3:12,13
“Everyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted”. For a long time this has not been very true in the West with Christianity has been the “state religion”. However, in those days there have been times of persecution. Latimer and Ridley were burnt at the stake in Oxford. The Huguenots were persecuted in France. However, we now live in an age when Biblical Christian teaching, particularly on sexual morality, is considered to be utterly against society’s “morals”. Moreover, there are numerous countries in the world where Christians do suffer real persecution. This is normal. At the same time “evildoers” and “imposters” will go from bad to worse. Paul has a rather dim, but realistic picture of the world.
3:14
Again, Timothy’s response is to be the complete opposite of that of the evildoers. He is to continue is what he has learnt, and note the twofold motivation, or basis, for doing this. One is Scripture, which comes in the next verse, but the first reason is that Timothy knows those from whom he has learnt the gospel truths. He has seen the reality of it in their lives. The gospel is not a philosophy, nor an ideology. It is incarnational. The greatest revelation that God has given to us is His Son Jesus Christ. The gospel is communicated by words and explanation, but it is also communicated through our lives. Both go together. Timothy was convinced of the truth both by the message itself, and what he saw in the lives of people like Paul.
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