october 16 2022
October 16th 2022
Old Testament: Genesis 32:22-30 “I will not let you go”
Psalm: Psalm 121 “I will look to the hills”
Epistle: 2nd Timothy 3:(1-5, 12-13) 14-4:5 “Continue in what you have learned”
Gospel: Luke 18:1-8 “Will not God give justice to the elect”?
Sermon Text: 2nd Timothy
Sermon Title: “Preach the Word” or “Continue in What You Learned”
Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“In the last days, there will come times of difficulty”. (2nd Timothy 3:1) “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted”. (2nd Timothy 3:12) “Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed”. (2nd Timothy 3:14b) “All Scripture is breathed out by God … Preach the Word … for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching”. (2nd Timothy 3:16, 4:2a, 3)
The Apostle Paul begins the text today with a description of what he calls the “last days”. Now, we know from Scripture that the “last days” began when Jesus ascended into heaven. Paul is very clear that these things are already going on in his day and that they will get worse as the end of all things come near. His description of the “last days” sounds a whole lot like our culture in the United Staes today, doesn’t it? Therefore, “understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty”. (2nd Timothy 3:1)
Paul does not mince words here; he does not minimize the real and clear eternal dangers of practicing such things. Therefore, he powerfully warns against them, knowing full well that very few will actually repent of such sins or even simply allow Paul (or Timothy) to peacefully proclaim the Gospel.
He does say that “they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all”. (2nd Timothy 3:7b-8a) To these wicked God says, “You love evil more than good and lying more than speaking the truth”. (Psalm 52:3) “What right have you to recite My statutes or take My covenant upon your lips, for you hate discipline and you cast My words behind you”. (Psalm 50:16-17)
Hear (again) Paul’s lengthy description of what is going on in his day and in our current circumstances here in the United States. He lists 18 different sins saying; “People will be lovers of self, (seeking their own self-interest and not those of Christ Jesus.) lovers of money, (like the Pharisees who ridiculed Jesus and the modern prosperity preachers you see on television) proud, arrogant, abusive, (filled with all manner of unrighteousness) disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, (intense anger, refusing to forgive) slanderous, (gossiping and lying about others) without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid (and keep avoiding) such people”. (2nd Timothy 3:2-5) Don’t allow such people to influence your thinking.
There are also people who are “always learning, but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth … who oppose the truth, who are corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith”. (2nd Timothy 3:7, 8b) An example of this, which is quite common among professing Christians today, is when someone looks at the clear Words of Holy Scripture, (for example the Bibles’ clear condemnation of homosexual sin or couples living together before marriage, or the doctrine that faith in Jesus is the only way to heaven and that He is true God as well as true man) yet refuses to acknowledge its truthfulness, saying things like “I can’t say for sure what that means … I am still learning … Who am I to judge” … “we shouldn’t speak about this or that sin, after all, we’re all sinners”. Those who say such things show, they are unwilling to hear God’s clear, perfect, inerrant, God breathed Word.
Of course, there are consequences for taking a stand on God’s Word. Maybe that is why some want to ignore it; for Paul declares, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted; while evil men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived”. (2nd Timothy 3:12-13) All here means all; not just Paul and Timothy; or pastors; or those living in the first century; but all who publicly confess faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone as our Savior from sin and Lord of all, will be persecuted.
All Christians will suffer, in one way or another, for their faith in Christ. This is the normal Christian life. Jesus said “if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you”. (John 15:20) This persecution will not always take the form of prison or martyrdom, (as it did for Paul and all of the Apostles) but persecution can also involve things like losing your job or income; being falsely accused, being hated and excluded by others, even those in your own family or church family; for trying to heed God’s Word.
Knowing this truth; that suffering and persecution is common; Paul wrote, “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed; knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood, you have been acquainted with the sacred writings (Holy Scripture) which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”. (2nd Timothy 3:14-15) The Greek word for childhood here is “brephos”. It is the same word used of our Lord in Luke 1, while He was still in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Here it means a new born child or infant.
Paul shows the foolish and dangerous lie of modern culture, which some Christians have bought into, which says that children should not be taught about God/religion, but to wait until they are adults, so they can make up their own mind. Luther deals with the importance of parents teaching the faith to their household in both the Small and Large Catechism. For example, he begins each of the six chief parts with the words, “As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way, to his household”.
