II TIMOTHY 1:6-7
We are going to spend a little time tonight talking about Timothy during a very discouraging time in his life, and how the Apostle Paul encouraged him. These encouragements inspired by the Holy Ghost were then forwarded on to us in the form of2 TIMOTHY. We will look at several verses in 2 TIMOTHY, but the center of our attention will be on 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 & 7.
Before we read these verses, a little perspective is in order. This second epistle written unto Timothy was Paul's last letter, written according to Conybeare and Howson in the spring of 68 A.D. a few short weeks before Paul's death. According to their dates they had Paul adding Timothy to his second missionary journey in ACTS 16 in 51 A.D. This means the second epistle written unto Timothy was written approximately seventeen years after this time. Several months pass with the Apostle Paul, Timothy, and Silas traveling 400-500 miles on foot before they get to Troas in ACTS 16:8. It was during this time that Timothy and Silas had one-on-one teaching from the mouth of the Apostle Paul, Paul's gospel message. Timothy and Silas go on to become Church Apostles themselves during this time. Timothy became a son in the faith to Paul during this time, and traveled much with the Apostle Paul during the next seventeen years. This is why the Apostle Paul greets Timothy like this in 2TIMOTHY 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord
About six years before writing 2 TIMOTHY, Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians. In PHILIPPIANS 2:19-22 Paul wrote his thoughts on his son in the faith, Timothy. PHILIPPIANS 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheusshortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. 20 For I have no man likeminded. who willnaturally care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. 22 But ye know the proof ofhim, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. 23 Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. The Apostle Paul felt that Timothy was so much like himself that he calls him "likeminded." Timothy got to be "likeminded" with the Apostle Paul by spending much time with him, and learning Paul's doctrines first hand. How much of Paul's gospel do you think Timothy knew? As you ponder that thought; the Greek word translated "likeminded" here, number 2473 in The Strong's Greek Concordance, is found only this one time in scripture. It comes from two Greek words, which, taken together mean: equal in heart, mind, and soul. Obviously Paul and Timothy had outstanding "likeminded" fellowship because of their like precious faith in our lovely Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Paul expressed it like this in PHILIPPIANS 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,... . Paul wrote it this way in 1 CORINTHIANS 4:17 ...Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembranceof my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. Paul said in 1 THESSALONIANS 3:1 Whereforewhen we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; 2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith....
Add all of these statements together, and you get the picture of what Paul meant when he called Timothy and himself "likeminded." Obviously, Timothy knew 100% of Paul's gospel message. How much of Paul's one hundredchapters left for us in scripture do you know?
Now to our text for tonight’s study. 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
These two verses really go together, but we seldom look at them in tandem because they are individually so rich with truth. Verse 7, which we will fully get to shortly, expresses an encouragement that we should be experiencing in our own lives now, especially at the time of this so called pandemic, which has brought a spirit of fear to our world today. In 2 TIMOTHY the Apostle Paul was writing to encourage at a time when Timothy himself was discouraged because of some fear he was facing while the Apostle Paul was away in prison at Rome. We can tell from the first part of verse 7 that Timothy was experiencing fearfulness from a spirit that is not given us of God. The Greek word for "fear" used here in verse 7 is only found used only this one time in scripture, and comes from the Greek word deilia {di-lee'-ah}, number 1167 in The Strong's Greek Concordance, and is not used in a good sense. This kind of fear is a spirit of this world, and not a spirit of faith, which all full overcomers will possess. Paul wanted Timothy to be a full overcomer, and the Lord wants all of us to be full overcomers also, so He left us Paul's gospel message to fully equip us to have God's best ...For God hath not given us the spirit of fear. 2 TIMOTHY was Paul's last letter, and it is preserved to encourage all of us to finish our race strong in the Lord, and the power of His might.
Now back to verse 6. 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 starts out with the word ''wherefore." The words "wherefore," and "therefore" Brother Hill taught us are very significant, and not to be taken lightly, or overlooked without some pause. "Wherefore," and "therefore" should cause us to reflect on the thought just presented. Thus, the word "wherefore" here takes all of what was said previously in verses 1-5, and brings to the forefront, and places a bright spotlight on what is about to be said. It is interesting to note that the Apostle Paul wrote the word ''wherefore" 58 times in his epistles, but only once here in 2 TIMOTHY. In fact, 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 is the only time we find the word "wherefore" in both of his letters to Timothy. So, this ''wherefore" is important because the thought just presented would cause Timothy to reflect back to when Paul and Timothy first came to know each other, about seventeen years earlier. This word ''wherefore" written to Timothy is a call to remembrance. Paul actually mentions this in his introductory remarks of 2 TIMOTHY.
2 TIMOTHY 1:3 / thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 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.
