Knowing

6/27/2016 

2 Timothy 3.10-11 10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. – St. Paul

I couldn’t help humming the tune from, The King and I, Getting to Know You. Not sure I really liked that musical all that much, but that song sticks out as I read Paul’s words to Timothy.

Chapter 3, begins with Paul describing what kinds of people will be present in the last times: People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Paul understood this seemed to be the natural progression of those devoid of God.

Because of what Paul knew about people, he told Timothy that he would encounter these kinds of people or would find these characteristics in the people around him that he was trying to minister the Gospel to them. Not everyone accepts the Gospel with pure motives.

In his letters to Timothy, Paul understood that others may know of his imprisonment, and naturally assume Paul had been incarcerated for a crime rather than for his stance for the Gospel. Assuming this, others may inwardly accuse Timothy of something untoward as well. But Paul reminds his friend: You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. In other words, Timothy, remember what you know and have experienced with me. Yes, people are going to go from bad to worse, but not everyone will, and some will actually come to a saving knowledge of the truth.

It is easy to disparage a leader who’s going through hard times – some tend to believe they’re getting their just deserts for some dastardly deed done. But Paul makes it clear that persecution knows no limits when it comes to the truth, and the people he described in chapter 3, are just the folks to persecute others who would share the truth with them, and get in the way of their desires and bents. If nothing else, Paul knew people. And he wanted Timothy to know people as well.

It is sometimes difficult to know people without becoming cynical but it is important to know that even though not everyone will accept the truth, some will and the impetus of the mission is to look for those who will. Yes, times seem to be tough, but there are those out there who hunger and thirst for truth and the vigilant will seek them out…

Lord, may I be among the vigilant who seek out those who need to hear truth from You. In these days of the trials and turmoil of this once great nation, may I find those You know who desire to know the truth and be effective to share it with them. Amen.