“Remember Jesus the Anointed One…”
2 Timothy 2:8a spr
2 Timothy 2:7 “Think over…”
2 Timothy 2:8 “Remember…”
2 Timothy 2:14 “Remind…”
As important as experience is, it is not enough. Right behavior is not enough. Right emotions and attitudes are not enough. These are important parts of Christ-following, but they are not enough. But then, neither is knowledge enough. Why then does Paul put such emphasis on knowledge?
This seems to have been an issue with Timothy—and maybe with us all—and Paul camps on the importance of right knowledge. Without right knowledge—without an understanding of the truth of God—all our experience, behavior, emotions, and attitudes are empty.
Content is important. It seeps into our heart and begins to change our core beliefs. When our core beliefs change, we change. Maybe quickly and maybe slowly, but we change. Even better, our changing is in partnership with the Holy Spirit who lives in our heart and is always making us more like Jesus.
This is not a matter of preference. We cannot be a Christ-follower and decide whether to know, feel, and do the truth. It must be all three. Paul warns, “…if we will deny him, he will deny us…” (2:12b spr). Honestly, I am not sure of the full meaning of that, but it caught my attention and raised the bar. I must wonder, if my doing and feeling are not accompanied by accurate knowing, am I denying? Maybe.
God, I want to know you accurately. My knowing, like my doing and feeling, has been damaged by humanity’s (and my) rebellion. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for the intellect you created within me. Give me grace as I learn the knowing, doing, and feeling of Christ-following.
Tag(s): lectio 2 timothy
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There is one thing althought. You do what you will with the following info, I'm no teacher of any sort but I do share 'the search' with you. About The Rigid:
ReplyDelete-have no idea if you read a bit about Buddha. But, what he choosed what right in the middle of the way of 'The Rigid' and the soft way (meditation, brain activity or non-activity if you will). You have some really interesting questions there, but does those questions get in the way between you and life (actual, hand work, no thinking)? I used to be 'binary thinking' (right-wrong) but I softened somewhat until feeling more comfy. Just love my friend. Love.
You raise a good point about "rightness"--or "rigidity" in your words. That is a valid concern. Rigidity most often results in arrogance. The rightness of which I speak is not rigidity, as in firm boundaries, but direction.
ReplyDeleteRight knowing, doing, and feeling are right because they are located in relationship with and directed toward a person--Jesus. Paul's command here is to remember Jesus--but to remember him correctly. If one is not in relationship to and directed toward the actual Jesus, then one is in relationship with and directed toward someone else. If trusting Jesus really is the only way to solve humanity's brokenness--and I believe it is--then we must trust the correct person (not some random guy named Jesus). Thus the need for right knowing, doing, and feeling.
Further, all three--knowing, doing, and feeling--are necessary because we are whole persons and we relate as whole persons. In this letter, Paul emphasizes knowing, though he speaks of the other two as well. I also emphasize knowing. The culture in which I live (Southern California, USA) places a high value on experience and emotion and a lower value on knowledge. The same is true for the culture in which Paul and Timothy lived (first century Ephesus had much in common with 21st century Los Angeles). I think that is why Paul camps on knowledge--and it is why I camped on it here.
I am not calling for rigidity--God forbid! I am calling myself to a holistic relationship with an actual person: Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of humanity.