Author: Calleen Hough

Deceivers

John’s brief message to the elect lady and her children focused on one central point, deceivers that were disrupting the spread of the gospel. John said, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 1:7). The Greek word translated deceiver, planos (plan’-os) means an imposter (G4108). The Apostle Paul addressed the deception that was taking place near the end of his life in his first letter to Timothy. Paul said, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1). Paul’s mention of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils indicated that he was addressing the spiritual warfare that typically accompanied his preaching of the gospel. John’s statement, “This is a deceiver and an antichrist” also indicated that he associated deception with Satan’s spiritual war against God.

The Greek word John used that is translated antichrist, antichristos (an-tee-khris-tos) refers to an opponent of the Messiah (G500). John indicated that antichrists or imposters that claimed to be Israel’s Messiah were present in the world during his lifetime. These deceivers were apparently supported by demonic powers that were used to make people think God was at work in these fake ministries. The terms Paul used “seducing spirits” and “doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1) were specifically meant to point out that there was more than just human effort behind these kinds of attacks. The Greek word translated devils, daimonion (dahee-mon’-ee-on) refers to a demonic being (G1140). Throughout his ministry, Jesus cast out demons from human bodies. Mark’s gospel states about Jesus’ ministry, “Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him” (Mark 1:34, NKJV).

John’s primary concern about the deceivers that were making their way into the first century churches was that Christians were being taken in by their lies. John stated plainly that the doctrine of Christ was the only gospel message that should be preached (2 John 1:9). He said, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 John 1:10-11). “The instruction does not prohibit greeting or even inviting a person into one’s home for conversation. John was warning against providing food and shelter, since this would be an investment in the ‘evil deeds’ of false teachers and would give public approval” (note on 2 John 1:10). The one thing that seems clear from John’s warning about deceivers was that they were hard to spot and even though their doctrines were false, they were convincing people that they could go to heaven some other way than believing in Jesus Christ.

The elect lady

John wrote his second epistle to “the elect lady and her children.” This unusual greeting may have been John’s way of singling out an individual that preferred to remain anonymous or code words for a group of people that John knew would understand who they were without mentioning any names. John’s second letter was written around 85-95 A.D., a time period when the persecution of first century Christians was at a peak. John may have wanted to let his audience know that they were highly regarded by him and yet were being protected from unnecessary exposure.

The Greek word translated lady, Kuria (koo-ree’-ah) is the feminine of the word kurios (koo’-ree-os) which means supreme in authority (G2962). Kurios is most often translated as Lord and was used primarily to address Jesus during his ministry on Earth. John may have used the female version of the word kurios intentionally to signify the church or the entire body of believers that was later identified as “the bride” in his book of Revelation. The Greek word translated elect, eklektos (ek-lek-tos’) means select or chosen out. Eklektos also appears in Revelation 17:14 where it says, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (italics mine)”

John’s message to the elect lady was prefaced with a declaration of authenticity, something that would make it clear to the readers of his letter that it was indeed John that was writing to them. He stated, “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; for the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever” (2 John 1:1-2). The Greek word translated truth, aletheia (al-ay’-thi-a) was somewhat of a signature word for John. He used it 20 times in his gospel to communicate the message of Jesus to unbelievers that were skeptical about his deity. John was most likely referring to Jesus when he said, “all they that have known the truth; for the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever” because Jesus referred to himself as the truth when he told his disciple Thomas “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

John took great care to open his letter to the elect lady and her children in a way that was unmistakable even though the letter itself was very brief, only 13 verses from beginning to end. It hardly seems worth it to go to such great lengths to formulate an elaborate greeting for a letter with so little content. It seems as if John’s primary objective was to acknowledge his reader rather than to convey an important message. Perhaps, John was sending what we would refer to today as a quick note or an instant message, just to let them know he was alive and well. John’s closing comment suggests that he intended to make a personal visit and preferred to speak to the elect lady, whoever she was, face to face. He told her, “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full” (2 John 1:12).

The Victory

John’s first epistle was written to a broad audience of believers that needed to understand the basics of what it meant to be a Christian. He explained, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2, NKJV). The Greek word translated advocate, parakletos (par-ak’-lay-tos) refers to “Christ in his exaltation at God’s right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins” (G3875). Parakletos not only refers to Jesus’ exalted position in heaven, but also refers to the Holy Spirit’s role in leading believers to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth.

