JEAN'S BIBLE STUDY COM

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2Tim 1-1,2

(12j) Servant >> Bond servant >> Salutations – Spreading Christianity was not a business venture to Paul; his teachings of the faith were matters of the heart, meaning spiritual affection goes far beyond emotions. A person doesn’t need to shed a tear to be spiritually affectionate toward his fellow saints. This salutation was very common in Paul’s letters. Mercy is our introduction into the Kingdom of God, grace is the means God has given to invest our lives into His kingdom, and peace is the result of our investment. Of all the fruits of the Spirit, peace may be the most important, especially to those who are working to establish God’s Church in a hostile world. Someone might ask why love is not the most important fruit of the Spirit. Love is like a suitcase, and inside the suitcase is all the other fruits of the Spirit. Love is a more generic term that refers to all the other fruits that are listed in descending order of importance (Gal 5-22,23). These fruits are what make heaven heavenly, and they are critical to the Church in the world. The problem with the world, if people are not born-again, all they can do is simulate the fruits of the Spirit, but they cannot actually produce them, and to simulate these fruits has very little value. The world recognizes peace in contrast to war, but biblical “peace” is a state of mind through the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is our possession from God, who comes from the Father through Christ.

2Tim 1-1

(71g) Authority >> Ordained by God >> Ordained by His sovereign will >> God chooses you -- These verses go with verses 11

(205e) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of eternal life

(248b) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> The will of God >> God exercises His will

(254d) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> We live because He is life >> God gives life to our faith in Jesus – The book of Second Timothy was written for the sake of life in Christ Jesus. What does it mean when we say that Jesus has come to give us life? Obviously, He’s referring to the life of the Spirit, who has become available to us through the cross. Without the cross God would have no occasion to give us His Spirit, but now that we have come to believe in Jesus’ blood sacrifice on the cross to cleanse us from our sin, God uses faith as a covenant, giving us the right to possess His Spirit, who is the life of God. We had a body and a soul, and now we have a spirit, whom we received from God, who is integrated into our spirit to define us as Christians. Now we are complete: body soul and spirit, even as God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and it is the Spirit that we have in common with Him. The Holy Spirit is an aspect of God’s deity, and we are His abode. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us has introduced us to the deity of Christ. That does not make us an aspect of God but witnesses of His deity.

2Tim 1-3

(60c) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> My clear conscience ministers to Christ / The way to a clear conscience

(81j) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> For the Church

(82c) Thy kingdom come >> Three elements of prayer >> Direction (Attitude) >> Who to pray for – Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to Timothy; he said that he prayed for Timothy night and day. It is very difficult to remain in a perpetual state of prayer, but this is what Paul taught and it is how he lived. He directed many of his prayers to Timothy, who was such a man of God that Paul could trust with his very life, his very soul, that is, with the Church. Timothy was not involved in any one church but worked as an assistant apostle in the effort of evangelism, selecting men to be pastors, training them and teaching new converts in the ways of God. Timothy was more than a good servant; he was well versed in Scripture and had a deep faith. Being that Timothy was such a man, why did Paul pray for him night and day? Why didn’t Paul pray for people struggling in their faith? Jesus taught in Matt 13-12, “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” This principle applies both in the spiritual and the natural realm. For example, those with money find it easy to make more money, but those without money tend to remain poor. It works the same way in the spiritual realm. This is the only principle of Scripture that is symmetrical with both natural and spiritual realms; all other biblical principles are in opposition to the world. Spiritually, Timothy was a very rich man, and for this reason Paul prayed for him night and day. See also: Kingdom of God (Least greatest/greatest least); Mk 9-31,32; 177h

(151h) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> New Testament bears witness of the Old >> Men of faith – Paul's forefathers were the patriarchs of his faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to name a few, referring to some of the holy and righteous men of Paul's Jewish heritage throughout the generations of their recorded history. He was following in their footsteps by serving God with his conscience.

(155b) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Conscience >> Having a good conscience >> Conscience bears witness of our good behavior

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2Tim 1-4,5

(123j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Spiritual affection >> Being in love with the body of Christ >> Weeping in the Spirit – Sincerity of faith forms the ceiling of our trust in our fellow believers. A person can have a sincere faith and make huge mistakes, and we can still trust him because of his sincerity, but an insincere person can do everything right and we still don't trust him. How do we judge sincerity? We recognize sincerity only through the spiritual gift of discernment! Some say we are not to judge at all, but that is a misconception. We are not to judge according to the flesh but to judge with righteous judgment (Jn 7-24). We must discern sincerity, because it can be faked. Sincerity of heart is one of the most treasured possession in the believer; therefore, we must protect the sincerity of our faith at all costs. See also: Sincerity; 2Tim 1-5; 78d

2Tim 1-4

(125g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of unity

2Tim 1,5-10

(98g) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory of Christ) >> The resurrection

2Tim 1-5,6

(238i) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Prevention against forgetting

