Roots And Fruits (Part 3): 2 Timothy 3:1-8

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) 

 "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!" (Romans 5:8).

Our advent focus to day is love. A key way God has shown is love and care to the world is by establishing covenants with humanity, covenants which culminated in Jesus. As we look at the heart of the toxic dysfunction in Timothy’s church, we will see Paul focus a spotlight on the heart of the problem: the mockery and rejection of covenant. [1]

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 We live in a consumer culture. We basically say, “If you please me, I will reward you.” If my garbage doesn’t get picked up, I’m getting a new collector.  If another phone company is cheaper and better, I’m switching.  It's just business. It’s entirely conditional.  If I don't like the product, I move on. A consumer culture is a throw-away culture. 

This is not necessarily bad, but it becomes bad when we begin to treat people from a consumer perspective. We can say to our friends, family or spouses: “If you please me, I will reward you. I’ll be good only if you provide something good.” It’s a CONSUMER approach to relationships.  It’s entirely conditional. If people don’t give us what we want, we dump them and move on. A consumer culture is a throw-away culture. This leads to disaster. 

·      If you think you are being consumed you will never be free to openly admit failures and flaws. 

·      If you think you are being consumed, you will feel a desperate need to impress.

·      If you are the consumer, no one will ever fill you sufficiently, and you will move from person to person like a relational vampire. 

The gods of the ANE were CONSUMER gods. Even the pagan creation stories said that the gods created humanity to feed and take care of them. If Zeus tired of them sufficiently, he would dump them and move on. Even worse, they weren’t entirely sure what pleased the gods, so there was the tremendous insecurity, which lead to desperate working to please as many gods in as many ways as possible so that they would be rewarded.

The Hebrew God did not relate to humanity as a consumer God. Yahweh was a covenant God.[2] A COVENANT relationship was more than a casual decision. It was meant to bind people together in a way that could not be separated.  This was not a CONSUMER relationship based on feelings and started or stopped on a whim. Two people recognized that they wanted to fasten their lives together. “Two parties make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal.”[3] 

 There was not guesswork, no fear of whims and “Did I make them happy?”  A covenant brought the stabilization of commitment. A COVENANT says: “I will be faithful.”[4]   

 The closest equivalent we have today of a covenant between equals is what we think marriageought to be (though it could apply to close friends and family members as well). 

A marriage covenant is not just a casual relationship that forms or continues on a whim: it involves two parties with a desire to have their lives closely bound together, so there is relationship. But it is also sealed with an oath. It put backbone in the commitment, otherwise the agreement was worthless.  

·      It’s not less loving because it binds with a vow; it’s more loving.  

·      It's not less binding because it’s approached with emotion and love; it’s more binding. 

Marriage will fail with consumers; it will thrive with covenanters. So a COVENANT relationship of this kind is very different from a CONSUMER relationship.  

With that in mind, we get to the last three items in Paul’s list of bad fruit coming from bad roots as found in 2 Timothy 3:1-8. It’s the center of the list; we are getting to the heart of things. In, fact, I’m shifting the tree image here. 

 On my left is the Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil, the tree where the first covenant God made with mankind was broken. On my right is Cross, the Tree of Life, where the forgiveness for these sins occurred when the final Covenant was established by Jesus. I bring this image up because when Paul gets to the heart of the bad roots and fruits, it has to do with covenant-breaking. If we are going to contrast it properly, we must look at covenant-keeping, and that is found perfectly in Jesus and on the cross. 

 The first in the final triad Paul offers is those who are “ uncaring, coldhearted; without natural affection.” 

“Careless and regardless of the welfare of those connected with them by ties of blood, like spouses, parents and children. Plato says, ‘A child loves his parents, and is loved by them;’ and so, according to St. Paul's judgment in 1 Timothy 5:8, were "worse than infidels." – Pulpit Commentary

 Those who by nature they should be most closely tied are the ones from whom they have no natural affection. Remember, they are in the church, so they knew the following:

·      With spouses, they have made a covenant. 

·      With their parents, they owe the honor. 

·      With their kids, they owe them loving care. 

But they just don’t have this. They don’t care about the storge (“natural affection”) they ought to have for their own flesh and blood. I think this works as both an observation about the ripple effect of sin and a concern about how we choose to respond to it. 

The observation: Perhaps they have were raised in the kind of family that tended to sever all feelings of natural affection. They didn't ask for that, and yet that is the ring that has been given to them. #LOTR. Okay. They were sinned against, and they bear the scars. That’s just a terrible thing in and of itself. If you struggle with natural affection, you might be reaping the sin someone else sowed in your life.

 Now the concern: What have they done with that? I see at least four responses.

·      Option #1: They address it. This is the best case scenario. They are now in the church. They claim to be followers of God. Have they brought this part of their life to Christ and His church for healing, forgiveness against the perpetrators, and maybe even (hopefully) restoration? Because Jesus can do that kind of miraculous stuff. 

