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BACKGROUND
1&2 Timothy
Timothy was a convert to the Church from the city of Lystra who Paul had met as a missionary and was very impressed with. Timothy’s father was a Greek Gentile, but he had a Jewish mother and grandmother, Lois, and Eunice. And Timothy demonstrated great faith and a desire to spread the gospel. So later, Paul has Timothy join him as a missionary companion and they serve together for some time and become very close friends. Well, Paul gets word that there are some problems in the Church in the city of Ephesus. There are some leaders and members there that are preaching things that are not edifying and uplifting to the Church. So Paul decides to send Timothy there to see what’s happening and to help correct the problem. At the time that Paul writes this letter he has been imprisoned in Rome for a time but has been released and is most likely teaching in the area of Macedonia. Paul writes 1 Timothy to check up on how things are going in Ephesus. 2 Timothy, on the other hand, was written from Rome while Paul has been imprisoned a second time. And, it’s apparent that at that point, that Paul felt that his death was imminent. His trial was not going well. In fact, the book of 2 Timothy is considered to be Paul’s final letter that he wrote in the New Testament, that we know of. And so, he’s writing one more time to Timothy to see how things were going in Ephesus, which apparently, is still having some of the same problems. And then, we also know one more interesting detail about Timothy. At the time of this letter, he’s young. Just how young we don’t know, but Paul is going to give him some parting advice and counsel before he dies.
Titus
Now Titus was a Gentile converted by Paul himself. And on that teaching tour between his imprisonments in Rome, Paul traveled to Crete with Titus and placed him in charge of the church there to call some local leaders and to establish the church. And the Church in Crete had faced some significant problems as well. There too, we see the influence of corrupt and deceitful teachers leading the members astray with false doctrine. So we can look at both the Timothy’s and book of Titus as Paul’s counsel to local church leaders.
POWERFUL PROTECTION FROM PERNICIOUS PERILS
ICEBREAKER
So for an ice breaker. An object lesson you could use. Just bring in a number of different items that you use to bsome oven mitts, safety glasses, work gloves, a bike helmet, a respirator, surgical gloves, hockey, or football pads. Whatever you have lying around. Bring in a bunch of those kinds of items and set them out on a table. Then, you could just give them a number of situations and ask them which piece of protective equipment they would want to have while doing that thing. So if they were going to go prune some rose bushes, what would they want? The work gloves. What about playing a game of tackle football? Shoulder pads. A bike ride? The helmet. Performing surgery? Surgical gloves. Rock climbing? A harness. Cooking? Oven mitts. Then, working around dust or highly toxic chemicals? The respirator. Using a weed trimmer? Safety glasses. Just walk through your house and gather up as many protective items as you can find and quiz them on their uses.
Then you’re going to want to make your point. There are certain activities and things we do that present us with hazards and dangers. We, as humans, can usually recognize risky and perilous conditions. And so what do we do? We protect ourselves. There are things available that can help keep us safe from those inherent dangers. The wise will take every necessary precaution to keep themselves from harm and injury. And then maybe you could tell a story where you or someone you know did not take the necessary precautions to protect themselves in a certain situation. I remember being lazy one time and not wanting to go and find my safety glasses before using my weed trimmer. Well, a couple of minutes into the job, the trimmer kicked a rock up into my face and left a large gash just under eye. And that kind of freaked me out. I thought to myself, what if that rock had just hit me just a few centimeters higher. I could have lost an eye. And so from then on, I’ve decided that I will always wear eye protection when I trim the yard. Or, I might tell a story or two of people I know of who decided to go climbing without a rope or harness and the disastrous results that came from that decision. If we wish to avoid pain and injury, then we’ve got to take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves from possible perils and dangers.
Well, if we’re smart enough to wear oven mitts while cooking, and bike helmets while riding, and safety glasses while trimming, then why do we sometimes ignore the spiritual hazards and dangers that the prophets have warned us about in the same kind of way? Our spirits are also susceptible to injury and hurt. Spiritual death is a real thing and the prophets have consistently warned us of moral dangers, like hatred, pride, drugs and alcohol, disobedience, spiritually damaging media, and dishonesty. Do we react in the same way to them as we do physical dangers? Do we strive to protect our spirits in the same way we do our bodies?