2Tim 1-5

(36j) Gift of God >> Inheritance >> We are heirs through sanctification

(78d) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity >> Taking God to heart >> Having a genuine heart – Paul mentioned Timothy’s immediate family; he came from a house of sincere faith. Paul vouched for him. His sincerity of heart was responsible for all the godly traits in his life. Without sincerity, we are a lot of religious people believing various doctrines of the Bible, but a sincere person has instilled those beliefs in his heart and has fashioned his life around them. Sincerity is the platform of our faith; without sincerity faith cannot exist. Sincerity varies from believer to believer, and their faithfulness fluctuates with it, as does loyalty, commitment and devotion. We cannot believe beyond our sincerity; it acts as a ceiling to our faith and to our prayers. We cannot commit ourselves to Him without having a sincere faith. Paul’s level of commitment to Christ was through the roof, and it was based on sincerity. Paul loved Timothy as his own son because they had sincerity in common, and for this reason Paul could trust him with his life. Jesus was real to them as the most important person in their lives. See also: Sincerity; 2Tim 1-4,5; 123j

(106b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> Knowing the sound of His voice >> Having confidence in His voice

(208b) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> You and your household shall be saved – Paul knew Timothy’s whole family; they were all believers and they all had a devout faith, being Timothy’s heritage. However, this doesn’t mean that if we didn't come from a family of faith, we cannot believe or that our faith cannot be strong. In fact, many pastor's children do not believe at all, but if we “train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22-6). Although there are no guarantees, if we lead our offspring to Jesus, there is a much greater chance they will follow Him than if we don’t.

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2Tim 1,6-8

(111f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Word and the power (meaning) of God >> Word in obedience cannot evade the power of God – The purpose of the anointing is to manifest the love of God, and to help us discipline our bodies (1Cor 9-27). In so doing the Spirit in Paul was allowed to grow and become a great influence in the world, manifesting in ways that promoted the Kingdom of God. Timidity signifies a lack of anointing, while boldness is a sign that we possess it, only be sure that it is not just arrogance. When we look at the apostles who initially brought the word of God, it says in Act 4-13, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” Boldness is one of the main traits of the anointing; a synonym is "confidence". We have been persuaded not by man but by God Himself. He places His anointing in us so we can believe the truth by the Spirit. Jesus ascended 2000 years ago and He hasn’t been back since, not physically, but He sent His Spirit in His place, and we access Him as students of the word and disciples of prayer. See also: Anointing; 2Tim 1-6,7; 35h

2Tim 1-6,7

(35h) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> The anointing – The Old Testament often mentions the anointing, but when we get to the New Testament, the word almost completely disappears, except in 1Jn 2-20,27, but that doesn’t mean it went away. On the contrary the New Testament refers to the anointing far more than the Old Testament. For example, Pentecost was an event that revolved around the anointing. Some may argue and that Pentecost was the event that introduced the indwelling Holy Spirit to the Church, but this is simply not the case. For one thing it says at Pentecost the Spirit rested upon the people, which is vastly different from dwelling in them, suggesting that the anointing is meant not for the inner-man, but for the outer-man, that is, for the sake of manifesting our faith, hence manifesting the Kingdom of God in the world. Jesus spoke of this when He said, “He abides with you and will be in you” (Jn 14-17). Every Christian has the indwelling Holy Spirit, being the definition of salvation, and technically every Christian also has an anointing, being the definition of Christians (anointed ones). See also: Anointing; 132g

(132g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Filled with the power of God -- These verses go with verse 14. The strength of anointing on each person is a function of God’s grace coupled with our faithfulness to the word of God and prayer in obeying the Holy Spirit. Paul said that the gift of the Holy Spirit is in us, and the anointing is on us. Since the beginning of the Church at Pentecost, God has expected us to develop an anointing in the process of living out our faith; that is, He expects the seed that He planted in us to grow, influencing every facet of our lives until it materializes through the members of our bodies. The gift of God within us is the seed that God initially placed in our heart on the day of our spiritual birth; we are to kindle it afresh as we would stir coals in a fire. Paul's hands were instruments he used to manifest his anointing and to instill the anointing in others, that it may reproduce in the children of God and become an influence in the Church, controlling our sinful nature. See also: Anointing; 2Tim 1-6; 104d

(230f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking >> Partaking of the ministry of the saints

2Tim 1-6

(4h) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Everyone who has shall more be given – See commentary at 2Tim 1-3. 

(82a) Thy kingdom come >> Three elements of prayer >> Direction (Attitude) >> What to pray for

(100f) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in working the grace of God -- This verse goes with verses 13&14

(104d) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by fire >> Purified through the fiery anointing – Many people in the Church have heard about the anointing, but most have not been properly taught what Scripture says about it. It is extensively written in the Old Testament, particularly in the description of old covenant temple worship. They had perfume called anointing oil, which they used to anoint the high priest before he entered the temple, suggestive of the fact that heaven is a very fragrant place. Also the prophet Samuel anointed David king; he took the anointing oil and poured it over his head, so his whole body scented the aroma of heaven. David was a great man before Samuel anointed him (he was only a boy at the time), suggesting that Samuel’s anointing was merely a sign of God’s anointing that He had previously placed on him, appointing him king of Israel. The fragrance of the natural anointing eventually wore-off, though David’s spiritual anointing remained on him throughout his life. See also: Anointing; 115h / David, King; Lk 20,41-44 253eb

