The Cincinnati Church

Chapter 4
vs.1-5.
1. Paul here gives Timothy his final formal charge recorded in Scripture.
A. He had once charged him to fight with faith and a good conscience.
1TI 1:18-19.
B. He also had charged him to govern the church impartially. 1TI 5:21.
C. He charged him to continue the fight until Christ's appearing. 1TI 6:12-14.
D. This charge burdens Timothy with the single most defining and important
work of ministry: “Preach the word...”
(1) It is by preaching that unbelievers hear of Christ. ROM 10:14.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
I. Under the law, God gave Israel numerous religious ceremonies which spoke of the sinfulness of
sin, the need for atonement and the price of deliverance (death & bloodshed).
A. However, these things never actually took away sins. HEB 10:1-4, 11.
B. The tabernacle system of worship set forth only an outward purification of the flesh in
time designed to be a pattern of the perfect inward purification in eternity wrought in
Christ. HEB 8:4-5; 9:13-15, 22-23.
C. The law sacrifices were only the form, not the substance of the remission of sins.

VI. ISA 14:14 shows that Lucifer (Satan) desires to be “like the most High.” A survey of some of the
attributes of God sheds light on that to which Satan aspires.
A. God owns and distributes all wealth at His pleasure. 1CH 29:11-12.
B. God is the only Potentate (a person endowed with independent power) and Distributer of
power. 1TI 6:14-15; 1CH 29:12.
C. God's will is always done in heaven and earth. DAN 4:35; 2CH 20:6.
D. God requires unique and universal worship. MAT 4:10; ISA 45:22-23 c/w 2TH 2:3-7.
E. God has absolute power over life and death. DEU 32:39.

Bitterness
1. Believers are warned to be on guard against any root of bitterness. HEB 12:15; EPH 4:31-32.
A. Bitterness: “The quality or state of being bitter: a. to taste; b. to the mind or feelings; c.
deep sorrow or anguish of heart; d. animosity, acrimony of temper, action, or words; e.
intensity of frost or cold wind.”
(1) Of particular concern is bitterness as regarding animosity, acrimony of temper,
action or words.
(2) Acrimony: “Biting sharpness to the taste or other bodily sense; pungency; irritancy;

vs.14-15.
1. Against the corruption and deception that would define the perilous times, Paul
commands Timothy to hold fast to doctrine and Scripture.
A. He does not tell Timothy to ignore the potential threat of wicked influences
and simply trust that God would not let His people be affected.
B. He does not tell Timothy to look for state support to counter these things.
C. He does not tell Timothy to educate himself in the wisdom of this world so as
to better deal with worldly people.
D. He does not tell Timothy to promote new translations of the scriptures in the

vs.16-17.
1. These verses set forth the authorship, transmission, utility and sufficiency of the
holy scriptures.
2. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God...”
A. If something is scripture, it was given by inspiration of God. If something
was not given by inspiration of God, it could not be scripture.
B. Some modern versions alter this text.
(1) The A.S.V. and the R.V. render this phrase, “Every scripture inspired of
God...”
(2) This wording implies that some scriptures may not be inspired of God.

vs.6-9.
1. Paul here warns of sham ministers that victimize silly women.
2. From the type of men guilty of Paul's description in vs.2-5 would arise teachers to
support it. Ministers of a very base nature would arise. c/w 2KI 17:32-33.
A. “For of this sort...” refers to the kind characterized previously from which
Timothy was to turn away.
B. Therefore, Timothy is also to turn away from these teachers/ministers.
(1) They promote a non-committal, non-judgmental, free-living religion
where personal sanctification and doctrine take a back seat to form and
ritual.

Chapter 3
v.1
1. Paul here warns Timothy of perilous times that shall come in the last days.
A. Perilous: “Fraught with peril; causing or occasioning great danger; full of
risk; dangerous; hazardous.”
B. The last days are the days since the first advent of Jesus Christ.
HEB 1:2; 1PE 1:20; ACT 2:16-17; 1CO 10:11; 1JO 2:18.
C. What would be the point of Paul here teaching Timothy how to cope with the
perilous times of the last days if there was no chance of Timothy living in
them?
D. Time has been divided and marked by the coming of Christ.

The Believer's Sabbath Day
I. Believers are now under a faultless new covenant/testament which made the first one old.
1CO 11:25 c/w HEB 8:6-13.
A. The old covenant is annulled and abolished by the new. HEB 7:18; 2CO 3:13; EPH 2:15.
B. The season of ordained holy days, including sabbaths, died with Christ on the cross.
COL 2:14-16 c/w GAL 4:9-10.
1. The sabbath law was peculiar to Israel. EXO 31:15-17.
2. The sabbath was part of the Sinaitic covenant not made with the nations.
PSA 147:19-20.
3. The sabbath was part of the Sinaitic covenant not even made with the Jewish

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: A Rebuttal
A. Other names: Mormons, LDS.
B. Spin-offs: About 100 splinter groups, the largest of which is the Reorganized Church of Latter
Day Saints.
C. Principal players: Joseph Smith Jr., Samuel & Hyrum Smith (brothers), Sidney Rigdon, Oliver
Cowdery, David & Peter Whitmer, Brigham Young.
D. Official Publications: Church News (weekly newsletter); Ensign (monthly magazine).
E. Scriptures: Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price.

