SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/11/2025 9:35 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2
“Warn Them About False Teaching”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Timothy
2:14a
Message of the
verse: “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the
presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless.” “Of these things put them
in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words
to no profit,” (AKJV).
I’m having a little trouble about the word “wrangle”
so I decided to look up this verse in different translations to help me
understand it better.
MacArthur writes that “Beginning
with verse 14, the apostle focuses on
Timothy’s negative responsibility to
oppose and correct false teaching in the church. Timothy was to solemnly charge them in the
presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless.”
He goes on to explain that “Diamarturomai (solemnly charge) is a strong verb, here used as an
imperative participle, which carries the idea of stern warning. The seriousness of the admonition is made
clear first of all because it intensifies still further Paul’s forceful command
at the beginning of this verse to remember and second, because the warning is
to be given in the presence of God. God
is always present, of course, and He is never unaware of what His children are
doing. But because of the profound
danger of false teaching, Paul wanted to
make sure that Timothy and those he admonished were consciously and
continually aware of the presence of God. Being specially aware of God’s presence adds a measure of healthy fear
of the Lord and therefore of increased determination to serve Him faithfully.”
Now this is not the only time in Paul’s letters to Timothy that he used these words to him as Paul used the phrase “in the presence of God” twice in his first letter to Timothy (5:21; 6:13). Then he uses it again in his second letter “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God” and then he strengthens the charge by adding, “and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1).
I believe that I mentioned that this is a long
section and so I will quote one more paragraph from it from MacArthur’s
commentary for today and then pick up where I will be leaving off in the next
SD, Lord willing.
“Sometimes in Scripture the phrase ‘the presence of God’ is used to comfort believers. Nearing death, Isaac implored Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death’ (Gen 27:7). In his grand psalm of victory, David rejoiced, ‘O God, when Thou didst go forth before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the wilderness, the earth quacked; the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quacked at the presence of God, the God of Israel’ Ps. 68:7-8). Reassuring Zacharias about the birth of John the Baptist, the angel said, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news’ (Luke 1:19). To a crowd of Jews outside the Temple shortly after Pentecost, Peter implored, Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord’ (Acts 3:19). The writer of Hebrews assures us of Christ’s appearing in heaven on our behalf ‘in the presence of God (Heb. 9:24).
There is another side of this when the presence of
God is mentioned and we will look at that in the beginning of my next SD, Lord
willing.
Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today: My desire to
stay in the Word of God each day, I believe will keep me from being caught in
the lies that are told about the truth that is in the Word of God.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I desire to
continue to stay in the Word of God each day and to read from godly authors and
listen to godly sermons in order to stay away from the lies that the evil one
is teaching.
2/11/2025 10:07 AM
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