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Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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2010 GBC THEME -
2 “Training
Faithful Disciples and Leaders for Ministry” (2Ti 2:2) Pastor I. THE CALLING OF A FAITHFUL
DISCIPLE AND LEADER II. THE CONTENT FOR A FAITHFUL DISCIPLE AND
LEADER A. Definition of Disciple and
Leader 1. A
“disciple” (mathetę́s from manthánō – to learn) means
a learner, follower, and imitator of Jesus who in turn helps other to do the
same (Mt 10:24-25; Mt 13:52). This is a divine mandate upon all believers (Mt
28:19-20). 2. A “leader” is a disciple who leads by
example and by his spiritual service to Christ and other believers (Lk
22:26). B. “The Things Which You
Heard from Me” 1. Knowing
that every true believer is called to be a faithful disciple and leader for
ministry, Paul asks Timothy to recall the things that Paul taught Timothy.
Timothy was to entrust those things to faithful men who then in turn would
teach them to others. But what were “the things” that Timothy heard from
Paul? 2. The things that Timothy heard from Paul
was sound doctrine and treasures from the Scriptures. Paul speaks of these
things earlier in the letter, “Retain the standard of sound words which
you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been
entrusted to you.” (2Ti 1:13-14). Paul’s “sound words” (fr
hugiainō – healthy or soundness, metaphorically, sound doctrinal
teaching 1Ti 1:10) referred to sound doctrinal teaching. They were “good things,”
i.e. treasures of the core teaching from the Scriptures. Sound doctrine was
the core of Paul’s teaching: a) Believers
are to guard against false doctrine (1Ti 1:3; 4:1). b) Believers are nourished by sound doctrine
(1Ti 4:1). c) Believers are to live godly so sound
doctrine is not reproached (1Ti 6:1). d) Believers are to conform to the apostolic
(biblical) doctrine (1Ti 6:3). e) Believers are to endure sound doctrine
(2Ti 4:3). f) Believers are to entrust sound doctrine
to faithful disciples to be passed on (2Ti 2:2). They were “entrusted” (parathekę
– deposit or trust) to Timothy, the very same things he was to entrust to
other faithful men. 3. What
doctrines might have Paul taught Timothy? We can safely say that it would
definitely be the doctrines Paul wrote about in his two letters to Timothy.
Doctrines such as: a) The
Inspiration of Scripture (2Ti 3:16) (1) All
Scripture is inspired by God. Inspiration (theópneustos) means
“God (theo) breathed (pneō – to blow)” or “breathed out by
God.” This means that the Scriptures originated from God, whether He spoke
them or communicated them to a prophet or apostle. (2) Ultimately, the Scriptures are the exact
word of God, which communicates God’s Person, will, truths, salvation, and
instruction. Paul taught the doctrine of the Inspiration of Scripture. b) Incarnation
of Christ (1Ti 2:5; 1Ti 3:16) (1) Paul
taught the incarnation of Christ. Incarnation means in the flesh. This is the
doctrine that teaches that God the Son took on humanity (1Ti 3:16). He was
God and became man; therefore, He was the only mediator (1Ti 2:5). (2) Christ Jesus became a man so that he could
die, and die on the cross for man’s sin. c) Salvation
by Grace Through Faith ( 1Ti 1:15; 2Ti 3:15) (1) In 1 Ti
1:15, Paul used the phrase, “It is a trustworthy statement” to convey an
accepted doctrinal statement or truth (1Ti 3:1; 4:9; 2Ti 2:11; Ti 3:8). Paul
taught the doctrine of salvation as the heart of God’s redemptive plan.
Salvation means to be saved from sin and its penalty. Therefore “Christ came
into the world to save sinners.” Christ died in the sinners place on the
cross. It is called “substitutionary atonement.” “Substitution” is the fact
that Christ died in the place if sinners. “Atonement” is the payment by
Christ’s death for penalty man’s sin. (2) Paul taught that salvation was by faith
alone and not by works. This what the Scriptures teach so that even as a
child, Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother that salvation was
through faith in Christ Jesus (2Ti 3:15). d) Resurrection
of Christ (2Ti 2:8) (1) The
resurrection of Christ is part of the Gospel (1Co 15:1-4) and is proof that
Jesus was the Son of God (Ro 1:4) and that His death on the cross paid for
man’s sins (1Co 15:17). (2) Christ’s resurrection was “on account of” (diá
- with the accusative - on account of or because) the fact that man’s
justification was provided for in Christ’s finished work on the cross. The
resurrection provides proof that Christ’s atonement and Christi’s
righteousness has been accepted by God on the sinner’s behalf (Ro 4:25). The
other doctrines of Christianity stand or fall on the doctrine of the
resurrection. e) Eternal
Security (2Ti 1:12; 2Ti 2:10) (1) Paul
taught that a true believer was eternally secure in Christ because Christ was
the One who was able to guard it (2Ti 1:12). Guard (phulássō)
means to keep under guard or watch over. The believer is “in Christ” and no
one is able to snatch him from Christ, not even the believer himself (Jn
6:37; 10:28-29; Ro 8:38-39). (2) Salvation in Christ includes not only the
forgiveness of sins, but also eternal glory (2Ti 2:10). f) Second
Coming of Christ (1Ti 6:14; 2Ti 4:1, 8) (1) Paul
taught that believers were to live spiritual and fruitful lives until
Christ’s Second Appearing (epipháneia – shine forth, visible
manifestation, sometimes of a divine being). (2) Christ’s First Appearing (epipháneia
– same word) was when He became a man and died on the cross to provide
atonement (2Ti 1:10). Believers are to lovingly look forward to His coming
(2Ti 6:4:8). g) Millennial
Kingdom (2Ti 4:1) (1) Another
doctrine Paul taught was the Christ’s “kingdom” during the Millennium. This
is the thousand year reign of Christ on the throne of David, thus fulfilling
the Davidic Covenant (Re 20:1-7; also cp. 2Sa 7:16). (2) Note that Christ’s “judging the living and
the dead” is a future prophetic event that will be fulfilled literally, as is
the case with His “appearing” and “kingdom.” h) Conduct
Based on Doctrinal Beliefs (1) Teaching
Concerning Qualifications for Leaders (1Ti 3:1–13) (2) Teaching Concerning False Teachers (1Ti
4:1–16) (3) Teaching Concerning Church Responsibilities
(1Ti 5:1–6:2) (4) Teaching Concerning Ministry (2Ti 2:1-26) (5) Teaching Concerning Apostasy (2Ti 3:1-17) (6) Teaching Concerning Faithful Preaching (2Ti
4:1-5) 4. The
content for a disciple and leader is doctrinal truth and teaching from the
Word. This is what faithful disciples and leaders are to learn and pass on
and why Paul’s admonition about
“preaching the Word” is so emphatic and crucial (2Ti 4:1-4). I solemnly
charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the
living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out
of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to
have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in
accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth
and will turn aside to myths. |
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