MY SHORT REPORT EPHESIANS – 2 TIMOTHY
The link that brought you to this page and the page title are a bit of a misnomer, because this short report is not long enough to cover so many chapters of the Bible. What the link and the title do, however, is track where we are in our plan to read through the entire Bible in 1 year. May each report pique your interest and help you to draw near to God. The Bible, James 4:8, tells us if we do so God will draw near to us. Works cited are at the end of the report. Unless otherwise indicated Scripture is from the English Standard Version. Internal links are to Biblegateway and show Scripture, ESV and NKJV, in Parallel. Although not indicated some internal links may show additional verses so you can see the passage in context.
BIBLE READING—WEEK 50—EPHESIANS 4 - 2 TIMOTHY: Last week’s report looked at the churches in Galatia that were under attack from an outside source. While looking through the book of Galatians we saw that the Law only made us aware of sin, but Jesus was God’s perfect plan to redeem mankind. Paul showed the Galatians that faith in Jesus produced fruit of the Spirit and contrasted those good fruits with the works of the flesh that are the products of our sinful nature. Paul taught that redeemed sinners that habitually live according to the works of the flesh placed themselves at risk of losing eternal life. This week’s Short Report considers Paul’s letter to the Philippians, one of his prison letters that focuses on joy in service and holds Christ up as our ultimate example of servitude.
Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:36-37, my emphasis).
Do you think only bad people go to prison? As we learn from Paul’s imprisonment, good people called by Christ while in the performance of their mission can be cast into prison as common criminals. Google (perform an internet search for) "missionaries in prison" and you’ll see online headlines like "North Korea sentences Baptist missionary to life in prison" and "Christian Sentenced to Twenty Years in Sudan Prison." Do you think that would never happen in America? Google "Christians persecuted for their faith in America" and you’ll see headlines like "No Christian persecution in the US? Try telling that to these Christians" and "Regular Christians Are No Longer Welcome In American Culture." The bottom line, while we, in many cases, are blessed not to be undergoing persecution for Christ’s sake currently, good Christian people are facing these kind of persecutions all the time, even in America.
How did Paul respond to persecutions of all kind, including prison? He responded with joy! In Acts 16:25, while under arrest and in chains we are told that “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Here, in his letter to the Philippians we also see that even when Paul is a physical prisoner he is spiritually free. One of Paul’s most remembered verses is Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” The words “joy and “rejoice” occur 15 times—almost 4 times per chapter.
This is an upbeat, positive letter. Paul is not withdrawn, sad, feeling hurt or shame; he is optimistic and encouraging throughout this prison letter. Some early statements in the first chapter include: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (v. 3), “I am sure of this” (v. 6), “It is right for me to feel this way about you...I hold you in my heart” (v. 7), and “I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (v. 8).
It seems he is happy to be in jail, because it advances the Gospel of Christ. Still in the first chapter (vv. 11-13) Paul writes, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” In verse 18 he adds, “Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”
In 2 Kings 2:9 before Elijah ascends into heaven on chariots of fire, Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit—so he could be twice the servant of God. One way we know Elisha’s petition was granted is Elijah raised one person from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24) while Elisha raised two (2 Kings 4:32-37; 2 Kings 13:20-21). May we all be so bold as to ask God for a double portion of Paul’s love of Scripture and his tenacity when it comes to sharing it with others, or for his joy of service, or for his perseverance when the going gets tough. The first step in praying the Bible is to read the Bible.
Philippians 1:21 is another well known verse: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul is making two points. His second point, “to die is gain” is dependent on the first point and is something all Christians should look forward to because we, as our Lord tells us, have been storing up our “treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Storing up treasure is accomplished through obedience and the fruit of the Spirit (good works preformed with the help of God’s Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23)). For example, Jesus summed up obedience to the Ten Commandments this way, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:34-40).
Paul’s first point, “to live is Christ,” places Christ at the center of our lives. He explains in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” So for Paul being alive meant having the mind of Christ and doing the things He wants us to do, that amounts to lifestyle—living as a Christian—not only in words but actions, too, which includes suffering.
Next, in verse 27, Paul talks about living a life that is worthy of our calling. To that end, he says, “You should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (v. 29). Suffering brings to mind the cross, which we are to take up daily (Luke 9:23), but it does not have to be that extreme. Anything we do for Christ, such as resisting the urge to sin, or helping a neighbor even when we would rather spend the time doing something else are types of suffering, or sacrificing for Christ’s sake.
