Well, good evening. It's a delight and a joy, honestly, to continue in the series together tonight.
! As you know, we're in chapter 3, verses 10 to 17.
! And again, we're going to taste the richness of this letter from Paul, who's writing it from prison, fully knowing that his death is drawing near, and addressed to Timothy, who is like a son in Christ to him.
Now, Timothy, at this point, had been ministering to the church in Ephesus for around four years, and it's been nearly that long since he's received his first letter from Paul.
Written from a damp, cold, and dark prison cell, this letter is one of encouragement.
Paul urges Timothy to stay strong in the face of trials and oppositions.
He calls him to faithfully fulfill his ministry, to nourish believers, and pass on the unshaken gospel message, like a baton.
Because this message is so powerful, it's enough to bridge from generation to generation, regardless of circumstance.
In hand with discipleship, training, preaching, and a costly ministry, the gospel baton will be passed. It will continue.
Now, while this letter is especially helpful for those in church leadership or ministry, the call to discipleship and evangelism is going to apply to each of us tonight, every single Christian.
So today, here in this letter, God is speaking to you with relevance, and with a call to apply his teaching.
And we've seen this relevance throughout the past few weeks of the series.
We've been on a rich journey in this letter.
And so I'll quickly just stop, and I'll trace back the main points of our passage.
So in chapter 1, 1-7, we saw that God equips people to pass on the baton.
In verses 8-18, we saw how some accept this gospel ministry in hardship, while others flee from it.
In 2, 1-17, we saw how patient, focused, and committed ministry passes the baton well, and it sees faith continue.
In 8-13, we were reminded that the gospel work often brings suffering, but also the salvation of the elect.
In 14-26, we saw that those in Christ must seek righteousness and run from any faith-wrecking controversies.
And in our last passage, in 2 Timothy 3, 1-9, we saw that real opponents will arise from within the church.
People who, on the surface, appear godly and knowledgeable, but they deny God and love only themselves.
So we've really been on quite the journey.
We've touched on evangelism in this series, discipleship, gospel training, and the cost of ministry.
We've seen the call to righteousness, to patience, wholehearted dedication to ministry, even in suffering.
We've seen how this grueling mission, though tough, will show in the salvation of the elect.
Because God carries it, it will not fail.
And we're told to rely on Him and continue.
And so we press on tonight, in 2 Timothy 3, 10-17, where we see these same themes continuously blend.
And we're going to go even deeper.
Now, I'm sorry, I've made my whole sermon on the ESV translation, but they seem quite similar.
So hopefully that's going to be fine.
So let's dive right in.
We're in 2 Timothy 3, 10.
If we remember, we're coming off a strong warning from the verses 1 to 9.
And so we open today's passage with a clear pivot.
You, however, have followed.
Unlike those men who are corrupt and disqualified, Timothy, you have followed.
My teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, faith and patience and love and steadfastness.
Well, Paul, what teaching?
What conduct?
What aim in life?
And how has Timothy followed these so closely?
How did he know your conduct well enough to follow it in the first place?
What is going on here?
Clearly, Paul and Timothy share a relationship we're not fully aware of.
By contrasting Timothy against the men from verses 1 to 9, Paul highlights a visible, set-apart character.
He knows Timothy very personally.
And so Paul has seen Timothy's obedience, but Timothy too has seen Paul's example and has followed.
To understand this relationship and decipher the depth of the meaning in these words,
we need to join Paul on his journey and see what's happened at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra.
Why?
Well, Timothy seems to be aware of what's happening.
But we're not off the bat.
They're suffering in verses 11 and throughout this text.
And so it's useful for us to, for a short while, go into Acts 13 so we can grasp the weight of today's passage once we return.
So we're in Acts 13, 13 to 52, and we have quite the incident here.
For the sake of time, I'll quickly overview this part before we read together about Iconium and Lystra.
But it's useful to have it open so you can skim through as well.
So at Antioch in Acts 13, 13, Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogue.
They read the law of prophets and prophets.
And the synagogue rulers invite them to share a word of encouragement.
And boy, do they take that opportunity.