·      Option #2: They don’t address it head on, but at least they are motivated by it to do something good. “Well, that didn’t go well, but it’s water under the burned bridge. Nothing to do about it now. We will just live our separate lives, but I will not pass on that legacy to my family.” It’s not ideal –ideally they are finding peace and restoration with those who wounded them -  but at least they made a conscious decision to try to make life better for their family than the life they were given. 

·      Option #3: They ignore it. “It was fine. It was fine.”  Dude, you guys scream at each other and somebody gets punched every time more than 5 of you are in a room. “That’s just what families do.”  No, it’s not. “Oh, relax.” And then by ignoring it, they fall right back into patterns they were given, and the sins of the fathers will be passed on for generations.

·      Option #4: Worst case scenario is that they embrace it. They see the dysfunction and in some sense thrive in it. Maybe conflict is an adrenaline rush. Maybe shame feels like home. Maybe secretly despising others feels good after a while. Maybe they’ve learned that manipulation and bullying and cold-heartedness is power, and they love power.

The second thing Paul mentions is slanderers/false-accusers; the word is diabolos. Commentaries will tell you it’s people who a) have no regard for truth and b) like quarrels. In other words, they love to stir the pot not for any noble reason like the pursuit of truth, but for one of the most ignoble ones: they just love the conflict, and they’ve discovered that you can get conflict rolling pretty quickly with meanness and lies. 

This one sent a shiver down my back when I read it: diablos. The devil is among you. He’s not only “out there” in a dark, cold world, crouching by our doors and seeking to devour us. He’s right here. The devil is subtle. People in the church – remember, this is people in the church - who have no regard for the truth…. 

·      aren’t interested in seeing God as God actually is. They want a tame lion, a God of their making and choosing. 

·      don’t want to know what the Bible actually says. They want to know what they can get the Bible to say. 

·      don’t want to hear your side of the story. They don’t want to get to know you to better understand you. 

·      don’t want to see the Big Picture, or walk in another person’s shoes. 

They just aren’t interested in truth or peace. No wonder they like quarrels. Keep in mind this isn’t disagreements in pursuit of truth. They aren’t interested in truth. They pick quarrels to show off, or get their way, or embarrass or manipulate you, or get attention, or undermine a group.   

Finally, we get to the core around which those two things were tightly wrapped. These are what I will call covenant mockers. They are…

“’without libation.’ Aspondos is an adjective which is the negation of spondē, a libation-sacrifice used for making treaties and covenants.” – HELPS Word Studies 

Those unwilling to embrace bonds of treaty or covenant….one who will make no truce or treaty with his enemy.” – Pulpit  Commentary.  

They are despisers of covenant: not making them if they can help it, and breaking them if they find themselves in them.

·      They don’t want the responsibility of responsibility. 

·      They don’t want to owe anything to anyone. 

·      No boundaries, nor restraints, no obligations. 

·      No forgiveness; no obedience; no loyalty; no being a team player or being part of something bigger than themselves. 

·      No “I’ve got your back” or “we’re in this together. 

It’s the summary of everything we’ve read so far.  It’s the ultimate narcissist, the one who thinks the world revolves around them, who believes others exist to be used or consumed for our happiness, who will sacrifice everyone around them but never themselves. 

“Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers. Or, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, another triad which starts from another breach of the same fifth commandment, the rending of the family ties of love, and advances to a breach of the sixth commandment in a refusal to make peace, and further of the ninth commandment in… attacks and slanders. The threefold contrary spirit is in the same Sermon on the Mount, Luke 6:27, ‘love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you.’ – Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges

Back to the arrival of covenant-making and covenant-keeping God, where Jesus models in his death what he taught in his life: “‘love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you.’

God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15; he said that He would bless the world through the descendants of Abraham. Abraham just needed to be obedient. God used a standard form of suzerain covenant-making.[5]  Abraham killed some animals, cut them in pieces, and arranged them to walk through.  While they were waiting, great darkness fell.  God passed through (as a fiery pillar) – but never made Abraham do the same.

By passing through the slaughtered animal, God was saying that if He didn’t bless Abraham and honor the covenant and indeed bless the world, God would have to pay the penalty. That alone would be unusual, but that wasn’t the most incredible point. God was saying that if Abraham didn’t keep the covenant, God would pay the penalty for Abraham. 

Which God did in the person of Jesus Christ. On the cross, a great darkness descends once again, and Jesus fulfilled the conditions of the covenant by paying the penalty of the covenant-breaking done by Abraham and his covenant descendants. We commemorate this every time we partake in communion – His body broken, His blood spilled. The covenant must be honored. Someone must pay for breaking the agreement.

Because of his death and resurrection, even flawed covenant keepers are seen by God as flawless covenant keepers. 

“Christ redeemed us from the curse by becoming the curse so the blessing of Abraham could come to us all by Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 3:13) 

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  1 John 4:10

We celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas. That was step one in the covenant Jesus offered. Why did Jesus come? “Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Born to die. It’s an odd tension in Christmas. “Joy to the world; the Lord has come”…to die, to give His life so that others may live, to fulfill the covenant established with Abraham (Romans 15:8-9; Galatians 3).

