Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:
One Charge (v.2 — "Preach the word!")
... urgently
... relevantly
... patiently
... intelligently
The world that is coming (v.1)
The world that is passing away (v.3–5)
Desertion (v.9)
Treachery (v.14)
Abandonment (v.16)
How would Timothy have understood Paul's command to "preach the word"?
What characterizes the kind of preaching Paul has in mind? How does that apply to you? To our church family at St Andrew's?
What does it mean to have "itching ears" (v.3)? How is Timothy to respond to this situation?
Why does Paul anticipate so keenly the return of Christ (v.8)? Do you look forward to Christ's return? (See v.8 and v.18.)
In what ways did the gospel prevail despite great opposition? Where does the gospel go forward today in conditions of great hardship? How you are engaged with Christians enduring hardship, persecution, or opposition for Christ's sake?Select Resources Consulted
Andreas Kösterberger, 1–2 Timothy (Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary, 2021)
John Stott, The Message of 2 Timothy (The Bible Speaks Today, IVP 2021)
Handley Moule, The Second Epistle to Timothy (London, 1906)
Glen Scrivener, The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality (The Good Book Co., 2022)
David Gustafson, Gospel Witness through the Ages: A History of Evangelism (Eerdman's, 2022)