In the Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary, Jerald C. Joersz tells his readers, “Believers do not find it shocking that they must suffer because of their faith in Christ (1Pt 4:12-13; 2Tm 3:12; Ac 14:22; cf. Ac 9:16). Participating in the sufferings of Jesus endured (3:10) ‘is a gracious thing in the sight of God’ (1Pt 2:20; cf. 2Th 1:5). … Both faith in Christ and suffering for Him are God’s gifts” (p. 200).
Paul stays in this vein of thought in chapter 2 where he reminds us that Christ, who is God, emptied Himself and became the servant of all and obedient to the point of death on the cross (v. 8). Following the example of Christ Jesus we, too, are to be obedient servants, as Paul writes, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (v. 13).
Before closing this chapter he thanks the Philippians for and returns to them Epaphroditus, who Paul calls, “Your messenger and minister to my need” (v. 25). Timothy was also seeing to Paul’s needs at this time (v. 19). For Paul, we can say “I was in prison and you [the church] came to me.”
In chapter 3 Paul cautions the Philippians, his brothers in Christ, about his Jewish brothers that still clung to the Law. Without explanation he states in verse 3, “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” He does explain himself in Romans 2:29 when he says, “Circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” This was promised in Deuteronomy 30:6, and in Jeremiah 4:4 the people of God are told, "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem."
In Philippians 3:7, Paul lists his own works under the Law, but qualifies this list when he says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.“ Indeed, Paul now considered his old ways and the works of the Law “as rubbish” (v. 8), because he could not be made righteous under the Law (v. 9). He speaks in a way that is reminiscent of verse 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Looking at verse 7 Joersz makes a good point telling his readers, “Paul speaks as one who has more than enough credentials to place confidence in the flesh. His opponents cannot easily dismiss him by saying he has no right to speak” (220).
In chapter 4 Paul makes his last exhortation and sends his final greetings. But I’ll bring this Short Report to a close after looking at Paul’s goal at the end of chapter 3. When Paul talks about a goal he is not talking about something that could be reached in theory, if things work out. Nor is he talking about something that will be easy to obtain. He is talking about something that requires training, discipline, determination, and willpower. We see this here in Philippians 3:12-14 where he uses language like, “I press on to make it my own,” “straining forward to what lies ahead,” and “I press on toward the goal for the prize.”
Paul is often portrayed as a small, balding man, but in his chest is the heart of a giant. Other language that speaks to Paul’s resolve, his love of sports, and his heart of gold in Philippians, is found in verses 1:14, “Bold to speak,” and “Without fear;” 1:20, “With full courage;” 1:23, “I am hard pressed;” 1:27, “Standing firm,” and “Striving side by side;” 1:28, “Not frightened in anything by your opponents;” 1:30, “Engaged in the same conflict;” 2:16, “Holding fast;” 2:25, “My brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier;” 2:28, “More eager;” 2:29, “Honor such men;” 2:30, “Risking his life;” 4:3, “Labored side by side,” and “fellow workers;” 4:9, “Practice these things;” and 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
I probably missed a few. The point is, Paul is for real; he walks the talk, and he expects all Christians, his fellow soldiers, to be for real also.
More examples from a few other letters of Paul: In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 he says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
In Ephesians 6:12 we are told, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” In 1 Timothy 1:18 Paul tells Timothy to “fight the good fight.” And in 2 Timothy 2:3 Paul says, “Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
Paul states his goals in verses 3:10-11, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
Paul tells his readers he has not yet attained these things, nor can he reach the goal by himself. Thus he presses on to reach the goal according to the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (vv. 12-14). How many Christians today seek to share in the sufferings of Christ, to become like Him in His death? Yet Paul’s advice is, “Let those of us who are mature think this way” (v. 15). He also contrasts his mature way of thinking with the ”enemies of the cross of Christ ... with minds set on earthly things” (vv. 18-19).
In the Peoples Bible Commentary Harlyn J. Kuschell make two great points about Paul’s goals. First, he uses a teaching story to help illustrate the point Paul is making (p. 75):
Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:36-37, my emphasis).
