2 Timothy 2:1-21
v8-9) Why did the Gospel bring suffering to Paul?
Paul was in chains in prison because of the gospel he preached. When Paul said that Jesus was God, he angered the Jews who had condemned Jesus for blasphemy; but many Jews became followers of Christ (1 Cor. 1:24). He angered the Romans who worshiped the emperor as god; but even some in Caesar's household turned to Jesus (Phil. 4:22). When Paul said Jesus was human, he angered the Greeks who thought divinity was soiled if it had any contact with humanity; still many Greeks accepted the faith (Acts 11:20-21). The truth that Jesus is one person with two united natures has never been easy to understand, but it is being believed by people every day.
v17) Who were Hymenaeus and Philetus?
They were heretics who had "wandered away from the truth" (2 Tim. 2:18). Hymenaeus is also mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20. He weakened people's faith by teaching that the resurrection had already occurred. In 1 Timothy 1:20 Paul says that he handed Hymenaeus over to Satan, meaning that Paul had removed him from the fellowship of the church. Paul did this so that Hymenaeus would see his error and repent. The ultimate purpose of this punishment was correction.
v18) What does it mean that "the resurrection of the dead has already occurred"?
The false teachers were denying the resurrection of the body. They believed that when a person became a Christian, he or she was spiritually reborn, and that was the only resurrection there would ever be. To them, resurrection was symbolic and spiritual, not physical. Paul clearly taught, however, that believers will be resurrected after they die, and that their bodies as well as their souls will live eternally with Christ.
(The One Year Bible Companion)
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4 comments:
please explain Proverbs 26:4-5 and how they are not contradictory. -solomon
These 2 verses seem to be in contradiction. But the writer is saying that we shouldn't take a foolish person seriously and try to reason with his or her empty arguments. This will only make him or her proud and determined to win the argument.
In some situations, you ought not to even try to answer a fool, for there is no way you can penetrate his or her closed mind. You may, in fact, be stooping to that person's level if you do choose to answer. Such a fool will abuse you and you will be tempted to abuse him or her in return.
There are other situations where your common sense tells you to answer in order to epsoe the fool's pride and folly.
(From the Life Application Study Bible)
In v7 God is telling us to reflect on His Words and He himself will give us insight. Isn't that amazing? It's His promise to us.
I pray that all of us will be gold instruments for noble purposes, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work.
I wanna be gold. :)
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