|
AND THE THINGS
WHICH YOU HAVE HEARD IN THE
PRESENCE OF MANY WITNESSES: kai a ekousas (2SAAI) par emou dia pollon marturon: (2Ti
1:13; 3:10,14 1Ti 4:14; 6:12, Php 4:9)
Related Resources -
Dawson Trotman Born to Reproduce (Pdf
format which includes a link to his audio message) - If there ever was a
man who epitomized the truth of 2 Timothy 2:2, it was Dawson Trotman,
the founder of the Navigators - a must read & listen!
Dawson Trotman - The Need of the
Hour
Dawson Trotman - The Big Dipper
How to Make Disciples 8 Part Series
by Gene Warr (Pdf and Audio)
Operation Multiplication 4 Part Series by Billie
Hanks, Jr. (Pdf and Audio)
The Art of Personal Witnessing 13
Part Series by Lorne Sanny (Pdf and Audio)
Master Plan of Evangelism 3 Part
Series by Robert Coleman (Pdf and Audio)
Other translations...
You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many
reliable witnesses (NLT)
Everything that you have heard me preach in public (Phillips)
And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many
witnesses (Amplified)
You and many others have heard what I have taught (ICB)
You’ve heard my message, and it’s been confirmed by many witnesses (GWT)
And
links naturally with Timothy's being empowered in grace, enabling him to
transmit the precious deposit of the things...heard
which in context refers to the Gospel. We cannot pass on
something which we don't possess. Timothy was to pass on the things
which Paul had poured into him.
The
fact that these things were heard in the presence of many witnesses
indicates that there were others who could testify to the truth,
trustworthiness and validity of the things Paul taught. They were not
private communications, restricted to an inner group.
There is herein a
noteworthy principle: One
of the tests of trustworthy doctrine is that the teacher is willing to
expound it publicly as well as privately. Note for example how most of
the cults refuse to do this but rather seek their converts through
secret initiations.
Witnesses
(3144) (martus) describes those who have heard Paul's words and
are competent and willing to confirm his statements.
The point Paul is making is his
teaching was not a matter of private discourse, restricted to some
select inner group, but heard by many
(polus = much in number or quantity) who could testify to
the "soundness" of the doctrines he taught. The apostles had no private
esoteric doctrines privately communicated to their successors as was
true in many of the "secret cults" of that day and is a characteristic
of many of the cults today.
The things...heard refers
back to "the good thing committed (entrusted)" (2 Ti 1:14, Young's
Literal), specifically the Gospel. Lenski aptly remarks, “The apostle
evidently did not expect the future teachers of the Church to produce
new or different teaching. The Gospel is changeless in all ages."
Have
heard (akouo) which means to hear with attention and to hear
effectually as to perform or grant what is spoken. The aorist tense
speaks of a past completed action and in context sums up as a historic
fact the many occasions when Timothy had heard Paul present the standard
of sound words
in the Gospel (2Ti 1:13-
note,
e.g. see Acts 20:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
Dwight Edwards writes that
This great verse contains three
major sections, each dealing with a different time period. We see the
prerequisite for discipleship, the process of discipleship,
and the product of discipleship. The prerequisite (past
event). "And the things that you have heard from me among many
witnesses..." We cannot pass on something which we don't possess.
Timothy was to pass on the things which Paul had poured into him. These
"things" are the approximate equivalent to "the standard of sound words"
of 2 Ti1:13 and "the good deposit" of 2 Ti1:14....The significant point is that
preparation always precedes presentation. Every man or woman God has
used significantly has undergone a period of intense spiritual
preparation. Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, and Paul among many others
spent a significant amount of time being prepared by God before He sent
them forth into divine service. Thus we also must not neglect the time
of our spiritual training and preparation. It is only by allowing the
spirit of God to hone and sharpen us that our lives will have the keen
cutting edge which God can use in His skillful hand.
Timothy is to take what Paul has poured into his life and let it
overflow into the lives of others.
The Process (Present Event):
"commit these to faithful men..." Timothy is to take what Paul has
poured into his life and let it overflow into the lives of others...
The Product (future event) "
who will be able to teach others also." Here is the end product of the
process of discipleship. If
done properly, it will breed warriors for the faith who will go forth to
the battle for men's souls.
They themselves will be involved in equipping still other faithful
warriors for the conflict. And thus the process of spiritual
reproduction and multiplication is set in motion; a process
which has the potential to fulfill the first command ever given to man.
""Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it" (Ge 1:28)."
