A STUDY OF II TIMOTHY
Opening devotion:
Share with the group what the
Lord has been teaching you in your life regarding your Biblical Equipping
apart.
Background for II Timothy: God’s grace is
the central message in all of Paul’s letters – down to his last letter, II
Timothy, composed while he was chained in prison at
Luther on II Timothy:
“This epistle is a farewell
letter, in which
Author, Date and Setting: Paul
was again imprisoned under Emperor Nero, c. 66-67. In contrast to his first imprisonment, when
he lived in a rented house (Acts 28:30), he now languished in a cold dungeon (
Reason for writing:
1.
He was lonely.
2.
Paul was
concerned about the welfare of the churches during this time of persecution
under Nero, and he admonishes Timothy to guar the gospel, to persevere in it,
to keep on preaching it, and, if necessary, to suffer for it.
3.
He wanted to
write to the Ephesian church through Timothy.
Take some moments of silence
to prepare to read the Word of God.
1Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life
that is in Christ Jesus,
2To
Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear
conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling
your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I
have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother
Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6For
this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you
through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit
of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Explore
questions: Why do you suppose Paul calls
himself an apostle by the will of God?
Why does he
call Timothy a dear son?
When would
Timothy have cried?
Timothy’s
dad was a Greek unbeliever. How had his
mom and grandma influenced him?
Timothy
actually means “timid”. How does Paul
use that in verse 7?
Connect questions: What folks in your families/acquaintance were
the most influential in your faith development?
Have you thanked them?
Where are you in your witness
for the Lord, timid, or full of the spirit of power, love and
self-discipline? Where would you want to
be?
8So
do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But
join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who
has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done
but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ
Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed
through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and
has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And
of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That
is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have
believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to
him for that day.
Explore questions: Even though Paul was in a dungeon why was he
not ashamed?
Paul says he was appointed a
herald, an apostle, and a teacher of the gospel. Compare and contrast those three
positions. What is your definition of
the gospel?
Paul says that God saved us
not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and
grace. What does that mean? And what other passage says the same thing?
Connect questions: What suffering for the gospel may you be
called to?
Have you been appointed a
herald, an apostle, or a teacher of the gospel?
13What
you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love
in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to
you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
15You
know that everyone in the province of
16May
the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus,
because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17On
the contrary, when he was in
Explore questions: What do you think Paul means by the “good
deposit”?
The province of Asia here is
western
Onesiphorus means
“profitable”. Why was that an
appropriate name for this man?
Connect questions: What are we doing with the “good deposit”
that God has given us?
Have you or are you being an
“Onesiphorus” to any prophet of today?
PREPARATION FOR BIBLICAL EQUIPPING APART:
Choose a Bible verse from the
reading that you will focus on and meditate on this next time apart. Ask the Lord to use it in your life.
MISSIONAL SERVICE:
WORSHIP AND PRAYER:
We’ll end with a circle
prayer.
II Timothy, chapter 2
Opening devotion:
Check-in: Share with the group what God has done in
your life based on your Scripture meditation.
Some moments of silence to
prepare to read the Word:
1You then, my son, be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things you have heard me say
in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be
qualified to teach others. 3Endure hardship with
us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a
soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.
5Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive
the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6The
hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7Reflect
on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,
descended from David. This is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering
even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not
chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect,
that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory.
Explore ?s:
Paul gives Timothy three
examples to live by: the soldier, the
athlete, and the farmer. What was
Timothy to learn from each?
What type of “crops” would a
young minister be pleased to receive?
In verse 8 Paul reminds us
of Christ’s Resurrection and that He was a descendant of David. What two natures of Christ do these two facts
prove and why is it important to know that about Christ?
Connect ?s:
Verse 10 demonstrates Paul’s
zeal for the lost. In what ways do you
connect with that?
Do you connect more with the
soldier, athlete, or farmer?
11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
14Keep reminding
them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it
is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15Do your best to
present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be
ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16Avoid godless
chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17Their
teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who
have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already
taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19Nevertheless,
God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The
Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name
of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
Explore ?s:
In verse 15
it speaks of “correctly handling the word of truth.” That means being able to discern between the
Law and Gospel. Verses 11-13 are
probably an early Christian hymn. Read those
verses again and find the clearest Gospel.
Where do you find Law in those verses?
What is
“godless chatter” in verse 16? Why is
that so destructive in the church? What
are some “innocent” ways it occurs, and how can we guard against it? How does Satan use this “tool”?
Connect ?s:
How are you doing with “correctly handling the
word of truth”? What is so critical
about discerning whether Scripture is speaking Law or Gospel?
Have you
ever been a Hymenaeus or Philetus? How
did it make you feel when you found out you were involved in something that was
destructive to a person or the church?
20In a large house there are articles not only
of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and
some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will
be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and
prepared to do any good work.
22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue
righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out
of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid
arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's
servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach,
not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in
the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the
truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the
trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his
will.
Explore ?s:
What would be some examples
of “articles of gold and silver”? of wood and clay”?
What are some differences in the way these articles are used?
What advice does Paul give
his “son” Timothy in verses 22-26?