(115h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Laying on of hands >> Bestowing the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 14. Paul told Timothy to work the grace of God that he received through the laying on of his hands. This depicts an ongoing process of transferring power from one individual to another. Paul wrote about the gift of God through the laying on of hands in his first epistle to Timothy. It may not be often mentioned throughout the Scriptures, but to Timothy Paul often reminded him to kindle afresh his gift from God from which his ministry and strength of spirit emanated. What was this gift? Timothy could have sought God for himself and God would have empowered him with the spiritual ability to perform the will of God. The anointing was a fire that burned in his heart, and his calling was to keep it alive by continually adding fuel to it and not neglect it. The fuel of the anointing is composed of three things: the word of God, prayer and obedience. The difference between starting a fire from scratch and receiving hot embers from God is the laying on of Paul’s hands. He told Timothy not to allow this fire to die within him, because if it did, there was no guarantee God would relight it. This gift did not enable Timothy to do anything special or unique; all it did was enable him to seek the Lord, and his ministry was born of the three fuels that he added to the fire. When we receive a gift from God, we don’t wait for Him but fan the flames through the word of God and prayer, and we obey whatever the Holy Spirit leads us to do, combining the works of men with the works of God, fusing them together, so they are neither the works of men nor the works of God but a composite of both. This is when we begin to see miracles, signs and wonders. An example of working the grace of God is when Moses held out his staff and God did the rest. Moses had to hold out his staff before God would do anything, a simple act of faith and the waters parted. The goal of the anointing is to instill power, love and a sound mind into the believer. Power is primarily for boldness; love is for the brethren, and a sound mind is for the Scriptures. As we discipline ourselves to do God's will, He strengthens us. Note that timidity is the opposing force that can disable the anointing and break the spirit in our lives. Timidity says, ‘I can’t do these things, so I might as well sit down.’ Timidity is therefore related to laziness. See also: Anointing; 2Tim 1-14; 5b

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2Tim 1-7,8

(242g) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Worldly pressure >> World pressures you to forsake God -- These verses go with verse This verse goes with verses 12

2Tim 1-7

(5a) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Disciples chasten themselves

(23k) Sin >> Poverty (Oppression) >> Fear of the unknown >> The fear of fear – Nobody is able to put their finger on the true nature of fear. We know fear is the most destructive emotion in the human range of emotions, but nobody really knows why it is so destructive. We just know that it is the opposite of love, and love is something that strives to demonstrate itself. Fear has a stifling effect, causing us to cower and hide in the dark.

(78m) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind >> God renews your mind by His Spirit – God has given us a Spirit of power, love and self-control. These are the three things the Holy Spirit endeavors to create in our lives: power to do the will of God, love to fulfill our calling and discipline to protect our accomplishments without destroying them with our own hands. The Holy Spirit does not work alone; He wants us to pair Him with the word of God so He can perform His work in our lives. That is, we feed the Bible to the Holy Spirit, who produces divine works in us. The Bible teaches that God never does anything apart from His word (Amos 3-7). For example, God said, “Let there be light” and created the universe by speaking it into existence. So the word of God is involved in everything God does, and so is the Holy Spirit. These two operate together in perfect harmony. Jesus is called the word of God (Rev 19-13), though the word of God originates from the Father. All three must be present in order for God to work in our lives: the word of God, the Holy Spirit and obedience. Power delineates the Holy Spirit, love refers to the Father, and discipline speaks of Jesus. Love originated from the Father in that He sent His Son.

(124g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love cherishes discipline

(188a) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Dying to self takes discipline

2Tim 1,8-14

(229ib) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking of Jesus’ suffering >> Promoting the gospel causes suffering

2Tim 1,8-10 

(30j) Gift of God >> He favors you by His gracious choice of you – God is not interested in our righteousness, though He expects us to have works of righteousness, yet we are not to trust in ourselves but in God. Our righteousness proves our faith in His righteousness. We don’t put trust in our own goodness but trust the goodness of God through Christ to save us from our sins. It is comforting to know that God has chosen us from all eternity. If there were a beginning to eternity, God chose us before that, and He has called us with a holy calling to partake of His Son and to participate in His suffering after He has “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” When we think of Christ abolishing death in His flesh on the cross through His resurrection, we think every person should want to be a Christian, but not everybody thinks about death. Some people are too afraid to think about it; they just don’t want to deal with it. Receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only way to deal with death. In the process, He “brought life and immortality to light” through the gospel that we believed. The opposite of darkness is light, and the opposite of death is life, and darkness is death and life is light.

