Bible Studies for Life By Jeffery M. Leonard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Religion, Samford University
One Great Task
2 Timothy 2:1–10
For those of us who consider ourselves history buffs, there is something special about traveling to an old city like Boston. Walking the Freedom Trail and seeing sights that date back to the 1700s and even 1600s is a special treat. It is interesting to see how our perspective on these “old” sights can change when we take a trip across the pond. In a place like London, buildings from the 1700s are a dime a dozen. What truly astounds are the castles and towers that date back centuries earlier, to a time nearly a millennium ago. And yet these monuments from a thousand years ago seem positively modern compared to those you find when you visit the land of the Bible. Run your hand along a wall in the Holy Land, and you are as likely as not to touch stones hewn by a workman two, three, even four thousand years ago. You can pass through arches built by Crusaders, sing in churches founded by Constantine, walk through a tunnel built by King Hezekiah, see a city gate from before the time of Abraham.
What is fascinating about these sights (and others) is they belong to traditions that remain living and vibrant even after all these many centuries. Although Constantine has been dead for nearly 1,700 years, the worship of God continues day after day after day in many of the churches he founded. How can it be that these churches have managed to survive all these years? In a word: “tradition.” Whatever doctrinal disagreements we might have with them, the Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Copts, Armenians and Ethiopians who inhabit these churches have shown an extraordinary commitment to passing along the traditions they received from those who went before them.
Share the message of Christ with others. (1–2)
Tradition is a term that has often gotten a bad rap in Protestant circles. Rightly concerned that tradition not take precedence over Scripture, some have tried to reject the idea of tradition altogether. This is an attempt that appears to run contrary to the Bible itself, though. The apostle Paul himself insisted on the importance of tradition in his second letter to his disciple, Timothy. He urged Timothy, “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (v. 2). Paul told Timothy the message of Jesus. Timothy was then to tell reliable people who were then to tell others. Paul was commanding Timothy to be a link in the chain of tradition that would pass the message of Jesus from one generation to the next.
Persevere in sharing the message of Christ. (3–7)
Paul knew sharing the message of Jesus would come at a cost. To proclaim the risen Jesus would bring opposition, and that opposition would sooner or later turn into persecution. Paul does not tell Timothy to try to avoid this persecution. On the contrary, he urges him to follow his own example and join him in suffering for Jesus. Like a soldier who leaves behind civilian affairs or an athlete who foregoes distractions, Paul tells Timothy to press on in sharing about Jesus.
Keep your focus on the message of Christ. (8–10)
Paul was convinced in his heart of hearts that the message of Jesus Christ, “raised from the dead, descended from David,” was the answer to all the longings of the human heart. He urges his disciple Timothy to endure whatever was necessary to make sure that message, that tradition, was passed on to generations yet to come.
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