In the final words of his letter, Paul takes one more opportunity before his impending execution to exhort his son in the faith. Set in the formality of a “charge”, Paul entreats Timothy to devote his life to the urgent, consistent, relevant, patient, intelligent proclamation of God’s word.

Paul anchors the need for faithful preaching of God’s Word in light of the human propensity to turn away from God’s authority and seek out teaching that affirms what we want to believe. As hearers we all must acknowledge and fight against our tendency to seek teachers that promises us the good life we long for on our terms rather than receiving the life giving Word of God that actually leads to the good life.

Second Timothy has opened up multiple conversations regarding “false teaching”, and forced us to parse out what constitutes false teaching in our own day. In this sermon, Kevin urges us to consider the ways in which popular contemporary teachers have more in common with what is commonly called “prosperity gospel” than any of us would think at first glance.

As we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, we often find ourselves shocked by the God we encounter there. We encounter a God who defines reality, authority, the good life, and identity in ways that crowd and confront our own desire to be self-actualized selves. When we encounter God’s Word, we only have three options: 1) to submit to the Word; 2) to reject the Word; 3) to creatively and subtly resist the text in some fashion.

1) is the way of discipleship; 2) is the way of those who refuse the lordship of Christ or who apostatize; and 3) is the way of the false teachers whom Paul is condemning. 3) is the most difficult to detect, and the most dangerous in the life of the church.