“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.” 1 Timothy 6:20-21
In this passage, the apostle Paul gives the theme of 2 Timothy: guard (preserve and keep) that which has been solemnly entrusted to you.
1. The “Guard” Mindset
The issue in our day is that we should live with a wartime mentality, but instead we live in a culture of ease and personal preference with regard to truth formation.
2. “Guard” with Fervor, Passion and Diligence the Entrusted Deposit
“When a strong man, fully armed, GUARDs his own palace, his goods are safe” Luke 11:21
“While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have GUARDed them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” John 17:12
“...which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to GUARD until that day what has been entrusted to me.” 2 Timothy 1:12
“Little children, keep (GUARD) yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21
"You shall not pass." Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
ECBC CORE VALUES
We Submit to the Bible —> We are Family —> We Serve Others —> We Make Disciples.
“By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” 2 Timothy 1:14
“...for all the gifts which God bestows on us are committed to us on this condition, THAT WE SHALL ONE DAY GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THEM…The Apostle, therefore, exhorts him to keep diligently what had been given to him, or…committed to him in trust; that he may not allow it to be corrupted or turned aside, or deprive or rob himself of it through his own negligence/lethargy.’" Paraphrased from John Calvin, Bible Commentaries 21
3. “Guard” by Avoiding Idle Babblings of the (secret and false) Knowledge Group
“But even though they taught nothing that was contrary to godliness, yet, because their whole doctrine contains nothing else than big words and bombast, because it is inconsistent with the majesty of Scripture, the power of the Spirit, the gravity of the message of the bible, and the sincerity of the apostles, it is, on that account, an absolute profanation (destruction) of true theology.” Paraphrased from John Calvin, Bible Commentaries 21
4. “Guard” by Knowing the Destructive Nature of Biblical Error and the Happiness/Flourishing of Treasuring Jesus
“I merely wish you, dear reader, to consider the possibility that when a tweet provokes you to wrath, or an Instagram post makes you envious, or some online article sends you to another and yet another in an endless chain of what St. Augustine called curiositas…you are dealing with powers greater than yours. Your small self and your puny will are overwhelmed by the Cosmic Rulers, the Principalities and Powers. They oppress or possess you, and they can neither be deflected nor, by the mere exercise of will, overcome. Any freedom from what torments us begins with a proper demonology.” Alan Jacobs, Something Happened By Us: A Demonology, thenewatlantis.com, Spring 2022
QUESTIONS:
1. How do we encourage each other to have a “wartime mentality” in a culture of ease?
2. What are some of the “idle babblings” of our culture?
3. What do we mean when we say, “That may not be heretical, but it is not profitable”? Give examples.
4. What do guardians do?
5. Luke 10:21 says, “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.’" Consider the following quote: “The contrast pointed out in Luke 10:21 by the Savior is not between ‘educated and uneducated’ but between those who imagine themselves to be wise and sensible and want to test the Gospel truths by their own intellects, and to pronounce judgment according to their self-formed ideas and those who live under the profound impression that by their own insight and own reasoning they are utterly powerless to understand the truths of God and to accept them. Often, unlearned persons are in the highest degree self-opinionated in regards to spiritual matters, and on the other hand some of the most learned are humble and childlike and accept the truths of the Gospel unreservedly.” Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on The Gospel of Luke, p. 306