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SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 6:12 King James Version
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession
before many witnesses.
Timothy was living as a good witness in character and integrity as
a young man.
What was the fight? What/who was the opposition? How was victory
to be attained?
Going back to Chapter
1:2-17: the Apostle Paul reminded Timothy first of his relationship with
Paul, who saw Timothy as a “son” in the faith. One whom Paul had taught and
trained up as a faithful disciple.
Paul charged (assignment of ministry) Timothy to remain at Ephesus
and guard/protect the true doctrines of faith. He was instructed not to be
lured into allowing any false doctrines concerning the ( Law versus Faith) opposite
or in contradiction to what Paul had taught him.
Chapter 1:18-19: Paul reminded
him of the prophesies that were spoken over /into Timothy’s life at an earlier
time when he was called into the ministry.
Verses 18-20:
17 Charge them that are rich in this
world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to
distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding
profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be
with thee. Amen.
Is there
anyone here who remembers words of prophesy spoken at the time of your
ordination? Would you share about the responsibility of faithfulness to walk
out those words? Was there ever a battle?
Presbytry
It is common for there to be a somewhat "formal" rite when a man is ordained for the
Christian ministry. Usually this involves (1) a laying on of hands, (2) prayer
for anointing, (3) sometimes an anointing with sacred oil, (4) an affirmation
of the basic creed (doctrines) of the Christian faith by the initiate---and (5)
a prophetic word by one or more of the presbyters who are officiating.
Till I
come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the
gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the
laying on of the hands of the presbytery. (1 Timothy
4:13-14)
It
is no doubt that Timothy received a
"prophetic word" at his ordination. And, as most young
inexperienced, hesitant young men, Timothy had to be reminded of that word, and
was encouraged to fulfill it to the max, by Paul's letter. Some of that
prophetic word was concerning evangelism, but there was, no doubt, other
admonitions and assignments spoken by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over
Timothy's life and ministry.
Chapter
6:17-21
17 Charge them that are rich in this
world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to
distribute, willing to communicate.
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the
time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding
profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be
with thee. Amen.
But watch
thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelist, make full proof
of thy Ministry. (2 Timothy 4:5).
Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners - You are reckoned with the
people of God. You are entitled to their privileges, and are not to be regarded
as outcasts and aliens. The meaning is, that they belonged to the same
community - the same family - as the people of God. The word rendered
"strangers" - ξένοι xenoi - means "foreigners in state,"
as opposed to citizens. The word rendered "foreigners" - πάροικοι
paroikoi - means "guests in a private family," as opposed to the
members of the family. "Rosenmuller." Strangers and such as proposed
to reside for a short time in Athens, were permitted to reside in the city, and
to pursue their business undisturbed, but they could perform no public duty;
they had no voice in the public deliberations, and they had no part in the
management of the state. They could only look on as spectators, without
mingling in the scenes of state, or interfering in any way in the affairs of
the government.
They were bound humbly to submit to all the enactments of the
citizens, and observe all the laws and usages of the republic. It was not even
allowed them to transact any business in their own name, but they were bound to
choose from among the citizens one to whose care they committed themselves as a
patron, and whose duty it was to guard them against all injustice and wrong
Potter's Greek Ant. i. 55. Proselytes, who united themselves to the Jews, were
also called in the Jewish writings, "strangers." All foreigners were
regarded as "strangers," and Jews only were supposed to have near
access to God. But now, says the apostle, this distinction is taken away, and
the believing pagan, as well as the Jew, has the right of citizenship in the
New Jerusalem, and one, as well as another, is a member of the family of God.
"Burder," Ros. Alt. u. neu. Morgertland, in loc. The meaning here is,
that they had not come to sojourn merely as guests or foreigners, but were a
part of the family itself, and entitled to all the privileges and hopes which
others had.
But fellow-citizens with the saints - Belonging to the same
community with the people of God.
And of the household of God - Of the same family. Entitled to
the same privileges, and regarded by him as his children; see Ephesians 3:15. “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”
The Window Through Which We Look
A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside. “That laundry is not very clean,” she said.
“She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.”
Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.”
The husband said, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others, depends on the window through which we look.
An Old Farmer’s Advice
Life is simpler when you mow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
Always drink upstream from the herd.