TRANSITION
Well Paul uses a very interesting word to describe the latter-days in 2 Timothy 3:1? What is it?
The answer: Perilous. We live in perilous or dangerous times. And what hazards make our times so dangerous? Paul is going to give us a huge list of the dangers of our day. And what do you think he’s going to warn us about? Is he going to say terrorism, health epidemics, war, hurricanes, tsunamis, economic hardships, political turmoil, high cancer rates, car and airline accidents, or global warming? Are those the kinds of things that make our world so dangerous in the last days? Let’s find out.
Read vs 2-5
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection(sexual immorality), trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent(without self-control), fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors (rebelliousness), heady (rash or reckless), highminded (conceited) , lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
So what makes the last days so perilous? Not medical epidemics, but moral epidemics, not politics, but pride, not disasters, but dishonesty and disobedience, not global warming, but global wickedness, not natural disasters, but spiritual disasters. We ought to be much more worried about the spiritual calamities of the latter days than the physical ones. I mean, honestly, if I arm myself with an eternal perspective . . . if I die in a terrorist attack, or a plane crash, or a hurricane, I just die. You know. I get my transfer to the Spirt world a little earlier than I would prefer. But if one of these spiritual disasters gets me, and I die spiritually, I lose my faith, my commitment to righteous living, my protection from the adversary, well, that could very well affect my eternal prospects. It’s a much bigger deal.
SEARCH
Now remember that 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are written to church leaders who are striving to lead their flocks to righteous action and increased faith amid the influence of false teachers and worldly pressure. So two messages we’re going to focus on here. The dangers and the safeguards. What hazards are we going to face, and what things will help protect us from those hazards
So let’s begin with the dangers . And we’ve already discovered a huge list of them in verses 2-5. But there’s more in these books. A lot of them. And so I’m going to give you the verses, and you pull out the words and phrases that answer that question and I’ll stick them up on the screen. So spot the dangers. What are some of the perilous things that will make it difficult for us to stay spiritually safe in the last days?
And a few ways you could approach this as a teacher. If I had a large whiteboard or chalkboard at the front of my room, I would divide it up into 18 squares. So you would draw 5 evenly spaced horizontal lines, and 2 evenly spaced vertical lines. Then write the provided references in each of the boxes. This is quite a large list so it would take a really long time to go through and discover each of these together. But you could give the class a challenge to try and fill it in as quickly as possible with the dangers found in the verses. If they can fill it in in 4 minutes or less, or a different number based there could be some kind of a class reward. A funny video to watch, a small treat, getting let out a few minutes early, something along those lines. Or you could divide them into teams and see which can fill out the same chart on a handout first. Or if you’re really strapped for time, you could just run through them together and show them as a teacher like I’m going to do with you right now. But then encourage them to take the time and mark them in a selected color in their scriptures.
And I tell you what, this is some of the most fun language that you’re going to get from Paul in the New Testament. It’s so descriptive, so good.
SEARCH
Dangers
1:4 Fables(now when we hear fables we think of cute little stories with talking animals, but that’s not what Paul means, here it means an account or story that is based on the falsification of facts) endless genealogies, What does he mean by that? The Jews felt they were the chosen ones, and they felt the need to prove it through their family trees. It gave them a false sense of security that they were saved or better than others just because of who their ancestors were. It would be like somebody in the church today feeling they had a spiritual leg up on others just because their great-great grandfather was a pioneer. And then things which minister questions.
1:6 vain janglings (ah, such fun words in these verses) and these vain jangling have caused some members to swerve or turn aside from their faith.
4:1 seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, here will also cause many to depart from the faith. I find the word “seducing” interesting. One meaning of the word seduce is to entice somebody into sexual activity. There are things out there that will seduce us away from the faith.
4:7 profane and old wives fables, synonyms for the word profane include irreverent, obscene, sacrilegious, vulgar, and offensive.
6:4 proud, knowing nothing, doting about questions and strifes of words, envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings (the footnote for that says wicked suspicions) Right, thinking that everybody has an ulterior motive. Nobody has good intentions.
