Theological Commentary: Click Here
The book of
Timothy is a portion of a letter sent from the Apostle Paul to Timothy, one of
the people that Paul has been mentoring.
Timothy joins Paul in the town of Lystra during Paul’s second visit to
the city (Acts 16). During Paul’s first
visit to the city, he was taken out of the city, stoned, and left for dead (Acts
14). Timothy either saw Paul’s willingness
to die for the faith firsthand or at the very least heard about it through
people who saw it with their own eyes.
In the
letter to Timothy, Paul is very concerned that Timothy pay attention to people and
their teaching. Paul wants to make sure
that the teaching that is happening is genuine theology, based on a true
Gospel. In other words, salvation comes
solely through Jesus Christ. We cannot
earn our way into salvation. We do not
gain salvation by acting a certain way. Jesus
Christ came to save sinners. If we could
save ourselves, then Jesus did not need to come.
The kind of
thinking that Paul fears is insipid to humanity. We want to believe that genuine faith is not
just capable of being imitated but it is capable of being duplicated. It is this step into duplication that we lose
true perspective. When we imitate
others, we look for what we value and then assimilate it into our own life in a
way that is genuine to ourselves. When
we simply duplicate, we act a certain way as a copy rather than bringing it
into our life because it is genuine.
As an
example, how many people replace what should be a genuine relationship with God
with a strict observance of Sunday church attendance. Instead of finding ways to genuinely connect with
God, they do their duty and go to church regularly without considering the
meaning behind it. Don’t get me wrong,
there is nothing wrong with attending worship regularly. The point is that it should be done for the
right reason, not simply in a vain attempt to duplicate what holiness looks
like.
As another
example, how many people act differently when they are around people of faith
than they do when they are by themselves or in a non-religious crowd. In that sense, isn’t the behavior among the
righteous a simple shell of duplication?
If that was who the person truly was, would they behave that way all the
time instead of just in certain circumstances?
Paul’s point
in this chapter is that we need to promote genuine faith and not behavior
through legal mandates. We should do
things because Christ saved us and changed us rather than putting on an
external shell in an attempt to look righteous.
As His followers, we should be about genuine imitation rather than forcing
behavior. Jesus died for sinners so that
we might become more like Him. Our behavior
follows our salvation.
Having said
all of this, I find it interesting to turn back to Acts 16. When Paul begins to mentor Timothy, Paul has him
circumcised. Look at the reason. Paul doesn’t have Timothy circumcised because
Timothy needs to be. Paul doesn’t do it
because he believes Timothy can’t be saved without it. Paul has Timothy circumcised because of the
Jewish crowd with whom Timothy will come into contact. The act of circumcision is for the sake of
ministry, not some blind obedience of the Law in order to make the outward façade
appear to be faithful. Paul doesn’t do
this for Timothy’s sake at all! Paul
does the act for the sake of those who in their childish faith won’t be able to
overcome the fact.
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