John warned his audience about their attraction to the world getting in the way of their relationship with Christ. He said, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” ( John 2:15-16, NKJV). The Greek word translated world, kosmos (kos’-mos) means an orderly arrangement, but it is primarily concerned with unbelievers and their way of life (G2889). Kosmos specifically relates to the realm of sin which is controlled by Satan and organized against God and righteousness (note on 1 John 2:15). John used the Greek word agapao when he said, “do not love the world or the things in the world,” suggesting that the world was not to be substituted for or to take the place of a relationship with God and his gift of eternal life.

John encouraged his audience by stating, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5, NKJV). John indicated that faith in Jesus was the means of success in one’s spiritual life (G3529). It was the only way to overcome the world or you might say, keep Satan out of our business. John went on to say, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15, NKJV). In other words, the victory believers have in Christ is the assurance of answered prayer. When we put our faith in Christ, Jesus listens to us when we pray and intercedes on our behalf with his Father so that God will do what we ask him to, as long as it is consistent with what is written in the Bible.

Love

John’s first epistle focused on the characteristics of God that are expected to be seen in his children. John started out by saying that God is light and in him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5) and then stated, “If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (John 1:6). John was pointing out that there should be similarities between Jesus’ behavior and our own. The way that we become like Jesus is by following his instructions and confessing our sins to God. John said, “If we live in the light as He is in the light, we share what we have in God with each other. And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, makes our lives clean from all sin.” (1 John 1:7, NLV).

John’s understanding of the transformation that occurs through spiritual rebirth was limited, but he saw Jesus as the pattern that all born-again believers were to follow. John acknowledged his limited understanding when he said, “Dear friends, we are God’s children now. But it has not yet been shown to us what we are going to be. We know that when He comes again, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2, NLV). John seemed to be saying that our eternal existence begins the moment we accept Jesus as our savior, but our likeness or similarity to Jesus is limited by our current physical form. John talked about seeing Jesus as if it was a requirement for the full manifestation of our eternal character to become operational.

John mentioned the quality of love numerous times in his first epistle. The Greek words agapao (ag-ap-ah’-o) and agape (ag-ah’-pay) appear more than 20 times in the second and third chapters of 1 John alone. John said, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). John went on to say that our love for other believers should be demonstrated in tangible ways that can be measured (1 John 3:18) and then, he said about God, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:22).

John implied there was a connection between obedience to God’s commandments and getting answers to our prayers. John clarified what he meant by keeping God’s commandments when he stated, “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23). Basically, what John was saying was that all God requires us to do in order to be blessed by him is to be born again and to love each other, but according to John, our ability to love others isn’t even dependent on us; it’s dependent on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:24).

Jesus connected being born again with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and made it seem as if these two aspects of spiritual life were essentially one and the same. Jesus told Nicodemus:

Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh. Whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. “Do not be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wants to and you hear its sound. You do not know where it comes from or where it goes. It is the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit of God.” (John 3:6-8, NLV)

Jesus indicated that the only requirement for being born again was to believe in him. He said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

John identified God as the source of agape or unselfish love and went so far as to say that apart from God it is impossible for us to love each other the way God loves us. He stated, “Dear friends, let us love each other, because love comes from God. Those who love are God’s children and they know God. Those who do not love do not know God because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8, NLV). John indicated that God demonstrated his unselfish love toward us by sending his son Jesus into the world to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:9-10) and then he stated, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11).

No darkness

John used a clear and simple illustration, light and darkness, to differentiate between believers and unbelievers. Like some Christians today, the early believers wanted to know how they could tell if someone was saved. In order to set the stage, John began his first epistle talking about Jesus as a manifestation of something that had already existed before his birth (1 John 1:2). The Greek word translated manifested, phaneroo (fan-er-o’-o) means to appear, but in a deeper sense “to be manifested is to be revealed in one’s true character” (G5319).

John declared, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). John’s statement that there is no darkness at all in God implies that he is the opposite of darkness or the negation of darkness. What I believe John was getting at was the idea that there can be an absence of evil or sin in a person. Jesus was sinless, but if you looked deeper, you would see that he never had an evil thought, there wasn’t even a tendency to think wrong thoughts in his true character.

John wanted believers to understand that Jesus’ perfection could be transferred to them. He explained, “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son, cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). In essence, John was saying that darkness could be removed and replaced with light. John identified the process whereby the removal takes place. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

After establishing that God is light and believers are to be like him, John said, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3). The Greek word translated keep, tereo (tay-reh’-o) refers to a watch or someone that stands guard (G5083). John was not saying that believers were expected to be sinless. What he meant was that a believer should be aware of his sin and confessing it to God so that he could be forgiven.