(117g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> Real-eyes God’s purpose for the Church >> Understand Jesus' vision of the Church

(210a) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our sacrifice >> Jesus paid the price for us >> Jesus saved from death by submitting to the cross – It is interesting that Paul would even say, “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.” Why would we be ashamed of Him? He showed weakness! We are not to be ashamed of His weakness, who seemingly was unable to do anything about His enemies. The world took advantage of Him and mistreated Him and hung Him on a cross to die. His cross shows what it means to be a Christian in a world of evil. We are not to defend ourselves with violence against our enemies, with those who would persecute us, and desire to harm us, and kill us. We are not to raise a hand against them, because that is not what Jesus did. They raised their hand against the Lord and subdued Him, considering themselves mightier than Him. When He rose from the dead, He didn't reveal Himself to His enemies; what He did was not about them but was about the people whom He would call from this present darkness into His marvelous light. He has commanded us to live the same way that He did and to let our faith in His word be our only defense, which is enough to overcome our enemies. There are people who don’t care about their conscience who persecute us, some to the death, but we will live again, and some who are watching, who hear the word of God and see our faith will get saved. God is teaching Satan and the world a lesson, and He is training His disciples to be like Jesus, who didn’t lift His hand against His enemies, knowing that if they don't receive Him, they will destroy themselves by their own wickedness.

(246b) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal bondage to Christ

2Tim 1-8

(11n) Servant >> Paul’s example of devotion

(95l) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude about suffering >> Suffering under the hand of God -- This verse goes with verse 12. Paul recommended that we suffer according to the power of God, but not to be masochistic about it. Wielding His power automatically brings about suffering and manifests the Kingdom of God in this failing world. His word spoken by the Spirit is the power of God. However, serving God comes with a side-order of suffering. Religious people avoid suffering, but if we want to be truly spiritual, we will not be accepted by our own people, much less the world. He tells us to suffer according to the power of God, and it is His power that causes our suffering, a cycle of strength fueled by suffering. God gives us his strength, which we put to work, and we suffer for it through various forms of persecution, and through that suffering God strengthens us with His power that we use to fulfill our calling.

(122d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God to keep you -- This verse goes with verse 12

(144b) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >> It bears witness of the cross – This is one of many verses prosperity teachers intentionally ignore, because it testifies against their beliefs, which involves taking from the gospel, instead of investing into it like Paul did and taught us to do. Col 1-24 says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.” Jesus suffered for us, but that is not sufficient; we too must ante-up the kitty, which is a large caldron that must be filled before Jesus returns. He anted his flesh, and now it’s our turn to suffer the will of God for the cause of the gospel that it might spread to more and more people in purity and holiness of the truth. Without suffering, the truth becomes the first casualty of war, and we are fighting a spiritual war, and the suffering often spills onto our flesh through various forms of persecution. Paul is saying not to resist suffering for the gospel but to embrace it, for if we are not suffering, then we are not living for God, nor do we know the truth. Knowing the truth in this world automatically guarantees suffering; therefore, how much more suffering is involved in living the truth?

(153l) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> God bears witness against the world >> Shame >> Living for Jesus exposes sin >> Suffering shame for the cause of righteousness -- This verse goes with verse 12. Paul said he was a prisoner of Christ, meaning he was in jail and was suffering there, and he was telling Timothy not to be ashamed of him or of the Lord, who both suffered greatly at the hands of sinners. He entreated Timothy to suffer with those who have given their lives for the advancement of the gospel, according to the power of God. By the time we read this passage, far more people will have suffered over the centuries, giving us many more examples of true Christianity to imitate, that we might do our part to secure the gospel in our own generation. Paul was asking this of Timothy, but he meant more than just proclaiming the gospel; he also meant stabilizing the churches, helping the people believe the truth and leading them in the right direction by example.

(188e) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering >> Suffering the will of God in your life -- This verse goes with verse 12. “Suffering” is a word that only the disciples of Jesus can accept. The great throngs of people who come to church as an appeal to God for a comfortable life want nothing to do with suffering. There is no difference between their religion and the pagan religions spread evenly throughout the world. People who hold to a masochistic philosophy such as paganism do things for God so He might do them a favor, but Christianity is not built on such principles. We cannot do God a favor, because He doesn’t need anything. Isaiah 66-1 says, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being, declares the LORD.” Jesus died for our sins; He did us a favor, and we owe Him our lives. If our faith causes us to suffer, then so be it. He came to live in a body of sin for thirty-three years and put up with the daily temptations of His flesh and with sinners and all the difficulties that are part of this life. He didn’t do it for Himself but for us. God answers prayer, not as a favor but according to promise.

(216f) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >> God forces His bond-servants to do His will

2Tim 1-9,10

(140a) Temple >> Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >> The doorway – The New Jerusalem is a gated community with a very high wall around it made of costly stones, and that wall has a door through which we all must pass in order to enter the holy city, and the door is Christ. Jesus said, “I am the door” (Jn 10-9), and John said of this wall, “Outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (Rev 22:15). 

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2Tim 1-9

(31i) Gift of God >> Grace >> Having the ability to respond to the word

(31k) Gift of God >> Gift of His grace >> Grace is the work of God – Paul talked more about the grace of God than anybody, analyzing the words of Christ and arriving at a gospel that was quite different from other New Testament writers. He remedied legalism that he fought so hard in his day with his fellow countrymen the Jews, who were steeped in self-righteousness, who misguidedly believed that following the Law of Moses promised God's favor. It’s a good thing He doesn’t save us according to our works, for God does not save us according to our willingness or ability to serve Him. Rather, He has called us “according to His own purpose and grace.” That is a good thing, because so many times we let down our Lord so that it’s hard to say if many of us are serving Him the way He has called us. God has His own reasons for choosing us who believe in Jesus’ blood sacrifice on the cross to wash away our sins, demonstrating God’s grace and mercy. God has a purpose for everything and many of His purposes are not intended for us, but for Himself, just like we often have purposes that are intended for ourselves and not for our children. We like to think that everything God does is for our benefit, but not everything is about us. God saved us by His grace for purposes of His own. 

