20130616

Apostle Paul makes an impassioned plea to Timothy “to guard what has been entrusted to your care” – the truth of the Word. Truth is on trial then and today. It is being challenged then and today. Any claim made must be tested: from whose point of view is this statement made? Who is the speaker? Why is he the only qualified one; what about others? What are the circumstances? Is this the only way to understand this? All these questions imply: no absolute truth. Biblical truths have always been challenged. Yet it has withstood the test of time. By it, the standard for right and wrong is clearly defined for us.

Apostle Paul charged Timothy to safeguard the God given teachings from being twisted and distorted according to the interpretations of people. Timothy only received these teachings as a recent Christian, Paul’s son in the faith. Even at this early stage, he was already facing challenges in preserving these teachings. Today, we can marvel at how Biblical truths were preserved through the ages and centuries.

Last year in our Christian Education meetings we learnt how the Bible came to us. The Canon of the Old Testament books was relatively straightforward as the Prophets were recognized as God’s messengers. The process of the Canon (collection and acceptance) of the New Testament books began in the first centuries of the Early Church. They were recognised as the inspired Word of God, consistent in Bible doctrines, reflected the work of the Holy Spirit and quoted Jesus Christ and the Apostles. The authority was clearly not based on men but God. Through the Dark Ages and beyond, preserving the truths and the printing of the Bible to make them freely available to everyone were fraught with destruction of Bibles and the death of those involved with them. Yet the Bible has been protected by God through faithful men. Paul’s impassioned plea to Timothy to “guard the truth that has been entrusted to you” has come down through the ages to each one of us in our time. With Bibles in our hands today, how are we guarding it?

We guard it when we proclaim the truth – that as sinful people, our guilt can only be forgiven by God through our Lord Jesus. Proclaim in love, that Jesus is the only Saviour. Live out the truth of our living faith. Let the Truth in our lives be evident to all.