(Audio version; Music: "My Everything" by: Owl City and "More And More Of You" by WorshipMob)
Introduction
In a little less than three months we will elect a new
President of the United States. If you’re a political junky, election cycles
energize you. If the government is your end all and be all; your savior, then
political cycles are probably very stressful for you as you see the possibility
of your hopes and dreams either being fulfilled or dashed depending on who is
ultimately elected. For those of you who are like me, I hate political cycles. I
understand the role government is intended to play in our society but government
corruption seems to be so rampant that it’s difficult to take anything serious
that comes from someone involved in our federal government. And the election
cycle simply highlights the corruption and lies. In case you haven’t noticed, some
politicians and candidates get away with saying anything they want because
their sycophants want to hear it—whether it’s true or not. If you’re not sick
of all the political rhetoric yet, give it another 60 days or so and you may
very well be by then. And if the politicians and the candidates running for
office don’t make you crazy by then, their friends in the media will gladly tip
you over the edge with their obvious political bias as they hide corruption and
perpetuate lies.
Many of
you know me well enough by now to know that I am not in the habit of pandering
to the events of the day in order to entertain anyone—I’m not in the
entertainment business. However, sometimes leaders generally and religious
leaders more specifically say things that compel me to say something (also, keeping
my mouth shut is not one of my strengths). I’ve grown accustom to sleazy politicians
pandering for votes using cheap fabrications and misinformation. The tactic is
old, tired, and childish and really only works on those who are unable or
unwilling to think for themselves. I can usually laugh that sort of stuff off
as business as usual. However, when religious leaders attempt to do that in
God’s name, I refuse to let their fabrications or misinformation go
unchallenged. A while ago, I read something in support of a particular position
held by one of the two political parties from Archbishop Desmond Tutu that I’d
like to share with you. Here’s what Archbishop Tutu said: “I can’t for the life
of me imagine that God will say, ‘I will punish you because you are black, you
should have been white; I will punish you because you are a woman, you should
have been a man; I will punish you because you are homosexual, you ought to
have been heterosexual.’ I can’t for the life of me believe that is how God
sees things.” The purpose of this writing is not to teach what the Bible says
about homosexuality. I’ve done that in other lessons and you can search the
website archive to find them if you are interested. For the purposes of this
lesson, I will simply stipulate that the practice of homosexuality is
consistently condemned in the Bible as an abhorrent behavior most often
described, in both the Old and New Testament, as either detestable or indecent
(cf. Lev 18:22; Lev 20:13; Rom 1:26-27). However, race and gender are morally
neutral whereas sexuality is not.
But that’s
not the point of this particular teaching. Let me ask you a question: What
sounded more pleasant to you—what Archbishop Tutu said about homosexuality or
what I just said about it? And that’s the point of this teaching! There are
Christians who will read my words and be fuming with anger even though the
words are not my own but instead come directly from God’s Word. The same
Christians who are angry with me read the words of Archbishop Tutu and praise
his wisdom even though his words are at best grotesquely misleading and at
worst flat out untrue. However, many people are itching to hear what they want on
that particular subject and the Archbishop is scratching that itch! But
Archbishop Tutu isn’t the first to Scratch Their Itching Ears.
This happens in our churches more often then you might
think. A number of years ago, my family and I attended a local church led by a
pastor by the name of Gil Jones. I wouldn’t normally us his real name in a
lesson but when you read the article that was written about him that I include
as a reference below, you’ll understand why using his name for privacy purposes
is irrelevant at this point. Also, I want to warn you in advance that the article
contains sexually explicit material and profanity.
Anyway, Gil was energetic and
charismatic. He was creative and a great orator. His message was pretty
simple—We’re all sinners in need of God’s grace. And his preaching reflected
that sentiment and the people loved it. It was all grace all the time because
sin was an unconquerable inevitability. Seven years after we first started
attending, we finally learned why he was so personally adamant about
unconditional acceptance of sinners—he was having multiple affairs with women
in the church. At the time he was married with four small children. Not
surprisingly, the church leadership asked him to step down. Gil eventually left
and became the pastor of another church in Denver where he did the same thing.
The church leadership there asked him to step down as well. A number of his
friends from that church encouraged Gil to start another church, which he did.
His appeal to his friends was that he was “just like them.” In other words, he
understood about their sins because he was engaged in them as well. Not
surprisingly, he did the same thing at that church by having an affair with
multiple women from the church. One of the women he had been sleeping with
said, “He basically set up a church around his being able to behave badly.”[1]
So, which
message is easier to hear: No one has the right to judge you because we are all
sinners; or, You can’t have a sexual relationship with someone you’re not
married to and you certainly can’t have a sexual relationship with someone
other than your wife once you are married? Well the message that Gil preached
was the first one because he didn’t want to be confronted with the truth of the
second one. The people loved his massages because it made them feel good about
their own sins. His messages served to Scratch Their Itching Ears.
Subject
Text
2 Timothy 4:1-5
2 Timothy 4:1-5
Context
This letter, known as one of the Pastoral Epistles,
contains some very important lessons from Paul. You see, this letter was
written by Paul from a Roman prison while he was awaiting his execution.
