Month: July 2021

Lesson 12

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us to students, teachers, and preachers of the word. Help us be ready to share our testimony, to teach, and preach the gospel in season and out of season, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Timothy 4: 1-22, preach the gospel, come before winter, farewell

VV 1-2, 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Greek for appearing is “epiphanes”, which refer to Christ’s second coming. The three Greeks words used for Christ’s second coming in the Bible are “parousia”, “apokalupsis”, and “epiphanes”. At His second coming, Christ will judge the living and the dead at the great white throne judgment, Rev 20:11-12. Paul charged Timothy to be ready to preach the word on any occasion, whenever and wherever an opportunity arose, to convict, correct, encourage, and teach with patience.

Rev 20:11-12, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books”.

VV 3-5, 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

In the last days, people will not listen to sound doctrine. They will listen only to false teachers who will say what they want to hear. They will turn away from the truth and turn towards heresy. Paul encouraged Timothy to be vigilant, endure hardships, and evangelize to fulfil his God-ordained ministry,

VV 6-8, 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

In his goodbye address, Paul predicted that his life would end as a drink offering for God. He had fought the spiritual battle of faith, and he had run the spiritual race of faith. There was nothing more that he could do except to wait for the crown of righteousness from Christ on the Day of His second coming.

VV 9-16, 9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica, Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. 12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come, and the books, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. 16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

Paul singled out Demas who left the faith for the world. Paul singled out Alexander the coppersmiths who had betrayed him. He mentioned those who were faithful to him by name, Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, and Tychicus. He instructed Timothy to bring along John Mark, his books, and his cloak. John Mark was the writer of the Gospel of Mark and the cousin of Barnabas. He had abandoned Paul on his first missionary journey but Paul had reconciled with him.

VV 17-18, 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also, I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

The Lord was with Paul, strengthening, protecting, preserving, and delivering him into His heavenly kingdom. Paul gave glory to Christ in a doxology.

VV 19-21, 19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. 21 Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.

Paul acknowledged and mentioned Prisca, Aquila, the family of Onesiphorus, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia by name.

V 22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

In closing, Paul pronounced a blessing of grace to Timothy from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application:

As Christians. We should be ready to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. Time is running out. The dispensation of grace will soon be over as the second coming of Christ is imminent. We should do the work of an evangelist to share the gospel whenever and wherever there is an opportunity.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us be diligent students and teachers of Your Word. Help us be ready to teach and preach Your Word in season and out of season to anyone, anywhere and at any time, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 11

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the ministry of Your Word. We claim the promise that Your Word will accomplish its purpose and will not return to You void, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Timothy 3:1-17, apostasy, heresy, Word of God

VV 1-5, 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

In the last days, difficult times will come and people will fall away from the faith. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderous, defiant, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, traitorous, unfriendly, pleasure-seeking, and ungodly.

VV 6-9, 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

Ungodly men would come into houses to take advantage and seduce gullible women. Jannes and Jambres were Pharaoh’s magicians who could replicate some of the miracles of Moses., Exodus 7:11, Exodus 7:22, Exodus 8:7. Paul could have quoted non-biblical sources in antiquity as the names Jannes and Jambres are not found in the Old Testament. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, these ungodly men opposed the truth of the gospel.

Exodus 7:11, “Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts”.

Exodus 7:22, “But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said’’.

Exodus 8:7, “But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt”.

VV 10-11, 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.

Timothy was a godly man who followed Paul’s doctrines with purpose, faith, patience, love, and perseverance. Paul remembered persecutions and afflictions under by the hostile Jews at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra and how the Lord had rescued him.

VV 12-15, 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Everyone who lived godly lives in Christ will suffer persecution by evil men and imposters. Timothy must continue to remain faithful to Holy Scriptures because it had the power to save those who believe in Christ.

VV 16-17, 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible is written through God’s inspiration and is useful for teaching, convicting, correcting, encouraging, training, and equipping Godly people in righteous living and to do God’s work.

2 Peter 1:21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Application:

In the last days, false teachers will appear and many will fall away from the faith. Godly people will suffer persecutions in the hands of the antichrist. We must continue to remain faithful to Christ and share the gospel. The acronym for BIBLE is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. We should have a high view of scripture and study it diligently.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine protection in the face of trials, tribulations, sufferings, and persecutions in the last days. We pray for divine assistance to remain strong in the faith and stay true to Your calling, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 10

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we worship You in Spirit and in truth, giving You all the power, glory, honor, and praise. We bowed at Your feet in reverence and awe, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Timothy 2: 1-26, pass the baton of faith, endure hardship, be a man of God

VV 1-2, 1 You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Paul instructed Timothy to be strong in grace and teach all that he learned from Paul to faithful men and women in the church who will in turn teach it to others. Timothy’s task was to pass the baton of faith through discipleship and training of faithful Christians.

