THINGS BEING ENTRUSTED TO FAITHFUL MEN
J. Strachan
I have been led to say a simple word, dear brethren, following what our brother has brought before us. It has struck me that Paul in this epistle to Timothy is thinking of how things will be continued, “be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus”. Timothy was to continue in that and Paul says, “the things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, such as shall be competent to instruct others also”. That was what especially affected me as coming down through a broken day. What Paul is looking for is faithful men who will be competent to instruct others also. I think that is very fine, dear brethren. It does not say things are to be entrusted to gifted men, but to be entrusted to faithful men, so that this quality of faithfulness is needed to maintain the truth in integrity, the things that Paul had taught had to be carried down. “The things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses”. There was not only the teaching but the exemplification of the teaching in Paul himself. He was a demonstration of the teaching, things were seen in him, and there were witnesses of these things. Timothy was a younger man who knew these things, and he was to think of the line that was to be continued so that the truth that Paul had set out should be maintained. It was to be entrusted to faithful men therefore, who would be competent not only to set out the truth in its terms, but as living exponents of it, they would be competent to instruct others also.
So the things are to be carried down through faithful men, not exactly through gifted men but through faithful men, persons who have been so affected by the truth themselves that they want to be here in faithfulness to the Lord. That is how it impresses me especially coming in this epistle which has in mind the continuation of things even in a broken day. I trust the Lord may just encourage us on this line, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Dundee
31 May 2011