What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses
entrust to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also.
2. Timothy 2:2
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What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2. Timothy 2:2 |
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In his presumably last letter out of the prison Paul gives his faithful co-worker Timothy last instructions for his service.
In 2. Timothy 2:2 he emphasizes four different persons and groups. Paul, the teacher of Timothy, stands at the beginning. He has devoted many years to his teaching of Timothy to prepare him for his service. But now Paul is in prison in Rome, expecting his verdict. Yet Timothy, the second in the line, has already proven his ability and can now stand on his own two feet. Paul urges him, to pass on the Word of God to the third grouppf people. These people should be faithful and capable to pass on the Word of God to other people, the fourth group. As Paul has devoted himself wholly to his faithful co-worker Timothy and has instructed him, so Timothy shall devote himself to other people and instruct them so that they may become teachers themselves and instruct others also. In this way the Word of God will be spread over the whole word even to such countries, that can not be visited by Paul and Timothy.
In a similar manner in many years I have studied the word of God under many teachers. After that I have learnt in several congregations and bible schools to apply the Word of God and have practised to pass it on to faithful and capable people through sermons, bible studies and instructions. Now the time has come to stand on my own two feet and pass on the Word of God in a country that has a great hunger for the Word of God yet a lack of trustworthy Bible teachers. Even my wife has completed a course at a bible school aside from her job as nurse and will hence be able to do her special job in our vocation.
This verse also describes the motto of our service. It shows an open Bible with the Hebrew title of the Old Testament (“Law, Prophets, and Writings”) on the left hand side and the Greek title of the New Testament ("Book") on the right hand side. In the center of the Bible, shining through it, embracing both parts and at the same time separating and connecting them, the Cross indicates the life and work of Jesus Christ, that is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, which may indeed be understood on its own, and described and applied in the New Testament, which often bases itself on the Old Testament, overlying the national flag of the Republic Nigeria.