6:5 Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, destitute of truth
Now let’s go 2 Timothy, where the theme continues:
2:4 He talks about people that entangleth himself with the affairs of this life. That means getting all wrapped up in worldly concerns and desires)
2:14 strive about words to no profit, subverting of hearers
2:16 profane and vain babblings, (and what do they do?)they increase to more ungodliness
2:18 erred concerning the truth, overthrow faith
2:23 foolish and unlearned questions, gender strifes
3:7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. That makes me think of those who have great intellectual prowess, who are astute academics or scholars, who know so much, and yet, haven’t figured out the basics about life, the plan, and the gospel.
4:3 lusts, heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. I think that last phrase means they turn to sources that tell them what they want to hear. I have this itch in my ear, and I’m going to go to someone who will scratch that itch. Ah yes, right there, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. You’ve scratched my itch.
4:4 turned unto fables
And now Titus, same idea.
1:9 Gainsayers, a gainsayer is somebody who opposes, always seeking to contradict.
1:10 unruly, vain talkers, deceivers
1:14 Fables, commandments of men that turn from the truth, other terms for the commandments of men? The rules of society, the trends, fads, popular opinion
3:9 foolish questions, genaologies, contentions, strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable, vain
All right, we’ve got a pretty good list here of the kinds of things that are not going to help us in these perilous times we live in. And I hope you’ve kind of noticed a theme running throughout that list or chart. I don’t know if you’ll have the same epiphany that I did. But, does that look like a good description of anything in our world today? Where do we find vain janglings, babblings, the profane or obscene things that gender strife, seducing spirits, the perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, foolish things, things that entangle us in the affairs of this life and the popular opinions of the day. Things that overthrow faith and minister questions.
Are you having the same impression that I am? It’s the Internet! Right! It’s Social Media! It’s Television, and Movies. It’s Twitter, and Instagram, and Facebook, and Fake News, all the anti-Faith, anti-family, anti-virtue material. The media is filled with things that incite anger, contention, and gainsaying, and questioning. It’s overflowing with foolish, and seductive, and deceiving things. Isn’t it fascinating that one of the most accurate descriptions of our modern technological age was written almost 2000 years ago. I mean Paul just nails it, doesn’t he!
If we wish to survive the perilous poisons of the latter days, then it’s absolutely essential that we protect ourselves from the vain janglings, babblings, and seducing spirits of our age. Because access to much of that kind of material is right in the palms of our hands, and in our backpacks, and on our desktops. The screens of Sodom are all around us. Now I’m not saying that everything on the Internet and Social Media and Television is all bad. I mean, for heaven’s sake, this video you’re watching right now is on the Internet. But I’m willing to bet you that 90% of what we find in those places fits this description.
Now consider: How much time do I spend in that world? How much time am I exposed to this sort of contamination? Am I opening myself up to spiritual harm and injury?
What should we do with those kinds of things instead? You tell me! Look at the following verses for your answer:
1 Timothy 6:5 withdraw thyself
2 Timothy 2:23 turn away
2 Timothy 3:5 avoid
Protections
All right, now for the other side of the equation. If I need to withdraw and avoid and turn away from such things. What am I going to turn to? Are there any spiritual safety goggles and gloves for me? Well, here is Paul’s advice to an Internet and Social Media hungry world.
See if you can find the words and phrases that describe what will help us to endure the perilous times. Where we can turn to for help.
1 Timothy
1:3 No other doctrine
1:4 Godly edifying
1:5 Charity, Pure heart, good conscience, faith unfeigned
Are the things I am letting into my life edifying me? The influences I allow, Are they leading me to charity and unpretended faith?
And here is my favorite phrase in this whole lesson. Where are we going to go to stay grounded?
1:10 sound doctrine. We need to fill our lives with sound doctrine. Synonyms for sound: solid, well founded, reasonable, dependable. Firm.
4:6 nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine
4:13 Reading, exhortation, doctrine
4:15 Meditate on these things, give thyself wholly to them
4:16 Take heed unto the doctrine
6:3 Wholesome words, words of Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is according to godliness
2 Timothy
1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words which you’ve heard of me (prophets) given in faith and love. Did you listen to general conference? Sometimes my students complain about the length of general conference. To that I say, So you’ll sit, and binge watch an entire season of a Netflix show, but you can’t give the prophets of God a few hours on one weekend twice a year? You’ll play a video game for two hours straight, but you can’t sit through a single session? Which source are we turning to?
