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Instructions to elders that Paul gave to Timothy:1st & 2nd Timothy
Fred R. Coulter—November 5, 2022
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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services! Today is going to be a very important message, so I would appreciate your forbearance concerning it.
Let's see where we are and what we have covered; we'll do a little review so that we understand the importance and gravity of why we need to stay faithful to the Word of God.
Jeremiah 23:20: "The anger of the LORD…"
Let's look at that phrase. Some people don't like that. They read in the New Testament that God is love. So, if you don't do things in love then it can't be of God. Or if you get angry over something because there's something that really causes true anger—righteous anger—as Jesus had when He was in the synagogue healing the man with the withered hand. He looked around at them with anger!
So, you can't separate that out from God. God is love, but why does He have anger? Because what men do to the Word of God!
Verse 20: "The anger of the LORD shall not return… [be drawn back] …until He has executed and until He has performed the purposes of His heart…"
Is anyone going to go against the purposes of God? We covered that in the New Testament that it started even before the ages of time.
"…in the latter days you shall understand it perfectly" (v 20).
Why? Because this will be the only time in the whole world that we have access to everything going on, all of the time, 24/7!
Jesus talks about those who are preachers and teachers. We have a lot of them today. We have all the Catholic Church with all their priests, temples and cathedrals. We have all of the Protestants with all that they have and the doctrines that they have.
- the Catholics have the Bible but they used their own traditions
- the Protestants have the Bible and they use their own interpretations and follow the Catholic Church in keeping Sunday
Verse 21—God says: "I have not sent these prophets, yet, they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet, they prophesied. But if… [here's the lesson that we're going to learn concerning the Word of God] …they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My words…" (vs 21-22).
But the Protestants don't do it, they say that the Old Testament is fulfilled, and the Catholics say that it's the 'old law' and you don't need it.
"…then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God Who is near,' says the LORD, 'and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him?' says the LORD…. [In other words, there's nothing close to God's understanding] 'Do I not fill the heavens and earth?' says the LORD" (vs 23-24).
That's with His power and the things that He has created! He upholds it by the Word of His Power!
Verse 25: "I have heard what the prophets said, who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.' How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies and who are prophets of the deceit of their own heart?" (vs 25-26).
Saying, "…I have dreamed, I have dreamed…" or 'I have an idea, or here's a way to interpret the Word of God,' when it's not properly interpreted by comparing Scripture with Scripture!
Verse 28: "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream. And he who has My Word…"
We're the ones who have the Word of God! Never has there been a time when there have been more Bibles, physical Bibles like regular books, and also many more digital Bibles that people have. That's an amazing thing!
Never has there been a time when we have had instant communication as quickly as we do. Sometime before services we got an e-mail from Michigan right here today in real time, so that tells you a lot of how much the Word of God is there. Here's the key:
The one "'…who has My Word let him speak My Word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?' says the LORD. Is not My Word like a fire?' says the LORD, 'and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?'" (vs 28-29).
In other words, if people do not keep the Word of God and it's not preached properly, there's going to be a lot of trouble and a lot of difficulty.
If you don't believe that the Word of God is like a fire and hammer, throw something into a fire and see what it does to it. It burns it up! "…and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces…"
To show you how that relates to the Laws of God, we can look at the law of gravity. If you jump out of plane at 20,000 feet without a parachute, you're going to have nice free fall, but when you hit the ground, it's over just like a hammer breaking in pieces! You're gone!
- God doesn't want that
- God wants us to repent
- God wants us to come to Him with all our heart, mind, soul and being
That's how we are to love God!
Of course, you know that many people in Protestantism claim the love of God unconditionally when they don't realize and understand that it is conditional when Jesus said:
- IF you love Me, keep My commandments
- IF you love Me, keep My Word
Let's see what's incumbent upon all elders and teachers after reading Jer. 23. Whoever is an elder, preacher or teacher, here is what Paul admonished. We will look at some other things Paul said a little later.
