Today’s Thoughts – 8 December 2020

Thou Therefore

When we look at a particular passage of Scripture, we must also always look for the context of that passage. For, “a text without a context is just a pretext” it has been said. As well, “when there is a therefore or a wherefore, we must look to see what it is there for.”

The context for these two verses is based on the previous chapter where Paul is reminding Timothy about his calling and ordination to preach the Word of God. Paul also gave Timothy examples of himself and of others that we looked at yesterday. This is the context for the next two verses we will look at.

Be Strong in the Grace

To start, we must be strong in this world, in our ministry, in our home. It is only in the strength of the grace of Christ that we can be strong. By God’s unmerited favor that He has granted us, we can be empowered to preach, teach, and share the Word of God.

And as the false doctrines and false teachings are all around us (as we’ve seen in 1 Timothy), we must have the same zeal and attitude about spreading the Word of God. Yet, it takes strength to teach the Word of God. Pastors spend days and weeks preparing for a 30-40 minute message.

There is a reward for such dedication to the Word of God. Proverbs tells us that it is like silver, gold, and rubies (Proverbs 3:13-15). The wealth of the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of the Word of God is far above any wealth this world provides. But, it requires strength on the part of the student, given through God’s grace, to study the Word.

Things That Thou Hast heard

One of the qualifications of a pastor is being “apt to teach.” Yet, the ability to teach on a subject comes from first being “apt to learn.” We must always be learning – learning from the Word, from situations, from our peers, from our teachers and preachers.

If we close down the personal learning center of our lives, we will never see the messages that God is trying to speak to us through. We have not arrived and we do not know everything.

The most eloquent, learned, put-together, 3-point-alliterated preacher you have ever listened to does not know it all either. We all must always be in a state of learning, being “apt to learn” so we can be “apt to teach” when the time comes (1 Peter 3:15).

Commit Thou to Faithful Men

God has made us a steward of His Word, and He has given us instructions to read, understand, and learn from it (like we just saw). He has also given us instructions to pass it on to others. This verse doesn’t necessarily cover spreading the gospel with a lost world.

In context, this verse has to do with local church Bible teaching. It has to do with a pastor or teacher in the church entrusting the teachings of the Word to others in the church who are willing to learn and grow from the Word.

Some churches call this their Bible Institute. Some also have personal mentoring of the senior Pastor to a younger man recognizing the call of God on his life.

The point is that one of the ministries of a local church and of a pastor or teacher should be to pass down the knowledge they have learned of the Word of God to faithful, dedicated, and reliable people in the church.

Teach Others Also

The reason to entrust the knowledge of the Word to faithful people in the church is so that they in turn can teach others what they have learned. This is a way of reproducing yourself and your ministry.

By sharing what I know with you, you can then share what you know with someone else. I can help you grow, and in turn, you can help someone else grow in the Word.

This is the ministry of the local church and of the pastors and teachers in each local church. Paul continues to teach Timothy the right ways to minister in his age which can continue to be applied to our age today.