Do you think only bad people go to prison? As we learn from Paul’s imprisonment, good people called by Christ while in the performance of their mission can be cast into prison as common criminals. Google (perform an internet search for) "missionaries in prison" and you’ll see online headlines like "North Korea sentences Baptist missionary to life in prison" and "Christian Sentenced to Twenty Years in Sudan Prison." Do you think that would never happen in America? Google "Christians persecuted for their faith in America" and you’ll see headlines like "No Christian persecution in the US? Try telling that to these Christians" and "Regular Christians Are No Longer Welcome In American Culture." The bottom line, while we, in many cases, are blessed not to be undergoing persecution for Christ’s sake currently, good Christian people are facing these kind of persecutions all the time, even in America.
How did Paul respond to persecutions of all kind, including prison? He responded with joy! In Acts 16:25, while under arrest and in chains we are told that “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Here, in his letter to the Philippians we also see that even when Paul is a physical prisoner he is spiritually free. One of Paul’s most remembered verses is Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” The words “joy and “rejoice” occur 15 times—almost 4 times per chapter.
This is an upbeat, positive letter. Paul is not withdrawn, sad, feeling hurt or shame; he is optimistic and encouraging throughout this prison letter. Some early statements in the first chapter include: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (v. 3), “I am sure of this” (v. 6), “It is right for me to feel this way about you...I hold you in my heart” (v. 7), and “I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (v. 8).
It seems he is happy to be in jail, because it advances the Gospel of Christ. Still in the first chapter (vv. 11-13) Paul writes, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” In verse 18 he adds, “Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”
In 2 Kings 2:9 before Elijah ascends into heaven on chariots of fire, Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit—so he could be twice the servant of God. One way we know Elisha’s petition was granted is Elijah raised one person from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24) while Elisha raised two (2 Kings 4:32-37; 2 Kings 13:20-21). May we all be so bold as to ask God for a double portion of Paul’s love of Scripture and his tenacity when it comes to sharing it with others, or for his joy of service, or for his perseverance when the going gets tough. The first step in praying the Bible is to read the Bible.
Philippians 1:21 is another well known verse: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul is making two points. His second point, “to die is gain” is dependent on the first point and is something all Christians should look forward to because we, as our Lord tells us, have been storing up our “treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Storing up treasure is accomplished through obedience and the fruit of the Spirit (good works preformed with the help of God’s Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23)). For example, Jesus summed up obedience to the Ten Commandments this way, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:34-40).
Paul’s first point, “to live is Christ,” places Christ at the center of our lives. He explains in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” So for Paul being alive meant having the mind of Christ and doing the things He wants us to do, that amounts to lifestyle—living as a Christian—not only in words but actions, too, which includes suffering.
Next, in verse 27, Paul talks about living a life that is worthy of our calling. To that end, he says, “You should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (v. 29). Suffering brings to mind the cross, which we are to take up daily (Luke 9:23), but it does not have to be that extreme. Anything we do for Christ, such as resisting the urge to sin, or helping a neighbor even when we would rather spend the time doing something else are types of suffering, or sacrificing for Christ’s sake.
In the Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary, Jerald C. Joersz tells his readers, “Believers do not find it shocking that they must suffer because of their faith in Christ (1Pt 4:12-13; 2Tm 3:12; Ac 14:22; cf. Ac 9:16). Participating in the sufferings of Jesus endured (3:10) ‘is a gracious thing in the sight of God’ (1Pt 2:20; cf. 2Th 1:5). … Both faith in Christ and suffering for Him are God’s gifts” (p. 200).
Paul stays in this vein of thought in chapter 2 where he reminds us that Christ, who is God, emptied Himself and became the servant of all and obedient to the point of death on the cross (v. 8). Following the example of Christ Jesus we, too, are to be obedient servants, as Paul writes, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (v. 13).
Before closing this chapter he thanks the Philippians for and returns to them Epaphroditus, who Paul calls, “Your messenger and minister to my need” (v. 25). Timothy was also seeing to Paul’s needs at this time (v. 19). For Paul, we can say “I was in prison and you [the church] came to me.”
In chapter 3 Paul cautions the Philippians, his brothers in Christ, about his Jewish brothers that still clung to the Law. Without explanation he states in verse 3, “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” He does explain himself in Romans 2:29 when he says, “Circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” This was promised in Deuteronomy 30:6, and in Jeremiah 4:4 the people of God are told, "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem."
