5.04 - PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY

PAUL’S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY The closest associate and the most trusted companion of the great apostle Paul was his son Timothy. Of all of his acquaintances he said to the Philippians: “I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state." Of all of the apostle’s letters, only four are addressed to individuals. Timothy received two of them and thus has a distinction from all others. In the second letter Paul warned him of the perilous times that would come in the last days. Then he said: "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse." I am reminded of the doctrine of "total hereditary depravity" that still lingers in some of the creeds adopted by the denominations. The theory was that all children were born totally depraved’ which means they were born as bad as they could be, and yet they were to "wax worse and worse." There never was a syllable of truth in that Goddishonoring doctrine. The Methodists changed their creed in 1910 and left it out. Up to that date "all men were conceived and born in sin," but since then "all men are born into this world in Christ the Redeemer." While the doctrine of total depravity remains in some of the creeds, the preachers are ashamed to proclaim it. Paul said to Timothy: "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." men learn their religion. This fact explains all the confusion that exists among us. We are what we are because we learned it that way. I have visited Catholic cathedrals and Mohammedan mosques, along with Jewish synagogues and other places of assembly. I have raised the question: Why do they carry on as they do? The correct answer is: that is the way they learned it. But Paul told Timothy to continue in the things he had learned. So each one might take such as an encouragement to continue. That idea would not express the whole truth. Timothy was to continue in the things he learned, knowing where he learned them. He had learned the gospel from Paul, who received it, not from man, but from Jesus Christ. Suppose I had come to you wearing some human name, and that I claimed membership in some denomination. You would have a perfect right to ask of me: "Where did you learn anything about your name or that of your church?" Anybody knows that I would be forced to admit that I never learned about either in all the Bible. The information we have of any denomination must come from a human source. Not one of them is ever mentioned in God’s word. They are all, therefore, human organizations which destroy the unity and hinder the progress of primitive Christianity. Christ prayed that all who believe on him through the apostle’s word might be one, that the world might believe that God had sent him. Paul asked most earnestly of the Corinthians, and all in every place that call upon the name of the Lord, "that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." In spite of such teaching, some were of Paul; some of Apollos; some of Cephas; and some of Christ. He charged them with being carnal and unable to be fed with the meat of God’s Word. It is sinful to wear human names and thereby cause division and strife. Paul paid a great compliment to his son when he said: "From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures." It is alarming today to note the lack of knowledge of the Scriptures, not only among children, but among our young men and young women who enter college fresh from the high schools of our land. You may contact any set of such students and you will find them abundantly able to discuss the characters who are prominent in the realms of pugilism, baseball, and the movies. They know all from John L. Sullivan to Joe Louis; from Ty Cobb to Babe Ruth, Dizzy Dean, et al. They can tell you all about the stars, from Charlie Chaplin to Clark Gable. They even know all the wives they have had and those that are to be next. But to that same set, mention something about the Scriptures and they are wholly unprepared to speak with any degree of information. It is really discouraging to contemplate the future of the church. But well may we ask the reason for Timothy’s knowledge of the Scriptures. Was he any smarter than your child? (1 am sure that he was ignorant when compared with your grandchild.} He knew the Scripture not because of his precocious mind. Nor was his knowledge due to his having attended even a Bible college. Schools were few, books were rare, and opportunities were as nothing when compared with ours. Could Paul say of your son, "From a child he has known the scriptures"? The explanation is found in this letter addressed to Timothy. He says: “I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also." No finer picture ever has been painted than that of a young man in whom there dwells a faith unfeigned. If a number of such young people were in the church today, those who must soon lay aside their battle-scarred armor could be assured that the cause would carry on. When David learned to hit the target with his sling. he little dreamed that it would ever serve to slay the giant vitro defied the armies of his God. When he was learning to play the harp, it never entered his mind that one day he would be called into the presence of a king to play for him. Even so, it never occurred to Eunice, while she was teaching her son the Holy Scriptures, that someday he would be the constant companion and the most trusted friend of the great apostle to the Gentile world. My friends, we need to know the Holy Scriptures. They were able to make Timothy "wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." If the Old Testament was able then, what think you of the fact that today we have not only the Scriptures here mentioned, but also the New Testament. Timothy had Moses and the prophets. We have them, plus Christ and the apostles. Paul did not belong to that class which believes and teaches that the Scriptures are impotent. He believed that the word of God is quick and powerful, and that the gospel is God’s power unto salvation to all who believe it. It was the power of God’s Word that knocked out the devil in the third round with the Son of God. It was his word that caused the waves and the wind to cease on the Sea of Galilee. The power of his word raised Lazarus from the dead even after four days. Finally, all that are in their graves will one day hear his voice and come forth. Let no man discount the power of God’s Word. Paul said the Scriptures were able to make Timothy wise unto salvation. Nothing additional was needed. The word of God lives and abides forever. Won’t you believe it and accept it now? To you the invitation is gladly extended.