This process also is the key to fulfilling the last command given to man
before Christ's ascension, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the
nations" (Mt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)" (Bolding and color added)
ENTRUST TO
FAITHFUL MEN:
parathou (AMM) pistois anthropois:
(2Ti 1:14; 1Ti 1:18; 5:22) (Nu 12:7; 1Sa 2:35; Neh 7:2; Ps 101:6; Pr
13:17; Jer 23:28; Mt 24:25; Lk 12:42; 16:10, 11, 12; 1 Co 4:2; Col 1:7;
1Ti 1:12; Heb 2:17; 3:2,3; Rev 2:10, 11, 12, 13, 1Ti 6:20) (See
Torrey's Topic "Faithfulness")
Teach these
great truths to trustworthy men
(TLB),
entrust them
to reliable people (TEV),
Teach
these great truths to trustworthy people
(NLT),
transmit
and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men
(AMP),
these
things commit as a trust to trustworthy men
(Wuest)
Paul had instructed Timothy to "guard
what (had) been entrusted to"
or deposited with him for safe, faithful keeping and protection. In the
present verse Paul gives a practical example of how Timothy is to
protect the "deposit". Now he "should
in turn entrust to reliable men, who will be able to pass it on
to others."
(Phillips)
Entrust
(3908) (paratithemi from para = beside + tithemi = place)
(click
in depth study of related noun
paratheke) literally means to place something beside,
to set alongside or place before someone. It was used in Greek meaning
to give someone something in trust and so to "deposit" with another.
It conveys the picture of a precious treasure being deposited as a trust
into the hands of other persons. Those to be entrusted with the message
must be “faithful” persons, reliable and trustworthy men “who will not
swerve aside because of fear or favor, who will not compromise with the
spirit of the age through which they are passing.”
Paratithemi is used 19 times in the NT (Mt
13:24, 31; Mk. 6:41; 8:6, 7; Lk. 9:16; 10:8; 11:6; 12:48; 23:46; Acts
14:23; 16:34; 17:3; 20:32; 1Co 10:27; 1Ti 1:18; 2Ti 2:2; 1Pe 4:19)
and is translated as: commend, 1; commended, 1; commit, 1; entrust, 3;
entrusted, 1; giving evidence, 1; presented, 2; serve, 1; served, 2; set
before, 5; set...before, 1)
There are 19 uses of
paratithemi in the Septuagint - Ge 18:8; 24:33; 30:38; 43:31,
32; Ex 19:7; 21:1; Lev. 6:4, 10; Deut. 4:44; 1Sa 9:24; 21:6; 28:22; 2Sa
12:20; 2Ki 5:24; 6:22, 23; 2Chr. 16:10; Ps. 31:5; Pr 23:1
As shown below the NT uses
paratithemi to describing setting of food before those who were
hungry. How apropos then that in the figurative use, paratithemi
refers to setting the "food" of God's Word before those who are hungry,
setting the table for them so to speak that they might partake of the
very bread of life!
The TDNT has the following
note regarding paratithemi writing that...
In the ancient Gk. and Jewish sphere,
as well as the ancient Roman, one finds the legal device whereby an
object can be entrusted to another’s keeping for a specific period.
This object was to be kept free, unused and undamaged until restoration.
The trustworthiness of the trustee was thus most important. But there
was, too, a stringent penalty for embezzlement, and the special wrath of
the gods was also invoked. The legal formulae soon came to be used in a
transferred sense, e.g., “to entrust someone to the care or
protection of someone,” Diod. S., 17, 23, 5; "to submit words as
entrusted goods" (Ed note: as here in 2 Timothy)...(In the Septuagint
paratithemi is used 42 times including use as...) "a term in commercial
law “to give money to someone for safekeeping,”...The responsibility of
the trustee for the money handed to him is regulated in
Exodus 22:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13...
When the psalmist in Psalm 31:5 prays "into Thy hands I
commit [Lxx = paratithemi] my spirit", as one who is persecuted, though
innocent, he sets himself under the protection of the faithful God." (Ed
note: And of course our Lord Jesus quoted these very words from the
Cross as noted below)...(the Jewish Historian in using paratithemi...)
lays special emphasis on the honesty which, grounded on fear of God and
the conscience, must hold sway in trusts." The TDNT appropriately adds
that "All that man is and has he should regard as something entrusted
to him by God" (Kittel,
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Erdman) (Bolding added)
As illustrated by the following
passages, and as used in the present verse by Paul, paratithemi
meant to entrust or commit for safekeeping with the
implication that one was committing to another with confidence. It can
convey (as in our present passage) the idea of investing or charging
someone with a duty or responsibility. It can convey the idea of
putting something into the care or protection of someone. This is very
similar to use of paratithemi in classical Greek to describe anything
being deposited with a friend for the purpose of safekeeping.