In this season of Advent that celebrates His birth, we also celebrate the fulfillment of His purpose: His death, the power of which was confirmed by His resurrection.

"Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

THREE QUESTIONS

1.  How have you seen consumer culture impact you either in your habits or your relationships? How would embracing covenant culture change the way you live?

2. How are you doing with the “natural affection” for family? What makes it hard? What does it look like to move away from #4 and toward #1 in the list of responses? How can your group pray for you in this area?

3. ‘Diablos’ is a sobering word. Based on the description in these notes, what is the opposite? What are some practical ways in which living out the opposite could impact our families, friendships, church and culture?

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[1] In the Old Testament, it’s captured by the word hesed. Hesed is variously translated "steadfast love," "loving kindness," "mercy or mercies," "goodness." In several passages it is a term used to describe the character of Yahweh. For example, when Moses was summoned to Mt. Sinai the second time to receive the tablets of the covenant, the Lord passed before him and proclaimed,"Jahweh, Jahweh,a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generations" (Exodus 34:6-7).

[2]  Find a podcast/sermon called “A Covenant Relationship” by Tim Keller.

[3] So much good stuff on this from The Bible Project. https://bibleproject.com/blog/covenants-the-backbone-bible/

[4] David and Jonathan’s covenant of friendship in 1 Samuel 18 is a good example. 

1)    Exchanged coats (care)

2)    Exchanged weapon belts (protection)

3)    Sacrificed an animals (importance)

4)    Mingled blood (connection)

5)    Mingled names (reputation)

6)    Shared bread (hospitality)

7)    Planted a tree (visible reminder)

[5] Interestingly, there were only two stipulations for Abraham: leave his home/the gods of his fathers and follow God, and be obedient to the voice of God (Genesis 22). On the other hand, there were at least 14 very specific promises that God puts on himself (http://www.lifeinmessiah.org/resources/articles/gods-covenant-with-abraham)

Roots and Fruits: 2 Timothy 3 (Part 2)

ADVENT: PEACE 

“...the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace (eirene) to those on whom his favor rests.’” (Luke 2:10-14). 

·      “peace, peace of mind… the health (welfare) of an individual.”  - Strong’s Concordance

·      eirḗnē –wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness).  - HELPS Word-studies

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Roots and Fruits (Part 2)

 We are going to start in the book of Romans. 

 “ …to condemn the sin that was ruling in the flesh, God sent His own Son, bearing the likeness of sinful flesh, as a sin offering. 4 Now we are able to live up to the justice demanded by the law. But that ability has not come from living by our fallen human nature; it has come because we walk according to the movement of the Spirit in our lives. 

5 If you live your life animated by the flesh—namely, your fallen, corrupt nature—then your mind is focused on the matters of the flesh. But if you live your life animated by the Spirit—namely, God’s indwelling presence—then your focus is on the work of the Spirit. 6 A mind focused on the flesh is doomed to death, but a mind focused on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace (eirene)…. 

The power of sin and death has been eclipsed by the power of the Spirit. The Spirit breathes life into our mortal, sin-infested bodies… You live in the Spirit, assuming, of course, that the Spirit of God lives inside of you…. If the Anointed One lives within you, even though the body is as good as dead because of the effects of sin, the Spirit is infusing you with life now that you are right with God. 

 11 If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you. (Romans 8:3-11, excerpted)

 “A mind focused on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace.” Why? Because the peace won by Jesus between unholy us and a holy God is perfect peace, a reality that goes much deeper than our feelings of peacefulness. 

We then live in that peace  - we “work out” our salvation into every corner of our lives (Philippians 2:12), like a baker kneading dough so that the yeast gets everywhere – as we walk in the path that the Spirit of God leads us. Fortunately, God’s Word clarifies that path for us.

We’ve been studying Paul’s second letter to Timothy. In it, he presents a pretty grim picture of what it looks like when people walk in the path of the flesh (which leads to chaos), and we are moving by implication to what it looks like to walk in the Spirit (which leads to peace).[1]

In the previous sermon we looked at 6 traits on the outermost bookends of this section. Today we are moving in a step to look at 6 more traits closer to the center. If I had to summarize all six, I would say they paint a picture of people who rebel against any kind of authority, restraint, or expectation that comes from outside themselves. Our contrast will be what it looks like to live by honoring the God-given authorities and boundaries in our lives.