2-Timothy 2:13: "If we are unfaithful…"
The means IF anyone preaches or teaches something that is contrary to the Scriptures, that doesn't change God.
"…He [Jesus Christ] remains faithful—He cannot deny Himself" (v 13)—which means that He cannot deny the Word that He has been given! When we find in the beginning of the Gospel of John that:
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and there was nothing that came into being without Him.
Verse 14: "See that they remain mindful of these things…" This is what we are to teach the brethren!
- we're not to teach ourselves
- we're not to teach our ideas
- we're to teach the Word of God
As we will in just a minute what Paul charges us to do!
"…earnestly charging them in the sight of the Lord not to argue over words that are not profitable in any way, but which lead to the subverting of those who hear" (v 14).
Verse 15—here's the obligation for everyone, but in particularly for those who are elders and teachers!
- yes, we are to think about what we are to speak upon
- yes, we re to study the Scriptures that are here
But can Scriptures be used in a way that comes to a contrary conclusions of what the Scriptures actually say? We see that all the time! Remember what Jesus said:
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out to the mouth of God!
Verse 15: "Diligently… [regular and all the time] …study to show yourself approved unto God…"
A lot of people will approve of smooth and easy doctrines, as we have seen. They will applaud the preacher. Look at Joel Osteen, he looks so smooth and pleasing and so forth. However, he does look a whole lot phony! What happens? People are there and clap their hands, 'Oh it's a wonderful thing! Look at all the people that are there. If there a lot of people there, that must mean it's right. Well, it's not!
"…a workman who does not need to be ashamed…" (v 15).
IF you don't preach it right, you're going to bring shame upon yourself! IF you don't correct yourself, THEN that's going to lead to further problems, as well.
"…rightly dividing the Word of the Truth" (v 15).
That is a command from God through Paul! So, you tie that together with what we read in Jer. 23, and 'My Word is like a fire and a hammer that crushes'! His Word is also powerful and uplifting to the converting of the soul, the heart and the mind, through the power of God's Spirit!
There are the two sides of God. He wants us to be in His Kingdom, that's why He's called us.
Verse 16: "But avoid profane and vain babblings because they will only give rise to more ungodliness, and their words will eat away at the body like gangrene, of whom are Hymeneus and Philetus" (vs 16-17).
So, Paul had difficulties—and we'll look at this a little later—with quite a few coming around preaching false doctrines.
I just might mention that we have a study that Carl Franklin did a number of years ago how the New Testament contains all the warnings of the embryonic Catholic Church that started to come into being after the Apostle John died in about 100A.D.
Then there were the early church fathers, and that's when they started marrying paganism to Christianity.
When you have difficulties and problems that come along, it drives you to the Word of God to understand what we need to do. When we have difficult and trying times, like this situation involves, we need to go to the Word of God, because Paul went through so many different things. If you go to 2-Cor. 11, you will find that Paul really went through a lot of things. Though we have gone through some traumatic things, nothing like he went through.
So, the rest of the message for this Sabbath is we're going to do a survey in 1st and 2nd Timothy for the instructions to an elder that Paul gave to Timothy.
We'll look at selected sections that have to do with doctrine, because doctrine becomes very important. Doctrine means teaching—Greek: 'didache'—which comes from the noun teacher 'didaskalos.' So, Paul writes:
1-Timothy 1:1: "Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is our hope, to Timothy, my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 1-2).
The only way that we get grace, mercy and peace in times of trouble and affliction is when we:
- come to the Word of God
- use the Spirit of God
- ask God for:
- help
- strength
- understanding
- His love
- His Truth
Yet, be willing to stand for the Truth in spite of anything!
Verse 3: "WhenI was going to Macedonia, I exhorted you to remain in Ephesus, in order that you might solemnly charge some not to teach other doctrines. nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which lead to empty speculations rather than to edification from God, which is in faith" (vs 3-4).
Verse 5: "Now, the purpose of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and genuine faith; from which some, having missed the mark, have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the Law, neither understanding what they are saying, nor what they are strongly affirming. Now we know that the Law is good, if anyone uses it lawfully" (vs 5-8).