(91b) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose is an inherent component of His calling >> God’s eternal purpose – God’s purpose is an inherent component of our faith in Christ. So long as we believe in Him, His purpose is fulfilled. Our salvation is not based on works but on His purpose and grace. Jesus Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world; the cross was predestined from all eternity (Rev 13-8). Salvation is based on His blood sacrifice through our faith in the cross to forgive our sin. With an attitude of faith and love toward God we cannot commit a sin and lose our salvation by mistake through the weakness of temptation. None of these things lead to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit or the reprobate mind. So long as we love God with all our heart and seek to please Him, we cannot sin of the kind that leads to death.

(91f) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> Walking along the narrow way >> Walking in God’s calling is to fulfill His purpose – God’s calling and choosing is proof that He will fulfill His purpose in our lives. That doesn’t mean we idly fulfill God’s purpose. If we love God and believe in Jesus for eternal life, inherent in our faith is an ability to hear the Holy Spirit and a willingness to do whatever He says. We have been given a Spirit that longs to do the will of God. In the end, our salvation has nothing to do with our works, “but is according to His own purpose and grace.” We do not hope our works will earn favor with God; rather, we believe God is good that He sent His Son to die for us, and we accept His suffering on the cross as full payment of our sins. Consequently, we strive to please Him because we love and revere Him. Walking the narrow way and listening to the Holy Spirit proves our faith; but if we can’t prove our faith, then maybe we don’t really believe in God at all.

(92a) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> The good works that He prepared for us – Obeying the Holy Spirit will drive us into the will of God, for we have a holy calling to walk on a narrow path. As we voyage this trail, He will fill our hands with good works that He has prepared for us, which is our calling. The day we got saved we wished we could die right then and there, go to heaven and be with the Lord; but since we are still here, God wants to direct our feet and fill our hands with good works. As we journey through life we make a trail behind us, and we realize that there must also be a trail in front of us. We squint to see it, but we can better hear it in the small voice of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes he tells us to do something that can take years to accomplish, and so He plots our course. Other times we follow Him step by step. Either way, we are in the right place because we answered His call and launched in a certain direction that led to the specific works that He prepared for us. How many people were encouraged, saved and enlightened by the work of God in our lives?

(106o) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Purpose of hearing from God >> God ordains our calling

(115c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through your ministry >> Through your calling >> To build up the body of Christ

(133f) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> The body of Christ is holy >> God has made His people holy

(205a) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> God never changes

(205i) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> Faith versus works >> The faith of God versus the faith of men >> Faith is the work of God

(218k) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> Man is a spectator of his own salvation >> We are chosen before the foundation of the world

(219j) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> Predestination >> God’s calling is our destiny

(244a) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to his increase >> The Church shall reign with Christ forever

(247b) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> God is interested in His people >> God is interested in our spiritual health

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2Tim 1-10

(38f) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> God judged the world, the flesh and the devil

(39l) Judgment >> The essence of life defeated the essence of death – The epitome of life abolished death by dying in His flesh, and thus He broke the power of sin and death in His life. In the process of abolishing death He brought life and immortality to light, so that anyone who believes in Him can walk through the door He created in the wall that separated man from God (Jn 11-26). When Jesus spoke to the people of His time, His words sounded foreign to them, and Jesus often didn't explain, largely because no body asked, and the explanation may have been more confusing than His initial statements. Once God sent the Holy Spirit, His disciples suddenly understood many things about Jesus they didn’t understand before the cross.

(57b) Paradox >> Opposites >> Jesus destroyed death to give us life – Jesus could not give us immortality without destroying death in His own life first. Now, everybody in Christ through faith in His blood sacrifice has inherited His victory over death. We are on a timeline leading to death, and on the other side life and immortality is waiting for those who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. The Father would not receive His Son in heaven unless He went through the cross, and by that He gained His victory over death.

(112h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Light exposes sin >> Light reveals hidden deeds

(172i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Scripture that contradicts the catholic faith >> Jesus never to die again >> Because He conquered sin and death

(243j) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The indestructible kingdom >> The head of the body is indestructible >> Jesus is indestructible

(254f) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus is the manifestation of God’s life – The Holy Spirit speaks the word of life, whom the Father clothed in human flesh, suggesting the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are one. John spoke more about the trinity than any other writer in the Bible. He used keywords such as “life”, “light” and “truth.” These words are synonyms of each other by virtue of the trinity. John used these keywords to summarize entire chapters that he wrote in his gospel that dovetail with many of Paul’s writings. They all point to Jesus Christ in the form of the Holy Spirit. When he talks about life being manifested, he is referring to two things at once. God raised Jesus from the dead, so we can understand that he was talking about the life of Christ, yet he was also talking about the eternal life that God placed in us the day of our spiritual birth. On that day He mixed His Spirit with ours, made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice of His flesh on the cross to forgive our sins. Our spiritual fellowship with God is not a temporary setup, but a relationship that God has established and will remain forever, being the very essence of heaven! John said that our fellowship is also with the Father, suggesting that the Holy Spirit is not only the carbon copy of Christ, but also of the Father, again, illustrating the trinity. As the Holy Spirit is eternal and lives with God, so whatever destiny the Holy Spirit has, we have too, because we are inexorably linked to Him, and whatever destiny Jesus has we also have, because the Holy Spirit and Christ are one.