1. rebels against parents 

This was a deeply serious offense in all ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures (see Deuteronomy 21:20 – 21).[2] While this was clearly about parents, for the Israelites, it was often broadened to mean those in authority in every aspect, specifically spiritual authority (I’m leaning toward this purpose here because another category is those who have no love for their family). How they responded to God-ordained spiritual authority had implications for they responded to God’s authority. HELPS Word studies puts it this way:

’Unwilling to be persuaded (by God), which shows itself in outward disobedience (outward spiritual rebellion).” – HELPS Word Studies

We often think of the foundation of spiritual authority in our lives as ourselves. “It’s just me and Jesus. Everybody else move away and let me figure out how to read this passage of Scripture, or apply it to my life.” That concept would have been unthinkable to the ancient Israelites and dare I say to the early church. There are spiritual authorities God has placed in the world, and God intends them to have weight in our lives. 

Now, are they flawed? You bet. Are we following mindlessly? That’s a cult, so no. But there is the Bible; there are the creeds; there is the weight of tradition; there is denominational or local church authority. In the Jewish culture in the NT, parents were also responsible for being sure the Law and the Prophets were taught to their kids. 

At the end of the day, we must own our spiritual decisions, but those decisions must be informed by the spiritual ‘weight’ God has ordained in the structure of spiritual authority. None of us think we are the ones who say, “Did God really say?” That’s what serpents whisper. But too often, our version is, “Eh, does anybody else really get to have a say in how I understand God, and His Word, and His world?” Because the answer is yes, they do. This has always been the case in biblical history.

So the opposite is the honoring parents/spiritual authority.

Meanings for honor in Scripture include the imagery of  “adding wealth” or “giving weight.” This is such a tricky topic, because no human being other than Jesus deserves the full weight of anyone’s trust. We could probably do a series on what honoring spiritual authority looks like, but I’m going to try to summarize it: God intends for us to be formed by the weight of the God-ordained spiritual authorities in our lives.

Are you familiar with 3-D presses? They take blobs of material and make something functional of them. Those blobs of material don’t form themselves. They achieve their form because something forms them. 

Unless we have been raised by wolves, we are inescapably spiritually formed by some sort of spiritual 3-D press. 

·      Paul told the Corinthians that he planted and Apollos watered (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). I would assume that means we all need planters and waterers in our lives. 

·      In fact, Hebrews 5:12 says, "you need someone to teach you". 

·      God created the offices and gives the gifts of teacher or elder or pastor to teach and shepherd. 

·      Leaders are expected to guide/protect/rebuke, which implies that people are to listen for their benefit and because God said to.

We go through a spiritual press. Sometimes it’s not of our choosing; sometimes it is. When you come to this church or any other church, when you fill yourself with a teacher online, when you join a small group, you are submitting yourself to the pressing process. Something will be formed on the other side. 

This is God’s plan. Embrace it with wisdom and proper discernment.

Choose your spiritual formation wisely, and then let it do its work. 

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2. ungrateful

ungrateful/ungraceful – “properly, without God's grace (favor) which results in unthankfulness (literally, "ungraceful"). – HELPS Word Studies

 In a culture that expected those who were given gifts to repay these gifts with honor, those who were ungrateful were really looked down upon.[3]

To the original writers and readers of Scripture, while gifts (such as grace) could not be earned, they must be responded to. The giver does not function as if there are relational strings attached; however, the receiver does. The recipient of a gift was in the debt of the one who gave them a gift. And the bigger the gift, the bigger the response owed.[4] So if someone gave their life for you….  This is sometimes referred to as Life Debt, a trope that shows up in a LOT of stories, like 3:10 to Yuma.[5]

The grateful respond to a gift with a gift in some fashion. The Roman writer Seneca used an image of throwing a ball. You need a thrower (the giver) and a catcher (the receiver) who then throws and the other catches, etc. The goal is to keep the ball in the air.  Paul seems very comfortable building on this virtuous reciprocal obligation[6] in a gift economy between people. In the NT church, the koinania relationship was one of giving and receiving. It’s a rhythm of life designed to foster relationship based on giving and responding with gratitude, then giving and responding with gratitude... (Philippians 2:30, 4:15; Romans 15:27; 1 Corinthians 9:11). To be clear:

·      If I wait until someone has earned a gift from me, that’s too late. It’s a gift, not a payment for services rendered.  

·      If I give something back to prove I was worthy of a gift in the first place, I have missed the point and insulted the grace of the giver. 

·      If I give something bigger back to show the other gift up, or to coerce an even bigger gift, then I’m a jerk, and the relationship is going to be in trouble. 

The basic idea is this: gratefulness is not just a feeling, it’s an act. It’s how relationship is built. You give me a compliment about my beard, an act of grace to be sure; I compliment you next Sunday on your taste in Michigan football teams, which is also an act of grace. The point is that I remember the gift you have given and I look forward to reciprocating in some fashion.  You were kind; I will be kind. You ‘saw’ me; I will ‘see’ you. It’s how relationships work. This ‘gift economy’ is meant to be the transactional relational language of the church. 

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3. unholy

“A lack of reverence for what should be hallowed.” – HELPS WORD STUDIES

 There are verses that warn us not to give that which is holy to the dogs, or the pigs (Matthew 7:6), images in that culture of filth and degradation. So, what ought to be hallowed treated with reverence, or set apart as holy?

