Overview
Biblical education for a walk together means grasping what Paul committed to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, the things thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, and then committing it on to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Rev. Jon Ryan ties that education to the worthy walk of Ephesians 4:1-3, which takes four elements: lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, and forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit. He then runs the race of Hebrews 12 through Paul’s own life in Acts 20, where even an apostle who would not listen to trusted believers made a judgment error, so that we learn to walk together in newness of life.
Transcript
Where Biblical Education Comes From: 2 Timothy 2:2
Biblical education for a walk together in newness of life. Biblical education. Where do we get that? In 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 2. Paul writes this epistle to Timothy and he is encouraging Timothy to really take the reins.
And here in 2 Timothy chapter 2 in verse 1 it says, Thou therefore my son. Timothy wasn’t literally his son, but Paul had brought him up in the word. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Be Strong in the Grace That Is in Christ Jesus
The grace that we have is certainly seen in these epistles, Romans through Thessalonians, and as we read the book of Acts and what was accomplished by God as his son obeyed him perfectly and gave his life and then God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand. And it’s by that accomplishment where Jesus Christ was able to say it is finished that the mystery which had been kept hid began to be unveiled.
That we could then become sons of God. No longer just servants of God, but sons of God. It says by grace were you saved, not of works lest any man should boast.
Commit It to Faithful Men Who Shall Be Able to Teach Others Also
It’s not of our own doing. It’s just simply that we accept the work of another man that was accomplished for us. And verse 2 says, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
So here’s where the biblical education comes in, is that we want to grasp and understand the things that Paul is referring to here. The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses certainly includes the epistles that he was given the great privilege to write. And that we grasp and understand these epistles and what’s contained therein.
Understand what the faith of Jesus Christ is. What he accomplished, and how we can walk with that confidence in our hearts and minds, building our lives upon the foundation that he set. And that we can teach others also.
Walking Worthy of Your Vocation: The Four Elements of Ephesians 4
That we can go forward and teach others this. Now if you go back to Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1 it reads, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation with which you are called. You are called.
So it’s our walk worthy, and that worthy is the word axios. It’s a balanced walk. And then it gives these four elements that are so integral, so needful for us to walk worthy.
And it says with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. So it’s a walk together.
It’s a walk where we’re endeavoring to stay together. Endeavoring to keep the unity. And in this walk it takes certainly these four elements.
Lowliness: Humility of Mind Toward God
It takes that lowliness, that humility of mind towards God. God’s ways are higher than our ways. He certainly knows the end from the beginning, we’ve seen.
And so we want to walk with him. And really I think a simple way to understand it is we want to do our best to walk in fellowship and be in the environment or surround ourselves with others that are also doing their best to walk in fellowship with God. Not with someone that wants to go in a whole different direction.
Why Our Associations Matter in a Walk Together
It says in many places in the Word that, you know, our associations are important. Who we surround ourselves with. You know, talks in Corinthians about being not unequally yoked together.
And it describes some of that. We want to do our utmost to be around those that we feel have the same standard. The standard of God’s Word that we can see clearly from the pages of the Bible.
Meekness and Long-Suffering With One Another
And so that’s a big part of it. So we walk with lowliness. We walk with meekness, which is a gentleness.
And it’s other times this word is translated as gentle. We’re not bullying anyone around. We’re just understanding that people are coming from different places.
That’s why the next word is long-suffering. It’s to be patient. We just have to be so gentle and patient with one another.
Jesus Christ Was Meek and Lowly in Heart
And our humility is towards God. Now Jesus Christ said this in Matthew 11. He says, Come unto me all you that labor, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. He said my yoke is easy. My burden is light.
For he is meek and lowly. He was gentle. He certainly had humility.
He said in different places that the words that he spoke were not his own, but his father’s. He sought to do his father’s will, not his own will. So that’s how we are to work with one another.
And oh my gosh, Jesus Christ is an example of just about anything you can think of. But certainly we see his patience, his long-suffering, as he worked closely with these men that he had chosen, as God directed him to the fishing village on the Sea of Galilee to choose Peter and John and James and Andrew and continuing to pick others. God directed him to put this team together that would ultimately continue on once he had accomplished, by giving his life, accomplished what God had set before him.
Run With Patience: Laying Aside Every Weight in Hebrews 12
So that’s part of our walk. But also go to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews 12 verse 1 says, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
So in Ephesians it said walk, here it says run. It doesn’t mean we have to get launched into a sprint. What it’s referring to here though is that we look at the great examples, the great cloud of witnesses who in the previous chapter, many had just enlisted from the Old Testament, these men and women who had walked with God.