Some of the first century believers thought that God’s commandments were no longer relevant to them. They thought forgiveness meant they were free to do as they pleased. John made it clear that the commandments were still in affect (1 John 2:7). As a way of letting the believers know that not only were God’s commandments still in affect, but they were going to be held to a higher standard, John stated, “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now” (1 John 2:9).

John’s stern warning may have shocked some of the early Christians who thought refraining from murder was a difficult challenge. The point John was trying to make was that even the smallest offense needed to be confessed. John explained, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake” (1 John 2:12). The only way a believer becomes free from sin is by confessing everything.

The ungodly

The author of the book of Jude was likely a brother of Jesus. Jude identified himself as the brother of James (Jude 1:1) who was a leader in the church at Jerusalem. There is evidence that suggests James was related to Jesus because in Matthew 15:33 he is mentioned among the list of Jesus’ brothers. Jude’s message centered on a particular group of people he labeled ungodly. The Greek term translated ungodly, asebes (as-eb-ace’) has to do with a person that has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and rejected its message (G765). Jude’s close association with Jesus and likely conversion to Christianity after he was resurrected from the dead made him a good candidate to talk about the ungodly Jews that had rejected their Messiah because he himself had not believed what Jesus told him. John noted in his gospel “even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5, NKJV).

Jude warned his audience, “certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4, NKJV). Jude’s harsh language suggested that he was disgusted by what appeared to be an intentional effort to hinder the preaching of the gospel. The phrase he used “crept in unnoticed” indicated the ungodly men he was referring to had disguised themselves as Christians in order to not draw attention to themselves, all the while stirring up trouble and planting seeds of doubt in the minds of those that were considering committing their lives to Christ. The Greek word he used, pareisduno (par-ice-doo’-no) means “to settle in alongside, i.e. lodge stealthily” (G3921). In other words, the ungodly were making themselves at home by becoming members of the church.

Jude’s condemnation of the ungodly went so far as to say that they were no better than the fallen angels that rebelled against God before the world was created (Jude 1:6). Jude indicated God was aware of the ungodly’s activities and had planned their demise from the beginning. He said, “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him'” (Jude 1:14-15, NKJV). Jude’s lack of compassion for the ungodly was rooted in his belief that they had consciously chosen to do the devil’s dirty work. It’s possible that Jude felt his disbelief of his brother’s message was due to Satan’s influence and that he had always known the truth about Jesus, but had initially chosen to reject it.

He’ll be back

The Apostle Peter concluded his final message to believers with some instructions and a word of encouragement about the second coming of Christ. He started out by saying, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4). Peter’s second epistle is believed to have been written around 65-68 A.D., so it had been approximately 35 years since Jesus’ resurrection. Everyone that was alive when Jesus died thought he was going to come back before the end of their lives, especially the twelve apostles. Peter was probably thinking of his own imminent death and wanted believers to understand that death was still going to be a part of their lives.

Peter compared the return of Christ with the flood that killed everyone on planet Earth except Noah and his family. He said, “Long ago the earth was covered with water and it was destroyed. But the heaven we see now and the earth we live on now have been kept by His word. They will be kept until they are to be destroyed by fire. They will be kept until the day men stand before God and sinners will be destroyed.” (2 Peter 3:6-7, NLV). Peter associated Christ’s return with a type of purification that would rid the earth of all ungodliness, but he also let people know that Jesus’ second coming was not something they should be getting excited about because it still might be a long way in the future. He said, “Dear friends, remember this one thing, with the Lord one day is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years are as one day” (2 Peter 3:8, NLV).

Peter went on to explain that the reason Jesus had not yet returned and might not return for quite some time was that he was letting as many people get saved as he possibly could. He said, “The Lord is not slow about keeping His promise as some people think. He is waiting for you. The Lord does not want any person to be punished forever. He wants all people to be sorry for their sins and turn from them” (2 Peter 3:9, NLV). Peter noted that even though Jesus might not come back for a long time, his return would happen suddenly and expectantly like “a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10) and he instructed believers to be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12, NKJV). In other words, Peter was saying that believers should expect Jesus to return at any moment and be diligent to share their faith with others because they will be held accountable for their work for Christ’s kingdom (2 Peter 3:14).

