1. II Timothy 1:4. Why had Timothy shed tears?

Though we do not know for sure, it could well have been, say the commentators, the fact that at their parting, Timothy sensed he might not see the great Apostle again. Paul was mentor and father to Timothy, and to lose him was a difficult experience. We recall like passions when Paul parted from the Ephesian elders.

2. II Timothy 1:6. How can we “stir up” the gift of God?

Ellicott reminds us that, as it is possible to “quench” the Spirit, it is also possible to stir it up, that is, to fan it into flame. The gift of God, the Holy Spirit, whether that special set of qualities given for ministry, or the general giftedness enjoyed by all God’s people, is given by God, but must be kept burning brightly by man. The picture that comes to mind is the priests of Solomon’s day, who saw the glory of God and the miraculous fire of God descending to the newly dedicated Temple. Never again did this happen. The fire that fell was God’s doing. From that time on, daily fires, as for sacrifices and candlesticks, would be maintained by the priesthood. As we are the priesthood of God today, we must continue the fire burning in our heart.

That fire is maintained by fervent and frequent prayer and praise, by continuing in the Word of God, by constant association with God’s people. There is nothing automatic about our growth in Christ or our effectiveness in ministry. We must fan the flames daily.

3. II Timothy 2:12, 13. What is the difference between denying Him, and being “faithless.”?

Those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, will be denied access to the Heavenly realms. This word is for hypocritical Christians in the church as well as anyone outside the Body of Christ. Deny who Jesus is and you will be denied a place at His side.

“Faithless” is not necessarily describing a person who has had struggles believing in Jesus. The text goes on to say, says this interpretation, that Jesus remains faithful [to such] for He cannot deny His own person inside the believer. In other words, a faithless person will be saved.

But I encourage you to take a second look. “Faithless” means “with no faith.” An unbeliever in the church! Thus this verse becomes a parallel passage to the last one. The man does not believe in Jesus. Does this cause some compassion in the heart of Jesus? Does He try to conform His own beliefs to an apostate? No! He remains faithful, not to the unbeliever, but to Himself. He cannot deny that He is the Son of God, even though the man before Him now doubts it.

At least, that is a possible way to look at it. Study some more…

4. II Timothy 2:19. From whom is Paul quoting?

The first quote could be from Numbers 16:5, “The Lord will show who are His…” or Nahum 1:7, “And He knoweth them that trust in Him…”

The second: Perhaps the Apostle is referencing Isaiah 26:13, “… through You alone we confess Your name” and Isaiah 52:11, “… touch no unclean thing… be clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord…”

Though these are possibilities, it is suggested by others that Paul was simply summarizing some teachings of the Lord, and not necessarily quoting anyone. His point here is that these two words from God, His knowledge of His own, and the call to holiness, are foundational for the church of God.

5. II Timothy 3:8. How do we know the names of these men from Exodus 7:11?

Ellicott reminds us that there was a written and an oral tradition passed on by the Jews. Though we cannot swear by things passed down orally, these names do appear in what is known as the Targum [Aramaic translation/paraphrase of Old Testament] of Jonathan, and there we further learn that these men were actually sons of Balaam who were early on instructors of Moses!

This Targum was well known to the Jews of the first century.

6. II Timothy 3:15. Do the Scriptures save us? How?

Technically, they do not save. They lead us to the Wisdom and the Person of Jesus Christ. They tell of His blood sacrifice. They call to repentance. They point outside of themselves for true salvation.

“You search the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them,” said Jesus, “but they are the ones that testify of Me… and you will not come to Me.” (John 5:39)

So here is a man who has spent his lifetime looking for God in a book, only to find, alas, that God is not in the book after all. The Author of the Book is the One who saves. The book merely points a person to the Author.

7. II Timothy 4:8. Why was Paul so convinced that a crown awaited him?

Jesus and Paul had a close relationship, as did all the apostles, when Jesus was here and afterwards. Jesus physically called Paul into the ministry. He told him what cities to go to and how long to stay. He let him know of trouble that would come in Jerusalem. And now he is telling Paul that the time of his departure has come. It is clear to him that if indeed he must go, then he has completed the tasks the Lord had in mind.

He also had been told that Christians received crowns in that land, or Jesus told him specifically about that crown.

Regardless, there is no pride in his declaration here. And to be sure we know that, he goes on to add that the same crown awaits all that are excited about Jesus’ coming. Note the qualifier. Those who waste their time here and serve God negligently, may not be so thrilled about the coming of Jesus.

A word to the wise…

TITUS

1. Titus 2:11. How is it that the grace of God has appeared to “all men”?

It could be that your translation does not read it this way. In many later translations, and in commentator’s notes, the sense of the Greek is that the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, rather than saying that this grace has already in the first century appeared to all men.

But if the KJV and others got it right, it could be he is referring to the outpouring at Pentecost on all nations and the rapid expansion of the Gospel westward through his own ministry. Though the Gospel to this day has not reached “all men” individually, the message has come to mankind as a whole.

2. Titus 3:5. Is the washing of regeneration equal to water baptism?

I’m sure there is much argument here. Washing must needs require water, yes? No, not necessarily. Revelation tells us we are washed in the blood of Jesus. Hebrews also mentions the sprinkling of blood to free us from a guilty conscience. Blood-washed and born again. That’s the washing of regeneration.

But lest you assume the denominations can come back together any time soon, please consider that that Hebrews passage also says our bodies are washed with pure water. Think of Ananias’ words to Paul: Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins. Not to mention Jesus’ words, Unless a man be born of water and Spirit…

Now what do you think? Is water somehow involved? Peter says that baptism saves us! Not that it takes our fleshly dirt – sin – away, he goes on to add, but that it is the response of a cleansed conscience.

Put it together. God saves me, gives me new birth, with no merit of my own, no works done to earn the privilege. Simply on the basis of what Jesus did, my sins are forgiven. Response? To the water, where I testify to all around that I have been washed, I have been buried with Christ, I live also in Him.

PHILEMON

1. Philemon, verse 10. What does “begotten in my chains” mean?

Begotten = born again. Saved. “My chains” refers to the fact that Paul is a prisoner. However, the visitation policy for this remarkable apostle was quite liberal. People came to him day and night, and one of that crowd was a man in chains himself, so to speak. He was a servant to one Philemon, whom Paul knew, but he had escaped.

Paul dealt with him about his soul and his sin and soon the slave’s chains fell. He was saved by Jesus Christ, born again.

2. Philemon, verse 19. What debt had Philemon to Paul?