So, Paul had the problems there! Acts 20 is where Paul talked to the elders in Ephesus. Remember, this epistle to Timothy was when Paul was the main leader there in Ephesus. Paul had all of the elders come down to him in Miletus because he didn't have time to stop by Ephesus as he was on the way to Jerusalem. He knew that he wouldn't see them any longer. Let's see what he said:
Acts 20:18: "And when they had come to him, he said to them, 'You know how, from the first day I came to Asia, and all the time I was with you, I served the Lord with all humility and with many tears and temptations, which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; and how I did not keep back anything that was profitable, but preached to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, earnestly testifying, both to the Jews and the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 18-21).
Verse 22: "And now behold, I am bound in the spirit, and am going to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall happen to me there; except that the Holy Spirit fully testifies in every city, saying that bonds and tribulations await me. But I myself do not take any of these things into account, nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify the Gospel of the grace of God" (vs 22-24).
Verse 25: "And now behold, I know that you all, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the Kingdom of God, will see my face no more; wherefore, I testify to you on this day that I am pure from the blood of all, for I have not held back from preaching to you all the counsel of God. Take heed, therefore, to yourselves…" (vs 25-28).
All of us as elders need to take heed to ourselves! That is that we are to be self-correcting, which means with the Word of God and the Spirit of God—and this applies to everybody as well—we need to be self-correcting ourselves as led by the Spirit of God. This can only be done when we are studying, praying and living the way that God wants us to live! It's God's Spirit that will lead us to repentance of those things.
Verse 28: "Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He purchased with His own blood."
This is telling all elders that the Church of God belongs to Christ! We are teachers to help all of us together, with the Spirit of God the Father and Jesus Christ in us, so that we learn and have the instructions of the Holy Spirit of God on:
- how to live
- how to act in our lives
- how to grow in grace and knowledge
- so that we can overcome
- so we can be in the Kingdom of God
That's the whole purpose of it!
Brethren are not possessions of any elder! They do not belong to him!
Verse 29: "For I know this: that after my departure grievous wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock."
That happened, and we've seen it happen in our day. How many times over and over again?
Verse 30: "And from among your own selves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. Watch, therefore, remembering that for three years I ceased not to admonish each one night and day with tears" (vs 30-31).
So, Paul had his whole life and everything in it! We can be thankful for what Paul did and what he wrote. Thankful that we have the Word of God as it is.
Verse 32: "And now I commit you, brethren, to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
1-Timonthy 1:14: "But the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with the faith and love that is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of full acceptance…" (vs 14-15).
We have to keep this in mind, all of us, but especially the elders. We have to realize that we are here to teach the Word of God, so that the brethren themselves—with the Spirit of God and the Word of God—are able to grow and overcome until we all come to the unity of the faith as Paul says in Ephesians!
Verse 15: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."
Verse 18: "This charge… [of everything that's in 1-Timothy] …I am personally committing to you, my son Timothy, in accordance with the prophecies that were made long ago concerning you; in order that by them you yourself might wage a good war."
- overcoming human nature
- overcoming Satan the devil
- overcoming the world
- overcoming our own carnal nature
is a war, a spiritual war! Here's how we do it:
Verse 19: "Holding to the faith and a good conscience. For some, having cast aside a good conscience, have made shipwreck in regard to the faith; of whom are Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I turned over to Satan in order that they may learn not to blaspheme" (vs 19-20).
Look at how strong that was; how strong the problem was during Paul's day that he wrote this way to Timothy.
1-Timothy 2:7: "For this purpose I was ordained a preacher and an apostle (I speak the Truth in Christ—I do not lie), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and Truth." Paul is reminding Timothy what he is to do!
1-Timothy 3:15: "But if I should delay, you have these things in writing, so that you may know how one is obligated to conduct oneself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the Truth."