When used with the idea of commit
(as by Jesus on the Cross) paratithemi conveys the may express
the general idea of delivering into another’s charge or the special
sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of
custody.
Paratithemi is sometimes
translated "commend" which mends to entrust for care or
preservation. The sense is to deposit what belongs to one into the
hands of another.
In (Matthew
13:24) Jesus used paratithemi in the context of
teaching, Matthew recording that...
He presented another parable
to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a
man took and sowed in his field
In (Mark
6:41) Jesus uses paratithemi to describe setting the
table with food...
"And He took the five loaves and the
two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke
the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before
them; and He divided up the two fish among them all."
In (Luke
12:48) we see
paratithemi used with the idea of trusting something into one's
care, Luke recording...
but the one who did not know it, and
committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From
everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom
they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
In probably the most notable use
of paratithemi Luke (Luke
23:46|)
records Jesus' words from the cross...
And Jesus, crying out with a loud
voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS COMMIT MY SPIRIT ." Having
said this, He breathed His last.
Paul in his last words to
the elders of the church at Ephesus (Acts
20:32)
said...
And now commend you to God
and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give
you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Paul in this first epistle
to Timothy (1Timothy
1:18) said...
This command entrust to you,
Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made
concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,
Peter (see note
1 Peter 4:19) in a use that parallels that of our Lord's on the cross
wrote that those believers...
also who suffer according to the
will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in
doing what is right.
In the secular Greco-Roman world,
paratithemi
was used as a banking
term meaning to deposit something valuable as a trust or for
protection. The point of this specific verb is that truth is not simply
to be given away but is to be carefully deposited, much like we might
make a monetary deposit in a promising investment.
Thus as we pass on the "baton" of
God's truth to the next "runner" we dare not fail to communicate the
sober responsibility that accompanies reception and transmittal of this
truth for the eternal truths of God's matchless Word are not on an equal
par with other interesting and valuable information. Thus we must never
forget or fail to communicate to others that the word of God is a "good
deposit" for which God will call us into account one day. And on that
day the burning question will not be "How much did you know?" But "How
fully do you obey what you knew?"
Paul is commanding Timothy even with a sense of urgency (aorist
imperative conveys urgency ~ do this and do it effectively!) to
deposit the "good deposit" (NIV; see note
2 Timothy 1:14) (Gk word
paratheke derived from the verb paratithemi) to trustworthy
(pistos - trustworthy, dependable, reliable, worthy of
placing one's confidence in) men. These
are not just any believer but were to be men who could be trusted, who
would pass the gospel "deposit" on to other men. These
were to be men Timothy could place his confidence in...men who would be
sure to follow through to the end even if it cost them their life.
They must prove themselves worthy of this eternal investment by their
faithfulness, the dividing line between mediocrity and excellence in
Christian living. Note that the requirement is not eloquence, charisma,
intellect, or natural talent even though these tend to attract men's
attention and praise. Instead Paul commanded Timothy to look for
faithful men, through whom there is no limit what God can do.
John Wesley said,
"If I had 300 men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and
were determined to know nothing among men except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified; I would set the world on fire."
Paul used the same verb (paratithemi )
when he exhorted and admonished the Ephesian elders upon his departure,
saying
"now
I
commend (paratithemi
~ "I deposit you") you to God
and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and
to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
(Acts
20:32)
Vine notes
that
"There is no
hint here, or anywhere else in the New Testament, of apostolic
succession. The apostle is arranging for the maintenance and the
perpetuation of the faith. Nor is there any intimation, in the charge
here given, of a communication of an official right to preach. Timothy
was not commissioned to consecrate men, or to impart authority to them,
he was to hand on the truth as he had received it." (Vine,
W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
)
A pastor’s ministry is never to be
a “one-man show”. He must be continually raising up people in ministry
around him, and pushing ministry down to others who strengthened by
grace in Christ can perform "good works". Serving the Lord is not
an onerous burden but a gracious privilege that must be shared with
faithful men.
J Vernon McGee comments
"As
sons of God (Mt 5:9-note,
Lk 20:36, Ro 8:14-note,
Ro 8:19-note,
Ga 3:26) we ought to be concerned about our Father’s business.
The Lord Jesus in His humanity as a boy said (quoting from KJV
translation), “I must be about my Father’s business.” Well, I have
become a son of God—not like the Lord Jesus, but I’ve become a son of
God through faith in Christ. “But as many as received him, to them gave
he power [the authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that
[do no more nor less than] believe on his name” (John 1:12). Now that I
am a son of God I am interested in my Father’s business.
By the way, are
you interested in your Father’s business?
