April 19
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FAITHFUL TO SOUND TEACHINGS AND THE CAUSE OF CHRIST
13 Hold on to the example of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 Protect, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.15 You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; 17 but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— 18 the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus. – 2 Timothy 1:13-18
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In this letter of Paul to Timothy, he advises them to cling to the word of God, which he calls sound words. Sound words would be synonymous to wise words. It is only the word of the Lord that can bring wisdom. He is the source of all wisdom. If we do not know him, and we do not know his word, we will be unable to have a sound mind. Many people think that intelligence is all we need. Not all intelligent ideas are true. Only truth sets one free. Truth comes only from the source of all things, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a sad fate to watch many people cling to false teachings and ungodly beliefs. It only leads to more darkness and confusion. This is why Paul couldn’t help but remind them the importance of sound doctrine and teachings. Many people perish from believing false teachings.
In verse 14, Paul warns the believers to ensure that they protect the truth. They need to walk constantly in the Spirit who gives them these true words from God. Once, they fail to walk in the Spirit, they will be led to walk in the flesh, which will eventually lead to sin. How do we protect the treasure of God’s word and the gospel? We abide in Christ and have fellowship with Him, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. We read, meditate and obey the word of God so we can test the spirits whether they come from God or not.
Paul mentions in verse 15 some of these believers who have failed to protect the treasure of the truth and have walked away from him and from the faith, Phygelus and Hermogenes. In verse 16, he commends Onesiphorus, who faithfully treasured the gospel and was never ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment. Instead, he eagerly supported Paul and looked for him. Paul also mentions how Onesiphorus have continued to serve the church in Ephesus.
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REFLECTION
• Why is faithfulness an important aspect of a Christian’s life? What happens when we aren’t devoted and loyal to the truth and the true gospel?