Bible Reading2 Timothy 4:9-22“Do your best to come to me soon.
[21:36] For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.
[21:39] Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
[21:45] Luke alone is with me.
[21:49] Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
[21:52] Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
[21:56] When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
[21:59] Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
[22:07] Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.
[22:08] At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!
[22:17] But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
[22:25] So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
[22:34] The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
[22:36] Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
[22:47] Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus.
[22:53] Do your best to come before winter.
[22:59] Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.
[23:01] The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
[23:09]”
Matthew 18:15-17“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.
[42:17] If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
[42:24] But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
[42:35] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.
[43:38] And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
[44:13]”
Acts 16:25-34“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
[55:20] and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.
[55:20] When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
[55:56] But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’
[56:06] And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
[56:22] Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’
[56:24] And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’
[56:24] And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
[56:24] And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
[56:32] Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
[56:32]”
Observation questions- In 2 Timothy 4, what different kinds of people does Paul mention at the end of the letter—deserters, faithful friends, restored friends, and harmful opponents—and what does that show about the real-life setting of this chapter? [25:32]
- What does Paul actually say about Mark, and how is that different from the earlier point when Mark had let him down? [28:40]
- In Matthew 18, what steps are given when someone refuses correction, and what is the final description Jesus uses for that person? [42:13]
- In Acts 16, what happened in the prison, what did Paul choose not to do, and who ended up hearing the gospel because of it? [56:12]
Interpretation questions- Paul says Demas deserted him because he was “in love with this present world.” What does that phrase seem to mean in the flow of 2 Timothy, especially in a letter that keeps contrasting love of self with love of God? [24:15]
- Paul asks for Mark because Mark is now “very useful” to him. What does that suggest about forgiveness in the Christian life? Why is restored usefulness such an important part of the picture? [31:05]
- Paul warns Timothy about Alexander, yet leaves repayment with the Lord. How can a believer both name real harm and refuse to take personal vengeance? [40:52]
- Jesus says that an unrepentant person should be treated like a Gentile or tax collector. If Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners, how should that shape the way the church understands discipline? [44:31]
Application questions- Is there someone who disappointed you a long time ago, and you still mainly think of them by that failure? What would it look like to leave room for the possibility that Christ may have changed them? [31:30]
- Forgiveness reaches toward reconciliation, not just private relief. Is there any relationship in your life where forgiveness has stalled out at a distance, and where a next small step toward peace might be possible? [31:17]
- Deep hurt can make enemy-love a slow prayer. When someone comes to mind who has done real harm, what do your prayers sound like right now—honest pain, silence, anger, or blessing? What would be one truthful next prayer to bring before the Lord? [47:34]
- Some people are easier to write off as “bad guys.” Who are the kinds of people you instinctively stop hoping for? How does remembering that grace reached Paul challenge that instinct? [57:25]
- “The Lord stood by me” was spoken from inside prison, not after escape. Where do you most need to remember that the Lord’s presence is not measured by comfort or quick results? [54:58]
- Paul’s prison became a place where someone else heard the gospel. Can you think of a hard situation in your life that may be miserable for you, but could still become a place where Christ is seen by someone else? [56:39]
- Disappointment easily turns into scorekeeping. When someone keeps letting you down, how do you usually keep mental check marks? What would it look like this week to stop adding to the ledger? [01:01:26]
