Are You Fully Equipped?

Paul wrote many letters which have been preserved and maintained in the New Testament. Most of these were written to a church or other group of believers. However, three of these letters were written to specific individuals – I and II Timothy and Titus. Hence, we see detailed instructions to these individuals. In II Timothy 3, Paul is encouraging Timothy to maintain his passion for Christ and to remain firm in sound doctrine. In the first part of this chapter, he tells Timothy that difficult times are ahead (verses 1-5) “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.” Remember that time has no relevance to God, He is timeless. In God’s view, we are to always be prepared, as Christ could rapture the saints at any time. So, in a very real sense, we are in the last times and have been since the ascension of Jesus.

In II Corinthians 12:4-7, we see that Paul “was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak…Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!” So he speaks with authority in regard to the difficult times ahead that he describes in II Timothy.

Paul continues, exhorting Timothy to remain faithful to the scriptures, stating in verses 16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work. At first glance, one might think that Paul was being repetitive here to make his point. But a deeper look indicates different shades of meaning for these four words.

Teaching. Biblically, this word has many interpretations – to teach, to instruct systematically, to train, to hand down tradition, to correct or counsel, to command. Looking at this vast Biblical vocabulary, it is obvious that God wants His people to study and learn scripture. Further, we see that God planned for teaching to occur in two primary contexts. Teaching is delegated to the family and to God’s family, the church. This places a tremendous responsibility on parents to give their children instruction in the way of God. Parents can teach in a formal manner, such as a daily devotional or Bible study for the family. But it also includes using “teachable moments” that arise in everyday life. Both can be effective teaching methodologies. And this teaching is not limited to parents, but to grandparents and other extended family.

But not just the parents, God has provided for spiritually gifted leaders to teach its members. This would be more in a context of Sunday school, small group studies, and pastoral teaching from the pulpit. I recall that as a young person growing up in a Southern Baptist Church we had “Sword Drills” in which a scripture verse would be annouced and we would try to be the first to find that scripture in our Bibles. Looking back, I see what a valuable tool that has become for me through the years, To this day, I can find any scripture verse quickly. 

Rebuke. This word conveys a strong expression of disapproval, reproof, or correction. The King James Dictionary defines rebuke as “To reprimand; strongly warn; restrain.” To rebuke someone is to point out to the offending person an observed sinful behavior. The Greek derivative, elegcho, means to reprimand and convict by exposing a wrong. Rebuke should alway be handled carefully, done in love and with a great deal of discernment. In rebuking someone, keep in mind you are doing so to help the person become aware of their sinful behavior, not to demonstrate your superior spirituality. Tread softly in how this is done, or you may drive them further from Christ. And be certain the Holy Spirit is calling on you to rebuke that person.

A third thing I would point out about rebuke is that the intended target of rebuke is to a fellow believer. It is not intended to be used when talking with an unbeliever. That situation calls for an entirely different approach.

 I don’t recall it being listed as one of the spiritual gifts. It is portrayed as an act of love and concern for the spiritual growth and maturity of fellow believers.  Above all, when rebuking someone, follow biblical guidelines.

Correction. This word involves changing something wrong to make it right or better. If I am driving somewhere and take a wrong turn, I need to make a correction in my route to get back toward my destination. Three words are used in the Bible to connote correction. Yasar and musar in the Old Testament and pideuo in the New. All three of these words connote corrective discipline. God seeks for us to change directions for our betterment, godliness, and protection. 

Scripture is replete with lawful boundaries for our behavior. Along with these boundaries, God has placed authorities to enforce the boundaries. Romans 13:1-4 affirms this. “Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a servant of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” There are certainly issues with authorities who abuse their power, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion.

Paul also discusses correction of Christians exhibiting unhealthy behaviors. This falls short of rebuke but could lead to it. Matthew 18:15-18 (CEV) reads “If one of my followers sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.” One of the key takeaways here is what to do with the one who refuses to listen. How should we treat an unbeliever? We don’t ignore him, we attempt to bring him to salvation.

Training. In this context, training is more than the previously-discussed teaching. Training has been described as more of an intentional process or disciplined instruction. Think of teaching as a weekly meeting at church or in someone’s home and anyone is free to attend. Training, on the other hand, would be represented by a disciplined period of instruction usually with the same small group of participants. The study is usually focused on a certain aspect of the Christian life. 

For example, for a number of years, I was involved with the Discipleship Training curriculum in the Southern Baptist Church. We had a number of studies on Discipleship, PrayerLife, Experiencing God, First Place, and The Mind of Christ. These typically lasted from three to six months in a closed small-group setting, focusing on a particular aspect of the Christian walk.

Biblical training should be a holistic process that encompasses all aspects of our being – body, mind, and spirit while helping Christians  in moral, spiritual,and intellectual development. In I Corinthians 9:24-27 (CEV) Paul compares the Christian life to a race. “You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. I don’t run without a goal. And I don’t box by beating my fists in the air. I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won’t lose out after telling the good news to others.” This same physical discipline should be evident in all aspects of our spiritual growth. 

In Ephesians 4:12-13 we see the role of leaders in the church is ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” The discipline of training rarely seems pleasant at the time. I spent many years in college, training for my chosen profession. As a runner, I spent hours pounding the pavement in preparation for upcoming road races. There were times I wanted to quit both of these. I was tired, sore, brain dead. Yet, by keeping my eye on the prize, I persevered.

In the past, I’ve heard that certain churches would “dip ‘em and drop ‘em,” meaning their focus was on evangelism and getting people baptized but offered little in terms of training. That is a short-sighted focus. The church should take a holistic view of the believer. And the believer should be proactive in becoming the Child of God he or she was intended to be. Resources abound. What keeps you from being “Fully Equipped?”

All scripture is from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

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