Snaps

Q1. (Luke 23:34) Who was most responsible for killing Jesus? This was something that was set in motion at the foundation of the world because Father knew we would all go amiss and need the new deal. All of mankind are involved in the inheritance of the sinful nature, and everyone of us need the sacrifice of the pure, unblemished Lamb of God to remove our shortcomings and redeem us into the fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The soldiers, Pilate, the scribes, pharisees and saduccees, apostles, and all the rest of us have need of the sacrifice of Jesus, and it is for all of us who will respond, no one more than the other. What responsibility do you and I bear in this? We were not around at the time, but our birth into sin puts us in equal need of redemption. We are responsible entirely for how we respond to the Cross, because it was for all mankind, in every age. We can't point the finger at Pilate, or any of them, because they did it on our behalf, and because of our need for salvation. In what sense was Jesus praying for us? Jesus saw us as His bride, for whom He constantly prayed during His life and His death. His whole life's purpose was to save his bride, and that involved His sacrifice for her.

Q4. (2 Timothy 4:21a) Why is it important to Paul for Timothy to come before winter? Paul is under sentence of death, which could be implemented anytime. He has been deserted by most of his friends who don't want also to be caught and imprisoned under Nero. Winter is approaching in the physical and metaphorical senses, and he needs his coat, and wants to work with his papers once again. What happens if Timothy delays? If Timothy delays, Paul will suffer dreadfully during the time he has left in prison in winter, feel even more isolated and deserted, and face death alone (apart from Jesus). Do you think Timothy dropped everything and came to Paul's side? I certainly hope he did. Paul was his mentor from the very beginning and had invested much time and faith in Timothy. I think it was most important that Timothy be there for him at this time. This is what it means by respecting one's "parents" or elders, an it would be wrong to be slow in answering this call. Paul had often called him "son". Would you, if you were Timothy? I certainly hope that I would go. People are much more important than things, and Jesus was all about people. God is the God of relationships, and there was a very deep bonding between Paul and Timothy. Many blessings and much fruitfulness came of this relationship. I'd say it would be imperative to come in such circumstances. Jesus emphasised the importance of assisting prisoners, and there was no prisoner more valuable and important than Paul.

(2 Timothy 4:9-12) Why is it so difficult when trusted friends desert us? Trusted friends are very difficult to find in the first place. They are few, and far between. Trust builds gradually, and they are always friends of long standing. They have become a very important piece of the fabric of our lives, woven in deeply and adding vibrancy to the colour of life. Often they are more close to us than family, especially when family do not understand the gospel. Thus, when a trusted friend deserts us it is like having the mat swiped right out from under our feet. It dislodges us completely. instituting an adjustment and deep grieving period for us. It challenges our faith in our other friendships, as if one can leave, what about the others. Eventually it strengthens our faith in God as He will NEVER leave us or forsake us, and establishes us more strongly in relationship with Him who watches over us. Why is it so difficult when they move away or die? It is difficult when they move away or die because we feel the same sense of desertion, but it is not desertion as such. It is just that their lifestyle becomes more distant and we feel great loss. It is difficult to make the adjustments, and operate without them in close proximity, without their immediate impact on daily events, without their wisdom and humour etc. We have to learn to give away that which has become such an important part of our lives that we have become dependent on it. Dependency is difficult to release. Is it better to trust no one? How limiting this would be! One's heart would simply cripple up and die. That is really about un-forgiveness, anger and retribution, which we certainly do not need to establish as a way of life. It is better to deeply and richly appreciate the friendship we have been privileged to experience, and pray for them God's richest blessing in their future. Praise the Lord for many ways of keeping in touch these days. We are so blessed. Who remains with Paul besides Luke? (Hint: see verse 17a). THE LORD will never leave us of forsake us!

(2 Timothy 4:8) What does the "crown of righteousness" represent? The 'crown of Righteousness" is actually the righteousness of Christ, replacing our filthy rags that come short of the glory of God.. To whom is it given? It is given to those who long for Jesus with a passion, hose hearts are for Him On what basis is it awarded? It is given to those who, like Paul, have done battle effectively over the years and not given up, but continued on right to the point of death to do all that God has commanded them with confidence and joy.

