RESCUE OPERATIONS

2 Tim. 2:23-26

Morning Meditation 12/28/16

Verses 23-26 say, “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

The Book of Timothy is a pastoral epistle. This means that Paul is teaching Timothy, as a father in the ministry, how to approach the problem of rescuing a saint who has been snared by the devil. I have seen so many people in the churches I have pastored led astray by the devil. I have attempted to head it off but to no avail. However, it is not fair to say that we have helped no one. The fact is if we teach the word of God people are helped who are in the process of a departure from God that we know nothing about. They hear us and are corrected without our knowing it. All praise to God and His blessed Holy Spirit as He works through the Word as it is taught. But the people we see and know, when it is evident that they are being snared by the devil, we have an obligation to. We have a responsibility. How can we save someone who is going in the wrong direction? I believe the text we have chosen is God’s answer to this question.

First of all, BY AVOIDING FOOLISH AND UNLEARNED QUESTIONS.. Paul says, “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid . . .” The word “foolish” translates “moros” and means, “foolish, impious, ungodly.” The word come from a root word that means “to shut the mouth.” This means that the devil will try to shut Timothy’s mouth with distracting questions. When we are trying to help people, there is the desire of the flesh (our flesh) to do it by answering all the questions that seem to be giving them problems. What is happening is the devil is confronting us with impious and ungodly questions through that individual that will not help in his return to the Lord.

The word “unlearned” translates “apaideutos” and means, “without instruction, uneducated, ignorant, rude.” This is in contrast to an intelligent question that would benefit a person in his Spiritual growth. Paul is telling Timothy that the way to help a person get back on the right track is to avoid answering stupid questions.

Now Paul tells Timothy how to do it and why. How do you answer these questions He says to “avoid?” The word “avoid” translates “paraiteomai” and means “to ask along side, to avert by entreaty or seek to avert.” It is a verb and is a present middle imperative.. The present tense is a linear action verb and speaks of continuous action.. Paul is recommending that Timothy make this his practice. It is imperative mood which means it is urgent. The person trying to help can actually be a hindrance. An attitude is taught in this definition. How do we avoid questions? Sometimes by asking our own questions. I have told people at times that I would have to study to answer and I would get back with them later with an answer.

Next BY GENTLENESS AND MEEKNESS. The words “And the servant of the Lord” identifies the human instrument in the rescue operation. The word “servant” translates “doulos” and means, “a slave.” A slave of the Lord will do it the Lord’s way. He is actually telling us how He wants this ministry preformed. If it is not done this way, it will be a hindrance. The “servant”does not assume that he knows more than the Lord. The servant listens. Paul was a voluntary slave of Lord and sought to bring Christians into slavery to His Lordship.

Paul says, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive . . .” The word “must” translates “dei” and is from a root word that means “do not bind with chains.” The wrong approach to helping people caught by the devil only binds them more securely to him. The word “strive” translates, “machomai” and means, “to fight.” It is used, “of armed combatants, or those who engage in a hand to hand struggle, of those who engage in a war of words, to quarrel, wrangle, dispute.” This is not the way the Lord’s rescue operation is to take place.

Then he further instructs with four words: “gentle, apt to teach, patient and meek. All these words are self crucifying. The man of God who knows the truth wants to manhandle the Christian and intimidate him into a return to the Lord. That is not the Lord’s way. The word “gentle” means “to be mild.” That is hard to do when you want to scream! The words “apt to teach” translate “didaktikos” and means, “a skilled teacher.” Paul says the way you help rescue the wayward is through the skillful teaching of the Word of God. Then he uses the word “patient.” This word is made up of two words. One means “to hold oneself erect or firm.” The other means, “evil.” It means to hold oneself erect and steadfast in the midst of evil. The wayward Christian must see an example in the one that is attempting to help him. The word “meek” means, “humble, mild,” and is close in definition to the word gentle. I like to think of meekness as “strength under control.” The potential for a blowup is there but by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit the servant of the Lord keeps himself in line.

Then next in operation rescue, Paul says, TO DO IT BY INSTRUCTION. He says, “ . . .. instructing those who oppose themselves . . .” The word “instructing” translates “paideuo” and means, “to train children, to train through chastising.” The present tense means that it is the continuous way to rescue the fallen. There is no better way to correct wrong in another’s life than the exposition of Scripture. The Holy Spirit can use the explanation of Scripture to correct problems that we know nothing about. One that is snared by the devil needs to be shown the way out of the snare by Scripture. The words, “ . . . those that oppose themselves . . .” translate one word “antidiatithemai” and means, “to place one's self in opposition, to oppose, to dispose in turn, to take in hand in turn, to retaliate.” The verb form is a present middle participle. The present tense means that they continue to oppose themselves as long as they are in the snare of the devil. We have a saying, “He is just hurting himself.” This is the idea. This means that he has a choice, that he has made a bad choice, and that he is hurting himself, i.e., the pain and damage is self inflicted.

Then next Paul says, DO IT BY FAITH. First of all, it is faith in God’s sovereignty and mercy. God has to give repentance before man will repent. The words “ . . . if God peradventure” translate, “mepote” and means “perhaps.” God cannot be taken for granted. John 3:16 lets us know what God’s general will is concerning the unsaved world. You can count on God’s willingness to save the repentant believer in Jesus Christ. There is no “perhaps, or, if God peradventure,” to it. But our text is not talking about an unsaved man coming in repentance to Christ for salvation. It is speaking of Christians who have been snared by the devil. For a person to know the truth and allow himself to be drawn away is serious and God holds him responsible. God gives the believer all the protection he needs to avoid this situation. When one refuses the Lordship of Christ, doesn’t stay under a God called pastor-teacher (Eph. 4:11-16), and listens to those who teach things that contradict the Scripture, God just may not grant repentance. It is like God to be merciful. It is in His nature to forgive. But this verse teaches that He makes the deciding choice in this matter. The question arises, “What happens to a Christian who dies out of fellowship with the Lord?” He goes to heaven with no chance of correcting the wrong. He will suffer loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:15).

Second, it is faith in God’s Word to work on man’s will. I didn’t say, “faith in man’s will.” God made man with the ability to chose. We are not right Scripturally if we do not recognize and respect this. God respects His own work in man to chose. That is the reason salvation is a choice. But man’s will must come under the drawing power of God before he will do anything. Our text says, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil . . .” This teaches that there is man’s side of self recovery. God stands sovereignly first in this recovery. But man must also choose and act in faith in the process so that the recovery can be stated thus, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil . . .”

Then lastly, BY OUR RECOGNITION OF THE POWER OF THE DEVIL. We must recognize that Satan has power. His power is subject to God. But because of man’s sin in the Garden of Eden, he has awesome power in this world. He is called the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), and our “adversary” (1 Pet. 58). He has the accumulation of wisdom that he has gained from the time he tempted man successfully in the Garden of Eden until now. He has a will and it is malignant. But Satan cannot trap a man without convincing that man to go with him through lies. He is a deceiver and appeals to man’s will. You will never be snared by the devil without having the opportunity to avoid the snare. God’s Word protects the believer. So these of whom Paul speaks are those who bought into the devil’s lie and have voluntarily gone with him away from the right path. To win them back, we must recognize the extent of the devil’s power. Jesus overcame the devil. When we come against him in the Name of Jesus through the Word of Jesus, he has no power that is equal to that. We can appeal with meekness and gentleness through the use of the Word to the man’s will to repent. If God grants repentance, the man has an opportunity to return. It will be God’s offer to him. He will have to make a choice and when he does, he will be recovered from the snare.. We will share in the victory but all the glory goes to God. Amen. What a Saviour!

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White