1:14 Keep that good thing which was committed unto thee by the Holy Ghost. Another source we can turn to. The Holy Ghost. Are you sensitive to its promptings? Do you listen for the still small voice?
3:10 Fully known the doctrine.
And we’ll come back to chapter 3:14-17. I’d like to end with that one.
4:2 exhort with long-suffering and doctrine
4:3 they will not endure sound doctrine
Titus
1:9 Sound doctrine
1:13 Sound in the faith
2:1 Sound doctrine
2:7 doctrine
2:8 Sound speech
2:10 adorn the doctrine
And then, my favorite one. One of the greatest sources of sound doctrine that we have. One of the greatest pieces of protective gear that we can carry. What is it?
3:14-17
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been 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 the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
What’s one of our greatest sources of protection? The holy scriptures given by the inspiration of God. And just look at all the blessings they bring us. They provide us with wisdom and lead us to salvation. They increase our faith, correct our errors, instructs us on how to be more righteous, and helps us to be better, and perfect us little by little as they teach us how to fill our lives with good works.
I might stop right there and ask my students at this point if they have ever had an experience with the scriptures where they received one of those blessings. Do they have a favorite scripture that has given them wisdom, taught them something, or inspired them. Is there a chapter that has clarified some key doctrine in their minds. Has a certain scripture story reproved or corrected them before? You know, helped them to repent or realize that they needed to change. Or is there a character in them that has instructed them how to live a better life—that has made them more like Christ, more perfect, or motivated them to some good work.
I don’t think I have to convince you of how much I love the scriptures. I know that whenever I feel overwhelmed by the world, when I feel lost, or anxious, or discouraged, If I open the scriptures, they always lift me out of it. I’ve been teaching them for many years now, even though they’re ancient, they’ve never gotten old to me. They have been one of my greatest sources of spiritual safety. You know, I’ll be honest with you, sometimes all those vain janglings, and old wives fables, and things which minister questions have troubled me before. There have been times when it seems like the darkness of the world and all the doubt that it engenders have filled my soul with discouragement and gloom. All I have to do, at those times, my friends, is open my scriptures, and read some of my favorite passages or chapters. Moses 1, Luke 15, Doctrine and Covenants 121, the book of Philippians, or Alma 32. Or connect with Joseph of Egypt, Captain Moroni, Joseph Smith, or Jesus Christ himself and all that light and assurance and hope comes flooding back into my soul. The scriptures have the power to restore our faith, and trust, and optimism. They provide safety for the soul.
TRUTH
If I rely on sources of sound doctrine (the Spirit, the prophets, the holy scriptures) then I will be protected from the perils of the last days.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Let’s take a moment for some self-retrospection. Think about this past week. How much time did you spend here? (in the vain janglings and babblings of the world)
And then, how much time did you spend here? (Sources of sound doctrine)
Do I need to make an adjustment?
Will I make an adjustment?
CONCLUSION
Well we all know the famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Yes, it’s true, there is spiritual peril all around us. BUT, just think, we have more opportunities to protect ourselves than any previous dispensation or time. We have more protective gear available to us than any disciple of Christ has ever had. We have a combination of all former scripture right at our fingertips. Five entire standard works to help us out. We have fifteen prophets providing us with modern scripture. We have the help of the Holy Ghost to guide us. We have access to so much “sound doctrine” that our foundations can stand strong against any assault. So let’s listen carefully to the sound of all that sound doctrine. If we wish to endure these perilous times, then we ‘ve got to take our spiritual self-protection seriously. Therefore, let’s put on our gloves, our helmets, our safety glasses, and remain SAFE!
NOTE
That’s the message I would most want to get across to my students this week. I really think that’s the main overarching theme and lesson of these books. But, as I just said. The scriptures are amazing and have so much to offer us and there are some other really important smaller messages within these books that I’d like to briefly cover. And rather than giving you the full treatment on these verses, maybe just a quick thought or activity for each that can at least provide you with a bit of insight should you choose to teach them. So here we go.
INTERPRETING DIFFICULT PASSAGES (1 Timothy 2:11-15)
I think the Timothy’s provide with a good opportunity to discuss what we do when we encounter difficult passages to understand in the scriptures. Some of you have probably already run into some parts of the epistles that are a bit troubling to you. And especially if you’re a teacher, you may feel a little anxiety over what you might say if somebody asks you about some of those verses. Paul says some challenging things in places in the epistles particularly dealing with women’s issues, same gender attraction, and slavery. For example, what do you do with something like 1 Timothy 2:11-15.