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? I t refers to a lifetime of preparation, focus on the task at hand, and constant, consistent, faithful application of the principles of Christ to achieving "the baptism we are baptised with" This is a quote from Jesus, who was baptised within a very specific purpose - to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That was not what Paul was baptised for, but he saw to it that he accomplished all God had planned for him, whatever the cost or difficulty, the pain or the joy. He did not let up one iota until the moment of his death, and he continued to exhort others to do likewise. He knew his life's work was to take the gospel to the world outside Israel, and that is what he never ceased for a moment to be engaged in vigorously. I believe each Christian has a potential talk to complete, a role to play withing God's family that only s/he can do. We each have a race to run, unique to our being. This we are to complete to the last day. What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? To finish the course, means exactly what it says. A marathon runner will achieve nothing if he does not complete his course. Even his team will be disappointed with him. I remember the anger of a women's olympic rowing team because one of their members was unable to complete the race and caused their engagement in it to be completely undone. It takes practice, sweat, tears, pain, persistence, vision, goals, fitness, training, encouragement, a commitment to the rest of the team and to the goals, self sacrifice for the benefit of the others, obedience to the coach, and the giving up of many of the other little pleasures in life so that the goals can be achieved. It takes some finishing! In order to finish the race God has designed for me, I first have to be close enough to God to know what my race consists of. My race is one no-one else can achieve. Then I have to undertake the training which is tough to say the least. Then I commit to it, leaving the lesser things aside in order to concentrate on the race making sure that it is a product of my love, and that my whole heart is in it. Less that that is blasphemy. What does it mean to "keep the faith"? To keep the faith means to be faithful to it whatever is happening around you. People may be deflected from it in many little ways, especially in these days when so much entertains us. People may have their own agendas and try to persuade us to join them, so we have to be able to see this, see right through it, discern the real issue, and remain faithful to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This can be lonely. I think Paul was feeling this as he mentioned how many of his disciples had left him. He spent a lot of energy teaching Timothy about being faithful and sticking to the truth. Like the early churches of Revelation, our Christian families can easily be led off track, and it can be a thankless task trying to haul them back again. For example there is so much available to demolish the sabbath day - shops, sports, etc. Two hours of church seems to be all anyone wants to do. But it was designed as a day of fellowship and relating to God. It was part of the ten commandments, and Jews were forbidden to buy and sell on that day. I don't think it's legalistic to see that as the ideal way to treat the sabbath. The rest of the week is for business. Another thing that is going up the spout these days is modesty in dress. No-one seems to want to preach it, and current fashions are pretty revealing. Yes, I know that when someone enters church for the first time you don't race up and correct their dress. But those who know the scriptures should be aware of the beauty of modesty, and a gentle and gracious spirit. In western society, the need to stand out individually and draw attention to oneself like a film star at the awards night requires outlandish fashions at times. We need to be measured (even by our brothers and sisters in the faith) by what's in our hearts, not by what we wear.