Because Paul stands up and before the whole congregation, he opens the scripture.
From Exodus forward, he continuously points to Jesus,
his witness death and his resurrection and his return and call to repentance.
He shows the people there how he is the Messiah.
And he warns them strongly of denying this Jesus.
After Paul finishes, some believe many, many are eager to hear more of this.
And so in verse 43, on the next Sabbath,
as he returns with Barnabas, nearly the whole city gathers around.
But jealousy stirs among the Jews and some begin contradicting and insulting Paul.
But they boldly respond in verse 46.
And I read this because it's useful to see just how bold this proclamation is.
Acts 13, 46.
It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.
Since you thrust it aside and judge yourself unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
The Gentiles rejoice.
Many believe and glorify God.
And the gospel quickly spreads.
But again, because of this jealousy, the Jews incited devout women and men of high standing in the city to persecute the apostles and to force them out of the district.
And famously, before leaving, Paul and Barnabas shake the dust off their feet as a sign of judgment and press on forwards to the Iconium.
Now, there's a lot happening here.
But centrally, there's a very bold evangelistic message.
Paul and Barnabas preach Jesus as the expected Messiah, the very Jesus that the Jews crucified.
And this is in the middle of the synagogue.
Bravely, they do this and they see fruition.
God works in their bravery, while simultaneously opposition and persecution brew.
And these happen in parallel.
Remember this persecution.
For us reading it, this is a brief phrase, but it carries a real, costly, and felt price.
The gospel ministry in Antioch had a cost, and Paul wants Timothy to remember this.
And so Paul continues forwards.
And we're brought to Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas follow their usual pattern,
pressing on with a bold gospel declaration.
So let's read together in Acts 14, 1 to 7.
At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went, as usual, into the Jewish synagogue.
There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord,
who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
The people of the city were divided.
Some sided with the Jews, while others with the apostles.
There was a plot of foot among them, among the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders,
to mistreat them and stone them.
But they found out about it and fled to the Iconian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding country,
where they continued to preach the gospel.
I love how the NIV puts it.
Paul and Barnabas went, as usual, into the Jewish synagogue.
It really is quite the strategy, isn't it?
Go again into the next city and tell the Jews that they killed God incarnate,
knowing that in the previous synagogue there was strong persecution.
Yet what do we see?
God continues to work for their bold faith.
If the city divides, some believe, others reject.
But this pattern continues also.
And again, persecution is knocking at the door.
And clearly their evangelistic strategy doesn't change at all in the face of it.
They don't change the message or soften it.
They press on preaching boldly.
And now they move onwards to Lystra.
Here we're skimming through Acts 14, 8 to 23,
where Paul again is preaching,
and before him lies a crippled man from birth,
unable to walk but listening.
And Paul sees him, tells him to stand up, seeing his faith.
And up he jumps, beginning to walk.
And how do the people react in verse 11 of Acts 14?
They perceive Paul and Barnabas to be God's inhuman form.
This is a bit ironic,
that the Gentiles see the wonders as God-like,
but that the Jewish leaders earlier didn't,
actually killing God as a coming Messiah not long ago.
And so the crowd names Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes,
and they react by turning their clothes off
in pain of this,
insisting they're just messengers bringing good news.
And even so, in verse 18,
we see that they barely manage to stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.
And then there's a very sharp turn in verse 19,
and I'm going to read down to 22, I think.
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium
and won the crowd over.
They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city,
thinking he was dead.
But after the disciples had gathered around him,
he got up and went back into the city.
The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
They preached the gospel in that city
and won a large number of disciples.
Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,
strengthening the disciples and encouraging them
to remain true in the faith.
We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God, they said.
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in the church
and with prayer and fasting,
committed them to the Lord,
in whom they put their trust.
And so,
Paul and Barnabas go out boldly in faith,
preaching strongly in the synagogues.
And they endure suffering again and again.
I mean, isn't this just jaw-dropping?
They're persecuted in Antioch
for preaching in the synagogue
and they go on to do the same at Iconium.
At Iconium, they hear of a plot to be stoned,
so they head to Lystra.
And what happens?
