This is the fourth part in the series of exposition of 2 Timothy 3:14-17. You can check the first three parts below:
Navigating Adversity in Pastoral Leadership: From Christendom to Missional Ministry
Equipped by the Word: The Man of God’s Response to Adversity and Leadership Challenges
Let us return to our central question:
In what way the word of God can make you, a man or woman of God perfect, complete, and thoroughly equipped for every good work?
God can make you perfect, complete, and thoroughly equipped if you will continue to study His word.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned . . . ( 2 Timothy 3:14).
Education has a word for this, “lifelong learning”. This is a very important attitude in life. This is different from the phrase “always learning” mentioned by Paul in verse 7 for this kind of attitude does not make knowledge of the truth its goal.
This continuity in the study of God’s word requires fidelity. This assumes that there is a prior knowledge and conviction that you need to continue. Such prior knowledge serves as the foundation where you will grow in the knowledge of God. And so, continuity in the study of God’s word is an indication of faithfulness.
What is the worst kind of infidelity? From the perspective of human relationships, it is marital. However, from a biblical and theological perspective, it’s a departure from the word of God and building on another foundation. It is equivalent to replacing Yahweh in your life.
In biblical counseling, there is this idea of “replacements”. Instead of continuing in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the very foundation of your Christian life and service, many Christians today, theological educators, and professors are not exempted; we find these replacements attractive. Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp identify seven of them: formalism, legalism, search for emotional and spiritual experiences, fighting for the right, biblicism, healing emotional wounds, and viewing the church as a social club. Among these seven, let me elaborate on three of them:
Fighting for the Right
Among the replacements enumerated by Lane and Tripp, this one hits me hard. The reason why I am in the financial technology space is because I think this is where God is leading me to fight the systemic abuses that most people don't see particularly those related to finance and economics. Reading this part of the book reminds me that the gospel cannot be reduced to active participation even in a worthy cause such as economic or financial inclusion. Yes, there is evil outside of us. However, excessive focus on external or systemic evil tends to undermine the evil inside of us.
Biblicism
This is surprising that even aiming for mastery of biblical content and theology can be a replacement. Usually, people who fall into this trap are pastors, church leaders, and theological educators. You can always hear them speak about theological accuracy, biblical worldview, theologically consistent, and thinking like a Christian (just like what I am doing this morning). Yes, it is good to be familiar with theology and biblical content. Nevertheless, if such knowledge is not reflected in the way we live and instead we become critical, intolerant, and proud, these are sure signals that something is missing.
Healing Emotional Wounds
Living in a therapeutic age, this replacement is popular. Self-help books are very influential. Christians who see that people's problems are a long list of unmet needs, tend to see Christ more as a therapist than a Savior. Christianity is being reduced to the healing of emotional needs rather than the pursuit of godliness.
In this context, the admonition to trust Jesus more can also serve as a replacement. As already mentioned, the context of “trusting Jesus” here is the view that Jesus is a therapist rather than the Redeemer. Yes, trusting Jesus is all that we need in life, but we must know who is this Jesus that we trust. If we view him as a therapist, then the focus is still on our needs, our pains, and the wounded self. We turn Jesus into someone else that he is not. In this perspective, Jesus exists to heal my pain, to fill our emptiness. Jesus is more of a servant rather our Lord and Master. Lane and Tripp remind us:
Jesus is not a vending machine that dispenses what we want to feel good about ourselves. He is the Holy One who comes to cleanse us, fill us, and change us. He does not do this according to our agendas. He will not serve our wayward needs. He loves us too much to merely make us happy. He comes to make us holy (Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp, How People Change, 2006, p. 25).
Replacing the gospel with numerous alternatives is like replacing your wife with many women and your husband with many men. If your boyfriend or girlfriend will do this to you, how are you going to respond? Generally, there are three responses: separation, suicide, and vengeance. If this is how humans respond to the problem of infidelity, how do you think God will respond to you if the Bride of Christ and His servants replace His word with human words?
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