Q3. (2 Timothy 4:1-2) Why do you think Paul has to resort to the command in verses 1-2? It would seem that Timothy had a choice to make. Either he had to face up to the disappointments of ministry and continue without any compromise, or fall into preaching a popular gospel that was not the whole truth. This, of course, Paul would never accept, and neither will the Lord in the final judgement. So Paul has to use strong language. It is as if he were correcting Timothy in the most positive terms imaginable, and commissioning him once again to preach unmitigated truth. Why does he have to talk about being ready when it's inconvenient and when it is convenient? You just never know what is around the corner, but Timothy had always to be ready for it, as Paul had been, through thick and thin, earthquake and shipwreck, thinking nothing of suffering for Christ, but only of Christ Himself, and the task to which he was appointed. What problem is Paul trying to overcome here? We are social creatures, and that by deliberate design. Therefore we are greatly affected by the reactions of our fellow man. However, fellow man is fallen, and our job is to help renew him to his full potential in Christ, not to tumble over with him. We are to use our sociability to regenerate society, not to join it. Paul is asserting this very strongly in dealing with Timothy's disappointment and distress, calling him again to the task of consistency and truth in his ministry, although it will cost him. He is trying to teach him again to grasp the vision by the horns and be unrelenting in his teaching and preaching so that he will rejoice in his prize when Christ returns in all His glory to judge all things. How do these verses speak to you in particular? To me the church has gone soft in many areas, and these scriptures say to me that when I see shortfall I must call out the troops to recognise it and defeat it. We Christians in the west have to re-establish what it means to live in Christian community, live boldly in righteousness and disempower the subtle ways of the world that compromise our faith. For example, many Christians do business on the Lord's day and think nothing of it (I'm not talking about hospitals etc, but about shops etc). My 'Christian" real estate agent set up inspections on Sunday in spite of the fact that I had asked him not to do it. We need to stand up for the Lord's day. Jesus always said the law would never pass away, that he came not to undo the law but to fulfil it. He aggressively threw over the money changers in the temple. If someone did that today there'd be a mighty kerfuffle!. Of course there will be reaction, but we are there to withstand persecution, not to kowtow to it. That is only one example. Persecution or no persecution, the Lord is coming again and we need to be ready to meet Him, having brooked no compromise in the practice of our faith.

Q2. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) In what ways does Scripture equip a Christian for ministry? Men are answerable to God and to each other for the way they work. The basis for wisdom and understanding are in the Scriptures. The equipped Christian knows the scriptures intimately and builds the conduct of his life on them. The scriptures have indications that teach us how to respond in every situation. Not only that, but there are very many stories showing how this has worked out in the lives of various people, and even poetry showing us how to worship and enjoy the presence of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in our lives. By study of scripture, we can see the principles of God in operation. We can apply this understanding to our own lives, and learn to live as did the ancient men and women of God, effective in any situation, and bringing glory to God in the way we handle every situation and circumstance of life. In what different ways can the Scriptures function, according to verse 16? Scripture is valuable for instruction - basic teaching about the ways of God of those who are His disciples correction - When someone is off track, they can be shown the right way through scripture, they can be corrected training - Holy living requires training and discipline. The basis of this is supplied by Scripture, and is essential to those who are doing "the works that Gad has prepared for them to walk in." rebuking - There are times when people need a strong rebuke, when they are abusing the privilege of the company of God. Maybe this has to be a private procedure, or occasionally even a public one. The bases for that are written there in Scripture.

Q1. (2 Timothy 3:16) What does inspiration of Scripture mean? I looked up the word inspiration, and found it had to do with brainchild, intuition, divine guidance, stirring and arousal to the unusual, and inhalation of air as in a deep breath. In particular, comments on the word inspirational were helpful, emphasising as they did the idea of taking in breath. To inspire is to take in breath, to gasp. It suggests that the breath comes from elsewhere outside humanity, but is essential for life. When God breathed life into Adam, Adam initiated nothing, but his body responded to the breath from God by inspiring (a powerful ability given him already by God), and he drew LIFE. So I think "inspiration" refers to something 'in the air' to which a man is able to respond, to be stirred up, aroused, elevated. It doesn't come from the man, but the man is able to respond to it, to be inspired, elevated, excited, motivated, activated. So the inspiration of scripture is not in the ability of man to engineer it, but in the ability of man to respond to something sent by God. (Is intuition the neglected ability God gave men to respond to reality, to His Truth? Children have it clearly, but in adulthood it seems to get lost somewhere). So, men given to drawing on God have been able to write words inspired (sent) by God, words that would normally be beyond the ability of man to write. Thus such men have written words that come from God, and as such are consistent with God's character, although they have been written by many, across many generations. These men have been produced for this purpose, by God, within a culture developed for precisely this task - a priestly tribe prepared to bring Truth to the nations. What does the term "God-breathed" tell us about the source and authority of Scripture? God-breathed tells us the scripture is sourced from God and not from men. Historians might have the talent for writing events - usually with the particular slant of the writer. However, Scripture is written with the particular slant that God desires, namely TRUTH. Luke (Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1) exemplifies this when he declares to Theophilus that he was well positioned to, and has gone to great lengths to check all the stories and write a truthful account for him. He is writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of Truth, or the Spirit of God that hovers over the world from the beginning of time, whom God re-breathed into mankind at Pentecost, and for whom we Christians can and need to be in constant search. To diverge for a moment, I think it is the same Spirit that gave rise to the inspirational concept of the repeatable experiment in science, and the whole development of science on this basis. Without this exercise in truth we would be back in the dark ages with witchcraft running everything! End of diversion! Why is the doctrine of inspiration of Scripture important? It is important that we understand the God is the one who inspired all of scripture, and gives it His authority, consistency, and trustworthiness. Therefore we can trust everything it says (well tested by those who collected the scriptures to assemble the books of the Bible in the first place). Trusting, we will be obedient, become knowledgeable, and can lock into the Spirit Truth personally, for ourselves and our time, which is the whole purpose of everything. The Spirit of Truth, who gave us the Scriptures, unites us in spirit and in truth as, in obedience, we meet the wonderful world of brothers and sisters in Christ, the fellowship of the Spirit of Truth, and, together, give witness to the Truth in a hostile world.