And the main business is
getting out the Word of God (cp Ps 40:9-note,
, Jonah 3:2, Lk 9:60, Ro 10:14, 15-note,
Col 1:25-note,
2Ti 4:1-note,
2Ti 4:2-note,
2Ti 4:3, 4-note,
2Ti 4:5-note). But we need to recognize that we need the
grace of God (Acts 14:26; 20:24; Ro 5:15-note;
1Co 3:10; 15:10; 2Co 1:12; Titus 2:11-note;
Titus 2:12-note;
He 12:15-note;
1Pe 5:12-note) to do the business of God—as well as in every facet of our
lives as His children."
As Jesus taught His disciples in Luke "Do business...until I come back."
(Lk 19:13) (McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
To faithful men -
What is their chief characteristic?
They can be trusted to retain the standard of sound words (2Ti 1:13-note)
and guard through the Holy Spirit Who indwells them the treasure that
has been entrusted to them (2Ti 1:14-note)
and secondly they are adequate, qualified and competent to teach
("pass the baton" to) other trustworthy men (in essence this is the
fulfillment of Jesus' great charge to go and make disciples or
learners - not just "smarter sinners" but "learners who obey" [see esp
v20 that follows] - Mt 28:18, 19, 20, cp Paul's example in 2Ti 3:10, 11-note,
2Ti 3:12-note).
E. K. Simpson writes that...
The torch of heavenly light must be
transmitted unquenched from one generation to another, and Timothy must
count himself an intermediary between apostolic and later ages.
Faithful (4103)
(pistos
[word study]
from
peitho
[word study] = to persuade -
induce one by words to believe, have confidence) is something or someone
who is worthy of faith or keeps promises and is applied to God, humans,
His Word, etc. As used by Paul, pistos is speaking of men
who will prove themselves reliable, worthy of trust and dependable in
fulfilling the ministry that has been entrusted to them (see Col 4:17-note).
As explained below these are men who live up to the acronym
F.A.T., Faithful, Available
and Teachable.
Pistos - 67 uses in NT - Mt.
24:45; 25:21, 23; Lk 12:42; 16:10, 11, 12; 19:17; Jn 20:27; Ac 10:45;
13:34; 16:1, 15; 1Co 1:9; 4:2, 17; 7:25; 10:13; 2Co 1:18; 6:15; Ga 3:9;
Ep 1:1; 6:21; Col 1:2, 7; 4:7, 9; 1Th 5:24; 2Th 3:3; 1Ti 1:12, 15; 3:1,
11; 4:3, 9, 10, 12; 5:16; 6:2; 2Ti 2:2, 11, 13; Titus 1:6, 9; 3:8; He
2:17; 3:2, 5; 10:23; 11:11; 1Pe 1:21; 4:19; 5:12; 1Jn 1:9; 3 Jn. 1:5; Re
1:5; 2:10, 13; 3:14; 17:14; 19:11; 21:5; 22:6
Vincent gives a nice
summary of the meaning of pistos, faithful, writing that it is
used
(1), of one who shows Himself
faithful in the discharge of a duty or the administration of a trust (Mt
24:45). Hence, trustworthy (2Ti 2:2). Of things that can be relied upon (2Ti
2:11-note).
(2), Confiding; trusting; a believer (Gal 3:9; Acts 16:1; 2Co 6:15; 1Ti 5:16) (Word
Studies in the New Testament)
Webster says that "Faithful"
means firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance and implies
unswerving adherence to a person (in our case the Captain of the hosts,
our Lord Jesus Christ) or to the promise by which a tie was contracted
(cp the truths inherent in the Biblical doctrine of
Covenant = Solemn and Binding,
A Walk Into Death,
Oneness of Covenant)
Timothy was a trustworthy man according to Paul who
testified...
of his proven
worth that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a
child serving his father. (Php 2:22-note)
See Sammy Tippit's
exhortation to make disciples -
Discipleship - The Wineskin For Awakening
(from
his book Fire In Your Heart - highly
recommended - online here)
><>><>><>
The Value of One - When Harvey
Penick died at the age of 90, the world of golf lost one of its greatest
teachers. Although his books have sold millions of copies, he was
remembered most for his direct impact on people.
An Associated Press story stated, "Penick refused to teach methods or
group lessons, instead applying his wisdom to the talents of individual
players." Tom Kite, the leading money winner in PGA Tour history, was 13
when he began working with Penick. Ben Crenshaw began learning the game
from Penick at the age of 6.
Penick, who could have spent his life speaking to crowds, chose to
invest himself in people--many of them children--one at a time.
The apostle Paul modeled this kind of unselfish mentoring relationship
with a young man named Timothy. Then he urged Timothy to do the same
with others. He wrote, "The things that you have heard from me . . .
commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others" (2Ti
2:2).
