothy, my beloved child” (2Tim 1:2). Paul spends his final written words pumping Tim up for the road ahead after his execution. Just before he signs off, he pleads with his spiritual son to get to Rome as quickly as he can (2Tim 4:9-13, 21). Who’s your 911? Who’s your one phone call when your at rock bottom? Who’s your ultimate “phone-a-friend”? For the man Jesus used to write most of the New Testament, it’s Timothy.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
When Jesus Flips the Script
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (1Tim 1:1).
Let your imagination run at high RPMs for just a moment. Think of your greatest enemy suddenly becoming your most passionate supporter? Your hated archival unexpectedly is the best player on your team. Yeah, you’ve seen former Red Sox like Johnny Damon pull on the pinstripes of the Yankees evil empire. But that’s small potatoes. Something even whackier than Coach K coaching Carolina. In the blink of an eye, someone who once wanted you to die becomes willing to give their life for you. How about Darth Vader cheering on Luke and Leia? Or Osama bin Laden as President of the U.S.?
Well, that’s the kind of jaw-dropping turnaround we’re talking about in life of Paul of Tarsus. One minute he’s the murderer of Jesus’ followers. The next he’s the missionary of Jesus’ message. From assassin to apostle. There’s no one, and I mean NO ONE, who saw this one coming. Nobody except Jesus. But the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee loves to pull off this kind of stunning stories. It’s His speciality, really. Jesus loves to flip the script.
Here the apostle formerly known as Saul writes to his protege Timothy who’s pastoring the mega-church in Ephesus. Thirty years ago, the man from Tarsus devoted his life to wiping such members of the Way off the face of the planet. But a lot can happen when Christ gets ahold of you. Instead of plotting to crush this congregation, he’s planning to help the pastor of the church he previously planted. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (v1). I said you were going to have to let your imagination run wild, didn’t I?
A few years back, you never would have never dreamed of a 180 like this. Back in the day, folks knew him as Saul and he’s was on the Jewish fast track (Phil 3:5-6). Born and raised in the Turkish town of Tarsus (Acts 22:3). He left home to study under one of greatest rabbis of the day, the one and only Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). We first read all about this rising star when he flips out over Jesus and His followers. We see Saul running the coat check table at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58-60). The next thing you know, he pleads with Jewish leaders to let him go a search-and-destroy mission for this pesky sect (Acts 8:1-3). He’s a one-man Hebrew wrecking crew. Saul hunts down Jesus’ followers, arrests some and murders others (Acts 22:4). If he had Youtube back in the day, he probably would have posted videos like ISIS.
But something absolutely crazy occurred on one of his patented black ops missions. He was rolling to Damascus to rub out another rebel cell. Suddenly, the resurrected Jesus personally blindsides Saul (Acts 9:1-9). Christ turns Saul’s life upside down and inside out. He goes from murderer to missionary. Jesus transforms this assassin to an apostle. So for those of you doubting God can turn your life around or do something radical for your worst enemy, just remember what happened to Saul. When Jesus drenches you with His ridiculous grace, anything is possible. He specializes in selecting rejects and rebels and then using them in ridiculous ways (1Cor 1:27-29). That’s what happens when Jesus flips the script.
The former Pharisee reminds Timothy that he’s “an apostle of Christ Jesus” (v1). So just what is an apostle? Back in the first century, an “apostle” (Gr. apostolos) was the job description anyone who handpicked to represent someone else. In other words, the person doing the sending hands their apostle the same power and authority of the sender. So when the Apostle Paul speaks or writes, his words carry the same oomph as our Savior. It’s why he kicks off most of his letters remind folks that he’s the Lord’s official rep (Rom 1:1; 2Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 1Tim 1:1; 2Tim 1:1). Not a bad thing to have on your LinkedIn profile. So being one of Jesus’ apostles is a pretty big deal.
While there are no longer any living capital “A” apostles, every follower of Jesus is His official ambassador. Just as His Heavenly Dad sent Christ into our world on the greatest rescue mission the universe has ever seen, He sends also you and me. He sends us with His gracious invitation to be part of His kingdom. He sends us with the message of forgiveness and grace found only in Christ. He sends us to the rejects. He sends us to the rebels. If you’re wondering, that pretty much describes everybody you meet who doesn’t know Jesus. You and I may not be apostles, but He personally sends us out into the world as shiners of His light and spreaders of His salt. Jesus wants to flip the script in their lives too.
Monday, August 31, 2015
God. Never. Lies.
“in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (Titus 1:2)
Who’s let you down? Who’s failed to deliver on their promise? Who’s used you to get what they want by selling you a load of fecal matter? Let’s run down the list of the usual suspects. First of all, there are politicians. You can tell when their lying because their lips are moving. Then you’ve got the used car salesman. He’ll tell you what you want to hear so he can put you behind the wheel of that car today. Ever fallen for the sleazy pitch of cable infomercial? If you’re in the market for a pill to melt away your love handles or the secret to flipping houses on somebody else’s dime, operators are standing by!