Q4. (2 Timothy 3:10-12) How does a failure to accept the inevitability of persecution hinder our witness? If we don't accept that there will be persecution, then every time it turns up we will be floored and tempted to avoid it by diluting our faith, or by bending our interests to those of our persecutors. This amounts to denial of Christ, or unbelief, and may lead us to give up the faith altogether. It means that friends (those who persecute us) or our convenience are more important to us than Jesus Himself. This is idolatry because. like Judas, we are turning our back on Jesus who is the ultimate Truth. Just what does it mean to "take up his cross daily" (Luke 9:23) and to "carry his cross" (Luke 14:27)? It means that we have dealt with the shame potential and will always stand with Jesus, whatever the circumstances are that stand against Him. It means we "know whom we have believed, and are persuaded that He is able to keep that which we have committed until that day". It means we have managed to take in the bigger picture and are not limited to the small, self-serving thinking that predominates in the world around us. It means that we know Jesus, and that He is able to take us through the valley of the shadow of death if we pass that way, His rod and staff for comfort, the annointing rests upon us, the table of His abundance is before us, His goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Ps 23). It means that we fear the Lord above everyone and everything else, and have developed a backbone in faith. It means we have truly entered into partnership with the Most High, and adopted His ways, and see things increasingly from His perspective. This is having the mind of Christ. The world is likely to hand us a cross of major difficulty and rejection (perhaps the thing most feared by humans in their carnal nature), but we can take that in His Name, and handle it faithfully, knowing that He has received us in His holy temple. In other words our hearts are truly with Him, and His glorious purpose, not based in building an earthly powerbase or reputation. Is Jesus talking about persecution -- or something else? I think Jesus is talking about the whole of Christian living which includes elements of persecution. Life under the shadow of the cross has its savage difficulties, but also it's divine moments of joy and exhilaration, of love and peace, of vision and purpose. As Psalm 23 indicates, the Valley of the Shadow of Death brings with it experiences that you just can't get anywhere else, experiences of God's amazing ability to get us through, to show us new and wonderful things, to bring us His peace through the turmoil, to renew Life, to bring great good out of the bad situation, to know the intimacy and great glory of God's salvation, to provide strength where we can only see weakness. His Life begins under the shadow of the Cross. That is what Christianity is all about - victory. If you don't have a battle, then you don't have a victory. The battle strategy is the Lord's, and we get to share the spoils of the victories.

