A Passion Daily Journey Through 2 Timothy

2 Timothy 3:14-17 // Round 15 // Ben Stuart

Ben Stuart
18.10.21
8 min

OK, round 15 out of 20 days in 2 Timothy, let’s jump into it, folks, we are in chapter three, beginning in verse 14. Take a couple of deep breaths. Let me read this to us and then we’ll jump in. Chapter three of second Timothy, verse 14. Says this. But as for you. Continue in what you’ve learned and have firmly believed. Knowing from whom you learned it. And how from childhood, you’ve been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training and righteousness. That the man of God may be completely equipped for every good work. 

I remember when I started playing football in high school, I was in secondary on the defense and simply stated, the way our coach taught us was you would react to the quarterback. If the ball was coming towards you in a run, you ran towards the ball. If he dropped back to pass, you drop back to cover. That sort of thing. But inevitably, when you got into a game, there was linemen running everywhere and receivers criss crossing and linebackers running places. And and for many of us, we would just sort of start running around in circles. And I’ll never forget after a game, which for our team, we would typically have lost. We would watch the game film afterwards, and the coach would sit there and slowly play Rewind, play rewind, and he would show and then inevitably he would call out someone’s name. Stuart. Yes, sir. Which way did the quarterback go? Towards me, sir? Then why did you run backwards? And there was never an answer. You’re like, because I’m an idiot, sir. I mean, you just, said because I freaked out. The environment was chaotic and I just started running around and I forgot everything you taught us. 

And so in practice, what he would do is he would always put the starting varsity guys in front and have us young guys lined up behind them. And so we would try to learn how to react to the ball by keeping our eye on the veterans. Let’s see what they did and let’s learn from them. Who and what? That’s what we need to key off of. Who do I look at to show me what to do? And what are they teaching me? Let me get it in deep. 

And Paul, remember he’s been talking about how the environment’s going to get chaotic. There’s going to be people who were walking with God that punt him that did believe the Bible that don’t. You’re going to go to a university that try to challenge the basics of what you believe. You’re going to show up and work culture where no one cares about your religious commitments. You’re going to be in a disorienting environment. 

And he tells Timothy, You’re there in Ephesus without me, and things are getting hard. But he says, but you, Timothy, however, you continue and what you learned, don’t get happy feet. Don’t start running around in circles. Don’t try to find some new philosophy for life. You learn some of the key truths when you were a kid, Timothy. Continue in what you’ve learned. Keep walking forward. Why do that? Continue what you learned, knowing from whom you learned it? He said, Timothy, think about your heroes. Remember your mom. Remember your grandma. Remember their faith. Remember how it worked out for them? And for some of you, maybe there’s mentors that you go, you know what? I’m in a different environment around a lot of different crazy ideas. But I remember that pastor who loves me. I remember that Bible study leader who cared for me and how healthy her marriage was and her family. He says, remember who taught. And how from childhood you were acquainted with the sacred writings, he said, Timothy, you had the opportunity to learn the sacred holy words when you were a kid. So key off of who. Get the person in front of you who lived by faith and think about how they hear and uncertainty to help you when you handle uncertainty. 

And then think about what? What did they teach you? Timothy, get in front of you role models and get in front of you, the word of God. That’s how you’re going to navigate a difficult day. He said, because you know these sacred writings, which for Timothy, would have been the Old Testament. They’re able to make you wise for salvation. You read the Old Testament, they show you that were made in the image of God, but broken because of sin yet even in Genesis, God said, I’ll send the seed of a woman to crush the serpent’s head. You see the gospel playing out all through the Old Testament of one day, a hero will come. A prophet like Moses, a king like David. Someone who will bring the spirit with him, as Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied. We’re waiting for the suffering servant who will bring us to life again. All through the Old Testament, there’s a calling of looking forward to Jesus Christ. 

And he says, Timothy, you’ve seen over the centuries, God unfolding the story of Jesus. Those sacred writings made you wise for the salvation that’s through faith in Christ. And then he says, Timothy, all scripture. And he’s speaking about the word of God here. He says all scripture is God breathed. And that’s a word Paul makes up. Theopneustos. Neustos is breath or spirit of God. God breathed out these words. As pastor Louie says that these are God’s breath on a page. If I gave you this book and I gave you a book by an Oxford professor, a Cambridge professor, and said, which one are you going to believe about how you’re wired, about how the world works, about how your emotional content works? Are you going to believe Cambridge? Are you going to believe theopneustos? Breathed out by God? 

Look, people with education can really understand some complex things about the world, and there’s a lot of books out there that’ll help you. But if it conflicts with breathed out by the one who made it all, I’m going with this book. Because a lot of professors come and go. But this book is an anvil that’s worn out many hammers. It has been true throughout history and it is worthy to be the foundation of our life. 

So he says, Hey Timothy, you stay rooted here. Remember what you were taught. Remember who taught it to you. You don’t need to progress beyond this book. You progress with this book. Because all scripture’s breathed out by God and it is profitable. It will do good by you for teaching. It will teach you and educate you on things you don’t know. It’s good for reproof. It will correct where you’re wrong. It’s good for correction. It will show you where to go right. And it’s good for training and righteousness. It’s good for helping you develop to be someone who does right by God and other people. That all throughout the Bible, I can be shown what’s right. Corrected where I’m wrong. Driven down the right path. And made better and better at it. God has given us a word that will allow every man to be complete and equipped for every good work. 

You want to use the gifts you’ve been given by God to do good in the world? You don’t have to progress beyond this book. The spirit of God breathed out the scriptures of God. 

And as you get this into you, you’re going to do well. No matter how the play develops, you’ll know how to move and where to get to in order to accomplish what God has in your life. These scriptures grow with you as you develop. The wisdom is simple enough for the child and deep enough for the greatest sage. This is a book breathed out by your God, and it will profit you to get deep into it and it will equip you for every good work God has before you. 

So again, I’m so proud of you for sticking in here with this and soaking in the word of God. Keep reading over 2 Timothy. It’ll take you less than 11 minutes to read this whole book. Consider reading it over and over again until the channels of your thoughts flow alongside the thoughts of Paul because I promise you, as the word of God dwells deep on you, you will dwell in the world in a way that can produce good change in a dark world. And so I’m cheering you on. Ask God. Pray. What would it look like to be someone who does this? Who gets deep into the word of God, and so that it teaches me, reproves me, challenges me, and trains me to be someone who can accomplish God’s will in the world today. And again, praying along with you, cheering you on. See you next time. 

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