Paul's Advice to Timothy

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Three L’s of Timothy: Letter, Lesson, Life, and my focus is our Epistle (2 Timothy 1:1-14). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Monday morning is when I usually start to write a new sermon. As I thought about this activity, it came to me that I like to start on Monday morning because Sunday worship is behind me and another is only six days away. In full disclosure, I write most new sermons more than a week ahead of time. For example, I started writing this sermon on September 19, 2022.

Monday morning used to be the time I would meet with my boss or staff and go over briefly how our weekends went. For example, on Monday morning, February 15, 2016, I asked my boss, “What did you get your wife for Valentine’s Day?” He replied, “A box of chocolates and a card.” Since I initiated the conversation, he knew that I wanted him to ask me, and he did. I replied, “A house.” To this he said, “I don’t think anyone will top that one.”

Some people do not look forward to Monday morning. Some know that additional labor awaits them at the office. Others need extra coffee and pray for a short day. There are eight federal holidays in 2022 that fall on a Monday, not including New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Veterans’ Day. Whether or not you celebrate the Birthday of George Washington or Jesus Christ, you don’t have to work on those Mondays. So, for some, Mondays mean an extra-long weekend.

Additional terms from Monday morning include Monday morning disease (a horse disease), Monday-morning feeling and Monday morning sickness. The idiom, Monday morning quarterbacking was coined in 1931 to describe the critical rehashing of the weekend football game strategy. Monday morning quarterbacking has also come to be understood as one who second guesses.

I mention all of this because when it comes to the Second Letter of Timothy, you will discover that Biblical scholars are akin to Monday morning quarterbacks when it comes to expressing their opinions and second guesses about the Pastoral Letters. So, in the spirit of the season, Here we go, Stillers! Here we go! Let’s look at the Letter, today’s Lesson and Life.

While some scholars think 2^nd Timothy was written by Paul during his “second career”, that is, between his arrests, most consider that a ghostwriter penned the Letter after Paul’s death as a farewell testament by someone who knew his last days so that the Letter would be historical with some dramatic license. However, the debate about the authorship and date should not muddle the power of this Letter.

The Letter is a passionate appeal that Paul’s work would continue beyond his death through generations of disciples. Paul committed his life to Christ and knew that even in his sufferings God would protect what He entrusted to His Church. Ironically, Paul was chained, but the Gospel cannot be. This is reflected in the manner in which Paul lived his faith in freedom and in prison which, in turn, encouraged his audience. Paul contributed enormously to making the love of Christ real to Christians, and 2^nd Timothy contributed to making Paul loved.

The body of this Letter is shorter than the 1^st Timothy, and the contents are written more tightly. The Letter takes into account Timothy’s personality and reflects Paul’s loneliness and suffering in prison as his death approaches.

2^nd Timothy is the third of Paul’s three final testaments. The first was Romans when he knew that he faced difficulties in Jerusalem but hoped he could travel to Rome and eventually to Spain. (See Romans 15:24ff.) The second is found in Acts 20:17-36, where he spoke to the church leaders of Ephesus because he was aware that he would never see them again. Yet, death is not envisioned in those passages as it is in this Letter, where we read, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (4:7-8).

The Letter contains teaching about the inspiration of Scripture (3:15-16); and the topic of false teaching, but here, specific names are mentioned. These individuals were teaching that the resurrection had already happened, and that there would be no resurrection of the dead. Paul addressed this in 1^st Corinthians 15:12ff, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

Having summarized the key points of the Letter, let me move to my second point, Lesson. The opening verses (1-3) express Paul’s life within the Christian community and his affinity to Timothy. Life within the Church is not just any life, but one shared with fellow believers. As I read this, I reflected upon something I read in the seminary. I was writing a theology paper and came across an article about St. Bonaventure, the Church and the Trinity. It has stayed with me these last 35 years. The teaching was that the deeper you immerse yourself into the life of the Church, the deeper your relationship with the Trinity is. It’s what Paul is saying here. There’s life and then there’s life in Christ which comes only through being a baptized and active member of the Church.

To understand his thanksgiving for the Christian faith (3-5), which depended upon a tradition that reached back through family to Israel, it helps to see that faith is properly handed on as links form a chain. Spiritual heirs must carry on this mission which is kindled and rekindled through the laying on of hands (6) and the handing down of the true teaching of the Faith.

