In our New Testament reading for today, we receive the exhortation to be valiant soldiers in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ – the Captain of our Salvation:
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:3-4).
This aspect of fighting in a warfare of faith is not unusual in the inspired writings of Paul consider these three examples:
“fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12)
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7)
“for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4-5).
The Apostle also warns against those who “concerning the truth have erred:” (2 Tim. 2:18), and Jude admonishes us to contend against them: “… ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Again, Paul describes how such a contending in unison is a characteristic of the true brethren. They “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel” (Phil. 1:27).
These passages all demonstrate the importance of having sound doctrine. The Truth of the Gospel is not subjective, and open for various interpretations: it is sure and steadfast. Only true doctrines save, hence Paul also wrote to Timothy: “take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine: continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Tim. 4:16).
In our chapter for today, verses 17-18 provide an example of a specific false doctrine that had entered into the ecclesia. Hymenaeus and Philetus “have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some”. This is a warning to us: those who teach principles that are contrary to sound doctrine are not simply presenting a “different point of view”, or a “different perspective” – they are overthrowing the faith of some, by presenting another Gospel, which is impotent to save. But the Apostle concludes:
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).
The Lord knoweth them that are his. As the Master declared: “I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (Jno. 10:14). And by contrast, of those who are rejected at the coming judgment seat of Christ: “I know you not whence ye are depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity” (Lu. 13:27).
KORAH DATHAN AND ABIRAM
The example of Korah, Dathan and Abiram provides an Old Testament example of these principles. Despising the dominion of Moses, these three men gathered a following of two hundred and fifty princes, “famous in the congregation, men of renown”. The rebellion is described thus:
“They gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of Yahweh” (Num. 16:3).
Essentially, they were arguing that they were just as good as Moses, so why should he think himself to be greater than they? But they missed the point entirely: Moses was the man appointed by Yahweh Himself. He had not taken it upon himself to lead the ecclesia in the wilderness, indeed, it would appear that he was initially reluctant to accept this role. But Moses “was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). He did not raise up a railing accusation against his adversaries. He did nothing to try and justify either himself or Aaron, rather he prostrated himself on the ground before Yahweh: “when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face …” (Num 16: 4). He placed the matter before Yahweh and left it for Him to demonstrate who He had Chosen:
“He spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, even tomorrow Yahweh will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him; even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; And put fire therein, and put incense in them before Yahweh tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom Yahweh doth choose, he shall be holy …” (Num. 16:5-7).
Notice the expression he uses: “Yahweh will shew who are his” alluded to in 2 Timothy 2:19. The verse states: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).
This aspect of departing from iniquity is also from Numbers 16:
“Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram” (Num. 16:24).
“… Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye consumed in all their sins” (Num. 16:26).
This is the spirit of Paul “wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:17). There can be no amity between the faithful and the unfaithful, or the Children of Light, and the Children of darkness. We must not fellowship, or be partakers of other men’s sins, lest we be rejected with them (1 Tim. 5:22).
The Apostle continues his exhortation to Timothy:
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22).
This aspect of a “pure heart” interestingly is from Psalm 73, which also links in with the rebellion of Korah:
“Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart” (Psa. 73:1).
What is interesting for us to consider in this context, is how the censers in which the incense was offered were used:
“Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yahweh, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel” (Num. 16:37-38).
Notice that here (and in the verses that follow), the censers were beaten into plates, which were then placed as a covering of the Brazen Altar. That, would then “be a sign” to Israel. One example of this effectiveness of this sign, is in the case of Asaph, when he went before that altar. He begins Psalm 73 verse 3 thus:
“I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked”
And then continues:
“When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou casteth them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors” (Psa. 73:16-19).
Here, when he went into the Sanctuary, Asaph would have seen the plates upon the brazen altar. And in considering those things, he was exhorted to think more soberly. No matter how “famous” and “renowned” these men were, despite having a reputation of being alive to the things of the Spirit, when they rebelled against the Anointed one of Yahweh, they were destined to fail. Those brazen plates testified to the final end of the rebels.
Returning to our chapter, we find an encouragement to be meek in our dealings with the apostate brethren:
“The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth” (2 Tim. 2:24-25).
This was the example of Moses, when faced with Korah’s rebellion. Being the meekest man in all the earth (Num. 12:3), when he was challenged by Korah and his associates, he made no attempt to justify himself, or his position. Rather, he fell down before his God: “when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face” and presented the matter before the Lord. The situation also reminds us of Messiah, who did not exalt himself, but was “meek and lowly of heart” (Mat. 11:29).
FLEE YOUTHFUL LUSTS
In the verse cited above, Paul exhorts Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22).
He was elsewhere exhorted to be on his guard, so that no man would despise his youth (1 Tim. 4:12). There is a need for newborn babes to grow and mature, and the same is true of those who are “born again” to become members of a New Creation. “Childhood and youth are vanity” (Eccl. 11:10) outside of the Truth, hence the need to be fervent in spirit whilst the day of opportunity is present:
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them … (Eccl. 12:1).
The wise man continues:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14).
The point is sometimes made, that the word “duty” is not in the original, so it really ought to read “for this is the whole of man”. That is, the whole fulfilment of a man’s existence is to fear God and keep his commandments. And this is a product of imbibing the Word of Truth:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Whether physically young or old, once a man believes and obeys the calling of the Gospel message, he becomes like a newborn babe (1 Pet 2:2), feeding upon the mother’s milk. But he must mature into a complete man, devoted to the things of God. That is his whole duty, something to be aimed at by all who would follow the Lord.
Christopher Maddocks
