RELIGION: Saintly advice from a mother, grandmother and scripture – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
As we turn to the Scripture for today, we see the key emphasis of Paul in writing this second letter to Timothy as Paul encourages him to remain in what he had learned from his mother and grandmother and the assurance the Scripture gave him; assurance he had learned from a child.
A Jewish boy began to study the Old Testament from the age of five. Timothy was exposed to the Scriptures as a young boy, Scriptures that brought him the wisdom of salvation.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 is the “Golden Text” on the inspiration of Scripture. Properly understood, these verses help us accept the Bible as written by inspired writers. The phrase “given by inspiration of God” is one word in the Greek. “Theopneustos” means “God-breathed.” We believe that the Holy Spirit moved in the lives of the Biblical writers to give us God’s Word. And that word is valuable to us as a source teaching God’s wisdom as well as to convince us of sin and correct us. The Bible gives us God’s view of life and what our priorities as Christians should be. The end result is that we are capable of living before God lives that honor Him and produce good works.
Paul gives Timothy a charge to always be prepared to preach and teach God’s Word at all times and use it as a tool to bring correction, rebuke when necessary and encouragement.
We are also reminded that pastors have an obligation to teach those under their care not what the people want to hear but what they need to hear. Many have what I call “the itching ear syndrome” taken from I Timothy 4:3, defined as those who do not want to hear sound doctrine but who gather around themselves pastors who teach them what they want to hear. They turn aside from the truth to myth and fables. The Greek word used here means “to wander from the true path without knowing it.” In my opinion, Joel Olsteen is a good example of this. A multi-millionaire, he admitted in an interview, “The main thing I talk about is how the individual can excel.” This is quite the opposite of a description of a Christian from my Methodist friend in Cuba who wrote, “It pains me to see how some walk among others as if they are demigods with a microphone. As if by preaching, singing or having a title, they were untouchable. But the gospel doesn’t work that way. Here, the greatest is he who serves. He who believes in himself a lot understands nothing, and whoever humbles himself is more like Jesus.”
The idea behind “itching ears” is entertainment. People with itching ears want to be entertained with sensational oratory, so opportunistic teachers take advantage of these people who tell them what they want to hear. In Carl Sandberg’s biography on Abraham Lincoln, he writes about the Lincoln-Douglas debates while both men were running for President. Lincoln often made fun of Douglas and his “perfected oratory where people with their itching ears would flock to hear his fables.”
This Scripture today ends with Paul encouraging Timothy to keep levelheaded, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist and discharge all his duties as a servant of God.
Lest you think this message today is for pastors and not for you, here is the takeaway. Every sermon should have a takeaway defined as the main point.
The takeaway I think for this message is that Paul’s words are not just directed to Timothy and other pastors but to congregations. Pastors are encouraged to preach and teach the gospel, but you have an obligation to listen and apply what you hear. You also have an obligation to make sure your pastor is true to his calling to not preach what you want to hear, but what you need to hear for your benefit to enhance your spiritual growth and enable you to live uprightly as a member of Christ’s Kingdom.
Dr. Dan Eischen is pastor-teacher of Westville, Okla., Global Methodist Church, 1544 N. Street in Westsville. Worship is held 10 a.m., Sundays.
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