Q3. (2 Timothy 3:5) Why is it so easy to become a hypocrite? It is very easy to become a hypocrite because our carnal nature is self-serving and we need to be very focused on the Truth and on the Spirit of God to avoid the selfish pathways. It is easy to "do" all the right things, enjoy the fellowship of the right people, be seen in all the right places, and yet be shallow in faith. We can live very successfully this way, and even delude ourselves that all is well, that we are successful in our faith. However, when it comes to self-sacrifice and real care of individuals, we in the west simply don't 'see' the need. We are blind to those who are not our closest friends. We have lost completely the art of community, and losing ourselves in the care of others as God has taught us to do. Or sometimes, in trying to care, we support others in dependency, because we haven't developed the understanding and skills needed. Life is an art form, and we need to learn (from Jesus) the art of Living (His Way). How can we prevent our faith from degenerating into "a form of religion" without the power? I think the FEAR of God is the beginning of wisdom. We are given the emotion of fear for a very good reason. Mainly it is to fear God. Normally we use it to fear accidents in traffic, or the back legs of a horse, for which it is also very valuable. But often we slip into fear of what the peer group will think, or fear of not having things we 'need', which is very unhealthy and personally debilitating, for in these matters God tells us "Fear not, for I am with you". We should be afraid of not sharing our blessings adequately with those in need, of not finding those to whom God has sent us with the message of hope, and of lacking the love (made up of perseverance, endurance, sacrifice, joy, peace, and other fruits of the Spirit) with which we fight the battles of life, and the prayerfulness through which God can teach us all that is needed, and all that is possible.

Q2. (2 Timothy 2:24-25) In your own words, explain the various characteristics that enable a Christian teacher to correct opponents. How does the lack of any of these hinder the task? The motivation for correction must only be love for the person who needs the correction. Therefore a gentle spirit MUST be engaged, because anything else doesn't reflect the love of Jesus. It will be a spirit of prayerfulness that the person become teachable, and able to see to the heart of the matter. It's a case of "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord", and so we leave the strength to be applied by the Lord, not by us. I think we need to be prayerful that we can teach the person - not the thing. In other words we need to see to the heart of the person to discover what is truly the issue because it may not necessarily be the one on the surface. In other words, our teaching needs very much to be directed by the (deep calls to deep) Spirit of God. Lack of gentleness breaks down relationship and establishes a competitive spirit that must win the argument. Lack of love, and the deep understanding that love produces (which takes time and care to achieve) may mean that the real issue is missed altogether, and communication is not happening. Lack of prayerfulness may mean that the teacher cannot understand what God is revealing on the issue, and therefore communicaton will be ineffective, and possibly damaging. I love Jan-Mary's words, "the goal is to awaken the unsaved". It's always good to "waken" a person gently. Proverbs 15:1 declares "A soft answer turns away wrath". It's amazing what you can get away with saying if you say it "softly"! The softness gives people the peace (safe space) to listen and hear what is said.

Q1. (2 Timothy 2:20-22). When do you put your good plates and silverware on the table? When do you use your everyday tableware? What point is Paul making with this example? In practical terms, how do we "cleanse ourselves" so that we might be useful and ready for the Lord's use? When I eat alone I use the everyday tableware, and usually put the good crockery and silverware out when I have guests, like today. However, I think Jesus needs the good stuff to be out all the time, as everybody is special to Him. The point that Paul is making is that we who were second rate tableware, by obedience to the righteous word of the Lord, can become beautified, and comparable to the best of tableware. In order to do this, we have to truly repent of our sins, and daily of our sinful nature, exorcising (just meaning get rid of) that which is not honouring to God, and building those habits and gifts which give Him honour, namely the gifts of love, and self sacrifice, without which nothing else has real relevance. We need also to spend much regular time with the Lord so that we can be sensitised to the Holy Spirit, and able to discern what the Lord is leading us to do. This time to be spent in prayer and study of the Word, in praise and meditation on His Word.

Q4. (2 Timothy 2:15) Exactly what is the analogy with a skilled workman that forms the basis for Paul's instruction to Timothy? How does this apply to our teaching of scripture today? An electrician, these days, must satisfy authorities that he is well able to perform the tasks of his trade. He will then be licensed to call himself an electrician and to do work which is dangerous if not correctly done. Likewise for a builder, a plumber, and many other trades or professions. Paul is saying that Timothy needs to consider himself in the same boat with such people in that he has a task to perform which must be completed with the utmost care and knowledge. He can't fall back on compromise because of public pressure. He has to stand out as truthful, reliable and correct before the license provider, namely God, the Creator, Himself. Today we have the same strictures applying to those who teach. In every way we are to please God, not men, and are answerable to God for our work. Faithful work will be rewarded. Less than faithful work will be a witness against us in the courts of our God. That is greatly to be feared, and the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It is what we are given the gift of fear for, that we might fear God (above men) and get things right!