You may have noticed three "remembrances" in these first six verses of 2 TIMOTHY. Each of these "remembrances" are different words in the Greek. In verse 3 the "remembrance" is Paul's as he mentions Timothy in his ...prayers night and day. Let's think about this for a moment. Why did Paul write here praying for Timothy "night and day?" Why didn't he write that he was praying for Timothy day and night? There are a couple of answers to these two questions. In my recent Sunday School lessons we have been covering the many midnight Bible stories found in scripture. Midnight can be expressed in literal terms, in figurative terms, and in spiritual terms. The full overcomer will face many spiritual "midnight's" (darkest of times) throughout his or her lifetime. All the Old Testament worthies of faith did, and the New Testament worthies of faith will too. The darkest of times brought forth the heroes of faith in the Old Testament, and the darkest of times will bring forth the Bride of Christ! In his epistles Paul never once wrote "day and night," but five times he wrote the phrase "night and day." Perhaps Paul had sleep apnea before it was invented. How did he get through those darkest of nights when he couldn't get much sleep? He prayed. In fact, here is what Paul wrote: EPHESIANS 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. COLOSSIANS 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:17 Pray without ceasing. So, we see Paul prayed "night and day." In ACTS 16 at the darkest of midnight times we find Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God, and they were in prison, and God heard them, and set them free. Paul said his ...prayers night and day. Let's take our remembrance to prayer for one another "night and day."
The second remembrance of Paul's found in verse 5 is a most precious, and pleasant memory of the genuine faith found in Timothy, his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice. Paul, without saying so in so many words, is reminding Timothywhere faith comes from in the first place. We find this in ROMANS 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by theword of God. The Word of God is Jesus REVELATION 19:13 tells us. So we see Paul encouraging Timothy in 2 TIMOTHY to stay in the Word of God. Paul writes in 2 TIMOTHY 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hastbeen assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That theman of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Back up a few verses to 2 TIMOTHY 2:15, and read Paul's encouragement: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightlydividing the word of truth. In other words, Paul was saying to Timothy, and to us, you know ... faith cometh by hearing, andhearing by the word of God... so study the Holy Scriptures, and rightly divide the word of truth. Then as if to underline the importance once again to Timothy, Paul writes in 2 TIMOTHY 4:13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thoucomest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. It was cold in Paul's dungeon, and he could sure use a cloke. Additionally, Paul had some books of interest to him, which would also be nice to look at again. But Timothy more important than the cloke, and the books is the parchments, which were most likely the books of the Old Testament, called the volume of the book in HEBREWS 10:7. Whether or not Paul ever was brought the parchments before his death we are not told in scripture, but if not, Timothy would then have possession of these most important parchments, the word of God, which he was instructed to study. What a priceless treasure! But we all have this priceless treasure in our possession, {study 2CORINTHIANS 4.}
In 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 we find the third remembrance, which was directed to Timothy personally, as if to shock him back to daily reality. 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee bythe putting on of my hands. Paul is reminding Timothy that he received the gift of the Holy Ghost when Paul laid his hands upon him, and that he spake with tongues just like the dozen or so disciples at Ephesus did when Paul laid his hands on them in ACTS 19:6. ACTS 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Note here in 2 TIMOTHY 1:6 that Paul urged Timothy to ...stir up the gift of God. What does that mean? "Stir up" literally means to fan into flame the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was in Timothy by the laying on of Paul'shands.