Paul is stoned, left for dead,
and then they do what?
That's right, they go back to preach the gospel
in that city and win a large number of disciples.
But Paul, why would you do this?
I mean, do you not remember the exile out of Antioch
or the attempted stoning at Iconium
or the actual stoning at Lystra
that left you near dead?
Why would you return to these places?
Well, we've read that in verses 21 to 22,
because the gospel needs preached
and the disciples need strengthening.
This is so powerful.
Paul's primary concern is not his health,
it's not his safety,
it's not his comfort or approval
or ease or even survival.
It's Christ's.
His concern is for people to know Jesus
and grow in him.
And this is the Great Commission taken seriously.
Imagine, bloodied, bruised, fought dead,
Paul gets up and walks back into the same city
because the beauty of the gospel
deserves to be heard,
regardless of cost.
If anything, it seems for Paul,
persecution is not a sign of unwise gospel presentation,
but quite the opposite,
a faithful presentation.
The gospel is a bold message
that calls for a bold messenger.
He sees the brothers that need the strengthening
and he goes to them.
And what an example this is,
the Christ-likeness of this event.
revealing a church leader to follow.
And clearly, the disciples saw it in verse 22,
because reflecting on this event,
they say something remarkable.
We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.
We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.
We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.
What an application.
This wasn't just Paul's message,
it was their realized conviction.
We, the church,
must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.
And Timothy, he doesn't just admire Paul's faith,
he adopts this costly pattern of ministry.
So now jumping back into 2 Timothy 3.10,
we stand on very different footing
looking at this text.
Remember how the disciples gathered around Paul
after his stoning in Lystra?
Well, so does Timothy reading these words,
because he likely was one of them.
He lived there,
and as a boy,
likely saw firsthand what had happened.
At the very least,
he's heard of it.
He saw the Great Commission,
what it looked like when it's lived out.
And alongside Timothy now,
we also see the richness of these words,
real words that carry wounds with them.
And still,
Timothy chose to follow Paul's teaching,
his conduct,
his aim in life,
his faith,
his patience,
his love,
his steadfastness,
his persecutions.
He saw the transformational power of the gospel,
and he didn't need the salesman pitch.
He saw the boldness and the love,
a living faith.
He saw that being set apart is costly.
It might even cost him his life.
But still,
he chose to adopt this pattern.
He chose to follow.
No special invitation.
No one dragged him.
And this sacrificial pattern of ministry
is for Timothy and church leaders to adopt.
It isn't glamorous.
It holds pain and suffering.
To be endured with a Christ-like character.
Still,
Timothy follows.
So self-giving is this pattern
that it always points to Christ.
The people there don't see a glamorous minister.
They see a suffering servant.
They see Jesus.
And so we can see in verse 11,
we can almost feel the tears and anguish of Paul
and his shaking hand as he wrote these words.
We can almost see Timothy's eyes begin to tear
as he remembers walking on the roads
in which Paul bled.
We see their close relationship,
their common gospel,
and their shared wounds.
And there is suffering package behind these words.
Persecutions felt,
not fled from,
but for the sake of the all-sufficient gospel,
they were endured,
repeatedly.
For me, this reminds me of Jesus.
This is Christ-like ministry.
And who rescued Paul?
Was it the persecution newsbringer
or the informant?
No, it was the Lord who rescued him.
And we're not surprised by this,
but imagine getting chased out of so many cities
preaching the gospel,
only to get stoned.
It doesn't really feel like rescued, does it?
Like, God, here I am preaching like you asked me to,
and this is what I get?
Shamefully, that would have been my cry,
feeling abandoned at the first pebble thrown my way.
But that's not Paul's faith.
His stoning, there is no shame in it.
This is not a failed mission.
It's Paul's pattern of ministry.
Timothy, this is not a memory.
It's an invitation.
This is the price of carrying the gospel boldly.
This is ministry.
Not the crowd's attention, appraisal,
but the persecution's.
And we admire bold missionaries like Paul,
but I wonder if we still see a success
if the result was rejection,
pain, or even stones.
Because this is the cost of the gospel,
and the returns are God's.