We are to return again and again, throughout our entire lives, to the Word of God, by which He gives us the gifts of forgiveness of sins and eternal life; beginning at our baptism (as infants). God promises to honor those who treat His Word and sacraments in this way. I have seen this over and over again in visiting shut-ins, how God brings to mind His Word and promises (a particular hymn, the 23rd Psalm, the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles Creed in particular) to those who are forgetful or even have severe dementia.
“For all Scripture is breathed out by God”; (2nd Timothy 3:16a) meaning “all” of Scripture is God’s Word, from Genesis to Revelation; the comforting passages as well as the law passages. The first or main purpose of the Holy Bible is to proclaim the God/man Jesus Christ; crucified and raised bodily from the dead, for the forgiveness of the sins of all people. All of the Bible is about Jesus. As the Apostle John declared “these things are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have (eternal) life in His name”. (John 20:31)
Since Jesus is true God, that means that all of the Bible is Jesus’ Word. I say this because many in our day try to pit Jesus’ words (the red letters) against the rest of Scripture; saying “Jesus never talked about …”. Now, since “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2nd Timothy 3:16a), that means it is also without any errors. In the sacred Scriptures, “there is no lie, deceit, or error … every single word is true, whether it pertains to doctrine, history, or ethics”; (Quenstedt) or anything else.
In addition to testifying of the world’s only Savior from sin, all of the Bible is also “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be equipped (made capable) for every good work”. (2nd Timothy 3:16b-17) All of Holy Scripture is profitable for each of these things; so that nothing else is needed but the Word of God.
Why then are we constantly looking at virtually everything except the Word of God to deal with issues in the church? God help us poor sinners to repent of our arrogance, of thinking we know better than God’s Word for these things. As Paul said, it is the Word that “equips us for every good work”. (2nd Timothy 3:17b)
Paul continues in chapter 4; “I charge you (order) in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ; who is to judge the living and the dead; and by His Kingdom and appearing; Preach the Word”. (2nd Timothy 4:1-2a) Do diligent study of the Bible, for this is what God expects of those He has called as pastors and teachers. “Preach the Word” faithfully, administer the sacraments, and leave the result to God the Holy Spirit, who works faith when and where He wills through the Gospel.
“Be ready in and out of season; (meaning whether the message is popular or not), reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching”. (2nd Timothy 4:2b) Again, all of the Bible is profitable for such things. To reprove means to bring a person to the point of recognizing their wrongdoing; exposing their sin in order to bring them to the point of repentance. To rebuke means to express strong disapproval of something or to seriously warn someone against some spiritual danger. To exhort means to encourage someone to do or believe something that Christ has called us to in His Word. We are to do these things with all patience; repeatedly teaching and reminding people of the same thing if necessary; for we all have a tendency to forget.
Why this severe warning from Paul? Because we live in dangerous times. “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate (literally collect) for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths”. (2nd Timothy 4:3-4) These are people who always desire to hear something new or entertaining or inspiring, rather than simply hearing what God actually declares in His Word. Paul says elsewhere regarding these kinds of people, “after warning them once or twice, have nothing more to do with them, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful”. (Titus 3:10b-11a)
This is why pastors/preachers need to be constantly studying the Word of God; both individually and together; not focusing too much of their time and energy on less important matters; (See Acts 6) which many pastors are tempted (by their sinful natures) and even encouraged to do by their congregations. They study, so that they can speak rightly regarding God’s Word of Law and Gospel.
The time of having “itching ears” was already true in Paul’s day and it certainly true in ours. So many in the church seek out pastors who will tell them what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. Instead, they seek out pastors who do not care much one way or the other about doctrine or those who even directly contradict the Word of God. As long as people are happy and they aren’t offending anyone, things are thought to be fine, even if there is little resemblance between what is taught and the actual Scriptures. But that is not how we are to live and work in the church. We are to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ, the world’s only Savior.
“As for you, (Pastor Timothy) always be sober minded, (focused on what is most important) endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist; (proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection for the forgiveness of sins); fulfill your ministry” (2nd Timothy 4:5) that Christ has called you to.
“Set yourself fully on the grace” (1st Peter 1:13a) and mercy of God; “who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. (1st Peter 1:9b) Continue to “Preach the Word; in season and out of season” (2nd Timothy 4:2a). Preach “the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe”. (Romans 1:16a) Amen.
The peace of God …