Face to face--person to person--one to one. This is the most effective
way of teaching. It goes beyond the telling of facts to communicating
genuine interest and love.
Why not begin today to invest yourself in someone who needs a spiritual
teacher, mentor, and friend? — David C. McCasland
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
To help another person grow,
You have to pay a price;
It takes the giving of yourself--
And that means sacrifice. --DJD
One who follows Christ
is to lead the way for another.
><>><>><>
Never Underestimate the Power of
Passing on the Word of God to Trustworthy Men
- Noted Bible teacher E. Schuyler English told of Michael Billester, a
Bible distributor who visited a small hamlet in Poland shortly before
World War II. Billester gave a Bible to a villager, who was converted by
reading it. The new believer then passed the Book on to others. The
cycle of conversions and sharing continued until 200 people had become
believers through that one Bible. When Billester returned in 1940, this
group of Christians met together for a worship service in which he was
to preach the Word. He normally asked for testimonies, but this time he
suggested that several in the audience recite verses of Scripture. One
man stood and said, "Perhaps we have misunderstood. Did you mean verses
or chapters?" These villagers had not memorized a few select verses of
the Bible but whole chapters and books. Thirteen people knew Matthew,
Luke, and half of Genesis. Another person had committed to memory the
Psalms. That single copy of the Bible given by Billester had done its
work. Transformed lives
bore witness to the power of the Word.
><>><>><>
WHO WILL BE
ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO: hoitines hikanoi esontai (3PFMI) didaxai (AAN) kai heterous: (2Ti
2:24;25 Ezra 7:10; 25 Mal 2:7; Mt 13:52; 1Ti 3:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9;
4:6; Titus 1:5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
who will, in turn, pass them on to others (TLB)
who will have the ability to teach others as well (NAB)
who will be competent to teach others as well (NET)
who will be competent and qualified to teach others also (AMP)
these things commit as a trust to trustworthy men who are of such a
character as to be capable of teaching others also (Wuest)
faithful individuals who will be competent to teach others (GWT)
The OT Scribe Ezra is a
beautiful example of a trustworthy man who fulfills the ministry granted
to him and teaches others also, Scripture recording ...
For (see end of Ezra 7:9 for the
effect that this verse explains) Ezra had set his heart to study the law
of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and
ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:10-see
in depth exposition of this passage)
Able
(2425)
(hikanos from the root hik- = “to reach [with the hand],”
“to attain”, `reaching to', `attaining to'; hence, `adequate') refers to that which reaches or arrives at a
certain standard and in context refers to men who meet the standard and
are fit, qualified and able to "teach"
(didasko).
The primary meaning of hikanos
is sufficient, and hence comes to be applied to number and quantity and
so means many or enough.
In reference to time hikanos
means long.
Hikanos means worthy
or sufficient for an honor, a place or a position.
Untrained, unqualified believers
are not be placed in teaching positions, which so often happens in
churches today. In a frantic rush to increase our numbers, we often fill
empty teaching slots with men who lack adequate training. In our pursuit
for quantity we sacrifice quality and the church languishes in
mediocrity.
Hikanos is used 41 times in
the NT (Mt 3:11; 8:8; 28:12; Mk. 1:7; 10:46; 15:15; Lk. 3:16; 7:6,
12; 8:27, 32; 20:9; 22:38; 23:8, 9; Acts 8:11; 9:23, 43; 11:24, 26;
12:12; 14:3, 21; 17:9; 18:18; 19:19, 26; 20:8, 11, 37; 22:6; 27:7, 9;
1Co. 11:30; 15:9; 2Co. 2:6, 16; 3:5; 2Ti 2:2)
and is translated: able, 1; adequate, 2; aloud, 1; considerable, 4;
enough, 1; fit, 4; good many, 1; large, 1; large sum, 1; length, 1;
long, 5; long while, 1; many, 9; number, 1; pledge, 1; satisfy, 1;
sizeable, 1; some, 1; sufficient, 1; very bright, 1; worthy, 2
Hikanos has been variously
used from the time of the Greek tragic dramatists in the basic sense of
adequate (sufficient for a specific requirement), sufficient
(enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end), enough
(in or to a degree or quantity that satisfies or that is sufficient or
necessary for satisfaction), qualified (fitted as by training or
experience for a given purpose), competent (having the capacity
to function or develop in a particular way) to do a thing or large
enough. As illustrated in selections below, the NT usage corresponds to
these secular uses.