·      God, clearly. 

·      People (who are all image bearers (Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1-2); followers of Jesus are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3 and 6)

I think those two are obvious. But….what should be “set apart” in the lives of believers committed to holiness? What should be viewed or appreciated or used in such a way that it God, people and all of God’s created world are honored and treated with appropriate care and reverence? Everything.[7]

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4. without restraint 

“Incontinent.—Having no control over the passions or urges – emotions, words, appetites of all kinds.” (HELPS WORD STUDIES)

 This image is literally that of one who cannot control the kind of bodily functions that expel waste. If you have experienced this, you know it’s embarrassing and frustrating. How odd that we live in a world that often glorifies moral incontinence, the uncontrolled unleashing of passions and urges. It’s the desire to live like a moral animal, a slave to instincts and hungers and lusts (but now I’m ahead of myself). 

The opposite is temperate or restrained. It’s a blessing to be able to restrain when and how our body expels waste. Is it not also a blessing to be able to restrain the potential of our lives to expel moral waste? Sometimes, when it comes to physical incontinence, we can genuinely say, “I couldn’t help myself.” Christian brothers and sisters, with the exception of the kind of damage to our bodies that deeply harms our body’s God-given restrainers (like a TBI or significant developmental disorders) we cannot say “I can’t help myself” when it comes to the words that come out of our mouths, or the attitude we unleash, or any urge to follow our immoral instincts, hungers or lust. We have the Holy Spirit. One of the fruits is self-control. God helps us in those moments we cannot help ourselves. 

When we say, “I shouldn’t have said that or posted that or looked at that, but I just couldn’t help myself,” we are liars. We have a form of godliness but are denying its power. Between the Holy Spirit, the guidelines of God’s Word, and the company of God’s people, there is no temptation to sin that we cannot bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). That is good news, indeed.  God has equipped us to live in a community where were are tempered by the power of God to the glory of God.

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5. savage (bestial)

Fierce.—Inhuman, savage, or merciless, harsh, cruel. They are both soft and hard, incontinently indulging themselves and inhuman to others,[8] when they should be hardened to self-indulgence and soft toward others.” (Pulpit Commentary)[9]

This is actually a thread that runs throughout the Bible: will we be molded into the image of beasts, or of God? Will we find more affinity with animals or people? The opposite is hospitable (merciful), or “soft toward others.” 

I know. We live in a culture where “soft” implies “weak” and nobody wants to be weak. Don’t tread on me!

·      Yet God is describes as “abounding in mercy.”[10]

·      Jesus told people to learn what it means that God desires mercy more than sacrifices (Matthew 9:13). 

·      I read blessed are the meek and the peacemakers (Matthew 5). Greater love has no one more than laying down your life (John 15:13). Serve others sacrificially.[11] Turn away wrath with a soft answer (Proverbs 15:1). 

·      Overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). If someone strikes you or takes your cloak, don’t seek revenge (Luke 6:29). Shame them with kindness (Romans 12:20). Give food and water to your enemy, and the Lord will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22)

 May God give us the strength to be weak in the eyes of the world so that the strength of God is highlighted and His mercy is made manifestly clear in His merciful people. 

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6. haters of anything good[12]

“Despisers of those that are good; that is, hostile to every good thought and work and person.” – HELPS Word Studies

 This is a terrible summary of what we have covered so far. The opposite, of course, is lovers of Good (good thoughts, actions and persons), the beautiful opposite. The things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Philippians 4:8), we not only dwell on them, we celebrate them everywhere we see them. 

* * * * *

So, back to peace.  

 “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:18). That’s first of all God to us, then us to others, and God has shown us how to do and empowered us to do it. “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Romans 14:19). That’s the goal as we live together in church. 

THREE QUESTIONS

1. What does it look like for you to “work out your salvation” into every corner of your life? (By the way, that’s a way of understanding that passage the a preacher I respect recently introduced to me. It has different implication than ‘figure out and own your faith for yourself when you get saved,” which is how I’ve often understood it.)

2. What would it look like if we in the church really embraced the idea of “gift economy’ as a foundation of relationships? How might church life change, and how might it stay the same?

3. Biblically speaking, what characterizes solid spiritual ‘parents’? What does it look like to ‘give them weight’ in our lives without putting them on a pedestal or moving toward cult-like mindless obedience?

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[1] 2 Timothy 3:1 And know this: in the last days, times will be hard. 2 You see, the world will be filled with narcissistic, money-grubbing, pretentious, arrogant, and abusive people. They will rebel against their parents and will be ungrateful, unholy, 3 uncaring, coldhearted, accusing, without restraint, savage, and haters of anything good. 4 Expect them to be treacherous, reckless, swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than they love God. 5 Even though they may look or act like godly people, they’re not. They have the outward form and look of godliness, but by their lives they deny God’ power. I tell you: Stay away from the likes of these. Keep them away from your people. 