For a moment recall what Jesus told His disciples about the Holy Ghost on the night of the last supper. You can study the full story for your own edification in JOHN chapters 14, 15, and 16, but for tonight I want to draw your attention to these (hopefully) familiar verses. JOHN 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for heshall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 Heshall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine. and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine:therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. Note here that the Holy Spirit is a guide unto all truth, and a revealer of things to come. In other words, the Holy Spirit is our teacher, and Jesus told His disciples this very thing in JOHN 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teachyou all things, and bring all things to your remembrance. whatsoever I have said unto you. Note also that the Holy Ghost will bring all things to your remembrance. As we learned here tonight the Apostle Paul was encouraging Timothy to be in remembrance of the important things he had learned by hearing for himself from the mouth of Paul, and later taught by himself Paul's gospel message. For how long was the gift of the Holy Ghost given? When we give a gift it is forever is it not? We are not going to come back at a later time and take our gift away, are we? The gift of the Holy Ghost is given by God forever, and He is not going to take the gift of Holy Ghost back from us once we receive this gift, and in JOHN 14:16 Jesus tells us the same thing. JOHN 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Just a quick thought: to rule and reign with Christ will one need the Holy Ghost? Will one need the Holy Ghost Forever? Turn now to ACTS 1 where we read a time forty days after Jesus resurrection, and note what Jesus said in ACTS I:8, another familiar portion of scripture to most of you. ACTS 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. The Greek word that translates here into our word "power" is dunamis {doo'-nam-is}, number 1411 in The Strong's Greek Concordance, a word used 120 times in New Testament scripture. Brother Hill used to point out that dunamis {doo'-nam-is} comes from the same root word where we get our English word dynamite from. The mighty working power of the Holy Ghost is to be manifested in the life of the Spirit filled believer. The dunamis {doo'-nam-is} power of the Holy Ghost given to help us understand, to guide us, and teach us the Holy Scriptures. The dunamis {doo'-nam-is} power of the Holy Ghost given to help us fully understand Paul's one hundred chapters of gospel written specifically to us of this Church age. Stated another way the dunamis {doo'-nam-is} power of the Holy Ghost given to he us become a full overcomer. In other words, the dunamis {doo'-nam-is} power of the Holy Ghost was indeed given to aid us in becoming a sugkleronomos joint-heir, and fellowheir with Christ; His wife who has made herself ready by yielding to the leading and guiding of the Holy Ghost. {Study again ROMANS 8:17 & EPHESIANS 3:6.}
2 TIMOTHY 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Question: did God give us the spirit of fear? Or did God give us the Holy Spirit? We just went over the fact that the Holy Spirit, who is the Holy Ghost, who among many things was given to help us be an overcomer, and a full overcomer if we will just yield to His leading and guiding. There are four main characters in GENESIS 24, who represent something to us as follows: Abraham is a type of God the Father; Isaac a type of Christ; Rebekah a type of the Bride of Christ; and Abraham's eldest, and chief servant, Eliezer a type of the Holy Ghost. Rebekah could have never become wife to Isaac without following the leading, and guiding of Eliezer. We cannot ever hope to be in the Bride of Christ without following the leading and guiding of the Holy Ghost. Stated another way, the Bride of Christ does not yield to the spirit of fear. The eighth son of Jesse was David, who was anointed king of Israel in 1 SAMUEL 16:13, which reads: Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. The Spirit of the Lord was with David forever in other words, so in 1 SAMUEL 17 when David went out to meet Goliath, was there a spirit of fear in him? No, David defeated Goliath as you know, and there are many other examples found in scripture that ...God hath not given us the spirit of fear.
The last part of 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 informs us that the God given Holy Spirit came to give us the spirit ...of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. We discussed earlier many of the benefits of having received the Holy Ghost after one becomes a believer, and the power that is available unto us because of the Holy Spirit. All of the epistles Paul wrote, even though they may have been addressed to certain assemblies, or individuals, were also written to us. Even though they were written to all, Paul's one hundred chapters of scripture speak deeply to bridal Saints, for it is through Paul's gospel that the Bride of Christ makes herself ready! The Bride of Christ truly knows that ...God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. It is through the power of the Holy Ghost that we are directed into God's best.
Recently in Scott's class we spent several Sunday nights going over the nine fold fruit of the Spirit found in GALATIANS 5:22 & 23. GALATIANS 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love. joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. These are the traits of the full overcomer, which could be discussed from now to eternity. Paul devoted a whole chapter to love in 1 CORINTHIANS 13. Paul wrote in EPHESIANS 3:19 is that we may also ...know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. This point took Brother Hill seventy years of preaching to fully express. To ...know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God... is a lifetime achievement that can only be fully accomplished with the aid, and assistance of the mighty dunamis {doo'-nam-is} power of the Holy Ghost.
Finally, what is a sound mind? Is it a mind full of fear, and full of worry, etc.? A sound mind is one like Stephenpossessed, ... full of faith and of the Holy Ghost... ACTS 6:5. The just shall live by faith…, is a fact stated in ROMANS 1:17; GALATIANS 3:11; and HEBREWS 10:38. The New Testament full overcomers are seen in REVELATION 4:6 & 8 in the midst of the throne, bridal Saints in other words, and they are full of eyes before, and behind, and within. These are eyes of faith. This means that they could see the past, they could see the future, and they could see within the present what God doing. The sound mind is a quality given us by God, empowered also by the Holy Ghost.
I want to finish tonight with a remembrance of my own. The Viet Nam War began in the middle 60's, and during that time several of our young men down here at church were drafted, and in the young peoples class on Sunday night we listed them on the board, and prayed for each of them every week in class, and every day on our own. Their names remained there until they got home. Everyone one the board came home in one piece. The Lord answered our prayers.
We send out prayer request all the time, and my prayer is that the Lord protect all of us from this corona virus. Remember ...God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. We are told in 2TIMOTHY 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. This corona virus in this world now is a wakeup call for all of us as to how fast that can happen. As we read in HEBREWS 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Three verses earlier we read that the Lord as said: J will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. And one final reminder from I JOHN 4:4 ...greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Jesus is coming soon!
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