Paul the
apostle noted “evil men and seducers shall
wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived”
as he wrote to Timothy, and because this was certain, he exhorted
Timothy to “continue in the things which”
he had “learned”
and “been assured of, knowing of whom”
he had “learned them”.
In
chapter three and verse fifteen of this final letter from Paul, he
reminded Timothy “that from
a child”
he had “known the holy
scriptures”
where we read:
And that
from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able
to make
you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
The
verse begins, “And that from a child you have known the holy
scriptures,...” Paul began with the word, “And”
which shows a continuance of thought as he added, “that from a
child” or “indeed, also and even since you were an infant,
new-born or babe” “ you have known” which means “seen,
perceived, understood and had knowledge of” “the holy”
or “sacred, consecrated to deity, pertaining to God and divine”
“scriptures” which refers to “letters, writings,
documents and records of sacred learning”. Timothy was blessed to
have been exposed to the “scriptures” from the time he was
an infant, and his exposure would no doubt be to his advantage as
“evil men and seducers” increased.
The verse goes on to
say, “...which are able to make you
wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Paul
continued, “which are able”
or “have the power whether by virtue of one's own ability and
resources, or a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or
by permission of law or custom” “to
make you wise”
which is the Greek phrase “sophizō
se sophizō” and
means “to make or become with understanding and wisdom” “unto
salvation”
or “towards, for and among deliverance, preservation and safety”
“through faith”
or “by way of, with, in and by the belief and conviction that God
exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, and He is the
provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ” “which
is in Christ Jesus”
or “that is by way of, with, in and by the anointed Messiah and Son
of God whose name means Jehovah is Salvation”. Paul knew the power
of the “holy scriptures”
was that Timothy would understand salvation which comes by putting
faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
While
we think upon Paul's words, we note the value which he places upon
“the holy scriptures”.
We also see the great advantage Timothy had by knowing them from the
time he was a small child. In light of the pending “evil
men and seducers” who are to
increase in number and deception, what value should we place upon the
“holy scriptures”?
Some of us may have also experienced the benefit of being taught the
word of God from the time we were children, however, we rarely look
at them now. Others may have learned the “holy
scriptures” later in their
lives, and yet, the pages within their Bibles are only occasionally
open. When we consider this, let us be inspired to read and study the
Bible and to place value upon understanding and wisdom found within
its verses, and if we need inspiration for seeking the word of God
once again, let us consider that our eternal “salvation”
is found within it.
Next
time Paul tells Timothy “all scripture is given by
inspiration of God”, so read
ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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