This might have been a strange way to divide this passage,
and I know that verse 17 fits with the previous verses. Paul is praising God
for the simple fact that Jesus came to save sinners. He is the only hope for a
lost world, but He is more than able to take care of our needs. So having
proclaimed this truth, it is only natural to break out in son praising the God
who made a way for us to be saved. So Paul offers a doxology – giving glory to
God. Look at what he says.
He is the King! Not “a” king. He is THE King of the
universe. He is King above all Kings because He holds the heart of every ruler
in His hands. He puts them in their positions of authority (Romans 13) for His
purposes to be accomplished. But He is also the King because He is eternal –
His kingdom never ends. He is immortal – the King never dies. He is invisible –
even though you cannot see Him, He is there. He is God, and He alone is wise.
Yes, there are wise men among us, but compared to God’s wisdom, their wisdom is
nothing. And this is the doxology part – to Him be honor and glory forever and
ever.
What a word of praise! This was a word that Timothy needed
to hear because Paul was coming to him as an emissary of God. His message to
Timothy carried the full weight and authority of the throne of heaven. So
again, he reminds Timothy of the charge he had already given him. It is almost
as if Paul issues an edict that comes directly from God telling Timothy that he
is to be the leader of this church, and he is to tell these false teachers to
stop wasting time and leading people astray.
Timothy had a lot going for him. At some point in his life,
someone had prophesied over him, and it must have been a powerful testimony of
how God was going to use him. He was going to fight the good fight just like
Paul had done. Why? Because he had faith and a good conscience. He believed God,
and he acted accordingly. He was living out his faith – what every Christian
must do.
But in this church at Ephesus, there was a group that had
rejected the faith. They had gone off course and sailed straight into the
rocks. By their own choice they had become shipwrecked as it pertained to their
relationship with God and the Truth.
There are so many professing Christians doing this today.
They reject the truths of God’s Word simply because it doesn’t fit their desires
or their understanding or the culture in which they live. They choose to ignore
whole passages that speak to sinful lifestyles because they don’t want to feel
convicted or because they don’t want others to think that they are intolerant,
unloving, or bigoted. My friends, don’t do it! Choose the Word over the world!
Choose faith over fables that lead astray! Choose God’s grace over groups that
are demanding to be accepted in spite of the teachings of Scripture.
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