Hikanos is used 27 times in
the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Gen. 30:15; 33:15;
Exod. 4:10; 12:4; 36:7; Lev. 5:7; 12:8; 25:26, 28; Ruth 1:20, 21; 1Ki
16:31; 2Ki. 4:8; 2Chr 30:3; Job 21:15; 31:2; 40:2; Prov. 25:16;
30:15; Is 40:16; Jer. 48:30; Ezek. 34:18; Joel 2:11; Obad. 1:5; Nah.
2:12; Hab. 2:13; Zech. 7:3) and some uses have nuances of meaning not
found in the NT uses. For example in Ruth the Septuagint translators selected
hikanos to translate Almighty
(Shaddai
- see study)...
And she said to them, "Do not call
me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with
me. I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you
call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the
Almighty (Lxx = hikanos with definite article = "the Adequate One")
has afflicted me?" (hikanos
meaning sizeable, considerable, competent, ample, adequate, enough,
large enough or sufficient. Take those meanings and plug them into the
Name of God. Naomi is saying my God is "the Sufficient (One)", "the
(One Who is large) Enough", "the Adequate One", etc.
It is as if by using
Shaddai (seldom used
outside of Genesis and Job), Naomi is expressing trust in Him even in
the midst of her pain. Would it be that we could all see God as ample,
adequate, competent, large enough, sufficient, etc when we are
experiencing adversity. Open our eyes LORD to see Thee as Who Thou truly
art -- "Large Enough" for any and every trial and affliction we will
ever encounter.
Click
notes Ruth 1:20-21)
In Exodus we see the
Israelites had to be restrained from bringing materials for the building
of the Tabernacle...
For the material they had was
sufficient (Hebrew = day = sufficiency; Lxx = hikanos) and
more than enough for all the work, to perform it. (Exodus 36:7)
John the Baptist declared in (Mt
3:11) that...
He who is coming after me is
mightier than I, and am not fit to remove His sandals; He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
In a similar statement (Mt
8:8) the centurion told Jesus...
Lord, I am not worthy for You
to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be
healed.
Mark (Mark
15:5) uses hikanos to describe Pilate's acquiescence
to the wishes of the Jews writing...
Wishing to satisfy (to
content) the crowd,
Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he
handed Him over to be crucified.
Luke uses hikanos far more
than any other writer in Scripture, most often conveying a
semi-quantitative sense...
Now as He approached the gate of the
city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and
she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her.
(Lu
7:12)
And He began to tell the people this
parable: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers,
and went on a journey for a long time." (Lu
20:9)
They said, "Lord, look, here are two
swords ." And He said to them, "It is enough." (Lu
22:38)
for he was a good man, and full of
the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were
brought to the Lord." (Acts
11:24)
Hikanos can refer to a
pledge (something given as security for the performance of an act;
a binding promise or agreement to do), Luke recording...
And when they had received a
pledge (hikanos) from Jason and the others, they released them." (Acts
17:9)
Vincent writes that hikanos here means "Bail,
either personal or by a deposit of money. A law term. They engaged that
the public peace should not be violated, and that the authors of the
disturbance should leave the city." ) (A T Robertson adds that "receive
a pledge" was "A Greek idiom = Latin satis accipere, to receive the
sufficient (bond), usually money for the fulfillment of the
judgment.
Writing to the Corinthians (2Cor
3:5) Paul declares...
Not that we are adequate
(sufficient - No one in his own strength is adequate or competent to
serve God in the ways and with the power that Paul has been describing) in
ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our
adequacy (related noun hikanotes - only God can make a
person adequate to do his work, and Paul realized that it...) is from God,
Teach
(1321)
(didasko
from dáo= know or teach; English = didactic; see study of related
noun
didaskalia and the adjective
didaktikos)
(click
for study of related word
didaskalía)
means to provide instruction or information in a formal or informal
setting. Didasko does not mean simply the
impartation of facts, but instruction given in such a way so as to shape
the will of those being taught, the "molding" being the
product of the content taught. Here we see the picture of "sound
doctrine" being perpetuated through a successful teaching ministry which
exercises care to "retain the standard" of the apostolic
principles of faith and practice.
In this verse Paul gives the
formula for spiritual multiplication: Paul was the first generation,
Timothy the second, faithful men the third and others the fourth.
Someone has said we should be looking for those men (and women) who are
F.A.T.
or Faithful, Available
and Teachable
and invest ourselves heavily in their lives. Then they will be fit,
adequate and qualified to teach others also.
In 1835 the visiting Frenchman Alexis
de Tocqueville gave a penetrating analysis of the greatness of America.