Timothy possessed a sincere faith. He could have received this faith when Paul asked him to join him as a companion (Acts 14:23), or when Paul and the elders appointed him to lead the Church in Ephesus (1 Tim 4:14). The Holy Spirit gave this gift to him as Paul laid his hands on him. So, Paul reminded him to use the gift God gave him zealously for it was given to Timothy through the Holy Spirit. Though he was shy, the Holy Spirit filled Timothy with all that he needed to carry out God’s work.

Through His Holy Spirit, God gives power to all who need it. God gives people the power to do what He asks them to do. God gave power to Timothy to be the leader that God wanted. In what way has God provided you with the strength of character that He needs from you to accomplish His work?

Timothy was already confessing Christ and spreading the Good News when Paul encouraged him to continue to do that, and not to be ashamed that his mentor was imprisoned. Preaching the Gospel led to Paul’s imprisonment and eventual death, but the Gospel also led Paul to eternal life. Likewise, Timothy had to be ready to suffer and perhaps die for Christ and the Gospel, but he could endure any impending suffering because God would make him strong. Can you think of a time when God gave you the strength to do what He wanted you to do?

Like Timothy, we know that God saved us through Christ and calls us to holiness. For Paul, that call was manifested through his life as a preacher, apostle and teacher. For me, the call is manifested through my life as a pastor, husband and neighbor. Your call may be that of a spouse and neighbor, parent or grandparent. Your job may or may not afford you the opportunity to show Christ to others. For example, this past week while on retreat with other pastors, one offered a reflection on his former profession as a twenty-year police officer in the military. He said that it was not easy striking someone with a nightstick or shackling someone with handcuffs. Although he was not a believer at the time, these duties made him sick. When he spoke to the base chaplain about this, he was told that people depended on him to do his job, and he must execute it for the safety and good of others. The chaplain added, “After you do your job, then go and repent.” Eventually, God led him to the Church and he now serves as a pastor. My point is that sometimes a job may not always afford us the opportunity to show Christ to others, and may even call us to physically punish another person, but through Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, we realize that we have a higher calling. So, if you have not thought about it, what is God calling you to be and do today? Ponder that as I move to my third point, Life.

The Pastoral Letters to Titus and Timothy offer encouragement to younger pastors. All young pastors need encouragement. At one time, I was a young pastor and welcomed encouragement from experienced and seasoned pastors whether that was conveyed through books, articles or in person. At our pastors’ conference this past week, I learned some things from pastors older and younger than I. We all benefit from the knowledge of people both younger and older than we are.

I ask my cousin, 25 years younger than I, to help me repair my power equipment. I asked octogenarian Frank Namath which Medicare plan to choose. If you ever wanted to know anything about machinist work, you would have asked my dad. Lots of people turn to Dave Ramsey for financial advice. Since the meaning of advice is an opinion worthy to be followed, your advice would be an area in which you have some expertise. If your opinion is not based on your area of expertise, you might decline to offer advice and refer a young person to someone more familiar with the subject.

“Young” is a relative term, and young people could be children, teens, adults, parents, new Christians or even newly promoted executives. As a mature or seasoned Christian, like the Apostle Paul, in relationship with a young church leader, what advice would you offer? As a base chaplain listening to a military police officer bothered by the actions of his job, what advice would you offer? As a parent listening to a son or daughter complain about attending church, what advice would you offer? What advice would you offer to the parents of that child?

Our culture is becoming increasingly hard of hearing to the message of the Gospel, or in more cases, antagonistic to it. Our culture has an impact on us whether we like it or not. President Pingel spoke about this last week at our pastors’ conference in his sermon regarding people’s desire for convenience, speed and satisfaction when seeking anything, including religion. As we pastors discussed what to say to church members who no longer attend, I heard this answer from a pastor 12 years older than I. Pastor Bob said, “I ask them, ‘Is your belief system working for you?’ Then, I listen and pray to Christ for help.” As I pondered that advice, it dawned on me that the theme of our pastors’ conference was apropos to our Epistle.

You see, my friends, we all know that many people are seeking happiness through a life where their desires are fulfilled with convenience, speed and satisfaction … and we know that happiness does not come through that kind of life. To the young we offer this ancient wisdom, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” And to these, Moses added, “You shall teach [these words] diligently to your children.” (Deut 6:5ff.) May you teach and live this advice each day, and as you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.