All were
turned away (1:15)
Of
this you are aware, that all those in the province of Asia were turned from me,
of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. This passage should shock us! Is not Paul
considered the missionary apostle, who took Christianity to the nations … planting
and nurturing churches? Is it not the understanding of modern-day Christianity
that Paul’s work continued to flourish and grow into the churches of our day? Yet
we see here that Paul’s work took a huge step back near the end of his life and
ministry. There was an apostasy … a falling away. All in Asia had turned from
him and from the truth he taught. Looking again at 1:13, when Paul said: Have a pattern of sound words, which you
hear from me … we see that as the majority turned away from Paul they were
turning away from the sound words proclaimed by Paul.
At what point did the organized church
recover from this setback? At what point following Paul’s life did the majority
of believers finally get it right, and stand for the truth. In Paul’s day truth
is apparently in the hands of the minority, like Timothy and a select few … with
the majority having turned from the truth. I would contend that since Paul’s
day the organized church has continued in apostasy from the truth. Yes, there
are believers that can be found in the pews of churches around the world … but
the preachers, teachers, scholars, authors and other leaders within the
organized church cannot be trusted for understanding and teaching the truth. Brothers
and sisters, we are on our own. We cannot trust the organized church that is in
apostasy from the truth, regardless of the denomination. All those in the province of
Asia were turned from me. We must seek truth from the Scriptures, properly
and carefully handled, with a focus on having a pattern of sound words.
Correctly
cut the word of truth (2:15)
Endeavor
to present yourself to God qualified, an unashamed worker, correctly cutting
the word of truth. This
goes beyond memorizing Scripture and applying it in superficial ways, ignoring
the context. It is to know in which situations a Scriptural reference applies,
and when it does not. As an example, to correctly cut the word of truth means we
cannot take a Scripture directed to Israel and assume that it applies to the
body of Christ. It may have been a word intended for a particular group of
people at a particular point in time.
Come
quickly (4:9)
Paul pleads with Timothy to come to him
quickly, for he has been forsaken and abandoned by Demas, Crescens and Titus …
and only Luke remains with him. Those forsaking Paul were loving the current eon more than the evangel and the things of God.
Timothy is asked to bring with him Mark … and to bring the travelling cloak which I left in Troas with Carpus, and the
scrolls, especially the vellums. (4:13) Travelling
cloak could be a reference to a covering for the scrolls and vellums …
writings Paul wished to preserve knowing his death was imminent, and knowing
that the majority were already turning away from correct doctrine. How could
truth be preserved after Paul’s death?
Ernest Martin, in his book, The Original Bible Restored, argues that
when Paul wrote to Timothy his primary goal was that sound doctrine be
preserved after his death. Therefore it was necessary for the apostles to leave
behind an official documentation of truth. It would not make sense that the
apostles would simply die and allow “church leaders” to set Scriptural
standards. If they couldn’t trust the doctrines of many in their midst while
they still lived, how could they depend on them to preserve correct doctrine in
the future?
We know that many in Paul’s day were
writing “gospels” (see Luke 1:1 and note the many publications in our present
day that purport to be “lost scriptures”). There was a danger of losing the
truth altogether if the apostles did not act to leave behind some official
documentation.
Martin notes that Paul wanted John Mark,
the author of the Gospel of Mark, to come with Timothy to perform a “service.”
John Mark was at times an associate of Paul, but he was more closely tied to
Peter who refers to him as “my son” (1 Peter 5:13). When asking Timothy to
bring Mark, he also asks him to bring the
traveling cloak which I left in Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially
the vellums (4:13). Cloak could
refer to a receptacle for the scrolls and vellums (or parchments), much like
the cover for a book, or a case. Martin hypothesizes that knowing his death was
approaching, Paul asks Timothy and Mark to come to Rome with certain specific
writings (the scrolls and vellums), and the “service” Paul intended for Mark
was perhaps to take Paul’s inspired writings to Peter for inclusion in the
Scriptural canon.
In light of the apostasy growing within the
ecclesia, Paul’s impending death, and his concern for the preservation of
truth, Martin’s hypothesis seems to make great sense. And while we cannot be
sure that Martin is correct on all counts, one thing is certain … Paul sees the
preservation of correct doctrine as essential.
SUMMARY.
_________
Consider the change that has taken place
between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. In 1 Timothy there were false
teachers in the midst of the ecclesia (1:3-7), but Paul still emphasized the
leadership of the body by supervisors and servants … bishops and deacons in the
Authorized Version (chapter 3). Paul warned that in latter times some would depart from the faith (4:1).
But still, elders that ruled well
were to be honored (5:17).
But in 2 Timothy we hear that all in Asia had turned away (1:15).
Instead of mentioning supervisors, servants or elders within the ecclesia,
Timothy was instructed to commit the truth fo faithful men (2:2). Leaders such
as Hymenaeus and Philetus were leading some astray, teaching that the
resurrection had already occurred (2:18). Whereas 1 Timothy provided
characteristics to be found within supervisor and servants who would lead the ecclesia,
in 2 Timothy we simply read that a servant
of the Lord was to be gentle and meek (2:24). Deceit and apostasy within
the ecclesia were growing. In the last days, perilous times were to come (3:1).
There would be a form of godliness that denied the power (3:5). Evil men would
grow worse … and this referred to men within the ecclesia who would be
deceiving and being deceived (3:13). The time would come when “they” (those
within the ecclesia) would not endure sound doctrine (4:3). Demas, Crescens and
Titus forsook Paul, preferring the present world (4:10).
And so we note the transition between a
somewhat organized structure within the ecclesia in 1 Timothy … with an
emphasis on supervisors and servants (bishops and deacons) … and the absence of
structure in 2 Timothy where we see an emphasis on the individual servant of
the Lord, and committing the truth to faithful men. And in the midst of this
growing apostasy within the ecclesia … even within the leadership of the
ecclesia … Paul knew his death was drawing near (4:6). So he makes provision
for Timothy and Mark to gather his writings and to bring them to him, where he
would make arrangements for these writings to be preserved after his death, in
order that the truth might be preserved in the midst of growing apostasy
(4:12).
With all of this in mind, does it not cause
us to question the teachings propagated by the leaders within the organized
church today? At what point following Paul’s death did the apostasy cease? At
what point was spiritual truth, as proclaimed by Paul, finally recognized and
taught by the majority within the church?
Charles Welch (Christian theologian and
writer 1888-1967) observed that 2 Timothy reveals a church in ruins, and the
discipline that was possible when the church was intact was no longer
effective. So Timothy is instructed to exercise discipline upon himself, not
upon others. (See 2:19; 3:5) Beware of the organized church. Seeks truth from
the Scriptures, questioning doctrine being taught by the majority. Remember
that even in Paul’s day, near the end of his life, the majority had rejected
the truth and were in apostasy.
