A Sound Pattern - 2 Timothy 1:13

2 Timothy 1:13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

            I’ve always liked the apostle Paul. In my opinion, he’s one of the major heroes in the Bible because he suffered and endured so many different things for the sake of the Gospel. I know that a number of people these days tend to write him off as a narrow-minded religious fanatic, but I view his whole commitment as a major influence on the actual survival of our faith in its infancy. Without Paul’s strong words and complete devotion to Christ, I don’t think Christianity would have survived into the second century. His total dedication to the churches he served, as well as his boldness in preaching the Word publicly, helped solidify the foundation that Christ had already laid. And I never forget that Jesus personally chose Paul to ensure that our faith would expand and grow.

            When Paul became a prisoner in Rome, he knew that his time would soon be up and his life would be forfeited. Because of this, he wanted to ensure that the next generation of Christians held on to Christ’s teaching. He chose to write to Timothy, his protégé, in order to encourage him to take up the torch of faith that Paul would soon lay down. This is why he personally writes: ‘What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.’

            As 21^st century Christians, I don’t think that we could do any better than to embrace and apply Paul’s words in our hearts and congregations. His teaching is still relevant and when we apply it, along with our faith and love in Jesus, we present a Christianity that is strong, supportive, and compassionate in our world today.

Point to ponder

What are my favorite words written by the Apostle Paul? How do I apply them in my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You personally chose Paul to represent Your ministry and mission on Earth at a time of uncertainty and anxiety for the Your Church. Thank You for the gifts of perseverance and strength, as well as his faith and commitment, which enabled him to remain loyal to You. Help us to learn from Paul’s words and life, so that we may continue this great story of faith in our congregations and communities today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made most welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Spirit Fall.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Spirit.

Gospel devotion: The Real Jesus - 2 Corinthians 11:4

For today’s readings: click on these links – Judges 10:6-18 and 2 Corinthians 11:1-11

2 Corinthians 11:4     For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

At this time of year, I always chuckle at the special programs which some cable channels broadcast about the Bible and Jesus. They usually advertise the programs with teasing titles like ‘Secrets of the Bible’ or ‘UFOs in the Bible’ or ‘The Real Jesus.’ I must admit that I've watched some of them through the years, but what they usually present are just old obscure ideas that were rejected by the Church ages ago because their origins were unreliable.

Along with these ‘recently discovered scriptures,’ the programmers roll out some college lecturers who want to make a name for themselves by being controversial. They are just like the paid examiners in high profile trials, who trot out what their legal sponsors expect of them. In return for their fifteen minutes of fame, these religious lecturers relish creating a controversy that some people sadly buy into, and end up causing them to cast aside their simple faith.

Long before cable and television were invented, the Apostle Paul had to deal with the same sort of controversial stuff. In today’s passage (2 Corinthians 11:1-11) he deals with a similar situation where rogue preachers have come into an established Christian community, preaching a different Gospel and Jesus from what was originally expressed. Paul gently berates the community of the faithful for embracing these new and highly questionable ideas about Christ. The Corinthians community is embracing the novelty of a new Christ, instead of holding on to their faith in the real Christ that Paul had introduced them.

With so many different methods of receiving information, people can be easily persuaded to accept something as Gospel truth these days without questioning either the sources or the ideas. In every generation, the Church has had to face this problem and fight for the Truth. And in every situation, the simple answer is still the best solution: people need to get back to the basics of actually reading the Bible.

Questions for personal reflection

What is the source of my knowledge about Jesus? How often do I actually read the Bible?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, Your words and ways have shaped this whole world for almost two thousand years. We thank You for the Gospels and for the messages which continue to captivate our hearts and minds. Keep us focused on Your teaching and protect us from those who would divert our attention, distract our devotion, and diminish our understanding of Who You really are. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make a comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest Nativity drawing. It’s called “Mumbai Madonna” and is an Indian artistic interpretation of Jesus and Mary. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3679/11039323083_c96ac02b69_b.jpg

Daily Devotions: Picking on Paul

1 Corinthians 15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

It’s very theologically fashionable these days to bash Paul and his writings. I come across many people who want to discard any of Paul’s statements and just concentrate on the Gospel. After all, these people insist, “why should I listen to Paul when Jesus can tell me everything I need to know?”

What they really mean is that they want to practice their faith on very loose terms. Their whole theology tends to be summed up in two neat phrases: ‘Jesus loves me this I know’ and ‘I’m OK ,You’re OK.’ It’s a very infantile form of faith and one that has no merit in God’s Kingdom.

You see if our faith was very simple and agreeable to everyone, Christ would never have been crucified and people like Paul would not have been martyred. We need to take seriously what Christ and Paul both have to say, because they’re working off the same page. Christ dies to save the world and then chooses Paul to spread the Gospel. What Paul writes doesn’t come from him alone – it all originates in Christ.

That’s why when we read a statement like ‘by the gospel you are saved’ with the condition ‘if you hold firmly to the word I preached’, we have to take them both together. The Gospel is not just a collected bundle of holy stories about Christ, the Gospel is an invasive forceful word of God that challenges our lifestyles and changes our souls for all of eternity.

Paul also gets it right when he states “otherwise you have believed in vain.” People are constantly diluting the Gospel to suit themselves and end up with no salvation. They believe what they want to accept, and end up with a cozy version of an uncomfortable faith.

So the challenge for us today is this: what Gospel do we believe in? Our own or Paul’s?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are so fiercely independent these days that we become indignant when Your teaching or Paul’s writings interfere and meddle with our lives. We sometimes resent the constraints that the Gospel places upon us, but instead of accepting Your words, we make up our own ideas and opinions. Forgive us, Lord, for disrespecting and disassociating ourselves with You and Your Chosen Apostle. Help us to honestly reevaluate our commitment to You, Your Church, and Kingdom. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.