{"id":804,"date":"2019-10-13T13:40:59","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T18:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/?p=804"},"modified":"2019-10-13T13:40:59","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T18:40:59","slug":"the-time-will-come-and-may-already-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/13\/the-time-will-come-and-may-already-be\/","title":{"rendered":"The Time Will Come, and May Already Be\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Paul wrote encouraging words to\nTimothy, for he was to never forget the faith instilled within him or to be\nashamed of the testimony of the Lord. But he also wrote Timothy words of\nwarning that are relevant \u2013 especially today! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul told Timothy to \u201cHold fast the form of sound words, which\nthou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus<\/strong>\u201d (2\nTimothy 1:13). The word sound<\/em> here\nmeans \u201csound doctrine; as in true, pure, uncorrupted.\u201d Timothy was encouraged\nto hold on tightly, or possess, the pure doctrine that Paul had taught him. The\nsame sound doctrine that we have recorded in God\u2019s Word, the Bible. But in\norder to know what that sound doctrine is, we must read and study God\u2019s Word.\nThat is why Paul taught Timothy to \u201cStudy\nto shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,\nrightly dividing the word of truth<\/strong>\u201d (2 Timothy 2:15). It was important that\nTimothy understood that he had to not only study the Bible, but he must\n\u201crightly\u201d divide the word of truth. One must compare Scripture with Scripture.\nHe had to understand and know the true doctrines written within the Bible in\norder to recognize false teaching and stay away from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul warned, \u201cThis know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come<\/strong>\u201d (2\nTimothy 3:1). He wanted Timothy to understand that times would become difficult\nand dangerous. Paul went on to warn: \u201cHaving\na form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away<\/strong>\u201d (2\nTimothy 3:5). Times would come when things would look and sound good, having\nthe form of something real, but it would deny the power that would make it real\n\u2013 faith in Jesus. By having a form of something real or true, many could be\ndeceived or tricked into believing they had something real. Most people (or churches)\nare prepared for an attack on them from the outside. But when it comes from\nwithin, people are surprised \u2013 caught off guard. There is something to be said\nabout \u201cconquering from within.\u201d We are prepared for the enemy outside of the\ncamp, but woefully unprepared when the enemy comes from within. False doctrine\nis often able to creep in unaware until it is too late. True doctrine must be\nknown in order to defend it against false doctrine. The only way to know the\ndifference is to study God\u2019s Word and know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but\nafter their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching\nears; 4. And they shall turn away their<\/em> ears from the truth, and shall\nbe turned unto fables. 5. But watch thou in all things \u2026<\/strong>\u201d (2 Timothy\n4:3-5a). Today it is too easy to listen to teachers (or preachers) tell us what\ngood people we are and what good things we are doing for the kingdom of God.\nThey sound so nice and make us feel so good about ourselves. But words like\nthese turn ears away from the truth of God\u2019s Word; for there is nothing good in\nmankind \u2013 unless one has given their heart and<\/em><\/strong> life to Jesus, living according\nto the Bible and its teachings. Any other teaching is a fable \u2013 fiction, not\nreal. Knowing this would happen, Paul warned Timothy to \u201cwatch\u201d in all things.\nHe was to be ready by knowing the Bible and its true teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you hold fast to true doctrine?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you studied to show yourself\napproved and not ashamed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you endure sound doctrine or have itching ears? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to watch! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paul wrote encouraging words to Timothy, for he was to never forget the faith instilled within him or to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord. But he also wrote Timothy words of warning that are relevant \u2013 especially today! Paul told Timothy to \u201cHold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[318],"tags":[85,381,379,80,277,380,307,301,378,305,357,271],"class_list":["post-804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-picture-with-verse-and-blog","tag-bible","tag-form","tag-itching-ears","tag-jesus","tag-paul","tag-perilous","tag-sound-doctrine","tag-study","tag-time","tag-timothy","tag-truth","tag-watch"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":806,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804\/revisions\/806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}