But I have some good news. Some VERY good news! When it comes to liars, God is THE Outlier. He’s the one we can always trust to be truthful. In the beginning of his letter to his protege Titus, the Apostle Paul wants him to be absolutely sure of God’s truthfulness, especially when it comes to His promise of everlasting life. “In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (v2). I don’t know about you, but if there’s one thing I don’t want anyone fudging on the truth, it’s eternal life. That would be the ultimate bait and switch. Paul tells us we can relax because our Heavenly Dad isn’t pulling our leg when it comes to our eternity.
God. Never. Lies.
First let’s back up and get a little context for what’s going on here. God has been using Paul and Titus to tell everyone on the island of Crete about the Good News of Jesus. Through Christ, God has thrown open the doors of His kingdom to every race, culture, language, and socio-economic group. Back in the day, the only way to get an invite to the party was becoming Jewish. Not any more. As a result, the Gospel is absolutely blowing up on this Mediterranean island. God has another assignment for Paul back on the mainland in Nicopolis in what we know today as Greece (Titus 3:12). Since there is still a boatload of work left to do on Crete, he hands the ball to his boy Titus (Titus 1:5). What a great lesson of trusting in Jesus to accomplish what needs to be done through others! For all you workaholics out there, stand down. There’s only one Savior. While He’s graciously invited you and me to be part of His work, He was doing this for a couple of thousand years before we got involved. Paul is totally confident Christ will use Titus to get the ball across the goal line.
A huge part of this incredible Good News is the mind-blowing benefits package. In Jesus, we have “hope of eternal life” (v2). It’s all part of God’s overflowing love for you and me (Jn 3:16). Everlasting life is available to anyone and everyone who places their trust in the Son of God. Christ did for us what we could never do for ourselves. He was completely obedient to every single command of God. Jesus lived the perfect life I failed to live. He died the death for my disobedience and sin I should have died. He rose to a glorious new and eternal life I don’t deserve.
First of all, we need to know that eternal life starts NOW!! Don’t believe me? How about Jesus? Well, He said exactly that. “Whoever hears My words and believes Him who sent Me HAS eternal life” (Jn 5:24 emphasis added). Once Christ gets us in His supernatural Kung Fu grip, He won’t let us go (Jn 6:39-40). We can be absolutely sure of this because God has “sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” until the day it is fully realized (Eph 1:13-14). So this everlasting and overflowing life isn’t a pie-in-the-sky-sweet-by-and-by sort of deal. Eternal life starts the moment we place our faith in the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee. Eternal life starts right here, right now.
This “hope of eternal life” (v2) is a game changer and brings with it endurance, patience, and perseverance. I don’t know about you, but life on this side of eternity is incredibly hard a lot of the time. It’s not exactly a skip down the primrose path with my pet unicorn under a Skittle rainbow. But our relationship with Jesus allows us access to His resurrection power to handle everything our fallen world throws our way. As a result, we can share in His sufferings, die with Him and fully experience the resurrection of the dead (Phil 3:10-11). The garbage we face in this fallen world pales in comparison to our glorious eternity with Jesus (Rom 8:18, 25). God promises to guard our eternal inheritance and guarantees it to be “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1Pet 1:3-5).
But how can we be sure God isn’t just selling us some heavenly swamp land or an eternal time share? Paul wants us to be sure that He’s our “God, who never lies” (v2). This is no supernatural switcheroo. We can take it to the bank. One of the big ideas throughout the Bible is that God is the source of truth, He can’t do anything but tell the truth. King David praised God because “Your words are true” (2Sam 7:28). Even a slimy prophet for hire named Balaam had to admit, “God is not a man that He should lie” (Num 23:19). The writer of Hebrews goes so far as to say it’s absolutely impossible for God say anything but the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (Heb 6:18). Jesus had the audacity to say He IS the truth (Jn 14:6)! So it’s not surprising when Christ describes the Third Person of the Trinity as “the Spirit of Truth” (Jn 14:17).
God. Never. Lies.
This is going to be a big deal to Titus in wrapping up his mission. You see, Cretans are known liars (Titus 1:12)! The followers of Jesus should stand out from the crowd because we are truth tellers. Remember, He created us in His image and commands us to stop fudging the facts and shading the truth (Ex 20:16). Speak truth. Stop lying. Stop spinning things to make yourself look better. Just so you’ll know, the book of Proverbs promises that liars won’t get away with it in the end (Prov 19:9). Thought you’d like to know.
Our truth telling God wants us to count on this eternal life which was “promised before the ages began” (v2). This wasn’t some idea He cooked up for the New Testament. We’re talking so long ago that God hadn’t even invented time at the time. Over in his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul explodes in praise for all that God has done for us in an incredible run-on sentence of worship. In the original Greek, Ephesians 1:3-14 is actually one incredibly long sentence. In it, the apostle cranks up the Flux Capacitor to let us know how God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ…In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined” (Eph 1:4, 5, 11). Without going into a mind-numbing explanation of Calvinism and election, the best picture here is that God has been loving you and me long before He got around to creating the universe. God actually saved us in an incredible expression of His descending, one way love “which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2Tim 1:9). Think about that for just a second. God loved you and planned to come to your rescue long before Adam and Eve fell for the lies of that satanic snake.
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