Connect ?s:
When do you feel like an
article of gold or silver? When do you
feel like an article of wood or clay?
How does the advice Paul
gives to Timothy apply to us?
Preparation for Biblical Equipping
apart: Choose a verse upon which you will meditate and pray
during the time we are apart.
Missional service:
What does the Lord want us to
do now?
Worship and Prayer:
Take prayer requests and
volunteers to pray for each.
II Timothy 3
Opening Worship:
Check-in: Share how the Lord has been working in your
life based on the Bible verses you have been focusing on since our last study.
Some moments of silence to
prepare to read God’s Word:
1But
mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having
a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
6They are
the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women,
who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always
learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8Just as Jannes
and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved
minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But
they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly
will be clear to everyone.
Explore ?s:
·
In
verse 1 “the last days” refers to the Messianic age, the time following Jesus’ first
coming to the earth. In other words, our
times. Which of the conditions listed
are evident in our world?
·
Paul
warns Timothy not to have anything to do with those kinds of people. What was behind Paul’s warning?
·
Describe
the kind of people Paul is referring to in verses 6-9. (Jannes and Jambres have been known in
Jewish tradition as two magicians in Pharaoh’s court.)
Connect ?s:
·
What
similar warnings from Paul should we take from this reading?
·
Verse
7 refers to women who are “always learning but never able to acknowledge the
truth.” What do you think the “truth”
refers to, and does this sound at all like the false doctrine of
Gnosticism? And if so, how so?
·
We
are warned to stay away from people who would draw us away from God. How do we balance that with the “Go ye
therefore and teach all nations . . .” commission that Christ gave us?
10You,
however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith,
patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of
things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I
endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact,
everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted; 13while
evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become
convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and
how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you
wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.
Explore ?s:
·
·
What
are Christians promised in verse 12?
·
How
does Paul describe the Holy Scriptures? (There
are seven descriptions so let’s not miss any.)
·
For
how long has Timothy known the Scriptures?
Connect ?s:
·
How
do you feel about the promise that people “who want to live a godly life” will
be persecuted? How does that work exactly? Can you give any examples?
·
In
which of the seven descriptions of Scripture do you engage most often?
·
For
how long have you known the Scriptures?
To what extent do you know the Scriptures? If you need to know them better how can that happen?
Preparation for Biblical
equipping apart: Choose a verse upon
which you will meditate on for the next two weeks. Ask the Lord to use it powerfully in your
life.
Missional service:
The
choosing of the Christmas families and organizing of same.
Our sewing
project.
Worship and prayer
time: Count off by twos, share prayer
requests, and pray for each other. (Four
minutes)
Next time:
Next place:
Next snack bringer:
II Timothy 4
Opening Worship:
Check-in: Tell us what God has been doing in your life
based on your Bible reading or the verse from II Timothy 3 you have been
meditating on.
Some moments of silence to
prepare to read God’s Word:
6For
I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for
my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Explore ?s:
·
What advice does Paul give to his young friend
Timothy? See verses 2 and 5.
·
What
menacing warning does Paul give? What
does it remind you of?
·
How
confident of his salvation is Paul? What
phrases indicate the strength of his confidence?
Connect ?s:
·
What
does it mean to you to be “in season and out of season?”
·
In
what sense do you long for Jesus’ appearing?
·
How
do we each get our own “crown of righteousness?”
·
Why
do you think Paul describes God as “the righteous judge?”
9Do your best to come to me quickly, 10for
Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to
Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to
14Alexander
the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what
he has done. 15You too should be on your guard against
him, because he strongly opposed our message.
16At
my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it
not be held against them. 17But
the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message
might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was
delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue
me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To
him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
19Greet Priscilla[a] and
22The
Lord be with your spirit. Grace be
with you.
Explore ?s:
·
Recount the
sadnesses Paul mentions here.
·
What gracious
words does Paul have for those who hurt him in some way?
·
In whom does
Paul’s confidence lie?
·
Why do you think
he glorifies God after recounting all these sadnesses?
·
What very
personal requests does Paul make? This
sounds just like a real letter doesn’t it?
Connect ?s:
·
You will recall
that in an earlier letter there was a break-up between Paul and Mark (John
Mark). What seems to have happened in
that relationship in the meantime? Is
there someone in your acquaintance that you need to bring back into your
life? Is God calling you to do that?
·
How does Paul
deal with his disappointments in life?
Is there any application to your life in that?
·
In verse 22 the
first personal pronoun “your” is in the singular, referring only to
Timothy. The second “you” is written in
the plural. What do you think was Paul’s
reason for writing it this way? And how
can this apply to you and me?
PREPARATION FOR BIBLICAL EQUIPPING APART:
Choose a verse or two on
which you will focus in the next week and ask God to use it to draw you closer
to Him this week. Then, share about this
next session.
Next topic or book? ___________________
Missional service:
Evaluate those in the past. New ideas?
Worship and Prayer:
Paul prayed for his “son” Timothy, his partner in the Gospel. Let’s pray for the folks at church who are
our partners in ministry.
Next time:
Place:
__________________
Next snack provider:
_________________________