Today in God's word

Today in God's Word—January 2023 East Tallassee Church of Christ January 27, 2 Timothy 2 Would you be interested in an excellent buy on a chain? It’s made almost entirely of high quality tempered steel. Tempered steel, as you know, is very strong. Imagine the uses you could find for a steel chain—the most vicious animal could be restrained, the most valuable objects could be secured. Now, for a fraction of what you’d expect to pay, this chain can be yours. What’s the catch, you ask? Why can I offer you this chain at such an incredible discount? Well, one (but only one) of the links is made from a chewing gum wrapper. What? You’re not interested? Haven’t I heard the old saying? What old saying? Oh, that one. Yes, I’ve heard it—a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Paul wanted Timothy to be strong because he was a vital link in the chain between the apostles and the generations of believers who would follow. He knew Timothy would need to be strengthened by grace and be blessed with understanding from the Lord to be up to the task. He stacked one metaphor on top of another to illustrate the importance of being strong and diligent. The vigilant soldier, the disciplined athlete, the hard-working farmer—all these strong figures illustrated the character Timothy would need to discharge his responsibility.

Ultimately, the message and the motive for faithfully transmitting it are one and the same—the truth about Jesus.

Timothy was not to be distracted from the core message of the gospel by irreverent and irrelevant subjects. Quarreling about words only ruins hearers by upsetting their faith. By refusing to quarrel and instead persuading people with gentleness and patience, Timothy would be an honorable, useful vessel in God’s great house. Like Paul before him, he would need to be strong so people could hear the good news of salvation in Christ.

There may be other channels besides you through which your friends and neighbors may hear about Jesus. But you may be the very best link to the people closest to you. They may not hear and be blessed by the gospel if you’re the weak link. Jesus told his first disciples who had been fishermen that they would be catching people from that time on. The same word Jesus used to describe that activity is used here to describe how Satan “captures” people to do his will. We’re not the only ones fishing. Love for God and one another calls for us to be strong and faithful to our task. I urge you, by God’s grace, to be a strong link in the chain.

From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament, Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.