||
                 ||||||||
                    ||                       How beautiful on the mountains
                    ||                       are the feet of those ... who
                    ||                       proclaim salvation, who say to
                                             Zion, "Your God reigns!"
          Pastor RALPH & GENE ANN WOOD                  --Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)
          E-mail:  randg.wood@encode.com
          FRESH MANNA, 26/02/1998 ......................... 2 TIMOTHY 2:15d
             Be diligent to present yourself to God, "approved":-- a worker
          WHO HAS NO NEED TO BE ASHAMED, cutting straight the word of truth.
                                                     --2 TIMOTHY 2:15 (RLW)
             The Greek uses one long, compound word to describe what Jesus'
          worker is not--  "AVEPAISXUNTON", "NOT--OVER-ASHAMED".  That is,
          if we are diligent to present ourselves to God, "approved", then
          we need not be ashamed.  If we "cut straight the word of truth",
          we have no need to be ashamed.  These are very positive concepts.
          Why then, does Paul characterize them in this "not-negative" way?
             The reason is that in both 1 and 2 TIMOTHY, Paul continually
          urges Timothy to teach, preach and promote true doctrine.  At the
          same time, Paul continually exhorts Timothy to oppose, to avoid
          false doctrine.  This is in accord with the overall emphasis of
          all the New Testament.  The NT contains more commands, examples
          and exhortations promoting true teaching, and true teachers, and
          opposing false teachers, and false teaching, than it contains on
          any other topic!  So this verse, with its positive and negative
          aspects combined, is in tune with its local and overall context.
             So, what things would we be ashamed of, if we did them?  One
          would be, failing to present ourselves to God as "approved".  If
          we are called by God to teach in the Church, we need to have His
          "approval" recognized by the Church, before taking over the work.
          Self-appointed teachers of the Church, aren't!  Similarly, we'd
          also be ashamed if we failed to give due heed to the teaching of
          those Christ has appointed to the Church's five-fold ministry--
          apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers [EPHESIANS
          4:11-16].  Or, if we were in one of those offices, we'd be more
          than ashamed- especially in view of God's warning in JAMES 3:1-
          if we ourselves ever gave out any false teaching.
             We'd be ashamed to use any tricks used by false teachers.  Of
          these, one common one is to come to the Scriptures looking for
          texts they can twist to support their own preconceived notions,
          worldly philosophies, personal agendas.  Rather, when we come to
          the Scriptures, we seek only to ask, "What saith the Lord?" to
          His Church; in a particular verse or on a particular topic.  We'd
          be ashamed to waste time arguing about frivolous topics, with
          false teachers who aren't ever going to listen.  These then, are
          some of the things Paul tells Timothy, and us, to avoid!  --RLW
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