[2] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

[3] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

[4] To whom much is given, much is required. There is a reason why “presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice” is a “reasonable act of service” (Romans 12:1). But since this passage is about life together with those around us, let’s focus there. 

[5] https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IOweYouMyLife. It’s why Friday serves Robinson Crusoe, it’s all over Harry Potter, it’s in the Chronicles of Narnia and the Silmarillion, Star Wars, Mulan, Toy Story 2….

[6] There is a fascinating chapter called “Strings Attached: Paul and Seneca On The Modern Myth Of The Pure Gift,” by David Briones, in a fascinating book called Paul And The Giants Of Philosophy (IVP Academic). In it, Briones unpacks the idea of the ‘gift economy’ in the ancient world that flourished with virtuous reciprocal obligation and other-oriented self-interest, both of which show up in Paul’s writings and would have been fundamental in the early church’s understanding of how to respond to the grace received from God and others.

[7] “Disobedient to parents… with ‘unthankful, unholy,’ makes another triad: breakers of the fifth commandment (father and mother) go on to be breakers of the tenth (don’t covet); and thus throwing aside the second table go on to throw aside also the first…  The word for ‘unthankful’ occurs elsewhere only Luke 6:35 in the Sermon on the Mount. For ‘unholy’ see notes on 1 Timothy 1:9. – Cambridge Bible For School And Colleges

[8] Jameison-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

[9] “Fierce (from ferns, wild, savage); ἀνήμεροι; only here in the New Testament, and not found in the LXX., but frequent in the Greek tragedians and others, of persons, countries, plants, etc.; e.g., "Beware of the Chalubes, for they are savage (ἀνήμεροι), and cannot be approached by strangers" (AEschylus, 'Prom. Vinct.,' 734, edit. Scholef.). It corresponds with ἀνελεήμονες, unmerciful (Romans 1:31).”

[10] https://www.openbible.info/topics/gods_mercy

[11] https://counselingoneanother.com/2016/06/17/the-joy-of-sacrificial-service/

[12] “Incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good;  vicious or uncontrollable, unapproachable, unkindly to all good, a… triad, in which the characters of the libertine, the churl, the worldling are painted. The three words occur nowhere else in N.T. But the exact opposites are found together in Titus 1:8, ‘temperate, a lover of hospitality, a lover of good.’ – Cambridge Bible For Schools And Commentaries

Roots And Fruits (Part 1) 2 Timothy 3:1-6

3:1 And know this: in the last days, times will be hard. 2 You see, the world will be filled with narcissistic, money-grubbing, pretentious, arrogant, and abusive people. They will rebel against their parents and will be ungrateful, unholy, 3 uncaring, coldhearted, accusing, without restraint, savage, and haters of anything good. 

 4 Expect them to be treacherous, reckless, swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than they love God. 5 Even though they may look or act like godly people, they’re not. They have the outward form and look of godliness, but by their lives they deny God’ power. I tell you: Stay away from the likes of these. Keep them away from your people. 

Our trees here on the stage have the roots labeled to remind us of the difference Paul made between two kinds of people and their fruit: 

• those who love self,[1] money[2], pleasure and lies

•  those who love God, truth, and the path of life that follows repentance and surrender to the lordship of Christ. 

One side can have the form of godliness – it can go through the motions and to at least some degree look good on the outside – but the other side has experienced transformative power. The Spirit of God and the Path of God give us transformative power to mature in Christ and represent God well as ambassadors.

This week we start talking about fruit that comes from those roots. The fruits from beginning to end act like a mirror, with ‘coldhearted covenant breakers’ in the middle. This week we are going to look at the outer ring of bad fruit and by implication contrast them with their corresponding good fruit. 

I want to encourage us not to create a list in our mind of people who need to hear this. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and now my heart. Try me, and know my mind. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me into life everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

* * * * *

proud/boastful   

“Boasting to anyone who is foolish enough to take him seriously! This kind of person claims many things he can't really do, so he must always keep moving on to new, naive listeners.”  HELPS Word Studies

This isn’t someone constantly bragging about what they have done, which is bad enough. This is someone bragging about what they haven’t done. And then when someone calls them out, rather than using the embarrassment as motivation to become a more humble truth teller, they just move on and double down. It starts with small exaggerations and builds its own momentum. 

So what would someone in the church boast about that didn’t really happen? 

I once heard a preacher say that God told him God needed him ready for ministry now, so God was going to give him 10 years of instant maturity. In case you’re wondering, he moved on to new, naïve listeners before being caught having an affair.

I know of another with excellent credentials and incredible connections. He visited with heads of state around the world. But then we found out he constantly embellished his credentials, which makes me think there were some made up stories in terms of people he rubbed shoulders with, and that was all before the world found out he had been leading a double life for years. 

·      It’s claiming a devotional and prayer life we don’t have.

·      It’s exaggerating our generosity

·      It’s saying, “I’ve been praying for you!” when we haven’t.