He said
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her
commodious harbors and her ample rivers — and it was not there. I sought
in the fertile fields and boundless forest — in her rich mines and vast
world commerce — and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and
genius of America in her democratic Congress and her matchless
Constitution — it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of
America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness
did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great
because America is good — and if America ever ceases to be good, America
will cease to be great. (Bolding added)
If America is weak spiritually, it
is because the pulpits are "weak" doctrinally. And if the pulpits are
weak, it is because its leaders have not been faithful
men and they have failed
to instruct by mouth with the intent to pass on the passion and purity
of doctrine of Paul and Timothy to the next generation.
Conversely, if the
church in America is to be strong (and parenthetically to experience
Spirit driven, Word centered revival it so desperately needs), its leaders must
"be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus",
imbued with His power (Acts 1:8), allowing "the word of Christ" to
"richly dwell within" so that they would be "with all wisdom teaching
and admonishing one another" (Colossians 3:16-note).
Leaders can become strong only if they are
carefully built up in "the Word of
His grace"
as noted above (Acts 20:32). This was the principle and practice predicted in
Ps 145:4 (Spurgeon's
note)
One generation shall praise Thy
works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.
Dawson Trotman
who founded the
Navigators was a "faithful man" whom God used mightily to equip other
faithful men who would teach others. Preaching at Trotman's funeral
Billy Graham said
I think Dawson Trotman has personally
touched more lives [for Christ's sake] than anybody that I have ever
known. (Click
Born to Reproduce to read Trotman's
biography)
William Barclay observes that
The teacher is a link in the living chain which stretches unbroken from
this present moment back to Jesus Christ. The glory of teaching is that
it links the present with the earthly life of Jesus Christ This is the way to pass on the torch of the light of the
knowledge of God in Christ. Paul taught Timothy who will teach others
who will teach still others, an endless chain.
A dramatic example of the power of the principle of multiplication of
faithful men
began (as far as we have record) with a Sunday School teacher named Mr.
Kimball, who in 1858 was burdened to lead a Boston shoe
clerk named D. L. Moody to new life in Christ.
Dwight L. Moody became a
faithful evangelist and while in England in 1879
God used his message of sound doctrine to awaken an evangelistic zeal in the heart of F.
B. Meyer, pastor of a small church, who later visited American
and while preaching on a college campus was used by the Spirit to bring
a student named J. Wilbur Chapman to saving knowledge of Christ.
Chapman, engaged in YMCA work employed a former baseball player, Billy
Sunday, to do evangelistic work and while leading a revival in Charlotte, N. C.
so stirred the hearts of a group of local (faithful) men that they
prayed and planned another evangelistic
campaign which came to fruition when God brought Mordecai Hamm to preach. During
this revival, a young man named Billy Graham heard the
Gospel and yielded his life to Christ.
It may be that you dear reader are one of the tens of thousands who has been led to
Christ through the ministry of Billy Graham. Only eternity will reveal the
tremendous impact of that one trustworthy Sunday School Teacher who invested his
life in the lives of others. O, that God might grant America more "Mr.
Kimball's", "faithful
men who will be able to teach others also"!
Like seed, God's
Word must be continually planted in the hearts of faithful followers of
Christ, who in turn will pass it on to others. As they do, the process
of sowing and reaping will continue until the Lord of the harvest
returns. Someone has taught you the truths of the gospel and helped you
to understand the teachings of the Bible. Are you planting seeds for the
next harvest? We are to be channels of God's truth, not reservoirs.
O
teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.
--Havergal
The Next Planting - When I was a child, it was a family
custom to look for the first ripe tomato in our garden. Somehow that
first red tomato (often allowed to finish ripening on the kitchen window
sill) always seemed to taste the best.
As the summer wore on, my mother found a variety of ways to serve the
tomatoes that followed: stewed, sliced for sandwiches, and even breaded
fried green tomatoes. Many quarts were canned for winter use in
spaghetti and goulash.
One thing was never neglected: Dad always saved some of the seeds from
his prized tomato plants for the next year's planting. Thus a harvest
was assured, year after year.
I think Paul had that principle in mind when he told Timothy to commit
the truths of the gospel to faithful believers who would be able to
"teach others also" (2Ti 2:2). Like seed, God's Word must be
continually planted in the hearts of faithful followers of Christ, who
in turn will pass it on to others. As they do, the process of sowing and
reaping will continue until the Lord of the harvest returns.
Someone has taught you the truths of the gospel and helped you to
understand the teachings of the Bible. Are you planting seeds for the
next harvest? --D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart. --Havergal
We are to be channels of God's truth,
not reservoirs.
><>><>><>
He Did It - At the memorial
service for LeRoy Eims, longtime staff member with The Navigators, I
pondered why hundreds of colleagues and friends had come from across the
US to pay tribute. Why did so many people love him so deeply?
