The assault continues on the Bible and its teachings coming from those who refuse to accept standards and rules to keep society safe and sane. They look at Christians and their behavior as an insult to those who wish to behave in more “enlightened” ways. In other words, they reject the old path of life that has come from God in favor of one that allows sin to captivate them.

Was it any different in the old days of Paul and Timothy? The answer is of course no.  Evil abounded then and that is seen in II Timothy, 3:13, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. There were those in Paul’s day who preached and practiced evil just as there is in this time. The remedy for such Paul told Timothy was continuing in the instructions he had heard from a childhood. Paul wrote in verses 14-15, But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; [15]  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The Holy Scriptures to which Paul referred is the Old Testament which Timothy knew led him to have faith in Jesus Christ. Paul, in light of verse 13, told Timothy to stay faithful to the old path he learned as a child and that which had brought him to his present place in God’s kingdom.

Admittedly, following the path of God does have a stifling affect on sinful behavior if one has a conscience of any kind. It is also true that those who don’t want any constraint on their activities will denigrate the Bible and its contents. They use various terms such as outdated, racist, hateful, rigid, discriminatory, deceitful, and inflammatory, to name a few of the words contained in their diatribes.  

In verses 16 and 17, Paul wrote: [16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. The words doctrine reproof, correction, instruction, and righteousness are preceded by the word profitable which means scripture is helpful and advantageous in order to bring about changes in life. Those who wish to follow God know that the scriptures show the way to a life that avoids the activities that God tells us are sin. A question must be asked: If not for the content of the Bible, where would we find the concepts of right and wrong, and if we did find them somewhere, what would be the standard for determining them?  Certainly not the perverse teachings of men who deny God, and yet that is what the immoral of the world are relying upon to justify their behavior.

Paul went on to tell Timothy in verse 17 that the scriptures make the man of God complete and ready to teach the gospel and do that which God instructs. Good works that help others as opposed to the unfruitful works of darkness (which can be the futile effort to save oneself without Jesus Christ) as Paul instructs to avoid [Eph 5:11] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Paul used the word reprove here as he did in Timothy. It means to shame by proving the evil doers wrong, which is the meaning in each verse in which it is found. How is that done? By staying on the path of God and his teachings, referred by some as the Old Path in reference to the Old Testament, and to the Way in the New; and as found in Acts 19:23 the Way caused a stir among those who heard the message. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. The teaching of God has a way of riling people, especially those who deny it. Paul told Timothy to be on his guard and stay faithful to the teachings. So must we to live as God instructs and to secure eternal life.

© 1-11-2006 DEC

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