Exploring the Scripture

“Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed…” (v. 14). Paul’s instructions take on an intensity and passion as he urges Timothy to stay faithful to the traditions and teachings of the past. Raised Christian by his grandmother and mother, Timothy knows the Hebrew scriptures that foretell the Messiah. These scriptures are true and reliable, a foundation for wisdom and a road map pointing toward the salvation Jesus Christ offered.

The “sacred writings” that helped form his faith journey may have included the early letters of Paul to the churches of Asia Minor. “All scripture is inspired by God” (v. 16). Inspired means it was “breathed into” by God, filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit. Were followers questioning the continued use of the Hebrew Testament? Were they protesting using Paul’s letters for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (v. 16)?

When this letter was written, it was routine in many churches to read portions of Paul’s early letters. People may have had access to the earliest gospel manuscripts. These writings were not collected into an official canon of scripture, but they were gaining wider use in the Christian world. In all these writings are the teachings that can counter false doctrines, refute easy interpretations of the Christian way, and correct the behaviors of disciples who stray from the path. Together, they help equip Christ’s followers to serve others compassionately and align with Christ’s teachings.

New ideas and innovative ways of understanding the nature of Jesus Christ were infiltrating the church with false doctrines. Today’s lesson is not arguing against all innovation. It is holding up as a standard of measurement the tried-and-true doctrines that came directly from Timothy’s mother, Eunice, his grandmother, Lois, and the apostles, including Paul. These were the witnesses of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

With God and Christ as his witnesses, Paul begs Timothy to continue proclaiming the gospel. He invokes Christ’s presence as the righteous judge at the end of the age and the divine Son of God who will come again to usher in God’s peaceable reign. He warns the time soon will come when people will settle for an easy path. They will “itch” for teachings that suit their own agendas and reject the sound doctrines and disciplines Paul taught.

Patience, persistence, and steadfastness in the face of difficulties are the tools to teach the truth effectively. The task of the evangelist (one who proclaims the gospel) is to keep teaching the truth, to stay “sober” (centered on Christ, v. 5), and to endure in faith whatever suffering and persecution may result.

Community of Christ encourages members to use six lenses to discern God’s action in the world and join in the mission of Christ. Tradition and scripture are two of those lenses. Also, reasoning, revelation, experience, and common consent inform our journey as disciples. They provide tools for strengthening our faith. “The path will not always be easy…” as we work to identify the core values of the gospel and use them in daily life. But we are assured that God’s Spirit is with us, breathing new life into our efforts to discern the path ahead and serve those in need.

Faith Unfiltered Podcast

Hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith consider how this week's scripture connects to our lives today.

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Central Ideas

1. Scriptures are a foundation for wisdom and a road map pointing toward the salvation Jesus Christ offered.
2. Today’s lesson upholds scripture and tradition as valuable lenses for discerning God’s action in the world and faithfully living the gospel.
3. Community of Christ encourages members to use six lenses to discern God’s action in the world and join in the mission of Christ: tradition, scripture, reasoning, revelation, experience, and common consent.
4. God’s Spirit breathes new life into our efforts to discern the path ahead and serve those in need.

Questions to Consider

1. What do you “itch” for as you long for an easier path in discipleship? How do you respond to the desire for new, exciting ways to proclaim the gospel?
2. How does your congregation use scripture and tradition to help guide life as a disciple?
3. How do you use reasoning, revelation, experience, and common consent to discern God’s action in the world?
4. How are you suffering as you struggle to proclaim the centrality of Jesus Christ in an age that refuses to listen? Where does your comfort lie?