There’s something about people condemned to death—they seldom mince words and
Paul was no different. There was an ever increasing danger to the young Church
that Paul was constantly battling in addition to outright unbelief: “They were
increasingly endangered by a judaizing-gnostic countermission that included
church leaders and probably coworkers. Some house churches were ravaged and
near collapse.”[2] Paul’s
letters to Timothy were not only intended to instruct but also to encourage
Timothy to always be prepared to faithfully and diligently carry out his
calling and to persevere in the face of coming hardships. Paul anticipated that
there would be some who would abandon their faith. The Pastoral Epistles
“Anticipate such behavior ‘in later times’ (1 Tim 4:1; cf. 2 Tim 3-4). But they already know of false teachers who
have ‘missed the mark with regard to the truth/faith’ and who ‘upset the faith’
of some in the church (2 Tim 2:18; 1 Tim 6:21). Some ‘will depart from the
faith’ ( 1 Tim 4:1) and ‘will turn away from hearing the truth’ (2 Tim 4:4).
Departure from the faith comes from accepting ‘teachings of demons ’” (1 Tim
4:1).[3]
Text
Analysis
1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
It is important to remember in vv. 1-2 that Timothy is Paul’s protégé and here we see that Paul is
passing the torch on to Timothy to continue Paul’s work. The Greek that
translates: “I give you this charge” is a technical term that has multiple
meanings including the term for the official transfer of office. This is a
solemn moment as Paul organizes his affairs in anticipation of his imminent
execution. Paul invokes the witness of God and Christ in the deed with the
reminder to all of the things to come. That Christ will return in the final
days as the ultimate Judge of all things and the establishment of the Kingdom. “All
of v. 1 is thus a shout to lean into God’s certain future that is even now
becoming present. But the commission still needs to be filled out in practical
terms.”[4]
The
practical terms of ministry for Paul, and by extension for Timothy, are
identified broadly as five elements: 1) Preach the Word; 2) Always be available
and prepared; 3) Rebuke/correct; 4) Encourage; and 5) Minister with great
patience and careful instruction. It is important to remember that these
ministry elements are given to Timothy in the context of an oath. This is
evident by the aorist imperative verb tense used. “Timothy is to preach the
word. As it conflicts with the Ephesian heresy,[5] he
will need to confront the false teachers and their teaching, rebuke those who will
not listen to him, and exhort those who will listen and follow the true
gospel…Timothy must have complete and total patience, and his teaching must
inform his preaching, confronting, rebuking, and exhorting. While Paul is
thinking of Timothy in this verse, what he says is true for all Christian
ministers.”[6] There
are many interesting Greek words found in this text but I’d like to focus
briefly on one: This is the word for
“rebuke.” The word is used twenty-nine times in the New Testament but only once
by Paul. It is an extremely strong word that is used by Jesus to rebuke demons.
Paul tells Timothy in his first letter that demons promote false teaching. I’ll
come back around to this at the end but remember where lies originate from and
false teachings are nothing more than cleverly disguised lies.
3For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Vv. 3-4 are at the heart of
this week’s lesson. In v. 3 Paul
warns Timothy of a time when people will reject proper and sound teaching. Actually,
they won’t just reject sound teaching, the text says, “they won’t put up with
it.” Instead, they will insist on surrounding themselves with teachers that
will tell them what they want to hear. They don’t want teachers that will tell
them the truth, they want teachers to make them feel good about themselves and
the lives they have chosen to live. “In this case the problem is viewed more
from the angle of weak, sinful believers who are willing to be duped. Paul describes
those who have surrendered to worldly values and sinful passions of various
sorts so much so that these things determine the kind of teaching they will
listen to.”[7] Paul
describes it as only wanting to hear what their itching ears want to hear. So
they gathered about themselves only those who would Scratch Their Itching Ears!
The term can be understood as a metaphor intended to “Depict an appetite for
novelty that cannot be satisfied; the metaphor implies that the false teachers
will ‘scratch’ (satisfy) the itchy ears for them.”[8] Or
else it can mean “A pleasant tickling more than scratching of their ears.”[9] In
either case, “This group has a curiosity so active and a craving for novelty so
insatiable that they are driven to extremes without any discretion for judging
between truth and error.”[10]
As if rejecting sound teaching weren’t bad enough, they crave and pursue false
teachings and myths instead.
5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Our Subject Text ends in v. 5 with instructions and
encouragement directed at Timothy. Clearly Paul envisages some difficult times
ahead for Timothy when a clear and level head will be needed for his sake and
for the Church’s benefit as well. Paul is certainly familiar with the
difficulties and dangers that come with ministry—particularly since he is
writing to Timothy from prison. Thereafter, Paul’s instruction to Timothy to
“do the work of an evangelist” seems a bit out of place here only because it
hasn’t really been included in any part of Paul’s instructions to Timothy
previously in this section of the text. But remember that Paul is turning over
the ministry to Timothy and Paul, more than anything else, was an evangelist.
