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However, we cannot but feel that in the mind of the Apostle the terrible experience at
Lystra was softened by the fact that this was the place that gave him his beloved son in
the faith. Timothy was a native of Lystra (Acts 16: 1, 2). Lest these great tests should
overwhelm Timothy, Paul adds, "but out of them all the Lord delivered me", clearly
showing that he dealt with an almighty God Who was able to rescue in all circumstances,
however intense the trial. He continues, "Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution" (3: 12). Weymouth renders this verse `everyone who is
determined to live a godly life', for we have more than the plain future tense here. In
Acts 14: 22 he warned the disciples that `we must through much tribulation enter into
the kingdom of God'. Christ Himself had said, "Remember the word that I said unto you,
the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you . . . . ." (John 15: 20), and faithfulness to Him will surely entail
misunderstanding, persecution and perhaps loneliness, for we follow One Who is still
`despised and rejected of men'.
Timothy is now warned of a rapid increase in evil (3: 13) and truth having been
cast away, deception is bound to take its place. World-wide deception is the hallmark of
the end of this age (Matt. 24: 4, 5, 24; II Thess. 2: 9, 10; Rev. 13: 11-15), and its
only antidote is the Word of truth, which protects completely from Satan's lie. Timothy
must learn to stand firm whatever the cost, and realize the tremendous importance of the
holy Scriptures as the foundation and equipment of the man of God for all demands that
are made on him:
"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,
knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the
holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (3: 14-17, A.V.).
Timothy's effectiveness as a teacher was bound up with faithfulness to the Word of
God, which had been brought before him from the earliest days of infancy by a wise
Christian mother and grandmother (1: 5) and then, on attaining manhood, he had come to
know the distinctive truths committed by the Lord to Paul and embodied in his epistles,
which were already getting recognition as part of the holy Scriptures as the Apostle Peter
makes clear (II Pet. 3: 15, 16).
This section of II Timothy is of utmost importance, for it deals with the divine origin
of the Word of God which is the basis of the Christian faith. No wonder it has been the
subject of persistent attacks by the evil one and his followers. If the Bible can be entirely
discredited then Christianity crumbles, for we have no historic basis for our faith, for
`faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God' (Rom. 10: 17), and we can
know little or nothing about the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the centre and circumference of
it all if the Bible has no authority.
Satan always seeks to undermine what God has said and to sow doubt in the minds of
those who read it. This commenced in Eden with the insidious question, `hath God
said?', and has continued all down the centuries. Doubt in the Bible leads to doubt