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"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words . . . . . of him also
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the
holy angels" (Mark 8: 38).
"But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father
which is in heaven" (Matt. 10: 33).
We can now better understand the statement `if we deny Him, He will deny us' and
the link with not being ashamed in II Tim. 1: 8, 12, 16 and the most important verse 15
of chapter 2:, `a workman that needeth not to be ashamed'. There is not one of us today
who does not need a clear understanding of these distinct yet related truths and a constant
reminder of their practical implications. To be denied by the Saviour is surely a solemn
thing, and thus to lose the matchless privilege of sharing His throne will be a terrible loss
indeed.
These are such important truths for the believer to apprehend that Timothy is now
instructed to remind those under his charge of these great facts:
"Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that
they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting (overthrowing) of them that
hear" (2: 14, R.V.).
This is not the first time that Paul had warned Timothy concerning this senseless and
dangerous striving (I Tim. 1: 4, 6, 7; 6: 3-5, 20 also Titus 1: 10, 14; 3: 9) which could
only lead to the overthrowing of the faith. The word katastrophe, `subvert' literally
means `to turn upside down', the very opposite of edification or building up. It may not
be possible to say exactly what the `endless genealogies' were, but it seems clear that
Satan had fabricated a scheme involving ages and false mediators, (angelic princes),
which was a travesty of the Truth revealed in the Scriptures which is centred in Christ.
The Colossian heresy, as we have seen, was probably linked with a similar conception.
This led to endless debates and arguments and word battles which only accomplished
what the enemy was aiming at, namely the dividing of the people of God and turning
them away from Christ as the fullness of God.
The next section of II Timothy revolves around the great subject of the Truth of God.
The word `truth' occurs three times, `rightly dividing the word of Truth' (2: 15); `those
who concerning the Truth have erred' (2: 17, 18) and `repentance to the acknowledging
of the Truth' (2: 25). Can anything be more important to the practical believer than a
knowledge of God's Truth? How can he live the Truth and pass it on to others if he does
not apprehend it himself? If what he believes proves to be error then he is a deceived
person and becomes a tool of Satan the arch-deceiver and is a misleader of other people.
The `girdle of Truth' (see Eph. 6: 14) is an essential part of the protective armour of God
against the wiles of the devil. Surely we come here to the heart of all Christian service
and witness. If we are wrong here, we shall be wrong everywhere.
But what is Truth? Pilate's question comes ringing down the centuries and many
thousands have asked it since, apparently oblivious of the fact that the Saviour has
already answered it in John 14: 6 "I am the Truth" and "Thy Word is Truth" (17: 17).