2Tim 1-11,12

(152a) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Apostles >> Enduring hardship proves apostleship – Paul said he was not ashamed; he didn't give into the attitudes of the world, and he didn't accept the shame of his persecutors; he understood what they did to him was not because of his sins but because of theirs. His crime: he tried to tell them about Jesus and they wouldn’t listen. Ananias prayed over Saul when he was first saved, but he had misgivings and asked the Lord, ‘This is Saul of Tarsus, the avenger of Christianity?’ The Lord answered him, “Go… for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake” (Act 9-15,16). Paul’s oppressors were the very nature of Saul prior to his conversion. He suffered all the things he imposed on the Christians; and when they were beating him, God was saying, ‘This is what I felt when you persecuted My little ones.’ It was part of God’s justice that he should be tortured and imprisoned after dedicating his life to torturing and imprisoning others, though he repented of all that. Whatever we do to innocent people will be done to us, and God will receive the glory in His righteous judgment. Look at the results of Paul’s ministry that he accomplished through great affliction against his person; he reached the known world with the gospel; he couldn’t have accomplished that without suffering; they go hand-in-hand in this world.

2Tim 1-11 

(71g) Authority >> Ordained by God >> Ordained by His sovereign will >> God chooses you -- These verses go with verses 1. Paul didn’t ask to be an apostle; he was appointed. He was on his way to arrest Christians in Damascus when the Lord met him on the road and changed his life and turned him 180 degrees, so that instead of searching for Christians to arrest them, he now searched for human souls to convert them to the same faith that he once persecuted. He was ordained like a king might use his scepter to ordain his loyal servants to give them his authority to accomplish the work he sent them to do. Ordained is to be vested with power to accomplish the king’s task. He was confronted, converted, transformed and ordained to serve the living God as a preacher, apostle and teacher. These three are equidistant from each other. Our current understanding of a preacher is someone who preaches a sermon from the pulpit, trying to make it relevant to our day, but what Paul meant by preacher was evangelist, those who convert unbelievers to the faith. Then as an apostle his work was to convince the Church that they were all members of one body. Finally, Paul put on his third hat as a teacher and led the people into the knowledge of Christ.

(239i) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> The gift of teaching >> Teachers are a gift to the body

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2Tim 1,12-14

(7g) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> Defending your territory – This is a popular passage for many because of the encouragement and hope it offers to continue in the faith. It teaches that while God is protecting our faith from the destructive power of Satan, we are protecting the anointing from the corruption of the world. We are working together with Christ to promote the Kingdom of God for the sake of those who would believe the unadulterated gospel and be saved.

(111aa) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit sets you apart by the word >> Set apart by His grace

2Tim 1-12

(28a) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> The protector of our faith

(95l) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude about suffering >> Suffering under the hand of God -- This verse goes with verse 8

(109b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelations of the Holy Spirit >> Revelation of the gift of God – It is no wonder people have a hard time understanding Christianity; it is complicated, but thank God for the Bible. In some ways it is a strange relationship we have with our Maker. We can open the Bible and read what it says and believe the things that are written. We believe with a little human faith, escorted by obedience that appeals to God for His salvation. In response He deposits His Spirit of faith in us (2Cor 4-13) and commands us to keep it until death, and then He will take us home to live with Him forever. What did Paul do? After God imparted His Spirit, Paul entrusted it back to Him, saying, ‘Lord, I want you to keep this for me,’ and God agreed. Salvation is like a bank where God holds our faith for us (our treasure); meanwhile, we use both hands to toil and suffer to fulfill God’s purpose and grace. We cannot do His will on our own; we need His strength to help us remain faithful. Therefore, we see a concerted effort on both sides, Paul guarding the anointing and God guarding his faith. We can’t do it alone and God won’t do it alone.

(122d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God to keep you -- This verse goes with verse 16

(153l) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> God bears witness against the world >> Shame >> Living for Jesus – Paul was convinced that God was able to guard his faith to ensure he didn’t believe something false or toil in vain. To the world and even to many of his brethren Paul was so committed to his faith that it was embarrassing; he was such a fanatic. He took extreme measures to fully carry out God's purpose and grace entrusted to Him. In turn, Paul entrusted to God his natural life in the flesh; it was his offering, and he sacrificed it all for the cause of establishing the kingdom of God in this world; he did not reserve anything for himself. This level of commitment no one else did, not even the other apostles. He was a man on a mission, committed to his cause, like the Pharisee that he was prior to his conversion. Now he had the Spirit of Truth, and he ran with God as hard as he could and never looked back.   