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
I can see some people struggling with that. Like, what? That’s in the scriptures. How on earth do we explain that? And there are other passages in Paul’s writings that are like that. A little baffling.
Well, here are some things to consider when you encounter this sort of thing. Five suggestions for dealing with difficult passages of scripture.
It may not be translated correctly.
Simply put, it might just be a mistake. The 8th article of faith tells us that we believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly. Perhaps the passages we’re reading are mistranslations. They may not be correct.
There may be an alternate translation of certain words.
Perhaps the words chosen by the King James Version translators are not the best or most accurate translations of those words. The meaning of words can change over time. There are other possible translations that can be derived by the original Greek manuscripts that we have. And you can find these right in the footnotes. Instead of silence, look at the footnote for 12c. We could substitute silence, with quietness, or tranquility. Perhaps he’s just saying that the women should be reverent. Usurp authority could also be translated as “exercise dominion, be autocratic, or domineer”. So, perhaps he just means that women should not try to usurp the role of presiding priesthood holders or get into a power struggle with them. That kind of puts that passage in a bit of a different light. It can help. However, you still may struggle with that. It’s ok.
Perhaps we are just misinterpreting the intent of the writer. I mean, we don’t have Paul here to explain exactly what he means. There may be some key contextual factors that we just don’t have.
It’ says they shouldn’t teach. Well, I don’t know about that one, but women in Paul’s day were certainly teaching the gospel and playing a pivotal role in the early church. He’s constantly praising them by name and mentioning the good things they are doing. Women like Tabitha, Rhoda, Lydia, Priscilla, Phebe, Mary, Persis, and Claudia. Women were definitely major players in the early church. And then, in the books of Timothy themselves, just jump over to 2 Timothy 1:5 where he says:
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. And then in 3:15 we know that Timothy had been taught from the scriptures from a child. Who was doing that teaching? Where did Timothy get the foundation of his faith and a love for the scriptures? His grandmother and his mother. So you Lois’s and Eunice’s out there, teach your Timothy’s. God needs faithful women to teach the gospel just as much as he needs faithful men.
Then look in Titus 2:3 -4 Where Paul gives advice to the aged women. Look what he says: 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
There you go, Paul counseling the women to teach. So obviously we have to consider what we read in I Timothy in light of everything Paul said about the subject, not just one particular instance.
The anti’s love to do this kind of thing. They like to dig up one single statement said by a church leader or prophet and condemn the whole church or gospel by it. If we really want to know what a prophet thought about something, we should consider everything he said about it. If we really want to know what the church believes about a certain thing, we should consider all statement on it. Not just one single instance.
And what about those lines about Adam and Eve. You could interpret vs 13 as saying that Adam had authority or superiority over Eve. I don’t see it that way, I see it as a description of the order of creation and that Adam had a responsibility for Eve. You could interpret vs 14 as a condemnation of Eve. I don’t see it that way. I think all that vs 14 means is that they took the fruit for different reasons. Eve herself says that she was beguiled. Well, there’s no condemnation there. We’ve all been deceived by the adversary in our lives. We’ve all partaken of forbidden fruit at times. She was just explaining what happened. Then Adam partook of the fruit to stay with Eve and to fulfill the Lord’s commandment to stay together. Then vs 15 has a key Joseph Smith Translation change, it should read, Notwithstanding, they shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith and charity, and holiness with sobriety. Having and raising children can be a saving act for faithful husbands and wives. I honestly don’t believe that Paul felt that women were to be silent and listen to the men as a punishment for what Eve did in the Garden of Eden. That doesn’t coincide with all we know about that situation. Just consider the second article of faith. We believe that men shall be punished for their own sins and not for Adam’s transgression. I think we could also say, We believe that women shall be punished for their own sins and not for Eve’s transgression. I don’t even think that Eve was punished for her transgression, I think what followed her decision was the natural consequences of mortality, things that God intended all along for all of us. Work, childbearing, sorrow, good and evil. That was mortality, not a punishment. If you want to learn more about that, check out the first half of Moses chapter 5.