As a young Christian, LeRoy had been challenged to disciple others
one-on-one. He took seriously Paul’s charge to Timothy: “The things that
you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful
men who will be able to teach others also” (2Ti 2:2). LeRoy embraced
that clear, simple command of Scripture and practiced it faithfully for
more than 50 years.
Scores of people who packed the church that afternoon had lived in LeRoy
and Virginia Eims’ home. They had been embraced, encouraged, and
instructed by him. As his spiritual children, they had multiplied his
ministry by investing themselves in others, just as he had in them.
One sentence in a written tribute captured the essence of the man: “His
life was characterized by singleness of purpose, great creativity and a
wonderful sense of humor.”
LeRoy’s example spurs us on to a lifetime of faithfully following the
Lord. He did it! And by God’s grace, so can we. — David C. McCasland (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
It is in loving—not
in being loved—
The heart is blessed;
It is in giving—not in seeking gifts—
We find our quest. —Anon.
You can teach more with your life than with your lips.
><>><>><>
An Unbroken Chain -
Whenever I meet a Christian for the first time, I'm interested in
learning how he came to trust Jesus as his Savior. Each person has a
different story to tell, but they all testify that they learned the
truth because of the efforts of others—their parents, pastors, Sunday
school teachers, Bible club leaders, friends, writers. Someone has
rightly observed that the body of Christ grows through "an unbroken
chain of teachers."
In today's Scripture we learn that Timothy became a believer through the
influence of his grandmother Lois, his mother Eunice, and the teaching
of Paul (2 Timothy 1:5; 2:2). The apostle told Timothy to become part of
that chain and "commit these truths to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also" (v.2).
The "faithful men" Paul had in mind were probably church elders, yet he
was expressing a principle that applies to every believer. We had to
receive the truth from someone; now it is our gracious privilege and
solemn duty to transmit that truth to others.
Think of yourself as a link in the living chain that extends from the
time Jesus lived on earth to the present. We must keep that chain strong
by telling others about Him so that the gospel will reach to future
generations.— Herbert Vander Lugt (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Give me a passion for souls, dear
Lord,
A passion to save the lost;
O that Thy love were by all adored,
And welcomed at any cost. —Tovey
The good news is meant to be shared.
><>><>><>
Becoming A Mentor-
According to Homer's Odyssey, when King Odysseus went off to fight in
the Trojan war, he left his son Telemachus in the hands of a wise old
man named Mentor. Mentor was charged with the task of teaching the young
man wisdom.
More than 2,000 years after Homer, a French scholar and theologian by
the name of François Fénelon adapted the story of Telemachus in a novel
titled Télémaque. In it he enlarged the character of Mentor. The word
mentor soon came to mean "a wise and responsible tutor"—an experienced
person who advises, guides, teaches, inspires, challenges, corrects, and
serves as a model.
Second Timothy 2:2 describes spiritual mentoring, and the Bible gives us
many examples. Timothy had Paul; Mark had Barnabas; Joshua had Moses;
Elisha had Elijah.
But what about today? Who will love and work with new Christians and
help them grow spiritually strong? Who will encourage, guide, and model
the truth for them? Who will call young believers to accountability and
work with God to help mold their character?
Will you become one whom God can use to impart wisdom and to help others
grow toward maturity? — David H. Roper (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
THINKING IT OVER
Who has helped you to grow in your faith?
How did that person help you?
By teaching, example, or friendship?
To whom can you be a mentor?
God teaches us so that we can teach others.
><>><>><>
Pupil Or Teacher? - A
college student was having difficulty with his studies, so he finally
decided to talk to his professor. He complained, "I'm studying hard. I'm
doing my best, but I just can't retain what I read or try to memorize.
Do you think it would help if I hired a tutor?"
Clearly understanding the young man's problem, the instructor replied,
"No, I wouldn't recommend that at all. You don't need a teacher, you
need a pupil!" He knew that learning is enhanced when we share our
knowledge with others.
This professor's advice reminds me of believers who know many Bible
facts but still have a poor understanding of scriptural truths. They
attend church every Sunday, listen faithfully to religious broadcasts,
enroll in Bible correspondence courses, and study the Scriptures
personally; yet they seem to lack a working knowledge of the Bible.
What's the problem? They never do anything with the information! They
don't need to be taught more; they need to tell others what they have
learned. As they put it into practice, they will fully grasp it.
Do you discuss the truths of God's Word with others? If not, it's time
you stopped being just a pupil and started being a teacher. — Richard De
Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Until you tell
someone what you have learned,
Your study may not stand the test;
But when the Spirit's truth you have discerned,
By teaching it you'll know it best. --Hess
A good way to learn God's truth is to teach it to others.
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