Spurgeon had a real admiration for Martineau, who was a Unitarian and therefore denied the divinity of Jesus Christ which Spurgeon believed in with passionate intensity. The teachers who really get their message across are those who have the note of earnestness in their voice. The message he brings is literally a matter of life and death. There can be few New Testament passages where the duties of the Christian teacher are more clearly set out than here. THE CHRISTIAN'S DUTY ( 2 Timothy 4:1-5 continued) Our service must be such that it will demonstrate the reality of our citizenship of the Kingdom of God. Our lives must be such that they will welcome the appearance of the King. Our work must be such that it will stand the scrutiny of Christ. The day comes when the kingdoms of the world will be the Kingdom of the Lord and so Paul says to Timothy: "So live and work that you will rank high in the roll of its citizens when the Kingdom comes." Paul urges Timothy to action by the remembrance of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Do your work in such a way that all things will be ready whenever he appears." The Christian should so order life that at any moment he is ready for the coming of Christ. So Paul says to Timothy: "You know what happens when any town is expecting the epiphaneia ( G2015) of the Emperor you are expecting the epiphaneia ( G2015) of Jesus Christ. The streets were swept and garnished and all work was brought up-to-date so that the town might be fit for epiphaneia ( G2015). Obviously when the Emperor was due to visit any place, everything was put in perfect order. His accession to the throne was his epiphaneia ( G2015) and in particular-and this is the background of Paul's thought here-it was used of his visit to any province or town. It was used for the manifest intervention of some god and it was specially used in connection with the Roman Emperor. "I charge you," says Paul, "by his appearing." The word is epiphaneia ( G2015). It would save us from the touchy spirit which is offended by criticism it would save us from the self-important spirit which is concerned with personal rights and personal prestige it would save us from the self-centred spirit which demands thanks and praise for its every act it would even save us from being hurt by men's ingratitude. If we all did our work in that spirit, the difference would be incalculable. The one thing he covets is the "Well done!" of Jesus Christ. He is not concerned with either the criticism or the verdict of men. A Christian must do every task in such a way that he can offer it to Christ. Some day Timothy's work will be tested, and that by none other than Jesus himself. (i) Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead. To do so he reminds him of three things concerning Jesus. As for you, be steady in all things accept the suffering which will come upon you do the work of an evangelist leave no act of your service unfulfilled.Īs Paul comes to the end of his letter, he wishes to nerve and to challenge Timothy to his task. They will avert their cars from the truth, and they will turn to extravagant tales. For there will come a time when men will refuse to listen to sound teaching, but, because they have ears which have to be continually titillated with novelties, they will bury themselves under a mound of teachers, whose teaching suits their own lusts after forbidden things. PAUL'S GROUNDS OF APPEAL ( 2 Timothy 4:1-5 )Ĥ:1-5 I charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead-I charge you by his appearing and by his Kingdom-herald forth the word be urgent in season and out of season convict, rebuke, exhort, and do it all with a patience and a teaching which never fail.
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