Q3. (2 Timothy 2:3-7) Paul calls Timothy to endure hardship for the sake of the goal. What in the experience of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer illustrate this well? Which of these examples speaks most strongly to you? A Prime Minister here once said the "Life wasn't meant to be easy". It takes fortitude and determination to achieve the needed things. Being a Christian means we a re looking for even higher standards, so it takes even more fortitude and determination. Referring to the last question - the church needs to address these facts and encourage those qualities in its people. The soldier must be equipped for fighting, knowing that will not take place in any air conditioned lounge room, but usually in dry desert places or hot steamy jungles. The athlete is in competition (the modern substitute for territorial fighting) and will win no prizes without the powerful disciplines of his sport. To give up on them is to quit and lose the battle. The farmer is working to earn his living in unpredictable circumstances (weatherwise) and must be alert and ready to go out at any time and prepare his territory for the crop and harvest. Working hours are as needed (nine to five, five days a week, is unheard of). So is the Christian life a life of sacrifice to the more important task, that of loving people into the Kingdom, whenever they are ready to hear and receive Him, that of serving the King of Kings. I think the soldier speaks most strongly to me as he is nowhere near home on the battleground, but fights in stranger territory. So, we who fight for the Lord have our homes in Heaven, and a transitory life on this earth. In a sense, we, like the soldier, are displaced citizens of another world, strangers in our present country, and bringing in a new set of realities and values which we are to introduce to the people among whom we find ourselves. The weapons are the weapons of love, not war, but the battle is much the same.

Q2. Why do you think our churches tend not to declare the call to endurance and suffering? Why did Timothy tend to shy away from it? What is the result of a willingness to suffer for the gospel? Many of our churches are managed by people who have inherited them from their fathers, who have not suffered greatly or had to start from scratch and therefore don't have the experience of doing the ground work, of real service and the hard knocks. I find these churches placing emphasis on more lifestyle issues rather than the hard core gospel that deals with real life issues. Pastors who have dealt with real issues right from the start are willing to give the tough love teaching which enables people to overcome with love. It is tough, and it is very powerful. Not everyone has the successful lifestyle that is often touted, and they have to be given the wisdom and strong scriptures that will enable them to deal with what is on their plate - disappointment, isolation, disability, grief, illness. They need the deep love of the church community, not the prosperity thinking that so predominates these days. There is a place for prosperity thinking, but let those who have much know that of them much is required - they have to stretch their resources far to meet need. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love.... sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal = just a big noise - and who doesn't steer away from "big noise" people? Timothy grew up in the church through his mother and grandmother. Although he spent a lot of time with Paul, he didn't start from scratch as Paul had done. Maybe his relationship with Jesus was not as dynamic in its origins as Paul's, and when the hard times came he was at loss to deal with it all. He probably had not to deal with deep repentance as Paul had (those who are forgiven much love much, as Jesus said of the sinful woman), and hadn't, like David, fought his own personal giants to the same degree Paul had. These things all deepen our relationship with God and bring it into greater focus than the things of the world. Therefore he was less resilient in times of having to stand alone for the Truth than Paul was. The result of willingness to suffer for the gospel is that nothing can knock the truth out of you, that you become fearless as were Paul, David and Joshua, knowing that God has it all in hand, and that reality is in eternity, not the things of this world. It certainly doesn't mean you don't feel the pain. Peter certainly knew what crucifixion felt like etc. It simply means that pain is not the issue, Jesus is! I have been just thinking, lately, that training children in sacrifice has great value. For example, as a child my church taught that lent was an opportunity to sacrifice some favourite thing for fourty days in order to honour Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself on the Cross for us. I'm beginning to think that our children, in these days of prosperity, need to do these things in order to gain some ascendency over their carnal nature. It's not that asceticism is the way to Heaven - that is certainly wrong. But control of human nature and personal pleasure does have great disciplinary value. For example if one gave up coffee (coke, sugar, fizzy drinks etc) for those forty days and gave the money to a place of need, there would be much learning associated with it, especially the need for sacrifice.