Ever Faithful
Day 1: Ever Faithful
2 Timothy Chapter 2:1-7
Paul begins this chapter encouraging Timothy to be strong. Paul called for strength no less than twenty-five times throughout his letters to Timothy. This call is not just for Timothy, but it is for “All faithful men.” Let us pause and consider what that truly implies: Paul did not say powerful men, he did not say wise men, and he did not say charismatic men. He says FAITHFUL men!
The Greek word “Faithful” is “Pistos” and it describes “one who readily believes.” This word is also a business term for someone who is dedicated to their work and can be trusted to fulfill their duties. God needs men who are consistent. He is not looking for intelligence because God takes the foolish things and confounds the wise (1 Cor. 1:26-31). God is not looking for the strong, for in our weakness He becomes our strength (2 Cor. 12:9). God is not looking for the beautiful, for He sees the measure of a man’s heart, rather than his looks (1 Sam. 16:7).
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The Power of Forgiveness
Who is Jesus? Was He God?
If Christ was not a liar or a lunatic, then He has to be what He said He was; God. There is no middle ground in this discussion. He could not have been merely a good teacher or prophet because He claimed to be God. If He was lying then He was a horrible person who was merely searching for a following and influence. These are not the earmarks of a good teacher or prophet.
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Who is Jesus? Was He a Lunatic?
We established in our last entry that Christ could not have been merely a liar. He obviously didn’t claim to be God to avoid trouble and He chose the wrong people to go to if He was looking for power and notoriety. In addition, He had to truly believe that His claims were true in order to suffer the many atrocities that were committed against Him. Remember that no where in recorded history does He ever once reveal that He was a fraud. This includes sources outside the four Gospels, most notably Flavius Josephus who wrote:
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Who Is Jesus? Was He a Liar?
In the last entry we looked at how the claims of Jesus, that He was God, polarized those who heard Him teach. They either worshiped and accepted Him or completely rejected Him. In addition, we briefly looked at the foundation of Josh McDowell’s book “More Than a Carpenter” that states Christ was a liar, lunatic, or God. In this entry we will look at the first possibility; was Christ a liar?
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