·      It’s saying, “I believe in the biblical view of sex, marriage and family!” while failing to honor covenant: watching porn, letting our relationship with our spouse or kids wither, failing to steward ; giving up rather than pressing in.   

Pride and boastfulness is rotten fruit. It comes from a rotten root. It might end up with huge lies, but it starts with small compromises of truth that come from a failure to think and speak truthfully about life. 

arrogant/haughty[3]

“Literally, ‘hyper shiny’. These are they who contemptuously look down on others beneath them, either in social position or wealth (the boasters), or perhaps in natural gifts (the proud).”[4]– Ellicott’s Commentary.

Generally, it’s just a viewpoint that we are better than everyone around us based on standards that have zero merit in gauging our value and dignity: Clothes. Houses. Jobs. Twitter followers. Beauty. I would assume if it’s in the church it would include looking down on different spiritual giftings, or positions in the church, or the inability to give a lot of money to a cause, or not having the kind of gifts or personality that put someone in the spotlight.

Hyper shiny people want all the glory to shine from themselves, and to convince themselves that this happens they constantly demean others. It begins with an inner attitude - which means they can keep the ‘form’ on the outside. They constantly find ways to see those around them as less than them. Then can at least assume that they must look really good in comparison. This doesn’t mean they are right, of course. It’s just how they make themselves feel shiny. “I would have said that better. I would have done that differently. I think they must be ignorant, or inept. I am clearly smarter and better.”

I think it inevitably leaks out. It’s not attacking others as much as it is little sideways comments that chip away at someone else’s standing as a way of establishing ourselves as smarter, or more competent, or more qualified. There are legitimate times to offer critique; this is about the attitude behind it. I can critique for my good and MY glory, or for your good and GOD’S glory. 

abusive 

“Revilers/railers/blasphemers (reverses spiritual and moral realities).”  HELPS Word Studies. 

It appears these are the ones who call good ‘evil’ and call evil ‘good.’ They twist everything around. Remember – they do not love truth. They don’t pursue it, they don’t recognize it, they certainly don’t pass it on. Let’s not limit this to biblical teaching. I suspect they also ‘reverse reality’ about everything around them: other people’s character, talents, competency, likability, habits, etc. They live to lie – they want everyone around them to question reality so that they (apparently) are the only stable thing left standing.  And those lies leave a terrible mark. 

The commentary in the Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges was really exceptional for 2 Timothy 3. Here is their summary for these three things.

“Boastful (proud), haughty (arrogant), railers (abusive). ‘Boastfulness’ is ‘an endeavor to pass for a man of greater consequence than one really is…’ ‘Haughtiness’ is ‘a contempt for every one but a man’s self.’ The climax is (1) a spirit of vain glory in themselves, (2) an arrogant treatment of others, (3) actual abuse and reviling of others. The first word describes a man who sins against truth, the second a man who sins against love, the third a man who sins against both.”

Pride and arrogance lead to abusive, railing blasphemy. Why blasphemy? Because these people are damaging the imago dei, vandalizing the temple of God, and insulting the sons and daughters of God. And when you mess with the image, temple and children of the King, you mess with the King.  

* * * * *

treacherous

Traitors.—Or, betrayers… of their Christian brethren.[5] It does not mean traitors to their king or country, but generally betrayers of the persons who trust in them, and of the cause of the trust committed to them; perhaps specially… of their brethren in times of persecution. – Pulpit Commentary

I wonder if Paul was still thinking of Phygelus and Hermogenes, who had deserted him. They were simply not loyal. And why would they be? They think they are better than everyone else, so their agenda and their comfort is going to matter more than anyone else. They are abusive to others who get in their way. Why would they defend the losers around them especially if it interferes with their love of self and pleasure? And so they don’t. And if they so much better than everyone around them, why stick around? Why not find a group of people who are good enough to be their friends? 

reckless

Better rendered “headstrong” in words, or thoughts, or actions. Rash. "Headstrong" rather denotes obstinacy which will not be influenced by wise advice… the person who acts from impulse, without considering consequences, or weighing principles. – Pulpit Commentary

This makes sense. Treacherous people aren’t really known for good common sense. Why would you take advice if you are better than everyone else? Why would you control impulses when your impulses are the best? Why would you any principle of substance matter if your motto is “take care of yourself, and get money and pleasure at all cost”? You’ve ‘reversed reality’ so many times you’ve lost touch with reality. You’ve lost touch with consequences and principles. Of course you’re rash.

self-important

Highminded.— blinded by or inflated by pride. (See 1Timothy 3:6.)

 This is in some ways a summary. One image of this is ‘smoke blind. ‘ If you’ve ever sat around a campfire you know what this is. You can’t see truth or reality anymore about yourself, others, the world or God. You have embraced the lie, and now you can’t see your way out of it. From the Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges again:

“Traitors, heady, highminded.  The last triad again descending, false… and full of conceit, the spirit of one who ‘with a light heart’ (1) betrays old friends, and (2) rushes headlong on new faiths, and (3) remains to the end impenetrably wrapped in clouds of self-esteem.” 

