"Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers."
2 Timothy 2:14
Part 1
Some words are profitable; they build up the hearer.
Some words are unprofitable, they subvert, overthrow, and destroy the hearer.
“Of these things put them in remembrance.”
The ability to remember things that we have seen, heard, or done in the past is a tremendous help to our learning capacity. And yet we as human beings often have very short memories for essential things to our relationship with the Lord and others. Paul, the mentor, used memory to help him disciple his son in the faith, Timothy. Paul remembered and enabled him to remember essential things.
“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:5-6).
And then in our verse for today, Paul is telling Timothy to help those in his care to “remember.” “Of these things put them in remembrance” (2 Timothy 2:14a).
One of the pastor’s duties is to help God’s children “remember” what God has said and done. Peter said,
“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance” (2 Peter 1:13).
What did they need?
To remember the Gospel message that saved them!
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel” (2 Timothy 2:8).
To remember their duty to remain faithful to the Lord!
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13).
“Charging them before the Lord.”
Paul “charged” Timothy twice (1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 4:1), and he instructed him to charge “them before the Lord.” The “them” being those he was given to minister to in the church there in Ephesus. With the “cares of this world” crowding in, it is easy for Christians to get off track and major on things that are not important toward our mission for the Lord Jesus Christ. “Words” can so quickly derail our thinking and our ministry. Timothy was to testify (charge) to them about their words.
Believers, we need to bridle our tongues (James 3:2). Come back tomorrow as we see the dangers in “words to no profit.”
Quote: “O Lord, keep our hearts, keep our eyes, keep our feet, and keep our tongues”[1] (William Tiptaft).
[1] William Tiptaft’s (1803-1864) quote Downloaded: Monday, August 17, 2020. From: https://www.christianquotes.info/top-quotes/17-amazing-quotes-power-words/.