So now, verse 12.
If we remember Acts 14, 24,
where they say,
we must go from many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.
Indeed, says Paul, you must.
If you desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus,
you will be persecuted.
It's not a possibility.
It's a certainty.
So, Timothy, you want the welcome to ministry package?
It's all-inclusive.
You'll get on-the-job persecutions,
some suffering too,
sorry, no budget for a private jet.
You've got it all when you have the gospel,
and it's worth being persecuted for.
Oh yeah, and the suffering?
Of course, you're expected to have a Christ-like character for it all.
Oh, and if you're curious about the expectations from the ministry role,
if you desire to do well in it,
and live a godly life,
again, you will be persecuted.
We've got quite the theme going on here, don't we?
Now, while Paul is talking to the next batting carrier,
he addresses all future church leaders.
Adopting his suffering pattern of ministry
is not an option,
but an expectation.
And we might nod,
but let's not miss the wording here as well.
All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
And actually, the suffering,
that's not just the pastors.
This part applies to us quite strongly.
If we desire a godly life,
we will be persecuted.
This is a guarantee.
And why?
I think the reason is in the wording,
because a godly life is in Christ Jesus.
And we know what the world did to Christ.
And so the challenge for me,
for us today,
is whether we are at this moment
desiring a godly life.
Because if we are in Christ Jesus,
the world will persecute us.
If we are in Christ Jesus, like Paul,
boldly, and even wisely,
others will at times go out their way
to persecute us.
It may not be with stones here in the UK,
though in some parts of the world
it continues to be,
but it might be social exclusion,
unfair treatment,
being misunderstood,
or rejected,
or missing out on opportunities,
not because we are reckless,
but because we belong to Jesus.
If the world's foundation is on sand,
and we stand boldly on Christ as our rock,
in word and deed,
their foundation will be challenged.
Let's be clear,
persecution is not a badge we chase,
a confirming identity.
We don't go our way to be victims,
so we can earn something.
We are whole in Christ.
But this is exactly it.
The world hated Jesus,
and they hated the Christlikeness of Paul,
and they will hate our Christlikeness too,
if it is bold.
So if you're facing no resistance,
maybe a question to ponder is,
are you boldly in Christ?
Because Paul tasted the gospel message so sweet,
it could not hide away.
It had to be shared.
Is this the gospel you know?
And if you're not being persecuted today,
can you suffer with those who are,
in prayer, solidarity, and support?
As well, notice here the word desire.
This isn't passive.
It isn't a,
I wish to be more godly someday.
It's not an empty hope,
but a Christ-empowered action.
Desiring a godly life means
walking into the synagogues like Paul,
with a bold faith,
prioritizing souls over safety or comfort.
A godly life is not about the perfect moment.
It's about the perfect God
who works in our bold faith,
even if the moment appears imperfect.
And wisdom is important,
but even retrospectively,
would we say Paul looked wise?
He was,
because souls needed the gospel,
and he was given it to share.
He didn't avoid suffering.
He endured for the gospel.
The message stayed strong, unchanged.
So ask yourself,
when is the last time I stood up for something publicly,
knowing I might lose my comfort or reputation?
When did I last embrace the awkwardness
to proclaim the gospel?
Because Paul says,
if you desire a godly life in Christ Jesus,
you will be persecuted.
And in verse 9,
we find them,
the persecutors,
deceivers who by very definition
oppose the truth.
They are corrupted.
In 10,
Timothy's character
and the pathway of his character
is contrasted to these men.
But now also,
in verse 13,
we have a contrast in trajectories.
The evil snowball
from hating the truth
into deception,
from bad to worse.
And on the other hand,
Timothy in verse 14
is to continue in what he's learned.
So there are those
who follow Paul's pattern of ministry
and grow in righteousness,
and there are those
who reject suffering
and those who turn from the call
and grow in evil.
And again,
church leaders or not,
we're all called to grow in Christ.
Growth is not just for Timothy,
not just for pastors,
but the whole church.
We, together,
as a body.
We're to continue
in what we've learned,
firmly believed.
