But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. (2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, NRSV)
The utmost patience in teaching…
Do we as believers take the utmost patience in teaching those who believe differently than us? We are to use scripture for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, but when someone disagrees with us what do we do?
Most people I know are taken aback and hunch down and get ready for retaliation. This is not bad, mind you it is our human reaction when our beliefs are under attack. We get defensive and want to make ready to defend our beliefs. They are usually ling seated from our childhood and therefore can not be wrong. What I learned has to be true and it can not change. But anyone who has spent anytime in education or has children in school knows that what we learned in school is no longer necessarily what is right. For instance, is Pluto a planet or not? Is Australia a continent or not? Things change. And while God does not change, even our translations of the biblical texts have changed, so the scripture we are to use for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness has changed over time… So are we patient with each other, in teaching, in reproof, in correction, and in training in righteousness?
Timothy is told to be patient with all, and we need to do the same. Do not turn and run, or become hateful to someone who is a part of the body that you disagree with, but listen and discuss with them the understanding God has laid on you and in patience work through this with them…
This is what we are called to be. Patience!
aSacredRebel 