(188e) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering >> Suffering the will of God in your life -- This verse goes with verse 8

(208j) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being married to God >> Knowing God >> Sharing intimacy with Him

(226e) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven >> Reserved in heaven >> Our life is reserved in heaven – Paul is not ashamed of the exhaustive commitment he made to the gospel. He was utterly committed to spreading the word of God and loving the disciples and leading the Church. He wanted to make sure when he got to heaven and stood before God, that he would have no regrets, so God would say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful in a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matt 25:21).

(228h) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God works in you to keep you in His will – The things we entrust to God are the things He has entrusted to us. That is, what He gives to us we give right back to Him. He reveals His ministry in our lives and leads us to fulfill it, yet we don’t do it through our strength but through His. So it is not really us doing it but Him doing it through us, nor is it Him doing it but we doing it through Him. We are fulfilling His purpose together, each doing our part to complete the will of God. Paul didn’t just suffer the physical pain of being beaten, whipped and imprisoned; he also endured the mental anguish that accompanied these things, according to 2Cor 2-4, that he also mentioned in 2Cor 11-28 (starting from verse 23).

(242g) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Worldly pressure >> World pressures you to forsake God -- This verse goes with verses 7&8

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2Tim 1-13,14

(100f) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in working the grace of God -- These verses go with verse 6

2Tim 1-13

(11f) Servant >> Bible is our standard of truth – After reminding Timothy of the commitment he made to God, Paul charged him with retaining that same standard by incorporating it into his life, using again the words: faith and love. These are the words he used throughout his first letter to Timothy. Obviously they are important; but more than that, they are the center of the gospel and the heart of God’s character, describing His nature in that love is a manifestation of faith.

(89b) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Wisdom corresponds with logical reasoning

(125b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love >> Faith toward God and love toward man – Paul used the word “standard” to mean an approved model to describe the duet of “faith and love” as a unit. They work together to glorify each other, like the Father glorifies the son as the son glorifies the Father (Jn 13-31,32), so faith produces love and love is the manifestation of faith. These two act as the standard for Christianity, and the standard for Timothy’s preaching was that he should not digress into deep theological discussions but to remain focused on this foundation of Christianity and not move from it. No doubt there were some who tried to sidetrack him, but being the spiritual offspring of Paul the great evangelist, apostle and teacher, Timothy also did not “yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you” (Gal 2-5).

2Tim 1-14

(5b) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Disciples are soldiers in God’s army – The treasure is the anointing, and the anointing is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We should keep this verse in context with verse 12, which says that Christ guards our salvation in this life. We guard the Holy Spirit through the Holy Spirit. See also: Anointing; 113m

(68e) Authority >> Jesus Delegates the Holy Spirit to us >> Sent from heaven

(113m) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Guard the anointing – Timothy had a Spirit common with Paul and a unique treasure tailor-made for him, and this treasure was the anointing, which is a composite of both God and man working together to accomplish a single goal, and the anointing is the manner in which that goal is realized. The treasure may be understood as a gift, but not in reference to the gifts of the Spirit referenced in First Corinthians chapter 12. We use the anointing to guard the anointing. Timothy’s willingness to obey the Holy Spirit was the means of receiving this treasure from God and protecting it from the world, the flesh and the devil. The only words the Holy Spirit is willing to speak are those from God. The Holy Spirit and the word of God work in tandem, just like faith and love. The Holy Spirit breathed the word of God into Timothy, who immediately put those words into action, and the act of obeying the Holy Spirit is called working the grace of God. These things are the manner in which we guard the treasure that has been entrusted to us, by doing what God said, suggesting that disobedience puts our gift at risk. Obedience puts a hedge around our treasured anointing and keeps man and demon from touching it. These are the four layers of the anointing: the Holy Spirit speaking the word of God in our heart, sincerity of faith, the hearing ear and working with the grace of God to accomplish His will. This is how the anointing forms in our hearts and it is how we protect it. See also: Anointing; 115h

(115h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Laying on of hands >> Bestowing the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 6. Timothy guarded the treasure entrusted to him by manifesting his faith through love. He says to “guard [it] through the Holy Spirit.” The treasure itself is the anointing, so we guard the Holy Spirit through the Holy Spirit. Guard the treasure by the treasure, and how did Timothy do this, by working the treasure of the anointing into his life, which is the substance of faith that produces love. See also: Anointing; 2Tim 1,6-8; 111f

(132g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Filled with the power of God -- This verse goes with verses 6&7

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2Tim 1,15-18

(14m) Servant >> Ministry of helps >> Helpers fill in the gaps >> They are always there when you need them

2Tim 1-15

(172f) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Hypocrites among the just >> Talkers among the walkers – Paul suffered much hardship in Asia, and in the end he was abandoned, and he didn’t take it lightly, evidenced by naming some of the culprits. When he and his friends remained confident and stood their ground, being strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the word of God, they showed great boldness in their speech, and God protected them from their enemies, but when his helpers abandoned him it often ended in Paul’s arrest, torture and imprisonment. When we stand our ground and don’t doubt but remain strong in faith, we too will outflank our enemies and preach the gospel of salvation that all may hear and be given a chance to believe in Jesus for eternal life. Many souls could have entered the Kingdom of Heaven, and Paul could have established many churches in Asia, except that the people who were with Paul ran for their lives, and it communicated to their enemies that they had doubts, and if those preaching the gospel had doubts, how could the people believe who were listening?

