his congregation. He dare not proclaim all he knows of God's truth for fear of losing his

job. Quite a lot of opposition to the witness given through Paul has this as its basis if

only the critics would be honest and state the real reason.

The result is clearly given by the Apostle: "they . . . . . will heap to themselves

teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside

unto fables" (verses 3, 4 R.V.). In chapter 1: 15 Paul declared that all in Asia had turned

away from him. If people turn away from the human channel through which the risen

Christ is speaking, there can be only one consequence, they will turn away from the truth.

And that is precisely what we see all around us today. Modern Christendom has largely

turned away from the revelation of Christ given through the Apostle of the Gentiles, and

the result is confusion, declension and the reception of myth in the place of the `good

deposit'. If truth is rejected, something must take its place and that can only be error.

Much of today's opposition comes from what is described as `science', but it is

anything but scientific, being merely speculation. Yet how many eagerly cling to this

rather than submit to the authority of the Word of God, which only indicates where their

hearts and true inclinations lie!

The Apostle's thoughts turn back to Timothy:

The Greek su is emphatic, which the R.S.V. rightly indicates by translating it, `as for

you'. Timothy must always be on the alert and be ready at all times to "rough it" for

Christ's sake. It is surprising to find that, with the frequent stress upon evangelizing or

preaching the gospel, the word evangelist only occurs three times in the New Testament

(Acts 21: 8; Eph. 4: 11 and here).  After the foundation ministry of apostles and

prophets, before the N.T. was completed, there followed the evangelist, pastor, and the

teacher (Eph. 4: 11). We are to expect no more apostles and prophets, for their work

finished after laying the foundation. They are succeeded by a lower yet necessary order

of ministry, namely the three referred to above.

To be an evangelist in those early days meant doing rough pioneering work that is

often foreign to modern evangelization. One has only to compare the conditions in

Paul's day with ours.  Thus Timothy is exhorted to finish the work that had been

entrusted to him, no matter how difficult the conditions. This was the same message that

the Apostle gave to Archippus in Col. 4: 17.

We have many discouragements and results seem very small, but let us never forget

that we are in the safe keeping of One Who, having started us on the heavenly race, can

bring us safely to the goal as we appropriate Him continually by faith.