In fact, he was known as the evangelist to the Gentiles. Timothy needed to receive
and carry this torch as well from Paul. Finally, Paul generally restates his
charge to Timothy in his final statement. V.
5 draws a dramatic distinction between the behavior of those who are
unfaithful and the faithfulness with which Timothy is to carry out his
ministerial duties in service to those already a part of the Church as well as
those who may yet become part of the Church.
Application
I don’t know about you but when I read these verses I
have to shake my head in amazement that the words describe, with frightening
detail, the events of our own days. Charismatic leaders, especially religious
leaders, can say virtually anything they want without question. Truth is
irrelevant! People only want to hear what makes them feel good about what they think
is true or about how they are living their lives. I have to tell you that I see
this more and more every day and it breaks my heart. Let me remind you about a
story from a long time ago. I’ll share the relevant part of the story:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild
animals the Lord God had made. He
said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the
garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in
the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in
the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You
will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that
when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food
and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some
and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
(Gen 3:1-6)
Remember
when I told you earlier where false teachings come from? Well here we have the
father of lies doing what he does best—deceiving God’s followers! You might
also note that Satan didn’t drag Eve kicking and screaming to the tree and cram
the apple down her throat. No, I suspect her ears were itching and Satan was
more than happy to scratch the itch.
So let
me just say something to you from the deepest part of my heart—don’t be
deceived! Please be willing to listen to the truth even if it is very difficult
to hear and be willing to speak the truth even if it is very difficult to say.
Don’t simply go along with what someone says just because it affirms what you
believe or how you live. First see what God’s Word says and then think for
yourself. I wish I could somehow convey to you how serious this matter is. My
professors at Seminary used to say: “You have a duty as a follower to follow
only the Truth even if it leads you to the cross and as a Pastor to teach only
the Truth even if it means leading someone to the cross.” It won’t always be easy
but sometimes we might have to have some very hard conversations with family
and friends about the Truth of God’s Word. We must be willing to hear some very
hard truths contained in God’s Word about our own lives and make the changes
necessary to conform to those truths. The truth of God’s Word is life giving
even if it leads to the cross.
Let me
share an illustration with you about this principle that might help. I have
friends who have a young son that was diagnosed with cancer in January 2010. Hearing
those words from the medical professionals was certainly heart-wrenching but
the hardest truths were yet to come when the doctors began educating them about
leukemia and the grueling treatments that would be needed in order to save
their son’s life. It was a long and difficult road that eventually led to
remission of the disease. Now what do you suppose would have happened if the
doctors and nurses didn’t want to tell them the hard truth that their son had
cancer or what if they didn’t want a doctor or nurse that would tell them the
truth about their son’s condition? Well you can guess that for yourself. So
next time you hear someone like Archbishop Tutu invoking God to try to draw an
analogy between, race, gender and sexual preference as though God does not make
a distinction between things that are morally neutral and things that are not,
ask yourself if that person is seeking to convey biblical truth or whether it’s
someone who is out to Scratch Their Itching Ears!
***Warning***
Let me please offer you a word of warning. When dealing
with unbelievers, like Timothy you must first do the hard work of evangelism
before trying to use the Scriptures to rebuke them. Remember that Jesus sent
the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and lead us to the truth. However, the Holy
Spirit does not dwell in unbelievers so it is unreasonable to hold them to the
same level of biblical understanding or ethical conduct as believers. If you
don’t first lead them to Christ, you will only be beating them over the head
with truths they don’t accept as true! This will not bring them closer to
Christ but will instead drive them farther away. Don’t expect them to be clean
before you bring them to the One who will “wash them white as snow” (Is 1:18).
Don’t be afraid to associate with unbelievers or invite them into your
churches. Unbelievers must hear about Jesus and see how he has worked in your
lives. I’m not saying that biblical truth does not apply to unbelievers. I’m
saying that the salvation of unbelievers should be the primary goal. Think
about it, conformity to biblical truth for unbelievers (if that were even
possible) in this life is irrelevant if they are lost forever. It would be like
rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic even while it sinks to the bottom of
the ocean.
Programing Note
My next lesson will post on Wednesday August 31, 2016.
[1]
Prendergast, Alan, “”There’s nothing holier-than-thou about Gil Jones,”
Westword, August 22, 2013, Accessed August 13, 2016, http://www.westword.com/news/theres-nothing-holier-than-thou-about-gil-jones-5121710.
[2] Gerald
F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, eds., Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 661.
[3] Ibid.,
p. 44.
[4] Philip
H. Towner, The Letters to Timothy and
Titus, (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 2006), p.
600.
[5] The
Ephesian heresy was an aberrant form of Judaism combined with Gnosticism. It
emphasized the Law but minimized Christ and faith. It taught the virtue of
asceticism and denied the resurrection. It produced sinful lifestyles and was
destroying the Church’s reputation in Ephesus.
[6] William
D. Mounce, WBC Pastoral Epistles,
(Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 2000), p. 573.
[7] Philip
H. Towner, 1-2 Timothy & Titus, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1994), p.
205.
[8] Towner,
The Letters to Timothy and Titus, p. 604.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.,
pp. 604-605.
No comments:
Post a Comment