Titus 1-3;
II Timothy 1-4
Today we come to the end of Paul’s Epistles with two personal letters, one to Titus, and a second, final, letter to Timothy. Since the letter to Titus seems in many ways like a condensed version of I Timothy, I’m inclined to look more closely at II Timothy today in our sprint through the New Testament. These are the last words we have from Paul. He knows his time on this earth is drawing to a close (II Tim. 4:6), and he is writing to his dearest, most trusted coworker, his “son” in the faith, Timothy. (As for how Paul regards Timothy, see Philippians 2:19-24.) So here Paul is pouring out his heart with final words of wisdom. Maybe we should pay attention…
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
II Timothy 4:3-4
It should not be too difficult to see the truth of these verses in our world today, with social media amplifying echo chambers that repeatedly tell everyone what they want to hear. Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the mainstream news media, academia, and politicians all proclaim messages geared to appeal to their audience. And if the Truth preached in a real church makes you uncomfortable, it is easy to find a fake church that’s more cozy.
But while it may be easy to see the problem “out there”, how about “in here” with each of us individually? Do you have your fingers in your ears, refusing to hear (portions of) the Truth? Do you open your ears to those with an unbiblical world view? How much time do you spend studying God’s Word compared to watching the news or movies or TV shows or hanging out in your own social media echo chamber?
In other words, as I have asked before and will likely ask again, to whom do you listen? Or, perhaps more pointedly, by whom are you being discipled? I ask this question again and again, because it is essential that we examine ourselves to become aware of the lies we believe — and to take corrective action as necessary. And yes, I am asking you, not just everyone else.
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