That's how important that the Church of God is! Even though we go through trials and difficulties, and even though there are times that a lot of people are alone, you're really not alone when you have the Spirit of God, especially today when we have these things that we have like the live streaming exactly as we are doing. That facilitates us in assembling together on the Sabbath wherever we are.
We've seen how this applies, as well: 1-Timothy 4:1: "Now, the Spirit tells us explicitly that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith, and shall follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."
Whenever these come, they do not come in the way of great evil to start with. Satan saves the great evil for later on. That's where we are today in America, because there are down through the last 50 years or more, some say 100 years, that the nation has been going down and rejecting the morality that they had. Look at what we have when Satan takes over:
- everything becomes sinful
- everything becomes hateful
- everything comes out of true proportion
- we have troubles and difficulties
- we have people dedicated to the evil that they're perpetrating
Verse 2: "Speaking lies in hypocrisy, their consciences having been cauterized with a hot iron."
Verse 13 is what we are to do; here is how we can survive all of these things. We already covered how to rightly divide the Word of God. That's imperative, because you can see what happened from this latest example when you don't rightly divide the Word of God. You bring in things that change the doctrine or the teaching of Atonement to such and extent that it's almost like trying to justify Sunday-keeping over Sabbath-keeping.
Verse 13: "Until I come, devote yourself to reading, to encouragement, and to doctrine."
You've often heard this: Doctrine divides, but love unites. That's what they said when they were tearing the Church (WCG) apart! What they were actually doing was tearing it apart while they were dividing it blaming the doctrine; rather than looking at the Truth of doctrine so that there would be unity!
How else are we going to have any unity and understanding what we need to do, if we don't go to the Word of God? It won't happen!
Verse 14: "Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elderhood."
That's important! Remember when you were baptized and had hands laid on you to receive the Holy Spirit, or you were ordained as an elder. You had hands laid on you to be an elder, to serve the people of God. So, Paul is reminding all of us to remember that day and the importance of that day!
Verse 15: "Meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them so that your growth in the faith may be apparent to all. Be diligent with yourself…"
That's what we all need to do, be diligent with ourselves! Here's a good rule: IF you correct yourself with the Spirit and Word of God, THEN you don't need any elders to correct you and God won't correct you!
IFwe go so far astray that we get way out there on the fringes and coming back into the world, and we don't repent, THEN—as happened in Southern California—along came Sunday-worship and 40% of the Church went with it!
Why? None of them were studying and praying like they ought to! The elders were not being self-corrected by the Spirit and Word of God!
Verse 16: "Be diligent with yourself and with the doctrines; continue in them. For in doing this, you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
That's quite a testimony, isn't it? That's why we need to preach the Word of God! How many times have we heard: the Truth of God, the Truth of God, the Truth of God? That's what we need! We can't come along and twist that Truth to make it mean something
- we do not want
- that God doesn't want
- the brethren don't want
We've all been battle-scarred!
Sidebar: I talked to Bonnie Orswell just the other day and she reminded me of all the spiritual battles she went through with the breakup of Worldwide and the subsequent other churches. She said that the Christian Biblical Church of God is the place where she hears the Truth.
That's incumbent upon all of us as elders that that is true. All of the brethren, as well, that that is true.
1-Timothy 5:17: "Let the ordained elders who are leading well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who are laboring in the Word and doctrine…. [that's what we are all to do] …For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox treading out the corn,' and, 'The workman is worthy of his hire.' Do not receive an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses" (vs 17-19).
That's how this event that we just went through came up!
Verse 20: "Those elders who sin should be corrected in the presence of all in order that the others also may fear."
That's what we have done! We're not trying to hide anything. We're not trying to make the mistake of when there is something really grievous that has been done, like this Atonement Event, to hurry and bring someone right back. We saw that in WCG when it was first discovered of all of the sins by the leading evangelist who was doing all the radio programs. They sent him off to Colorado to be fasting and praying, and to come out of all of the troubles that he was in.
But when he left the income plummeted straight down, so they hurried up and brought him back before there was real repentance. What did that lead to? That led to him later having to be expelled, and he then continued the same practice in the church that he formed and had to be expelled again. And he continued the same practice in next church until the day that he died!
