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January 21, 2014
The work of a pastor can be challenging. As he seeks to lead his congregation, situations may arise within the church that can distract him from his primary task of preaching the Word. To help us, Alistair Begg draws our attention to the counsel that the apostle Paul extended to Timothy regarding ministry responsibilities. Paul encouraged Timothy to aim only for God’s approval as a worker who rightly handles the Word of Truth—just as we too should do.
1You then, wmy child, xbe strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2and ywhat you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses zentrust to faithful men,1 awho will be able to teach others also. 3bShare in suffering as ca good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No soldier dgets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5eAn athlete is not fcrowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6It is gthe hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
8Remember Jesus Christ, hrisen from the dead, the ioffspring of David, jas preached in my gospel, 9kfor which I am suffering, lbound with chains as a criminal. But mthe word of God is not bound! 10Therefore nI endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain othe salvation that is in Christ Jesus with peternal glory. 11The saying is qtrustworthy, for:
rIf we have died with him, we will also slive with him;
12tif we endure, we will also reign with him;
uif we deny him, he also will deny us;
13vif we are faithless, whe remains faithful—
for xhe cannot deny himself.
14Remind them of these things, and ycharge them before God2 znot to quarrel about words, awhich does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,3 a worker bwho has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16But cavoid dirreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are eHymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have swerved from the truth, fsaying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: g“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone hwho names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
20Now in ia great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, jsome for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21Therefore, kif anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,4 he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, lready for every good work.
22So mflee nyouthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with othose who call on the Lord pfrom a pure heart. 23Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant qcontroversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24And rthe Lord's servant5 must not be quarrelsome but skind to everyone, table to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25correcting his opponents uwith gentleness. God vmay perhaps grant them repentance wleading to a knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come to their senses and escape from xthe snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
