As planned yesterday, we
covered all of 2nd Timothy today. In the morning session, we were
about an hour late getting started. So, we only had time to finish chapter one
before the lunch break. We looked in some depth at what Paul said about the
background and upbringing of Timothy. He was given the great blessing of a
faithful grandmother and mother, as well as learning from Paul’s teaching, but
he had to develop his own faith. Paul also noted that he wanted Timothy not to
be ashamed of the Lord’s testimony or Paul since Paul was a faithful servant of
God, suffering for the Lord’s cause. We finished the morning by emphasizing the
commitment Paul showed as one absolutely assured of the faithfulness of God.
During the lunch break, we
had a power reduction that took one of the two air conditioners out. (The one on the right in the picture was the offending machine!) So the
heat began to build then and increased throughout the day. After I had finished
teaching through 2nd Timothy, there was a full blackout while Lordy,
Rody and Jonathan were clarifying the points covered from the text. I could not
help but think about what Leslie had told me concerning home – it had snowed on
Monday in Oklahoma! I had to work hard at not envying as we sweated along!
The afternoon session covered
the remainder of the book. We stressed the repeated admonitions for Timothy to
be diligent in promoting and defending the truth as well as making sure his
life was conducted in harmony with the gospel. In contrast to that, we noted
the repeated warnings about those whose lives would exemplify an opposition to
the gospel. Though it was very warm during the afternoon session, the attention
was good.