vs.20-21.
1. These verses draw from the illustration of a great house to demonstrate a need in
Christianity to identify undesirable elements and separate from them.
A. The gold and silver are vessels unto honor; the wood and earth are vessels
unto dishonor. LAM 4:2; 1CO 3:11-15.
B. Note that even in a great house not everything is gold, silver or honorable.
There is bound to be some wood and dirt also.
C. There is some comfort in this on an individual basis. The best of men are
men at best and subject to vanity which our loving, merciful God well knows.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: A Rebuttal

A. Other names: Mormons, LDS.
B. Spin-offs: About 100 splinter groups, the largest of which is the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints.
C. Principal players: Joseph Smith Jr., Samuel & Hyrum Smith (brothers), Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, David & Peter Whitmer, Brigham Young.
D. Official Publications: Church News (weekly newsletter); Ensign (monthly magazine).
E. Scriptures: Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price.

VII. Consider Scriptural preventatives against burnout.
A. Implementing these steps can prevent burnout and also help the burnout victim to recover.
B. Faith in Jesus Christ is a great antidote to burnout. JOH 14:1-3.
1. To relieve him of the burden of guilt, the believer is assured of justification.
a. There is mercy to cover the inevitable imperfections of our performance.
1JO 2:1-2; HEB 8:12.
b. To avoid burnout, this mercy must be the ground of our hope. PSA 130.
2. Countering the fear of death is the assurance that the believer has eternal life and a place

BURNOUT
I. Burnout is the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength brought on by continued stress; it is a
loss of enthusiasm, energy, idealism, perspective, and purpose.
A. Scripture calls it despair which is the loss of hope. 1SAM 27:1.
1. Without hope we are lost . ROM 8:24.
2. Without hope we are adrift without an anchor. HEB 6:18-20.
3. Without hope we are defenseless, without a helmet. 1TH 5:8.
4. Without hope we are insecure. JOB 11:18-19.
5. Without anticipation we have nothing to live for.
6. The arrow with no target falls to the ground.

BURNOUT
I. Burnout is the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength brought on by continued stress; it is a
loss of enthusiasm, energy, idealism, perspective, and purpose.
A. Scripture calls it despair which is the loss of hope. 1SAM 27:1.
1. Without hope we are lost . ROM 8:24.
2. Without hope we are adrift without an anchor. HEB 6:18-20.
3. Without hope we are defenseless, without a helmet. 1TH 5:8.
4. Without hope we are insecure. JOB 11:18-19.
5. Without anticipation we have nothing to live for.
6. The arrow with no target falls to the ground.

I. Burnout is the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength brought on by continued stress; it is a
loss of enthusiasm, energy, idealism, perspective, and purpose.
A. Scripture calls it despair which is the loss of hope. 1SAM 27:1.
1. Without hope we are lost . ROM 8:24.
2. Without hope we are adrift without an anchor. HEB 6:18-20.
3. Without hope we are defenseless, without a helmet. 1TH 5:8.
4. Without hope we are insecure. JOB 11:18-19.
5. Without anticipation we have nothing to live for.
6. The arrow with no target falls to the ground.

vs.16-18.
1. In contrast with a shameless right dividing of the word of truth, Paul here warns
against cancerous words which spring from wrongly dividing the word of truth.
2. Hymenaeus and Philetus acknowledged the biblical doctrine of the resurrection but
they had erred from the truth and wrongly divided it.
A. The doctrine of the resurrection includes the resurrection of Jesus Christ (a
past event, v.8), the similar future resurrection of His seed (ROM 8:11) and
the simultaneous resurrection of the wicked dead
(JOH 5:28-29; ACT 24:15).

v.15.
1. A chief priority and attribute of an effective gospel minister is that he should be a
man of study so as to avoid being ashamed.
A. Study: “To apply the mind to the acquisition of learning...”
(1) The studying in context is that of the word of truth, the Scripture.
(2) Not all studying is profitable for godliness and godly wisdom.
PRO 24:2; COL 2:8, 18; PRO 19:27; ROM 16:19.
(3) Christian faith need not fear rational inquiry and investigation of
non-Scriptural disciplines but of necessity must draw the line at

Psalm 28
Intro: This prayer psalm sees David transition from distress to praise, from the militant saint to the
triumphant saint.
A. He speaks to God, pleads for God to reply in kind, and trusts that since God has claimed him as
His own peculiar treasure that He will answer with salvation. c/w PSA 119:94.
B. No appeal is here made on the basis of David's goodness but only God's. It is a bold approach to
the throne of grace for mercy and grace to help in time of need. HEB 4:16.
C. This is an effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man that availed much. JAM 5:16.
vs.1-2.

v.14.
1. Timothy had been instructed to commit the things heard from Paul to faithful men
who would be able to instruct others. 2TI 2:2.
A. Paul here instructs Timothy to remind them about these things.
B. This shows that they had previously been taught these things.
C. It is negligence to NOT remind saints of things which they have previously
heard. 2PE 1:12.
D. Bringing former lessons to remembrance is a profitable method of stirring up the minds of the saints. 2PE 1:13; 3:1-2.
(1) Saints can forget even the most basic instruction.
2TH 2:5; HEB 12:5; JUDE 1:5.