In Philippians 3:7, Paul lists his own works under the Law, but qualifies this list when he says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.“ Indeed, Paul now considered his old ways and the works of the Law “as rubbish” (v. 8), because he could not be made righteous under the Law (v. 9). He speaks in a way that is reminiscent of verse 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Looking at verse 7 Joersz makes a good point telling his readers, “Paul speaks as one who has more than enough credentials to place confidence in the flesh. His opponents cannot easily dismiss him by saying he has no right to speak” (220).
In chapter 4 Paul makes his last exhortation and sends his final greetings. But I’ll bring this Short Report to a close after looking at Paul’s goal at the end of chapter 3. When Paul talks about a goal he is not talking about something that could be reached in theory, if things work out. Nor is he talking about something that will be easy to obtain. He is talking about something that requires training, discipline, determination, and willpower. We see this here in Philippians 3:12-14 where he uses language like, “I press on to make it my own,” “straining forward to what lies ahead,” and “I press on toward the goal for the prize.”
Paul is often portrayed as a small, balding man, but in his chest is the heart of a giant. Other language that speaks to Paul’s resolve, his love of sports, and his heart of gold in Philippians, is found in verses 1:14, “Bold to speak,” and “Without fear;” 1:20, “With full courage;” 1:23, “I am hard pressed;” 1:27, “Standing firm,” and “Striving side by side;” 1:28, “Not frightened in anything by your opponents;” 1:30, “Engaged in the same conflict;” 2:16, “Holding fast;” 2:25, “My brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier;” 2:28, “More eager;” 2:29, “Honor such men;” 2:30, “Risking his life;” 4:3, “Labored side by side,” and “fellow workers;” 4:9, “Practice these things;” and 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
I probably missed a few. The point is, Paul is for real; he walks the talk, and he expects all Christians, his fellow soldiers, to be for real also.
More examples from a few other letters of Paul: In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 he says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
In Ephesians 6:12 we are told, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” In 1 Timothy 1:18 Paul tells Timothy to “fight the good fight.” And in 2 Timothy 2:3 Paul says, “Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
Paul states his goals in verses 3:10-11, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
Paul tells his readers he has not yet attained these things, nor can he reach the goal by himself. Thus he presses on to reach the goal according to the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (vv. 12-14). How many Christians today seek to share in the sufferings of Christ, to become like Him in His death? Yet Paul’s advice is, “Let those of us who are mature think this way” (v. 15). He also contrasts his mature way of thinking with the ”enemies of the cross of Christ ... with minds set on earthly things” (vv. 18-19).
In the Peoples Bible Commentary Harlyn J. Kuschell make two great points about Paul’s goals. First, he uses a teaching story to help illustrate the point Paul is making (p. 75):
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When believers are brought to faith, they become possessors of eternal life. As long as they are in the world, they are like people who hold a title to property in a distant land. The title makes the property theirs, but the owners are not yet in passion of what rightfully belongs to them. Similarly believers, though they are possessors of eternal life by faith and have the righteous of Christ, are still also sinners living in a sinful world. They have not yet arrived at the full, physical possession of the perfection of eternal life.
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Next, talking about Paul’s viewpoint in chapter 3, Kuschell says, “When Paul wrote these verses he had been a Christian for many years. … He had grown in knowledge of Christ and in conformity to Christ. … [And] had experienced the fellowship of sharing in Christ’s sufferings. … [B]ut that did not mean he had ‘arrived’ spiritually or had reached the goal of perfection” (pp. 75-76). And this is what Paul wants his readers to grasp; the road we are traveling to the Kingdom is long and narrow, and we must keep our eyes on the prize (Christ Jesus), without turning to the left or to the right. Thus for Paul, and for all mature Christians everywhere, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
In conclusion, this week’s Short Report looked at the book of Philippians, one of Paul’s Prison letters, and noted his great joy to be serving Christ no matter the cost. From his chains he remained upbeat and positive, and focused on Christ and His boundless suffering on our behalf. Paul saw his own works under the Law to be worthless and his works under grace to be Christ working through us. Because of his great faith Paul was willing to be a suffering, obedient servant that looked forward to the Kingdom of God.
In conclusion, this week’s Short Report looked at the book of Philippians, one of Paul’s Prison letters, and noted his great joy to be serving Christ no matter the cost. From his chains he remained upbeat and positive, and focused on Christ and His boundless suffering on our behalf. Paul saw his own works under the Law to be worthless and his works under grace to be Christ working through us. Because of his great faith Paul was willing to be a suffering, obedient servant that looked forward to the Kingdom of God.