May 07, 2001

"But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me."  2 Timothy 3:10-11

Paul is acknowledging that Timothy has known and followed Paul’s life and teachings.  He tells him later on in the letter that he is ready to die and that the time of his departure is at hand.  In this letter Paul encourages Timothy to stick to the sound doctrine of the Word and continue to do all that the Lord has called him to.

Paul wrote most of the New Testament. Bible Scholars say that this is Paul’s last letter.  It’s interesting that all of the New Testament was written in a relatively short period of time compared to the Old Testament.  The Old Testament spans a period of thousands of years.  It tells of the creation, the flood, the birth of the Jewish nation, and the history of Israel- including the ups and downs of God’s people.

Rather than focusing on the history of God’s people, the New Testament focuses on a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  God’s focus shifted from saving His people through a blood relation to saving them through a faith relation.

This saving grace does not come through ancestry or through keeping a set of rules and regulations.  It couldn’t.  No one could do it.  God had to come Himself to do it for us.  And He did do it for us in the Person of Jesus Christ—the Word of God made flesh.  The Word or Commands God gave in the Old Testament would save them if they could keep them.  Today life still comes through the Word of God but it begins with a personal relationship with The Living Word of God-Jesus.

As we read the New Testament we will be encouraged and strengthened in our faith.  We will receive the wisdom and insight we need to be successful in our walk with the Lord and our quest for Him.  We’ll not be dependent on a leader of a nation or leader of a religion to seek the Lord for us; we can do that ourselves through Jesus Christ.  And as we do we will be able to say as Paul did that the Lord delivered us out of all our troubles!