Now I’m not saying that my interpretation is the correct interpretation, but it’s a possibility. Just keep in mind that there are different ways of understanding certain verses in the scriptures.
We follow a Living Prophet
We don’t need to get too concerned about things like this in the scriptures because we have living prophets that teach us the proper application of gospel principles in our day. Do the living prophets teach that application today? No. Women teach, and speak, and pray, and lead, and serve missions, and make decisions in the church. So, don’t let these Bible verses bother you too much. If the living prophet isn’t applying it in that way, then we don’t need to either.
Don’t judge their age and culture, by our age and culture. Prophets are also a product of their time.
So let’s not judge. It’s just not fair. It is impossible to not be affected and influenced in some ways by the culture that surrounds you. We have to appreciate and consider the world that Paul is teaching in. The church needs to grow, he just can’t take on every incorrect aspect of the Greek and Roman worlds all at once. I mean, in reality, you have to pick your battles. Paul is facing opposition from the Greeks who think the idea of resurrection is silly, the Jewish Christians who just can’t let the circumcision thing go and remember that most of the Epistles that we’ve studied so far are filled with Paul dealing with problems. He’s got a lot of things on his plate; he can’t afford to also take on the Patriarchal society and the institution of slavery as well. If he had, it is highly doubtful that the church would have even gotten to where it even did get. God has to be pragmatic with the way he guides the church Cultures are different, and church policies have to change and adapt over time depending on the world around it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the Lord compromises on doctrine and fundamental principles, but policy, eh, it’s a little different. Just look at what is happening in the church today. President Nelson is changing a lot of policies to adapt to the world we live in now. And on top of that, I think we have to assume that Paul is also the product of his own time as well. We can’t expect perfection from them according to our standards. This can apply to other ages too. We may look at some of the things Joseph Smith and Brigham Young said and did in their day and be really bothered by it. But is it fair to expect them to be immune to the influence of their own age? I mean, we wouldn’t want them to judge us by their age, would we? What if one of them came to our day and saw the way our women dress compared to how they dressed. If a pioneer woman came and saw some of the Relief Society sisters wearing shorts or yoga pants, They would be shocked. If they went to the beach and saw a member woman wearing what we would consider a very modest one-piece bathing suit, I think they would be horrified. Well, let’s not be guilty of doing the same kind of thing to them. Let’s not assume that everything about our culture and age is right, and everything about theirs is wrong.
I think that if we can keep these ideas in mind, we’ll be able to understand or look past some of the few but more troubling passages in Paul’s writings, and perhaps even in the scriptures in general and church history as well. Let’s keep an open and understanding mind.
BE THOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE BELIEVERS (1 Timothy 4:12-16)
Well how about some of the more inspiring passages from these books. You may want to direct your student’s attention to 1 Timothy 4:12-16. A quick icebreaker that I may do with this passage involves magnets. Now this may not work for you depending on your teaching environment, but in my classroom I have a podium that has a little storage area in it. And what I do is secretly place a large block of magnets inside. I’ll put a link in the video description below where you could get some magnets like this and then, you may have to adjust how you set this up based on your teaching situation. But then, for fun. I pull out a paper clip and I tell my students that I have the power to move the paper clip with my mind. And I hold it in my hand and then pretend like I’m trying to move it just with my thoughts. And as I’m doing this I slowly bring my hand towards the place on my podium where I know the magnet is right underneath it. And, incredibly the paper clip begins to move the closer you get to the magnet. And at first, the students are shocked and surprised at what’s happening as they see the paperclip starting to move seemingly on its own. But eventually, they’ll figure it out. I’ve done this many times and they always figure it out. You can ask if anybody knows how you are able to do it. And they’ll shout out that there’s a magnet involved, After which I pull out the magnet and show everyone how it moves and influences the paperclip. See, because the magnet emits an invisible yet powerful force that can have an impact on things around it.
Well, brothers and sisters, we can be like that magnet. We too, have a power and influence that can radiate invisibly around us and have a profound effect on the world around us. That power, is the power of our example. The force of what we do, what we say, who we are, emanates from us and influences others. Whether for good or evil. So what kind of force emanates from you?
Now Paul gave some great advice to his younger counterpart Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12-16. And remember that Timothy is a young man, so this passage is especially great for young people. As you read it, look for what Paul specifically directs Timothy to do to help him be a better example to others.
