2 Tim 2:14-26

lionmqj · 06-12-2011 4:38am #1

2 Timothy 2:14-26 ES

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying thatw the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." ow in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothincg to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Hi all.
What does this text say to YOU and YOUR personal walk with God?

kelly1 · 06-12-2011 12:55pm

Sounds like good advice for all posters on this forum!

philologos · 06-12-2011 5:49pm

The text seems to say to me that we should stay focused on God and His glory over worldly distractions that can take us away from Him. Including petty arguments and idle controversies. It has a lot to say about this forum. We should be focusing on God's word and we should be encouraging each other in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Quadratic Equation · 06-12-2011 6:58pm

To me it says its time to reconsider the very liberal tolerance of trolling and baiting every post on this forum, so that we can get on with discussing instead our common Christian beliefs without the constant derailing of every thread. There is far more that unites Christians than divides us. The liberal approach to trolls and chancers here has been tried and failed. This forum seems more liberal than after hours at times. (This is NOT a personal criticism of any particular mod, they have tried everything to make a liberal modding style work). The same anti Catholic and Christian myths are still being peddled over and over and over and over again in every thread, despite being soundly refuted a thousand times. We are not moving forward. AND before anyone tries to misrepresent my post, I'm not saying that Christian beliefs and beliefs of particular denominations should not be challenged, of course they should, and that is why the specific Christian / Atheist / Catholic / Prodestant debate threads, and the SEARCH function exists. Also there is the A&A forum.

lionmqj · 06-12-2011 11:23pm

The above points are all valid, but thats not answering the question.

What does the scripture say to YOU and YOUR walk with God, never mind everyone elses?

lionmqj · 07-12-2011 12:28am

I was given this scripture once by a friend. I was asked to chew on it/examine myself "IN" it (praying and asking God to show me) and I could see problems in my walk from it.
I could see that wrangling over controversies was pulling me down.

As a child of God I am called to be Holy and when I correct opponents with gentleness, to keep a watchful eye on my own heart being sure that my intentions are not corrupt. Proverbs 15:28 ESV

"The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things".

So, if I am to be of any use to God I must cleanse myself of these things (see verse 21).

I'm not saying I have achieved all this but I press on toward the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus (see phil 3:14).
The purpose of paul's letter as he wrote to the young Timothy from his prison cell was that Timothy would grow in Godliness so that it's my goal also.

Manach · 07-12-2011 1:05am

To me it means that while in the beginning was the word, now on the internet there are the words to the power of n. So as Philologos stated earlier,it suggests that by becoming distracted by all the various aspects of life and ignoring developing a semi-workable relationship with God and his church.
This gets pushed into the background.

Soul Winner · 07-12-2011 1:28am

Is says to me to make sure that God is front and centre in my life. When I get off the track, as I am so prone to do just re-fix my gaze on Jesus, commit my short failings to His cross and get back up and try again. Hang in there and never give up. As for this place, I try to use it as an opportunity to have my faith challenged not destroyed. I try to over come evil with good i.e. give good responses to trolls so that the others who read my posts might learn something that they might not have had the troll not broached the subject. I am not calling all the folks I reply to trolls btw. We all need to root our lives in God's Word more and more as the day grows near. Like Paul in his day, none of us are there yet but we must press toward the mark regardless.

lionmqj · 08-12-2011 12:09am

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

This convicts me.

lionmqj · 09-12-2011 3:42pm

lionmqj wrote: »

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

This convicts me.

lionmqj · 09-12-2011 3:43pm

lionmqj wrote: »

lionmqj wrote: »

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

This convicts me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZnZJhdkL2w

.

The Quadratic Equation · 09-12-2011 9:11pm

lionmqj wrote: »

John Piper Video You Tube

Now that man can really deliver a sermon

kelly1 · 09-12-2011 10:13pm

He's on fire alright!

Doc Farrell · 13-12-2011 11:29pm

lionmqj wrote: »

2 Timothy 2:14-26 ES

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.....So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

Hi all.
What does this text say to YOU and YOUR personal walk with God?

I meant to get to you on this but time and excuses got in the way. This is a very powerful letter. I read it properly after you posted it and what hit me was later in the letter when Paul says don't forget my cloak and bring my books and above all my parchments! And do your best to come before winter. It reminded me that this was a man who was imprisoned, about to die, deserted by friends, tortured and yet even now though he knows his time is up, still, to put into the present tense, 'fights the good fight, finishes the race and keeps the faith'.

But to answer you question directly, the above letter reminds me of how little I understand the Resurrection and of how much I want to understand it and also of how I shouldn't really be posting online or certainly arguing with others until I do understand it. I want to understand the Faith that would allow Paul to go to his death with such conviction.

To jump ahead of myself the blinding of Paul was a miracle. And we are told that miracles happen everyday. If I can investigate the miraculous it will give me the key to understanding the greatest miracle, the Resurrection. Until I have done that properly, and I will easily understand when I have done so, then perhaps it's best if I don't engage in a single controversy or quarrel online!
Thanks again.

lionmqj · 15-12-2011 2:54am

Doc Farrell wrote: »

lionmqj wrote: »

2 Timothy 2:14-26 ES

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.....So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

Hi all.
What does this text say to YOU and YOUR personal walk with God?

I meant to get to you on this but time and excuses got in the way. This is a very powerful letter. I read it properly after you posted it and what hit me was later in the letter when Paul says don't forget my cloak and bring my books and above all my parchments! And do your best to come before winter. It reminded me that this was a man who was imprisoned, about to die, deserted by friends, tortured and yet even now though he knows his time is up, still, to put into the present tense, 'fights the good fight, finishes the race and keeps the faith'.

But to answer you question directly, the above letter reminds me of how little I understand the Resurrection and of how much I want to understand it and also of how I shouldn't really be posting online or certainly arguing with others until I do understand it. I want to understand the Faith that would allow Paul to go to his death with such conviction.

To jump ahead of myself the blinding of Paul was a miracle. And we are told that miracles happen everyday. If I can investigate the miraculous it will give me the key to understanding the greatest miracle, the Resurrection. Until I have done that properly, and I will easily understand when I have done so, then perhaps it's best if I don't engage in a single controversy or quarrel online!
Thanks again.

I think to understand and have the faith that Paul had then I must first of all live a resurrected life. JESUS brought my sins to the grave.
Paul speaks of all of us who were baptized into Christ - He is speaking in Romans 6 about those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their only Lord and saviour and are consciously seeking to live in Christ.

Romans 6:3-4 ESV

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Now there is no way that I can live a resurrected life on my own strength, but by God's grace I can. If I am in Him.
Not that I would ever be without sin though.

1 John 1:8-10 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Now, how do I live in Christ?

I can honestly say that this challenges me as much as it should anyone.

Here is one man's testimony.