Process of spiritual growth

Peter’s second epistle is believed to have been written not long before he was martyred for his faith during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero (The Second Epistle General of Peter, Introduction). Peter’s final instructions focused on the process of spiritual growth. Somewhat like stepping stones that mark an unfamiliar pathway, Peter identified the characteristics that result from a believer’s diligent effort to produce spiritual fruit. Peter said, “Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity” (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Peter assumed that the people he was writing to had already been born again because he told them to add to their faith virtue (2 Peter 1:5). Faith in this context is the initial reliance upon Christ for salvation (G4102), a decision to accept Jesus as your savior. Peter indicated that after being born again, a person must learn to or at least make an effort to be virtuous. The Greek word translated virtue, arete (ar-et’-ay) is properly translated as manliness or valor (G703). Arete has to do with the impression one makes on another person. You could say that it is the image of ourselves that we project to others or our appearance. What I believe Peter was getting at was that after we become Christians, we should start looking like Christians. People should notice and be impressed by our Christlike behavior.

Peter instructed believers to add to their virtue knowledge (2 Peter 1:5). The Greek word Peter used that is translated knowledge is gnosis (gno’-sis). Gnosis denotes spiritual truth and in this instance is concerned with the initial understanding that one should have of his or her faith, what it means to be a Christian. In other words, Peter was saying that Christians should understand the Bible enough to answer the question, what does it mean to be saved? The first three steps that Peter identified in the process of spiritual growth were things that almost every person that has been born again is able to do as soon as or shortly after becoming a Christian. They don’t take very much effort. Therefore, you could say they have to do with being a baby Christian, someone that has not really started to mature yet.

Peter said we are to add to our knowledge temperance or self control. Paul mentioned temperance in his list of spiritual fruits (Galatians 5:23). This seems to suggests that Peter was shifting gears and was beginning to focus on the kind of spiritual growth that is usually associated with a mature Christian. The Greek word translated temperance, “Egkrateia is the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites” (G1466). For some people this might be a rather easy task, but for others it can take a long time, sometimes a lifetime for them to get their addictions and habits under control. Peter’s next step, patience is what I would refer to as the characteristic that separates the men from the boys. Patience or hupomone (hoop-om-on-ay’) is also translated as waiting, but it is more than just sitting idly by and expecting something to happen. Patience has to do with enduring trials and is sometimes associated with God’s disciplining of his children.

According to James, patience perfects Christian character (James 1:4). “fellowship in the patience of Christ is therefore the condition upon which believers are to be admitted to reign with Him, 2 Ti 2:12; Rev 1:9” G5281). Peter encouraged believers to go beyond this point and instructed them to add to their patience godliness (2 Peter 1:6). Godliness has to do with conforming oneself to the will of God (G2150). I believe this is where the transformation of a believer’s life becomes evident to everyone around him. You could say that the Christian that exhibits godliness definitely stands out in a crowd. I think this step in the spiritual growth process is where the majority of Christians drop out or give up, thinking that it is too hard or not worth it. I can say from my own personal experience that this step is not for the faint of heart.

The next step in the process of spiritual growth is one that might seem like it should be at the beginning rather than the end. Peter said we are to add to our godliness brotherly kindness (2 Peter 1:7). Brotherly kindness or philadelphia in the Greek represents the kind of love that is usually expressed between blood relatives, but in this context it refers to all believers or the family of God. The final step in the process of spiritual growth, charity is closely linked with brotherly kindness. The Greek word Peter used that is translated charity, agape is the highest or purest form of love that can be expressed between two people. It conveys “the attitude of God toward his Son” (G26). I believe what Peter was getting at was that in order to reach full maturity as a Christian, we need to first learn how to love other believers the same way we love our own family members and then, we need to be able to love everyone else the same way we love ourselves.

The finish line

Paul’s second letter to Timothy is believed to be the last message he wrote before he was beheaded by the Roman Emperor Nero. His instructions to Timothy reflected the importance of having a successful transition after Paul was removed from his leadership role. Paul encouraged Timothy to not be ashamed of the work he had been called to do and told him to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1). Paul also focused on the process of sanctification which he probably thought Timothy was going through in order to prepare him for the increased responsibility he would have after Paul was gone. Paul told Timothy regarding confessing his sins, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21).

Paul used his own life as an example for Timothy to follow in his pursuit of evangelism and told Timothy that he should expect his ministry to be challenged by unbelievers. Paul said, “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:10-12, ESV). One of things that Paul was clear about was that suffering and doing God’s work would always go hand in hand. There was no way to escape the persecution that resulted from preaching the gospel.

Paul told Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Greek words Paul used that are translated perfect and thoroughly furnished had to do with the process of sanctification being completed in the life of a believer. Paul linked scripture to this process and indicated that God’s word is sufficient to complete that process. There is no other requirement to reach spiritual maturity than to understand or fully comprehend all of God’s word.

