Do you know what I find hard? I can handle taking on a new, difficult project, like something that requires working long hours or developing new skills. And I can handle the pressure of things like a tense conversation or a high-profile event. What I find far more difficult is doing one thing and doing it with diligence and dedication not just for days or weeks, but for months, years, and decades. And yet that’s exactly what we’re called to do as Christians.
Two Difficulties
In the apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he calls Timothy and us to continue in the age-old faith and gives us three reasons why. But he also warns us of two things that will make it difficult.
On the one side, there’s persecution. “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). It could be in severe ways, like it was for Paul, who was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). Or it could be in less severe but still very real ways. You may be ridiculed, gossiped about behind your back, or even lose your job. Whatever the nature of the persecution, that day-in-and-day-out pressure can wear us down and tempt us to swerve to the left and downplay or even change our beliefs to be less offensive to our culture.
On the other side, there’s false teaching. “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). These false teachers hold out something new and exciting and try to lure us to the right (cf. 2 Timothy 3:7). They promise progress, but in reality, they’re just going from bad to worse.
With these things pulling us in both directions, we must continue straight, along the same old path. “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” (2 Timothy 3:14). And Paul gives us three reasons why.
Reason #1: You Know from Whom You Learned It
Would you seek financial advice from someone who received a big inheritance but then lost it all due to mismanagement? Of course not! We seek financial advice from those who have demonstrated to be good managers of their money. Their proven success gives us a reason to trust what they have taught us.
Likewise, Paul tells Timothy, “Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it” (2 Timothy 3:14). Timothy learned the faith from his grandmother, mother, and the apostle Paul himself (2 Timothy 1:5). And in contrast to the character of the false teachers, which reveals that they’re imposters (2 Timothy 3:1–5), the godly character of those from whom Timothy has learned attests to the trustworthiness of what they taught.[1]
If you have learned the faith from godly men and women, let that give you confidence to continue in what they have taught you.
Reason #2: From Childhood You Have Been Acquainted with the Sacred Writings
When people ask me who are the most influential people for my faith, I always tell them that number one is my mother. My father is also a strong Christian today, but he wasn't yet a believer when I was young. But my mother tirelessly took me and my siblings to church every Sunday, led us in Bible studies every morning, and showed us the love of Christ. Like Timothy’s mother, my mother instilled in me the truths of Scripture.
Paul tells Timothy, “Continue in what you have learned . . . knowing . . . how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings” (2 Timothy 3:14–15).
It’s like when you move into a new neighborhood. My wife and I moved a year ago, and it took a while to learn things like the most scenic route to the park, the best Chinese restaurant, and the quickest way home from work. But eventually, it all becomes second nature. Similarly, thanks to my mom, from a young age, I knew my way around the Bible. I became familiar with it and experienced firsthand its goodness and truthfulness. And now today, that is one reason why I continue in the faith.
It’s like this: Because I’m already familiar with the best Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood, I’m not going to be easily persuaded by someone trying to tell me that there’s a better place. Even if someone were to bully me to try to get me to change my mind, it’s not going to change my loyalty. Likewise, if you’ve been acquainted with the Bible since childhood, it can be a reason to continue in the faith in the face of false teaching and persecution.
But even if the first two reasons don’t apply to you, the next one does, and it’s the most important of them all.
Reason #3: All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God and Profitable
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
In the face of persecution and false teaching, we must continue in what we have learned most of all because it is nothing less than the very words of God.
There’s a strong contrast in these verses with the false teachers. First, unlike their teaching, this is no mere human advice. This is “breathed out by God.”
Second, unlike the false teachers who go from bad to worse, the Word of God equips us to grow godlier and godlier. It trains us in righteousness.
And third, unlike the false teachers who were always trying to “progress” to something new, the Word of God is totally sufficient. We don’t need to look elsewhere. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable . . . that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The Word of God gives us everything we need for salvation and godly living.
And fourth, whereas the false teachers were deceiving and being deceived, the Word of God corrects our wrong beliefs and teaches us the truth.
So how do you keep yourself from swerving to the left, being deceived by false teaching? Dive into the Word of God. Let it teach and correct you and equip you for every good work.
And how do you keep yourself from veering to the right, under the pressure of persecution? Come to know and love God through his word. The more you do, the more you become convinced that these are the very words of hope and life, the more you’d gladly suffer persecution, even be stoned and left for dead like Paul, rather than deny the God who gave himself for you.
He Is Faithful
The problem is that it’s still a struggle to continue in the faith. At times, we all buckle under the pressure of persecution. And to one degree or another, we’re all led astray by false teaching. Our weak and sinful hearts are easily deceived into wrong beliefs about who God is and who he has called us to be.
The good news is that though we fail, Jesus Christ continued faithful till the end. In the midst of false teaching, with religious leaders teaching all sorts of wrong beliefs, he stayed the course. And in the face of persecution, though he was arrested, beaten, mocked, and killed, till his dying breath, he remained faithful.
And because he died for our sin and rose again from the dead, now nothing can separate us from his love. Though we stumble and fall, he will keep us still. By his Word and Spirit, he will guard our hearts and minds from being led astray by false teaching. And he will rescue us out of every persecution and indeed will rescue us even from death itself. In the face of persecution and false teaching, he will take you by the hand, and lead you in the path to life.
[1] Philip H. Towner, The Letters to Timothy and Titus (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2006), 581.
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