(197k) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Unfaithfulness >> Unfaithful to the brethren – Note that Paul didn’t ask God for mercy on the guys who deserted him, but named them. In Contrast, we live in a time when we are not allowed to name names or learn the names of our accusers that we might defend ourselves, because those in charge have already made up their minds who is at fault, and they want to simplify their job and put a swift end to the altercation, but Paul lived when political correctness and touchy-feely societies were not in vogue. If someone did something wrong, his name would be exposed and no one would protect him. There is a difference between that and gossip. Paul named names to protect the Church from people who could not be trusted, whereas gossip is a twisted form of entertainment at other people’s expense. When someone broke Paul’s trust, it was really hard to get it back; it was not something he took lightly. He was not a man to accept failure, so those who worked with him had better endure under pressure, because if they failed, Paul would not quickly forget it. This happened to Mark; he too abandoned the apostle Paul and Barnabas (Act 15,36-41).

(199e) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Throwing God away >> Renouncing your faith

(239b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Recalling the circumstances -- This verse goes with verse 18

2Tim 1,16-18

(14i) Servant >> Ministry of helps >> Helpers are Indirectly in charge of the word >> They minister to God's leaders – Onesiphorus looked for Paul and found him and ministered to him in his circumstances; this attitude was refreshing to Paul. For Onesiphorus to do this for a spokesman of the gospel of Christ made him indirectly in charge of God’s word. Onesiphorus understood the concept of the grace of God and sought to be a vessel of that grace. Onesiphorus also ministered to people at Ephesus, taking it upon himself to go about helping and encouraging the leaders of God’s Church, and his service became well known and respected among the saints. Paul made sure to honor him by naming him in his letter to Timothy for all generations to remember and follow his example.

(36a) Gift of God >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> To him who has shall more be given – Mat 13-12 In the world today people are seeking equality, but in the Kingdom of God not everyone is equal, and heaven has the best possible order. God knows the best way to run a kingdom; some will have more than others, and the greatest are least and the least are greatest. That will make for a great kingdom. In addition, notice what suffering Onesiphorus endured in order to serve Paul; he risked his life and sacrificed everything to do it. He could have enjoyed his life on vacation someplace with his family, on a fishing trip with his buddies. Instead, he devoted his life in service to the saints. Those in heaven who will have more than others struggled and suffered in this life to receive what they came to possess, which took faith, wisdom and commitment, and their reward is that they will become least of all in the Kingdom of Heaven and servant of all. Servants have the greatest positions in heaven.

(45c) Judgment >> God judges His people if they do not judge themselves >> Believer's Judgment >> God judges our walk in the Spirit >> He rewards us for bearing fruit – There is a day of grace and mercy coming for Onesiphorus and for all who have loved His appearing (2Tim 4-8). Paul’s prayer for Onesiphorus was that he would find mercy from God on that day; what day is that? Is it the Day of the Lord, or is it the day of Onesiphorus’ death when he enters the Kingdom of Heaven and personally meets the Lord, or is it the day of the believers’ judgment? Is there a day prepared when God will judge His people? The short answer to all these is yes, but the Bible teaches that it will occur at a different time for everybody, the moment he enters the presence of God. The day of our death will be a form of judgment in the sense that our new existence will not be as we had imagined. Then, the moment we step into the Kingdom of Heaven will be another phase of judgment in that it will not be as we expected. That is, the less we are surprised by what lies on the other side, the less severe our judgment. Most of us are familiar with the passage in Revelation that speaks about the Great White Throne Judgment, which is scheduled to occur on a certain “day.” The First Resurrection is also scheduled to occur on a certain day, and it too is considered a form of judgment, for each of us will receive a body that reflects a level of faithfulness that we showed the Lord throughout our lives in the flesh, and for that reason the believers judgment and the resurrection of the righteous are one and the same event (see: 1Cor 3,12-15).

(96d) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Positive attitude toward God >> Having a thankful attitude

(130e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Committed to caring for the needs of the body >> Committed to holding up one another

(143i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Popularity >> Sought commendably >> Being sought for your relationship with God

(178c) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >> Presuming the facts about the circumstances >> Presumption interprets our observations – Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul’s chains, meaning there were some who looked down on Paul because he had chains dangling from his hands and legs sitting in a dingy prison cell in Rome. It is unfortunate that some will look upon a person’s suffering and pass judgment on him, as though he deserves his adversity just because he is suffering in them. This is the very definition of Karma, but Onesiphorus was above all that. For one thing, he knew Paul wasn’t in prison for doing something wrong, but was there for preaching the gospel of Christ. Onesiphorus knew he was a man of conscience and reputation, who was fully committed to the grace of God and service to others, having no reason to suspect him of wrongdoing.

(228a) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Comforted >> God comforts you in times of adversity >> He comforts you in your suffering

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2Tim 1-16

(122d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God to keep you -- This verse goes with verse 8

2Tim 1-18

(239b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Recalling the circumstances -- This verse goes with verse 15

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