In chapter 1,
Craig showed us
how Timothy's sincere faith
came through his grandmother,
Lois and mother Eunice.
And here's Paul,
who also in chapter 1
calls Timothy
his dear son in Christ.
And this is a beautiful picture,
isn't it?
Not just of individual faith,
but of faith passed on.
Paul boldly preached the gospel,
his message reached Lois and Eunice,
they taught it to Timothy,
and now Paul is urging him
to continue in it,
to carry the baton forward.
And what a family in Christ this is.
You've heard the famous quote,
it takes a village to raise a child.
I mean, it takes a church
to raise a gospel worker,
it looks like,
in this passage.
I'm not a parent,
and this might not be
the central point of the passage,
but it stands out to me
that from childhood,
Timothy was exposed
to the scriptures.
He was set off
on the right trajectory
that he's to continue in,
not once,
but over years.
And I'm convinced
that this exposure
contributed to
shaping his heart for Christ,
for ministry.
And God definitely
did not waste it.
And so as we think
on passing on
the baton of the gospel,
well,
maybe with a little disillusionment
considering
the modern context
of Scotland,
this verse
should shine through.
Here the gospel
has been faithfully passed down,
consistently invested.
We see a passage over time,
a long trajectory.
Notice how this isn't
a quick baton,
throw and catch.
And notice too
how Paul is not
the only mentor
that has shaped
Timothy for ministry.
His family is mentioned
repeatedly,
and by name.
If the Holy Spirit
empowers
this baton passing process,
will he not work
for every hand
that's stretched out
to serve,
every encouragement,
every prayer,
every word of advice?
We all contribute
to this process.
We all have gifts.
The parents today,
biological or spiritual,
is Paul.
Is this something
on your calendar?
Acquainting your children
or your mentees
with the Bible?
Maybe the persecutions
you'll face
are from within
your own household
as you invest
in this way.
From an unbelieving spouse,
the wider family,
the secular culture
that always pushes against,
or a resistant child.
Maybe like me,
you find that
it's easier
to share the gospel
and invite a
non-believing friend
out for a coffee
to study the Bible
than it is
with your own family.
But this isn't
Paul's pattern
of ministry.
Like him,
we're told to be bold
for the all-sufficient gospel,
holding faith
in the transformational power
that it holds,
and we must endure.
Because the sweetness
of the gospel message
is so worth the suffering,
and God works through it.
Maybe you've been blessed
to have this type of community
to be invested in
and acquainted
with the scriptures
from young,
and that's an opportunity today
to thank not just God
for that,
but your family
and those who have
invested in you.
So maybe that's an application
to take away.
And so we come
to the final two verses,
a well-known part
of the Bible.
We have the divine breath
of God,
the Holy Spirit
working to create,
like in Genesis,
and this time
working through
the written words,
the highest authority
we have,
God's word
that is powerful
into salvation.
I mean,
we see these words,
the scripture
is profitable.
It's so worth
investing into,
worth our time
and attention,
and not just in theory,
but look at how
the word of God
can be angled
like a sword.
It can be useful
for teaching,
for reproof,
which is exposing
something that is wrong,
for correction,
which is taking
that wrong thing
and pointing it back
to what is right.
It trains us
in righteousness.
This is the language
of transformation,
learning,
unlearning,
growing,
learning,
unlearning,
and growing.
It's a process.
And we hear of
reproof or correction,
and we often
think outwardly.
But this is
especially for us.
If the Bible
is truly profitable,
which it is,
we must welcome
its work in us.
It's for our good.
Let's remember
that this letter
is written for Timothy,
the next baton carrier,
called to use scripture
with care and love,
even if it means
challenge.
And it can mean
challenge.
A church leader
adopting Paul's
pattern of ministry,
who after being stoned
was so lovingly
concerned for the church,
well, this type
of church leader
can use scripture
with care and love.
And we've seen it here
that this can mean
reproof and correction.
It might go against
our comfort,
but we must welcome
both.
Because those who desire
to live a godly life
will face suffering.
Have we allowed
this space in our lives
to be lovingly corrected?
That is part of this
idea of being
made complete.