V 3-6, 3 You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Paul encouraged Timothy to endure the hardship and suffering of the gospel as a soldier, run the spiritual race of faith as an athlete, work diligently in evangelism as a farmer. Timothy was to be as tough as a soldier, as disciplined as an athlete, and as hard-working as a farmer.

VV 8-10, 8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

The gospel message is about the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David. Paul was chained to the prison but the gospel was not chained to anything, anyone, or anywhere. Even the prison could not stop the preaching and evangelism of the gospel. Paul endured all things so that whoever believed in Christ will be saved.

VV 11-13, 11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

This could be a poem from antiquity. If we die with Christ, we will live with Him, if we endure hardship with Him, we will reign with Him, if we deny Him. He will deny us, if we are faithless, He will still be faithful.

VV 14-15, 14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Paul charged Timothy to present himself as an approved workman of God by teaching, preaching, and interpreting scripture correctly and truthfully to convict, correct, encourage, and train his audience.

VV 16-19, 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Paul instructed Timothy to run away from the worldly, empty, and ungodly talk which could spread like wildfire if left unchecked. Paul singled out two heretic teachers in the Ephesian church, by names, Hymenaeus and Philetus, who claimed that the second coming of Christ had already come.

VV 20-21, 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

In a house are vessels of gold and silver and vessels of wood and clay. The vessels of gold and silver speak of those who are sanctified, useful, and honorable to Christ. The vessels of wood and clay are those who are not sanctified, useless and dishonorable to Christ.

VV 22-26, 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Paul instructed Timothy to flee from youthful lust, pursue righteousness with faith, love, and peace with a pure heart, to avoid quarreling over foolish and doubtful matters, to be gentle, patient, and humble in teaching the gospel of truth.

Application:

Paul’s instructions to Timothy also apply to us. We are to avoid youthful lusts, pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with a pure heart, avoid foolish disputes, be gentle, patient, humble, convict, correct, and teach the gospel of truth.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine empowerment to live our lives worthy of Your divine calling and election. Help us to pursue righteousness with faith, love, and peace with a pure heart. Help us be gentle, patient, humble, convict, correct, encourage, and teach the gospel of truth.

Lesson 9

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, may the words of our mouths, the thoughts and meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You. May You and the Holy Spirit’s anointing be with us to open our spiritual eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to understand and apply Your teaching, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Timothy 1: 1-18, salutation, prayer, instructions

VV 1-2, 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, a beloved son. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul spelled out his credentials, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God will according to the promise of God. Paul pronounced a blessing of grace, mercy, and peace to the recipient of this epistle, Timothy, his protege and spiritual god-son in the faith.

VV 3-7, 3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Paul thanked God in prayer day and night without ceasing, with a pure conscience, and a great desire to see Timothy. Timothy’s messianic Christian grandmother, Lois, and mother, Eunice, nurtured him in the faith from a young age. Paul imparted spiritual gifts to Timothy through the laying of hands. Paul encouraged Timothy to be bold because the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will anoint him with power and a sound mind.

VV 8-11, 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul encouraged Timothy to share in his sufferings, and not be ashamed of him and the gospel of Christ. The gospel had the power of God to save lives, Romans 1:16. God saved us with a Holy calling, not according to our works but according to grace. grave. He saved us by grace through faith. Jesus Christ through His incarnation abolished death on the cross, brought eternal life and immortality to those who believe in Him. Paul spelled out his credentials again, preacher, apostle, and teacher to the Gentiles.

Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek’’.

V 12, For this reason, I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel despite suffering and persecutions, because he believed that Christ was able to keep all that he had committed to Him until His second coming.

VV 13-18, 13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 15 This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day, and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

Paul encouraged Timothy to believe in sound doctrine with faith and love. Many of his supporters in Asia Minor including Phygellus and Hermogenes had deserted him. Paul prayed for the family of Onesiphorus, his faithful supporter and co-worker in the faith, who was not ashamed of him and ministered to him in many ways at Ephesus.