Paul concluded his final message with these words, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul had likely already been condemned to death when he wrote this message to Timothy. Paul was careful to note that he didn’t expect to be used any further in his ministry of preaching the gospel. It was Paul’s imminent death that prompted him to urge Timothy to keep his ministry going. Paul’s mention of a crown of righteousness was probably meant to encourage Timothy to work as hard as he had to spread the gospel around the world because he would be rewarded in heaven.

Paul’s comparison of the completion of ministry to a good fight and a finished course was his way of communicating the importance of endurance in serving God. Roman boxing was popular in the time period in which Paul lived. “Some boxers were known for their skill; others were known for simply being able to take punishment…Romans used gloves with pieces of metal placed around the knuckles (caestus) to inflict the most damage possible. Moreover, there was no time limit or weight classification. Proclaiming a winner resulted from either a knockout or the conceding of defeat by one of the boxers” (factsanddetails.com, Ancient Roman Sport). Paul’s declaration that he had fought a good fight implied that he had knocked out his opponent or at the very least gotten him to concede defeat.

Paul talked about his conflict with Satan in his second letter to the Corinthians. He stated, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). The Greek word translated buffet, kolaphizo (kol-af-id’-zo) means “to rap with the fist” (G2852). Paul indicated the source of his afflictions were the revelations he received which were a progressive, private unveiling of the otherwise unknown and unknowable facts about God (G602). Paul’s numerous epistles are a testimony to the surpassing knowledge he had of Jesus and his future kingdom on Earth.

Paul likened his career in ministry to a race that was completed. Interestingly, Paul didn’t say he had won the race, but had merely finished the course. Paul’s humility in judging his importance in spreading the gospel around the Roman Empire showed that he genuinely viewed himself as an instrument in God’s hand. Paul didn’t take credit for any of his accomplishments. Most of what Paul talked about had to do with the suffering he endured while serving in the ministry of Jesus Christ. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul boasted of his sufferings and mentioned in detail the various trials he had experienced (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). The only evidence that Paul was content with what he had done at the end of his life was his statement, “I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). The Greek word translated kept, tereo (tay-reh’-o) means to fulfill a command (G5083). In other words, Paul felt he had done everything God had told him to.

God’s approval

Paul’s second letter to Timothy focused on how he could win God’s approval. Paul instructed Timothy “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” (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV). Paul was encouraging Timothy to exhibit Christ-like behavior so that he wouldn’t have to fear God’s judgment. It seems that Timothy was afraid of making mistakes and wasn’t preaching the gospel as boldly as Paul had. In order to rightly handle the word of truth, Paul was saying that Timothy needed to rely on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus referred to as “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17).

Jesus told the believers that followed him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32, NKJV). The Greek word translated free, eleutheroo (el-yoo-ther-o’-o) means to exempt someone from moral, ceremonial, or mortal liability (G1659). Essentially, what Jesus was saying was that a relationship with him was all that was necessary to win God’s approval. Jesus told Thomas, one of his disciple that is sometimes referred to as doubting Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me” (John 14:6, NKJV).

Paul assured Timothy that he was secure in his relationship with Christ. He told Timothy, “But the truth of God cannot be changed. It says, ‘The Lord knows those who are His.’ And, ‘Everyone who says he is a Christian must turn away from sin!’” (2 Timothy 2:19, NLV). The stipulation that a Christian must turn away from sin doesn’t imply that believers are expected to live a sinless life. The Greek word translated turn away, aphistemi (af-is’-tay-mee) refers to the removal of sin that is associated with the blood of Jesus Christ. What Paul was getting at was the evidence of someone being saved; which is the change in behavior that occurs as a result of having our sins forgiven by God.

Paul used the example of different types of dishes to illustrate that some Christians are very valuable to God even though they may be used less frequently. Paul stated, “In a big house there are not only things made of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some are of more use than others. Some are used every day. If a man lives a clean life, he will be like a dish made of gold. He will be respected and set apart for good use by the owner of the house” (2 Timothy 2:20-21, NLV). Paul went on to talk about how sanctification prepares us for God’s work and he instructed Timothy to, “turn away from the sinful things young people want to do” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLV).

One of the keys to sanctification, the process whereby Christians are equipped for service in God’s kingdom, is confession of sins. Paul’s reference to being set apart for good use in 2 Timothy 2:21 has to do with being cleansed from sin. The Greek word ekkathairo (ek-kath-ah’-ee’ro) means to cleanse thoroughly (G1571). Its root word kathairo is used metaphorically of purging worshippers from guilt in Hebrews 10:2 where is states, “For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins” (NKJV). Believers are considered to be pure or approved by God when their consciences are free from guilt. The Apostle John encouraged believers to admit their failures and said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).