The Great Cloud of Witnesses Who Walked With God
It specifically stated that of several of them. Enoch walked with God. It said that.
You know, Noah walked with God. Abraham walked with God. So it’s got some great examples in here, as well as others that it didn’t straightly say David walked with God, but it says David was a man after God’s own heart.
You know, so we see these tremendous examples, and then what God has inspired the Apostle Paul to write in this situation is that lay aside your sins. Lay aside every weight in the sin which does so easily beset us. As we endeavor to move forward to walk worthy, we can’t carry about our past failures.
None of us is going to be perfect. The only perfect one was here 2,000 years ago, and he’s now seated at the right hand of the Father. So we again have to be patient.
We want to run, it says here, with patience the race that is set before us. It’s such an integral part of our moving together. Patient with yourself and patient with others as well.
Saul on the Road to Damascus: Lord, What Wilt Thou Have Me to Do?
So that’s such a big deal. Now look at Acts chapter 20. We could spend a lot of time, but I’m not going to spend a lot of time, but in Acts chapter 20, we can pick up in Acts chapter 9 when we first are introduced to Saul who becomes the Apostle Paul, and we can read about the many things that he was able to accomplish as he is about faith on the way to Damascus, and when he encountered Jesus Christ and he said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And that was his pursuit.
That was his motivation as he moved forward. He made Jesus Christ his Lord, and the whole thrust of his life was to, what would you have me to do? And he set about to give people an understanding of the Word, of who Jesus Christ was and is and what was accomplished, so they can walk, so they can walk in newness of life.
So here in Acts chapter 20, Saul after many travels has been from Jerusalem to, from Antioch to Jerusalem to what we would call Asia Minor and over into Macedonia where Greece and these parts are, and then back and forth, and he is now on his way back to Jerusalem because he is determined that he needs to go back there.
It says in Romans chapter 10 that my heart’s desire for Israel is that they should be saved. He understood that they had a zeal, they were certainly motivated, but it wasn’t according to knowledge. They didn’t have the real understanding.
They still were under the law, and so he wanted to go back there. Many of these people were his friends, and his heart very clearly was for them to be saved. These men and women that had trained him, Gamaliel had trained him, and I don’t know if Gamaliel was still alive at this point, but so many of his friends that he had served with were going in the wrong direction like he had been going, and now, but by this point he has done many things.
He has seen the word open up, seen great signs, miracles and wonders take place, and he’s on his way back. He’s just traveled back to Macedonia, gathered a group of men including Luke, and he’s coming back and he’s getting close to Ephesus and then Miletus. He gathers people together.
Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders at Miletus
And so it says here in Acts chapter 20 verse 17, well, verse 16, For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility, there’s that lowliness, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews, or the Judeans.
There was an adversary that he had to contend with all along the way. At one point they stoned him to death and the believers raised him from the dead in Acts chapter 14. But he had, he was put in prison, he was beaten, and he’s relating this to them.
And it goes on in verse 20, How I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Judeans, and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The faith of Jesus Christ.
And now behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit, witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
Bound in the Spirit: The Warnings Not to Go to Jerusalem
So here Paul’s heading back to Jerusalem. He’s bound in the Spirit. He knows that people are telling him, people that are trusted fellow believers are telling him all along the way, this is not a good idea, that this is not going to be without much hurt. Bonds and afflictions are waiting for you.
Verse 24, But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Sounds like an admirable, honorable motivation.
But one of the things you see in here is that I might finish my course. We know, as we can look and see what happened, but this was not the place for Paul to go. But he has somehow gotten his mind that this is the finish of his course. He’s not afraid to give his life. Our Lord gave his life. Paul’s not afraid to do that. But is that what God wants? No. And every city he’s heard don’t go.
Agabus, Philip’s Daughters and a Judgment Error
And then if you read the record it goes on and he travels there and he continues to hear don’t go to Jerusalem. He gets to Caesarea where Philip is, and Philip has four virgin daughters, four unmarried daughters, and all of them by prophecy are telling him don’t go. Agabus comes up from Jerusalem and takes Paul’s girdle, his belt, and ties up Paul’s hands with it and says this is what’s going to happen to you, don’t go.
Let’s see. Paul, as great as he is, he goes. And this wonderful household of believers that he’s surrounded with are, you know, they go with him. They can’t just put him into a prison cell and don’t let him go. They’re not going to overstep his free will.
