In this Midweek Bible Study, Pastor Arville Duncan opens a new chapter in our study of Second Timothy. As the weather warms up, Pastor Duncan warms our hearts with a call to spiritual duty, focusing on the first four verses of chapter two.
1. The Chain of Command: Teaching Others
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)
Pastor Duncan emphasizes that we are not just consumers of the Word; we are meant to be conduits.
- The Responsibility of Knowledge: What you learn from the pulpit and your own study is meant to be shared.
- A Personal Witness: You don’t need to be a scholar to be a witness. Your best tool is your own testimony—telling others how God saved you, changed your life, and met your needs.
- Sheep and Lambs: While a shepherd feeds the sheep, it is the sheep who are meant to have lambs. As members of the flock, it is our job to bring new “lambs” into the fold.
2. Faith: The Difference Between Lost and Saved
Pastor Duncan shares a fascinating story from his family history about Adam Stevens during the flu epidemic of 1918.
- The “Cornbread Pills”: To encourage people to have faith, Adam gave them “pills” made of cornmeal. The faith of the people, not the cornmeal, helped many recover.
- Natural vs. Supernatural Faith: You can have “natural” faith even before you are saved (like trusting a mule to plow a straight row). However, once you are saved, you receive “double indemnity”—Christ lives in you, building a “most high faith” that can touch others and move mountains.
3. Qualifications of a Good Soldier
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 2:3)
Being a soldier in God’s army isn’t just a title; it requires specific qualifications:
- Enduring Hardness: You will face hard times. Your “flesh” will try to talk you out of going to church or staying faithful. A good soldier pushes through.
- Avoid Entanglements: A soldier doesn’t get so caught up in the “affairs of this life” that he forgets his mission to please the One who chose him.
- Consistency: “Big talkers” are often “slow walkers.” A true soldier is faithful in tithing, prayer meetings, and attending the house of God.
4. The Necessity of Basic Training
Just as the US Army requires 10-14 weeks of rigorous training before deployment, a Christian cannot expect to survive spiritual combat without training in the Word.
- The Bible as a Manual: Reading the Bible gives more true education than a college degree. It is our “rifle” in the battle against the devil.
- Visitation & Grit: Pastor Duncan shared his early days of “visitation”—knocking on doors of strangers to talk about Jesus. It takes “grit” and training to overcome the fear of the enemy.
- A Daily Regimen: Pastor Duncan challenges us to a higher standard of training:
- Read the Bible cover-to-cover: Don’t skip the hard parts.
- The “10-and-2” Rule: Read 10 chapters of the Bible every day and have 2 sessions of prayer.