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
So much to unpack there. But just give your students some time to share what they see. Some quick thoughts. Don’t underestimate the power that you can have for good, even in your youth. Let no man despise thy youth. Young people can radiate an incredible power. Like that magnet. They can draw others to Christ by example. No wonder we send 18–21-year old’s out into the world to be missionaries. And then just look at all the ways we can increase our influence. We are to be examples in word (the way we speak), in conversation (which means, the way we act) in charity (so through service and Christlike behavior) in spirit, in faith, in purity. Our connection to the Holy Ghost and our testimony and our commitment to living as purely as possible can have a profound effect on people around us. From verse 13, our connection with the scriptures and our understanding of doctrine can be powerful .From verse 14, magnifying our unique spiritual gifts can make a difference. And if we do these kinds of things, we will not only profit ourselves, and save ourselves, but help to bring salvation to all that hear and see us.
You may want to invite your students to share some examples of people in their lives who have been a good example to them. Have the share the impact that those people have had on their lives.
And remember, don’t underestimate the power that you have for good. Be a magnet for Christ. Draw others to him by being an example of the believers.
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
Now, 2 Timothy 4:6-8. Remember that I told you that 2 Timothy is the last letter that Paul wrote. It’s apparent to him at this point that his life is ending. His trial in Rome isn’t going well, and he can sense that he’s coming to the end of his life. And how sad. I really hope that you’ve come to love Paul as much as I do over these past few months that we’ve been studying his life and words. He’s such an amazing example to me. He’s high on my list of people I want to meet in the next life. Ever the optimist, listen to how he feels about facing his imminent death.
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 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.
Ooo. Isn’t that so good. Don’t you just love that confidence and that certainty. Now you may remember the lesson we had way back in 1 Corinthians 9 where Paul compared his path of discipleship to two Olympic sports. Running and wrestling. Do you remember that? He said:
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
Can you see that same imagery there? So in 2 Timothy we get to see Paul coming to the end of his race. The finish line of the marathon of his life is right in front of him. The wrestling match is just about to end, and now he’s looking back at his race, his match and contemplating his efforts. And he’s satisfied. He knows he’s done a good job.
And so the activity I might do with my students here is actually just a great thing to do in general. It’s a Stephen Covey idea even. I wonder if he got this idea from Paul in his incredibly popular “Seven Habits” book. But the habit is “Begin with the end in mind”. A popular self-help question these days is, “What would you do if you knew that today was your last day on earth?” And that question is supposed to help you better evaluate your priorities. Which, it’s not a bad question and can offer you some insight. But an even better question, or mental exercise would be to contemplate your own funeral. What would you want the people you know to say about you? What kind of a person were you? What would want your spouse to say about you? Your children? Your coworkers? And then, here, what would you want Christ to say about you as one of his disciples? That, my friends is a much better question to ask than, “What would you do, if today was your last day”? So invite your classes to take a quiet, pondering moment to ask themselves at least that last question. What would you want Christ to say at your funeral about how you lived your spiritual, or religious life?
I hope to be able to say at the end of my life what Paul says here. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” A desire to be able to say that at the end of my life can provide me with strength I need to continue now. That can give me the motivation to keep running even though I’m tired. It can give me the strength I need to keep fighting even though I’m battered by trial and temptation. And the promise is assured. If we but endure to the end, an incorruptible crown of righteousness will be ours at the last day.
PHILEMON
Now, on to the shortest of all the books in the New Testament. The book of Philemon. And even though it’s short, it really has a powerful message.
Sometimes I find that it’s a good idea to allow my students to learn from a book of scripture on their own before we talk about it. And since Philemon is such a short book, I feel this is a good place to do this kind of activity. So I’ve put together a guided study worksheet that they can work on either on their own, or with a partner. I’ll make this available for download. But here is what it looks like.
All of the answers can be found in the Book of Philemon itself, or in the Bible Dictionary under the heading “Pauline Epistles” with the subheading “Epistle to Philemon” on page 746 at the back of your Church edition of the Bible.
