Its simple. Certainly you begin to look at life differently. He probably wants Timothy to see himself in similar terms: appointed by the will of God and promised life in Christ. But it is a huge challenge because much of the current leadership of the church was in that category 15 years ago. Tychicus, the Asian resident we read about in Acts 20:4 is on his way to relieve Timothy in Ephesus so that Paul can see Timothy one last time. Once, there had been this team. Come before winter.. Some things must be done before winter or they will not be done at all. Do your best to come to me soon. They are, and Paul cherished them. Maybe it was just his home. He prayed that you would come; he never gave up hope of seeing you again. Theres no evidence that he does, and we certainly know ministers who have forsaken us, forsaken the church, and forsaken Christ ministers who never come back. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. I mean, I can name people close to me. Am I willing to be embarrassed by the gospel? 1 Corinthians 4:17For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. That was five illustrations of it. 2 Timothy 4:10: For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.. Eunice, his Jewish mother, and his grandmother Lois taught him the Scriptures from the time he was a young boy. once Neros madness inflamed, he continued his persecution of Remember that Timothy is probably in Ephesus, hundreds of miles away, and it would take several months for him to come to Rome. What step of faith? If you hear the Lord knocking at your hearts door, do not delay, go now and open the door and invite Christ into your life as Savior and Lord. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. That is where the book of Acts ends, but it is not the end of the story. But thats not the way Jesus handled it. Thanks to an inscription we know with fairly decent precision when Gallio was in office and can date this event in Pauls life to approximately AD 51 (maybe 52). Whether youre in a missionary team on a field somewhere thats unbelievably stressful relationally, or whether youre in a local church or just a family or a single person its going to be hard, and the Lord will stand by you. By all means, plead with your Timothy to come before winter. Now its down to Paul and Luke. However, we should note that Augustus was a title, not his name. 1 Acts 28:30,31. Nero tried to stamp out the rumorsbut to no avail. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? Timothys death is not recorded in the Bible. During his time in prison, Paul was visited by Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:1617), abandoned by many Christians as he faced trial (2 Timothy 4:16), deserted by Demas (2 Timothy 4:10), but still somehow found a way to write a second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy). It so moved the congregation that the session asked him to preach it again. He had sent Timothy on several difficult missions; it seems that Paul was confident in Timothys ability and willingness. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Sometimes we feel like we cant make it without our friends to help us out. Timothys mother 1. Claudius expulsion of the Jews from Rome, And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from rev2023.3.1.43269. After I preached the first service on Sunday, I stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. Imagine how Timothy was affected by Pauls visit. Eusebius notes that Paul and Peter were executed during the same Neronian persecution, though Peter was crucified upside down, as he requested. Amen. I am not suggesting this is true, merely that is raises an important question: Did the apostle ever appear before Caesar? Therefore, we must do what Jesus saidSeek first the Kingdom of God. Thats a challenge to our unity and to our willingness to stretch, but it is also a gift from God. Zavada, Jack. Im not long in this world., Well, at that point I would be inclined to say, So whats with the theological education? Your friends who let you down can still be your friends. My brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown (Philippians 4:1). He could have been thinking, Paul is so spiritual. I am a middle-aged manthe calendar does not lie. He didnt show up. If God has given you the means to make a lot of money as a businessman, or if God has given you a church where they pay you well, dont keep all of it. Hed given it all away when the time of his departure came. You can see it in every service, but especially in the 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. services. We have great dreams and high ideals, but time and neglect and the trivia of life sap our strength and divert us until the day comes when our resolve is gone, our marriage has grown cold, our children have left home, our spiritual life has grown dull. Now we do not know if it happened like that or not. On July 19, AD 64, a fire broke out in Rome, destroying ten of the In his final days, his thoughts went to Demas, a friend who had left him in his time of need, choosing to love the world instead. He chose the zealous young disciple Timothy. It only takes a minute to sign up. View our current career opportunities. citys fourteen districts. I feel guilty all the time around him because I love the world. He left Jesus, and he left Paul. Now, if thats all we had, wed say, See, Jesus is a faithful friend. This provides a relatively certain point from which Pauls chronology can be aligned with the Julian calendar, based upon which we can conclude that Paul arrived in Rome in approximately AD 60, during the tenure of Nero. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. putting the Bible into English. Meanwhile, he continued to drink because he thought he had it under control. Somehow they came to Calvary. So he stood before caesar. Crescens, who is otherwise unknown, is ministering in Galatia, and Titus, whom we are well acquainted with from our study of the letter to Titus, is serving the kingdom of God in Dalmatia (2 Tim. It was first applied to Caesar For additional information and resources visit us at www.insight.org. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. And then Paul reminds Timothy of what the gospel is, and why he should preach it: God has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. The word holy means set apart for God. God not only gives us eternal life, he tells us that our life has purpose we are set apart for Gods use. WebEncyclopedia Britannica lists Romans as Pauls last chronological writing, so these chapters were likely some of the last he wrote before his death. What are you going to do in your last two days? My point is, it doesnt follow to say, Okay, in a few days Im going to see him face to face, so I dont need the book anymore. You do need the book the book and books. They will watch your life what kind of car you drive and how many houses you have and what you feel like you need to buy. WebAlthough he had been released from prison several times before, Paul now senses that death will be his only escape. So, now were at the sweetest centerpiece of the text: As much as you may love your earthly friends or your earthly family, they cant do this for you. The Lord delivered him from the mouth of the lion, and will continue to deliver him so that he has complete confidence that he will one day enter the heavenly kingdom. Otho took over, but only between 15 January 69 and 16 April 69. First, we are becoming a more diverse congregation, with more people from a wider variety of backgrounds than ever before. governors Felix and Festus (Acts 2426). They met with Satan who asked them what strategy they planned to follow: The first one said, I will tell people that there is no God. That, said Satan, will not work because in their heart of hearts they know there is a God.. Luke alone is with me. But there is something that I did not fully grasp when I started this sermon series that now seems crystal clear to me. God gives us what we need: strength, love for others, and self-discipline. Here is a man who decided to come before winter. He heard the call and he ran to the cross. Also, by studying the final letters of Paul 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy we are able to conclude that the apostle was released from that initial Roman confinement. Church tradition holds that after Paul's death, Timothy served as bishop of the church at Ephesus, a seaport on the west coast of Asia Minor, until A.D. 97. At that time a pagan group was celebrating the feast of Catagogion, a festival in which they carried images of their gods about the streets. Timothy met and scolded them for their idolatry. The future belongs to the young. What is true of life in general is true of the church as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Since you have faith, Paul says, put it to use. Yes, of course we would have gone. We must not say, Tomorrow is another day. This week the transcripts of messages to and from the Port Authority of New York on September 11, 2001 were released. So I would want to read a sermon from this man who has ministered to my soul like nobody else has ministered to my soul as I get ready to meet my Jesus. That was almost two decades ago, and I hadnt thought about it for many years, but this week, out of nowhere, the memory of what I didnt do came back to me. He accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys, and when Paul was in prison, Timothy represented Paul at Corinth and Philippi. Timothy was a young man who began traveling with Paul and Silas when they visited Lystra during the second missionary journey ( Acts 16:1 ). probably started accidentally in an oil warehouse, rumors swirled that What were the legal consequences of "I appeal to Caesar!" Know you that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. Answer. You write your own letter. Ive got the Lord standing by me, and my life is ready to be poured out as an offering. provision for incarceration as a form of punishment. (2 Timothy 3:15) Like his mother and grandmother, he could see that Paul and Barnabas spoke the truth about the Messiah. He mentions his clear conscience something he wants Timothy to have, too. I have a few weeks yet to live, and they help me die. Youre all in school, and thats a good place to be for a season, and I hope you just stay in love with God-centered, Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting literature until you breathe your last. Whatever it is, Come before winter. Do it. It is right at this point that all three concerns that I mentioned converge in my mind. Come now. Here is a brief extract from an article that suggests Paul might not have appeared before Caesar after he was imprisoned in Rome. Zero chance of this, Augustus Caesar died in AD 14. 10:22). Vitellius was next, but was executed in Rome by Vespasian's soldiers on 22 December 69. Youll either change your ministry to be compatible with that love, which happens all over the place, or you will leave the ministry like Demas did. Do German ministers decide themselves how to vote in EU decisions or do they have to follow a government line? Dont change the message repeat it. Yes, Im sure we would. Edit: When Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome from Corinth (Greece) during his third missionary journey (cf. So I was rescued from the lions mouth. He built the church on them. One part of seeking Gods kingdom means laying up treasures in heaven by investing our earthly money in Gods work. What happened next has been debated for 2,000 years, but it seems most likely that very soon he was beheaded by Nero. Paul handled a lot of money in his day, and he kept very little for himself. Lets read 2 Timothy 4:922. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments (v. 12). In the end, it is Christ who calls to us. How did authorities know that Paul was really a Roman citizen? I think Paul wants Timothy to see this because he says it so many times. Sign up to receive e-mail from Insight for Living Ministries. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Church tradition holds that after Paul's death, Timothy served as bishop of the church at Ephesus, a seaport on the west coast of Asia Minor, until A.D. 97. He is grateful that Luke has remained in Rome to give him comfort while in prison. (NIV). First, Paul had been a resident of Jerusalem as a child ( Acts 22:3) and was also there years later to approve of Stephens stoning ( Acts 8:1 ). Did timothy see paul before he died sa Fiction Writing Answer (1 of 3): Nothing was said by any Christian source about the death of Timothy until the fifth-century Acts of Timothy describes him as disrupting a We were in a hurry, on our way to or from Dallas, it was late in the day, but I thought to myself, I should stop and see him or at least stop and call. Marlene even said, We can stop if you want to. But I did neither, and we drove on, and he died a few days later. Thats exactly how Paul felt toward Timothy. If you can find one place where the Bible says, Come to Christ tomorrow, then I will come down from the pulpit and never preach again. If September 11 taught us anything, we should realize that the future is uncertain for all of us and that we cant rely on the things of the world because they will not last forever. He tells us that our brother Timothy is set at liberty ; whom. ) during his third missionary journey ( cf, wed say, Tomorrow is another.... 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did timothy see paul before he died
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