So, we need to understand what Paul is saying here.
Verse 21: "I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, and let nothing be done by partiality."
That's what we have tried to do in this particular case! It has been difficult and grievous, as well. Sometimes there are things we have to do that are not pleasant. But nevertheless, they have to be done!
Just think about what Jesus went through in order to be our Savior. Coming in the flesh and all the religious leaders hating Him, rejecting Him and wanting to kill Him! Finally, He was betrayed, arrested, convicted and crucified! All the things that He went through. For what? To be the sin offering for the whole world! For all human sin—as we know in the plan of God—past, present and future! That's another reason why we have the New Testament, so we can be kept in mind of that!
1-Timothy 6:3: "If anyone teaches any different doctrine, and does not adhere to sound words, even those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine that is according to Godliness, he is proud and knows nothing. Rather, he has a morbid attraction to questions and disputes over words, from which come envy, arguments, blasphemy, wicked suspicions, vain reasonings of men who have been corrupted in their minds and are destitute of the Truth—men who believe that gain is Godliness. From such withdraw yourself (vs 3-5).
We've all had to do that! We have seen that! We're trying to take care of this situation before it develops here. We wish that there is repentance, we wish that there is a return, and we will do everything we can to facilitate that.
Verse 13: "I charge you in the sight of God…"
This is to all elders; comes right down to us. We all have a charge from God:
- concerning the Word of God
- concerning the Truth
- concerning how we are to conduct our lives
"…Who gives life to every living thing, and Jesus Christ, Who in testifying before Pontius Pilate gave the exemplary profession of faith, that you keep this commandment…[everything that's in 1st Tim.] …without fault and without rebuke until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ… [He isn't here, yet, so this applies to us directly as elders] …which in His own times the blessed and only Sovereign will make known, the King of kings and Lord of lords; Who alone has immortality, dwelling in light which no man can approach; Whom no man has seen, nor has the ability to see; to Whom belong eternal honor and power. Amen" (vs 13-16).
That's quite a thing for Paul to write these things for us to live by!
Verse 20: "O Timothy, guard the doctrine… [that's what we're trying to do] …which has been entrusted to you, avoiding profane, empty babblings, and contradictions of false knowledge that is called science."
What happens when people get wrapped up in false knowledge and false application of the Truth?
Verse 21: "Through which some, who are personally professing these false views, have missed the mark concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen."
There are some other things here in 2-Tim., but we've covered the main thing that we wanted to cover there, and that is rightly divide the Word of God, and that every word is God-breathed! That's how we need to do it.
John was also writing about some of these very things. He was seeing how these things were coming, which is really applicable today because we have so much of the world around us, near us, and coming into our own homes through the various digital devices, including television.
1-John 2:15: "Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because everything that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pretentious pride of physical life—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world and its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (vs 15-17).
Notice what John says next, because this happens; it was happening then:
Verse 18: "Little children, it is the last time…"
It was the last time of the Apostolic Age at that time. Today, it is the last time in actual time according to the Plan of God.
Verse 19: "They went out from among us, but they were not of us, because if they were of us they would have remained with us; nevertheless, they left that they might be exposed to show that they all were not of us. But you have the anointing from the Holy One, and you have knowledge of all things pertaining to salvation" (vs 19-20). Then John says that that's able to make you wise!
So, we see that what we covered was happening was happening to all of the apostles and all of the Churches at the same time.
1-John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits…"
How do we test the spirits? Sometimes there are spirits that come along that are not from God that like to inject into our mind things of this world! That's called the power of the prince of the air who is Satan the devil and his demons.
"…because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (v 1).
That tells us that when there are false prophets, what's with them? A demon!
Verse 2: "By this test you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. And this is the spirit of antichrist, which you heard was to come, and even now it is already in the world" (vs 2-3).