 This is bad fruit from a bad root. If this is you, you have a roots problem. There is sin deeply ingrained in you that has not yet been surrendered to Jesus. 

* * * * *

But if that’s bad fruit, we can tell what good fruit looks like. It will be the opposite, and it will come from good roots. 

Humility[6] vs. Pride

“"God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”  James 3:13

“Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.” (Proverbs 16:19) 

Humility shows wisdom and understanding. In humility we find God’s favor. In contrast to exaggeration, it’s honesty:  “This is who I am.” 

Honor vs. Arrogance

“Honor everyone” (1 Peter 2:17) “above yourselves” (Romans 12:10)

“God has put the body [the church] together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” 1 Corinthians 12:24-25

“Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 

Arrogance looks down at others; in fact, arrogance pushes others down so we can look down.  Honor looks up at others; in fact, honors lifts others up so we can view them with honor. 

Gentleness and Truth vs. Abusive Lies 

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2

 “Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith. (Colossians 4:6) 

Rather than “reversing moral and spiritual realities,” it confirms them with humility (for self) and with honor (for the other). 

Loyalty vs. treachery

“Never let loyalty (steadfast love) and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

“Be devoted to one another in love.” (Romans 12:10)

In the family of God, faithfulness ought to be assumed. It brings a steadiness. It makes the church a safe place to invest because that investment will have time to bear fruit. There is no doubt the Bible looks at reasons why fellowship ought to be broken at times, but the default setting is that the people of God stick together. 

Prudence vs. recklessness

“Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” Proverbs 25:28

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.” Proverbs 14:8

Over and over again, the Bible talks about the importance self-management, of thoughtful progress, carefully constrained decision making. I once drove with someone who was genuinely reckless. I never drove with him again. I’d like to get to my destination without chaos. This is the idea. 

Self-Awareness vs. self-importance

"Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." (Lamentations 3:40)

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." (James 1:22-24)

 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3)

There is something beautiful about someone who can take an honest assessment of themselves and use that as motivation to return to the Lord. 

Good fruit comes from good roots. 

·      We are humble, seeking to serve rather than be served, and the power of the Spirit and the Path give us the hearts and hands of Christ-like servants.

·      We honor those around us, valuing them above ourselves, and the power of the Spirit and the Path enable us to see the dignity and worth in all people and respond appropriately.

·      We are gentle, not abusive, and the power of the Spirit and the Path fills us with grace, so that we do not break the bruised reeds all around us, or scare away the sheep without a shepherd. 

·      We affirm reality, not distort it, and the power of the Spirit and the Path sets our love of truth on a hill to shine into the darkness.

·      We are loyal, not pushing others away or leaving them to follow our bad roots/false loves, and the power of the Spirit and the Path builds radically different and remarkably broken people into the ‘new humanity’ that shows the world how the love of Christ living in us covers a multitude of sins and flourishes in even the most challenging of places.

·      We are patient, prudent, characterized by deliberate decision-making, and the power of the Spirit and the Path creates in and around us an oasis of stability and hope in a troubled and hopeless world. 

·      We see ourselves honestly and use that mirror to motivate us to change, and the power of the Spirit and the Path makes that mirror crystal clear so we can’t escape the truth, then works heart-changing, soul-cleansing miracles as we are transformed away from that image and into the image of Christ. 

THREE QUESTIONS

1. I am making the claim that power comes from both the Holy Spirit and the Path (of righteousness), that God intends for each of them to transform us. Talk about habits as a spiritual gift - a spiritual discipline even - and how God uses them along with His Spirit to change us.

2. Why is honest self-assessment so hard? Why is it so important? How does the “mirror” of the Bible reveal us to ourselves, and how God use the power of seeing that honest image to move us toward hope and not shame?

3. The sermon ends with an image of the kind of community God intends for His church. Have you experienced this in church life? Why or why not? What does it look like for you to contribute to building a church characterized by these things?
   ___________________________________________________________________________

[1] narcissistic lovers of themselves. (philos autos)“The selfishness which is condemned, is that regard to our own interests which interferes with the rights and comforts of others; which makes self the central and leading object of living; and which tramples on all that would interfere with that.” – Barne’s Notes On The Bible

[2] money-grubbing lovers of silver (philos arguros) This is not the first time Paul warned Timothy about this. “But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains…Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God,[who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share…” (1 Timothy 1:9-10; 17-18)

[3] Proverbs 21:4 “Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.”

[4] The Latin, ostentatio, represents the vice which affects the first of these classes—‘the boasters;’ and superbia, that which affects the second class—‘the proud.’” – Ellicott’s Commentary

[5] “Other than here, used only in Luke 6:16 about Judas and in Acts 7:52, where Stephen says “of whom—the Just One—ye have been now the betrayers.” Traitors (προδόται); Luke 6:16; Acts 7:52.”

[6] “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”  (1 Peter 4:8-10)