Application:

Paul’s instructions to Timothy also apply to us. We are to believe in sound doctrines with faith and love. We should not be ashamed of the gospel despite suffering, tribulations, and persecutions, because it is the power of God to save lives. We are to persist and persevere in prayer every day, giving thanks to God, and interceding for our family, friends, and associates.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us to hold firmly to sound doctrines with faith and love. Help us not be ashamed of the gospel because it had the power to save lives. Help us give thanks to You every day in prayer and intercessions for our family, friends, and associates, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 8

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for You to speak to us to convict, correct, encourage, and train us in godly and righteous living. We pray for the divine transformation of hearts, renewal of minds, and discerning Your good and perfect will, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction to 2 Timothy:

Author, date, recipient, setting:

After Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment in 62 AD, he visited old and planted new churches in Macedonia and Asia Minor. He was rearrested by the Romans in 66 AD and thrown into the Roman Mamertine prison. Here, Paul wrote 2 Timothy between 66-67 AD. This was his deathbed epistle, before passing his legacy and the gospel baton to Timothy. Paul urged Timothy to bring him his cloak, books, and parchments to Rome. Paul encouraged Timothy to remain strong and faithful in the face of opposition, persecutions, and suffering. Paul was executed by decapitation in 67 AD.

Themes:

Some of the main themes include the Christian’s response to suffering, the gospel basis for endurance, the saving power of the gospel, and the danger of heretic doctrine.

Outline

1: 1-18, Salutation, prayer, instructions

2: 1-26, endure hardships, an approved teacher of God’s words

3: 1-17, apostasy, heresy, Word of God

4: 1- 22, preach the gospel, come before winter, farewell

Application:

2 Timothy was Paul’s last written document. He had done everything that he could for the Lord. He faced the prospect of brutal death. He had fought the great spiritual battle and ran the marathon spiritual racer faith. The Christian faith is a super marathon relay race. Paul passed the gospel baton to Timothy who in turn would pass it on to the next generation. The gospel baton has passed from generation to generation for 2000 years and it is now in our hands. Our duty is the pass the gospel baton to the next generation for them to carry and pass on to the next. We are to pass the gospel baton of faith to our children and our children’s children, by teaching, encouraging, conviction, correcting, and training them in godly and righteous living. We should not drop the baton that is in our hands!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine enablement and empowerment to pass the gospel baton of faith to our children. We pray for biblical literacy, biblical knowledge, and biblical education to prepare ourselves for this great undertaking. We pray for the salvation of our descendants, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 7

Prayer:

1 Timothy 6:1-21, slaves, masters, warning against false teachers and love for money

VV 1-2, 1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. 2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Christians who were slaves should honor their masters, particularly if they were Christians. Christians who were slaves should serve their Christian masters as brothers in Christ.

VV 3-5, 3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

Paul warned Timothy to reject pedlars of gnostic heretic doctrines, who were proud, ignorant, argumentative, envious, aggressive, abusive, evil, corrupt, deceptive, greedy and misused the gospel for financial gain.

VV 6-10, 6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Godliness and contentment are great Christian virtues to embrace. Everyone entered the world without anything and will leave the world without anything. Everyone should be contented to have the necessities of life such as food and clothing. Anyone who desires to get rich fell into the temptation of sin and destroys themselves. All the evils of the world are due to money greediness and not to money per se.

VV 11-12, 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Addressing Timothy as a man of God, Paul encouraged him to pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, patience, and gentleness. These are some of the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. Paul encouraged Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and claim the promise of eternal life.

Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law”.

VV 13-16, 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

Paul urged Timothy before creator God and Jesus Christ as his witnesses to obey Christ’s commandments above reproach until His second coming. Greek for potentate is “dunastes”, which means Prince. Verse 15 is a doxology. Jesus Christ, the Prince, King of Kings, and Lord of lords is immortal, glorious, and invisible, who had the honor and everlasting power.

VV 17-19, 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Those who are rich in this present life should not be proud and trust in uncertain riches but in the living God. They should be rich in doing good works, generous, and willing to share to store up for treasures in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

VV 20-21, 20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

Paul instructed Timothy to avoid blasphemy, foolish talks, and false doctrines that will lead Christians away from the faith. Paul pronounced a blessing of grace to Timothy.

Application:

Paul’s instructions to Timothy also apply to us. We are to treat our employers with respect especially if they are Christians. We are to reject pedlars of heretic doctrines. We are to embrace godliness with contentment. We should not stay away from pride, materialism, and money greediness. We should avoid blasphemy and foolish talks.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for this timely message on the employee-employer relationship, heresy, and correct handling of money. We pray for wisdom to understand and apply Paul’s instructions to Timothy into our lives as these instructions transcend time and culture, in Jesus’ name, Amen.