And now, I’ll lead you through the answers
Who was Onesimus?
a) A Jewish Pharisee whom Paul had reprimanded for false teaching.
b) A former slave, belonging to Philemon, who had robbed him and run away.
c) A former missionary companion of Paul’s the was sent to deliver his epistle to the Colossians.
d) Timothy’s grandfather who had taught him to love the scriptures
What had happened to Onesimus while away from Philemon’s household?
a) He had met Paul and had been converted to the Gospel
b) He had made a journey to Jerusalem to speak with Peter
c) He had been arrested by the Jewish council and whipped
d) He had testified against Paul, sending him back to prison in Rome
What counsel did Paul give to Onesimus?
a) To give up his false teachings and return to sound doctrine.
b) To flee the Roman Empire and pursue his freedom.
c) To deliver a letter to the Corinthians
d) To return to his master and ask for forgiveness.
What counsel did Paul give to Philemon? (Mark all that apply)
a) To acknowledge that all good things come from Christ
b) To receive Onesimus back as not only a servant, but a brother
c) To receive Onesimus as if he were Paul himself
d) To prepare a room for him in case he got out of prison and could visit
Find all the words suggesting “brotherhood" in the verses below and fill in the blanks
:1 Timothy our _______________ (brother)
:1 Philemon our _________ ___________ (dearly beloved)
:1 and fellow_____________ (labourer)
:2 Archippus our fellow______________ (soldier)
:7 because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, ______________(brother)
:10 I beseech thee for my _______ Onesimus (son)
:16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a ___________ ___________ (brother beloved)
:17 If thou count me therefore a ______________ (partner)
:20 Yea, _________, let me have joy of thee in the Lord (brother)
:23 There salute thee Ephaphras, my fellow______________ (prisoner)
:24 Lucas, my fellow_______________. (labourers)
How do you interpret vs. 8-9? And I really love these verses. They say:
8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Now they might struggle with that but here's what I think he's saying. He's saying, “You know, Philemon, I could ask you as an apostle of God to receive Onesimus back as a brother. I could be bold in Christ to use my authority to tell you what to do.” But Paul’s not going to approach it that way. He's kind of saying that he’s not gonna pull the Apostle card here. Yet for love's sake I'm just gonna ask you, not as an apostle but Paul the old man a friend of yours will you do this for me? Your friend ? It's kind of a cool lesson in leadership I think he's not gonna to ask by authority. But he’s going to try and lead by persuasion.
What was Paul willing to do for Onesimus according to vs :18-19? He says:
18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
So he’s basically saying. Whatever Onesimus owes you, put that on my account. I’ll pay for it. So here’s Paul making a great self-sacrifice for a fellow brother.
What message does the Book of Philemon teach you?
Now that’s a completely open-ended question of course. I believe that there are numerable lessons from this little book.
It teaches us something about forgiveness, fellowship and brotherhood, conversion, sacrifice to do the right thing, honesty, giving up personal gain to help another person. Many, many lessons you could draw from it.
But for me, the giant lesson of this tiny book is in the title itself. This is a different kind of letter than all the others. I would ask you: How is it different? It’s written to a single member of the church. It’s not written to an entire congregation or even a church leader like all the others. It’s just a straightforward letter written to one member of the church on behalf of another. It’s an example of a simple act of kindness in behalf of a single lost soul.
It shows us that the Apostles could be personal, not only concerned with cities and churches, and leaders. We worship a one-by-one God. God cares about individuals, and his apostles and prophets care about individuals. Even amidst all the responsibilities and administrative duties a leader of the church has, it all comes down to the one. The church was created to save individual souls, it is a means to an end, not the end itself.
There have been numerous stories told in General Conference where you see the brethren interacting with and blessing individuals. I believe I’ve told this story once before, but I’ve had personal experience with this principle. When my mother was dying of cancer, President Nelson, who was not the president at the time, made the effort in his busy schedule to visit our home and give my mother a blessing. Now he didn’t have to do that, and it’s not possible for them to attend to every personalized situation in the church. But inasmuch as they can, I believe they all find time to interact with members on an individual basis. Now he didn’t use his priesthood power to heal her, but he gave my mother a beautiful blessing and promised her great joy ahead. After the blessing he took my Mom’s hands in his and looked into her eyes and they, and all of us, shed tears together with her and us. It was a personal testament to me of the prophets’ and God’s love for the individual.
To me, that’s the message of the book of Philemon, God knows you, God loves you, and you are of infinite worth as an individual in Christ’s Church.
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