And Paul goes there and almost loses his life. For the next two years he’s imprisoned in the area surrounding Jerusalem, up in Caesarea for most of the time. Not much is written about what Paul does during those two years. And then ultimately he’s pleaded his case through the Roman system to bring his case to Rome, since he’s a Roman citizen, and he’s transported over to Rome, and ultimately he spends time in prison there. He writes the epistles, and we read about, you know, what Paul does.
I Have Finished My Course: 2 Timothy 4:7
And it’s not till many years later that 2nd Timothy chapter 4 is written, where in 2nd Timothy 4:7, Paul, and that same epistle where he told Timothy to teach faithful men, and 2nd Timothy 4 verse 7 read, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing.
Here’s where he’s finished his course. But see, even somebody as great as the Apostle Paul, if he’s not listening to equally wonderful men and women that had the spirit of God, can find himself making a misjudgment. It’s not a problem with his heart. It’s not a heart mistake. It’s a judgment error. But it limited what he was able to do in the years that followed.
God is still able to save his life, and able to, with Paul’s amazing capacity to overcome obstacles and to take care of things, Paul is able to live and write these amazing epistles that we get to read about, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Philemon, Hebrews, all that that we get.
No Hierarchy: We Are All in This Together
But the point being is that we want to give people biblical education, teach them the Bible and the confidence they can have to walk with God, and that we want to walk together in newness of life. We want to move together, so that whether it’s something as big as this or someone that’s at the top of, you know, there’s no hierarchy that makes anyone better than anyone else. Like titles mean nothing. We are all in this together. We all have a full measure of the faith of Jesus Christ.
So we just need to help each other, and God will work within us, to just as he does to bring about healing as we’ve seen on many occasions, how to work within us to say and do the right thing, to be in the right place, to help as is needed as we just walk together with him.
So that’s really what we’re trying to accomplish with Oikeos, is to give people the opportunity to walk together. Biblical education for a walk together in newness of life is what it’s all about. So it’s exciting as we move forward, and we’ll continue to build on this.
Key Takeaways
- Biblical education starts in 2 Timothy 2:2: what Paul heard among many witnesses, chiefly the epistles he was given the privilege to write, is committed to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.
- The worthy walk of Ephesians 4:1 uses the word axios, a balanced walk, and it takes four elements: lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, and forbearing one another in love.
- Lowliness is humility of mind towards God, and it works out practically in our associations, surrounding ourselves with others who hold the same standard of God’s Word.
- Jesus Christ is the pattern: meek and lowly in heart, with a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light, and long-suffering with the men he chose at the Sea of Galilee.
- Hebrews 12:1 says run with patience, laying aside every weight, so we cannot carry about our past failures, and we are to be patient with ourselves as well as with others.
- Paul went to Jerusalem against the warnings of Philip’s four daughters and Agabus, which Rev. Jon Ryan calls not a heart mistake but a judgment error that limited what he could do in the years that followed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 2 Timothy 2:2 mean by committing the word to faithful men?
It means passing on the same body of teaching Paul received, the things thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, which certainly includes the epistles he was given the great privilege to write. Rev. Jon Ryan says the aim is that we grasp and understand these epistles and what is contained therein, understand what the faith of Jesus Christ is, and then teach others also, so people build their lives upon the foundation that he set.
What are the four elements of a worthy walk in Ephesians 4?
Ephesians 4:1 calls believers to walk worthy of the vocation with which they are called, and the word worthy is axios, a balanced walk. The four elements that follow are lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, and forbearing one another in love, while endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Lowliness is humility of mind towards God, and meekness is a gentleness, so we are not bullying anyone around.
Why does this teaching say Paul made a judgment error by going to Jerusalem?
Because in every city the Holy Spirit witnessed that bonds and afflictions awaited him, and trusted believers told him all along the way not to go, including Philip’s four unmarried daughters by prophecy and Agabus, who tied up Paul’s hands with his own girdle. Paul went anyway and was imprisoned for the next two years. Rev. Jon Ryan calls this not a heart mistake but a judgment error that limited what he was able to do in the years that followed.
Scripture References
2 Timothy 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:1; Ephesians 2:8; Ephesians 2:9; Ephesians 4:1; Ephesians 4:2; Ephesians 4:3; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Matthew 11:28; Matthew 11:29; Matthew 11:30; Hebrews 12:1; Hebrews 11; Acts 20; Acts 9; Acts 9:6; Romans 10:1; Romans 10:2; Acts 20:16; Acts 20:17; Acts 20:18; Acts 20:19; Acts 14; Acts 20:20; Acts 20:21; Acts 20:22; Acts 20:23; Acts 20:24; 2 Timothy 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:8
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
