2 Timothy

2 Timothy 4 – Consummerism and Endurance

Last night, I heard a great message that opened with a word about consumerism. In short, consumerism is so engrained in our society that people commodify even the church. I cannot agree more. The sad part is that the church is also guilty in that it puts itself out for sale. The church, then, is [...]


Leading Small Groups / Leadership – A few Tips

Leading a small group is a great privilege and it can be very rewarding. The key is to have a good biblical perspective on leadership and service in mind. If there is, there will be blessing. Many point can be made, but let me only mention five. In addition, so that the following advice does [...]


The Challenge of Demas

Demas is an obscure figure in the New Testament. He is only mentioned three times. (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 1:24, and 2 Timothy 4:10) Little is said of him, but some reflection will be insightful. In Colossians 4:14, he is a companion of Luke and he sends greetings to the church at Colossae. In Philemon, he [...]


2 Timothy 2:1-7

2 Timothy 2:1-7 Paul begins this section with an odd juxtaposition. On the one hand, he exhorts Timothy to be strong in the grace of God. On the other hand, he likens the Christian life to the labor of a solider, athlete, and farmer. At first glance, God’s grace might seem to cancel out the [...]


2 Timothy 1:1-7

The past influences the present and even the future.  We are not such autonomous beings that we can forget the past.  Even if we tried, we would not be successful, and this attempt actually may prove to be harmful. There is a whole social component to our lives that we must consider. Paul does essentially [...]


2 Timothy 1:3

Paul states that he has served God with a clean conscience (en kathara suneidesis). This statement might seem like a tangential remark, but the word, “conscience,” is found no less than thirty times in the New Testament, and five of these are in 1 and 2 Timothy (1 Timothy 1:5, 1:19, 3:9, 4:2; 2 Timothy [...]


2 Timothy

Perhaps the most touching part of 2 Timothy is Paul’s testimony that he is being poured out as a drink offering. Paul has fought the good fight, finished the course, and now he contemplates his death. A life lived well is always an inspiration. How did Paul do it? How did he remain so faithful [...]