Verse 4: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is He Who is in you than the one who is in the world. They are of the world; because of this, they speak of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God; the one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not of God does not listen to us. By this means we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the deception" (vs 4-6).
Then John says after that, that we should love one another as God loves us! 2-John is a short epistle but is quite a powerful one. To show you how overwhelming the apostasy was becoming:
2-John 12: "I have many things to write, but I do not wish to convey these things to you with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face in order that our joy may be completely full."
Then John says in 3-John that Diotrephes was even casting out brethren that were following John, and wouldn't even allow them to come to church.
Notice that 2-John has to do with Truth, commandments, righteousness and John emphasizes that! This is what we need in the world today. We all know, as we look at it. A lot of people are looking up-coming election next week, hoping that it will change a lot of things. We will see!
2-John 1: "The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in Truth, and not I alone, but also all those who have known the Truth… [there it is, that is the key] …for the sake of the Truth that is dwelling in us, and shall be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace shall be with us from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I rejoiced exceedingly that I have found among your children those who are walking in Truth, exactly as we received commandment from the Father" (vs 1-4).
That's quite a statement! Every word that we have comes from the Father. What did Jesus say?
- I teach exactly what the Father taught Me to teach!
- I speak exactly what the Father taught me to speak!
- The words that I speak to you are from the Father!
Likewise with everything in the Word of God, it all comes from the Father! We need to really:
- look at that
- cherish that
- live by that
Verse 5: "And now I beseech you, lady, not as though I am writing a new commandment to you, but that which we have observed from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is the love of God: that we walk according to His commandments…" (vs 5-6).
1-John 5:3: "For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome."
Here he repeats it a little differently, 2-John 6: "…that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, exactly as you heard from the beginning, that you might walk in it, because many deceivers have entered into the world…" (vs 6-7). Look at what they were putting up with!
- What were they doing? They were trying to marry doctrines of paganism to Christianity!
- Have they succeeded? Yes, indeed!
- Where has that led? You can see how it is in the world!
"…many deceivers have entered into the world; those who do not confess that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh of true believers. This is the spirit ofthe deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out for yourselves… [we all have to be on guard] …in order that we may not lose the things we have accomplished, but that we may receive a full reward (vs 7-8).
Verse 9: Anyone who transgresses and does not continue in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. But the one who continues in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, 'Welcome!' For anyone who says, 'Welcome!' to him is partaking in his evil works" (vs 9-11).
Then, as we read, John says that he had many things to say to them, but wanted to come and say it in person rather than writing it out.
There we see the conflict that we come up against. I'm sorry about all of the difficulties that came about with this Atonement Event. I'm glad that there are the brethren and the elders who were very alert to this thing from the beginning. I'm very sorrowful that it has turned out the way that it has, as well as many others connected with knowing of this event.
So, we wish that there would be repentance and reconciliation and restoration, whether that can be, that is strictly in the hands of those who need to come before God in repentance and make it happen.
We hope that it will! If not, then we keep praying for them, asking for God to bring them to the understanding of themselves, like the prodigal son who left. He left and had to go suffer until he came to himself!
Then he came back to the father. Likewise that has to be with everyone who has difficulties and have gone on their own. We hope that they come to themselves and come back to God!
Thank you for listening, and I hope that this helps clarify everything and bring us to the point that we need to be. Know that we need, as the Apostle John wrote: To be on guard and to be alert of the things in the Church and in the world!
Scriptural References:
- Jeremiah 23:20-26, 28-29
- 2 Timothy 2:13-17
- 1 Timothy 1:1-8
- Acts 20:18-32
- 1 Timothy 1:14-15, 18-20
- 1 Timothy 2:7
- 1 Timothy 3:15
- 1 Timothy 4:1-2, 13-16
- 1 Timothy 5:17-21
- 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 13-16, 20-21
- 1 John 2:15-20
- 1 John 4:1-6
- 2 John 12-13, 1-6
- 1 John 5:3
- 2-John 6-11
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- 2 Corinthians 11
- 2 Timothy 2
- 3 John
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 11/11/22
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