Again, refuge is taken by the opponents of the truth in the words, “the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). These words are found in Paul’s last epistle to Timothy, when all Asia had turned away from him, and a prominent fellow-servant had forsaken him, and loved this present world. The church had long gone on as God’s corporate witness on earth, and had deeply failed, and nothing would have been easier than for the aged apostle in prospect of martyrdom, to have commended Timothy to church authority; but instead of that, he calls upon Timothy to look out for individuals in the church on earth whom he judged true to the Lord, and commit the truth which he had received from the apostle to such as he could call “faithful men,” so that they might be able to teach others also. Timothy could not fail so to understand it. There is no thought of church authority in the passage. Nor is there such an idea here or elsewhere in Scripture as that “the church teaches.” Instead of the church teaching, the church is taught by the “gifts” received from Christ in ascension; and in the prospect of ruin and difficulty in the church looked at as God’s corporate witness on earth, we are directed to the Scriptures and their sufficiency as our resource in a time of evil in the last days (2 Tim. 3:15-17; see also Eph. 4:8-16).
From first to last in the sacred writings their divine authority is set before us. Even when Paul preached, who had received his commission directly from the Lord Himself, as he says, “not of men neither by man,” the Bereans were specially commended by the Holy Spirit, because they searched the Scriptures daily, “whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11, 12). How important it is at this time to see that instead of the church giving authority or adding any value to the written Word, it is that Word which is the only authority in the church, and is sufficient to guide, instruct, and correct every believer and furnish him unto every good work.
The truth is, that “the faith once delivered,” instead if being deposited to the care and authority of a corporate association – the church – we are plainly told was once given “to the saints,” so that every believer (for all such are “saints” by calling) has received this wondrous endowment from the Lord, and is under obligation to Him to “contend earnestly” for it, and maintain it at all cost for His honor (Jude 3). When the Word of eternal truth is not heeded in its divine character, as the daily resource and guide, men and books will be almost sure to be resorted to, and will usurp the place of “God, and the word of His grace,” in the heart and mind, with great loss and damage of soul. “To obey is better than sacrifice;” and to heed and keep the “words” of the Son of God is the proof of our loving Him; and an apostle was wont to exhort believers to “be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior” (John 14:23; 2 Peter 3:2).
(To be continued.)