We have a strong
hint of this here,
this trajectory again
of sanctification,
of becoming more
like Christ
for the Spirit's
work in us.
And in this process,
the Bible is central.
So that we can become
more like Christ,
but also so that we're
equipped for every
good work.
It's useful,
it's essential in fact,
but we ask for
what larger purpose?
And again,
because the scriptures,
they help us
be equipped
and so that we
may be complete.
And then this implies
that there are good
works for us to do
and that we must be
equipped for them.
For Timothy,
his call to ministry
required that
acquaintance with the
scriptures he's had
from young.
We've seen that.
It's central to the
passages as we go
through them.
And the same is true
of Paul and Barnabas.
How could they have
reasoned with those
in Acts if they never
knew the scriptures
to reason with?
There is no good work
that the Bible does
not prepare and equip
us for.
So we need to hold
it dear.
And this includes
the process of passing
on the baton of ministry.
If we want to raise
faithful ministry workers,
then the Bible will
equip us in that task
and the Spirit will
empower us in that
journey.
We've seen the
centrality of the
word in Timothy's
journey,
in Paul's preaching
in the synagogues,
in his family
believing and
acquainting Timothy
further with it.
And now Timothy is
to preach it down,
to pass it down,
and he's continued
to do,
to continue doing
what he's already
been doing.
Regardless of our
role in this process,
we must all adopt
Paul's pattern of
ministry.
Rooted in the
words,
we must declare the
gospel boldly to
one another,
as Paul is doing
to Timothy,
and to the world.
There's this bold
truth and love that
we see continuously
here, and suffering
is part of that
package.
I hope tonight's
passage has been
both challenging
and encouraging.
I know it's been
both for me as I've
studied it.
I know that today,
as I'm here,
I've been greatly
encouraged by your
investment in me
across the last few
years.
And I see much of
Paul's pattern of
ministry here at
Brunsfield.
The discipleship and
caring encouragement,
I've seen those things
and they're truly
special.
So thank you.
But I know also that
God calls us to grow
more, to be
increasingly like him.
And this is through
his spirit, but we are
called to obedience
and to desire.
So tonight, we are
challenged to adopt
Paul's pattern of
ministry, to boldly
declare the gospel,
and endure the
persecutions that will
come.
This bold gospel
calls for bold
messengers.
It's all powerful,
transformative, and
so worth sharing.
I was in Romania
just a week ago,
talking to missionaries
about their confidence
in Christ, some of
which worry that if
they're found out to
be missionaries in the
countries they're
serving, their
children will be
killed.
Decades living under
threat because the
beauty of the gospel
is worth it.
It's worth each of the
stones that struck
Paul and each of the
dangers they faced, and
each of the nails
piercing Jesus on the
cross for us.
I wonder tonight, is it
worth the same for us?
Worth losing a
friendship over?
Worth losing comfort or
social importance over?
Or money or an
opportunity?
community?
Paul says, if you
desire a godly life,
you will be
persecuted.
The believer in Acts
said back, we must go
through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of
God.
Will we?
Because if we adopt
Paul's pattern of
ministry, desiring a
godly life, we must.
God, we must
I'm just going to
close in a quick
prayer.
Father, we thank
you for today's
passage and the
challenge that it is
to the way we
boldly proclaim the
gospel in our lives,
Lord.
It becomes so easy to
just be comfortably in
our schedules and in
our patterns of life,
but you called us to
adopt, like Paul, a
different pattern, one
that is self-giving and
one that seeks to
glorify you boldly in
words and lifestyle.
And so, Lord, I pray
that in the weeks to
come, you'd shape us
for this message, you'd
equip us for your
words, make us more
like you, but also that
we would be able to see
those opportunities and
step out boldly in
them, even if there is a
cost to us.
Provide for us the
doors to walk through
and the conversations to
have.
And if we are going
for suffering now,
Lord, let you be our
comfort as you have
been for Paul.
And those experiences,
let them be used and
passed down as Paul has
done to Timothy.
Thank you for your
word and the
encouragement it is and
the joy it is to have
the freedom to study
it today together.
In Jesus' name, amen.