2 Timothy 4:13 (KJV) Paul Chose This Above All

2 Timothy 4:13 (KJV)

The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

It was, I believe, the first day of the spring semester of Bible college. (It’s strange to think of—the date would have been early January. The spring semester begins in the middle of winter.) Dr. Rick Schrader brought a devotion from this passage. He spoke of the comfort of clothing and the value of reading, but noted that Paul wanted “especially the parchments,” which Dr. Schrader took to be the Word of God. He urged us in our Bible college studies to be, above all, students of the Bible.

It was winter when Paul wrote to Timothy asking for his cloak, his books, and especially the parchments. I have no reason to dismiss Dr. Schrader’s application of them as the Scriptures. These were likely handwritten copies of the very epistles he had written and perhaps even of those written by others of the New Testament authors at that time. I believe this to be further intrinsic evidence that believers were already aware—even before the end of the first century, and in real time—of which writings were and were not the Scriptures, given by inspiration of God.

What is Scripture was not determined by men or even by a church; it was given by God. The only people who have cause to doubt that are those who do not genuinely believe that God is. (And there are plenty of professing Christians of whom that is true.)

Imagine Paul. He had just declared that he knew judgment was set and that he would soon be executed. In his final days, what he valued most was the Word of God.

I wonder—is that what we will value?

#EspeciallyTheParchments #WordOfGodFirst #KJVTruth #BibleCenteredLife #PreachTheWord

Paul Chose This Above All—Would You?

What do you think Paul meant by “especially the parchments”? Do you believe the Word of God holds that same place of priority in your life? I’d genuinely enjoy hearing your thoughts—leave a comment below and join the conversation.

For more Bible teaching, encouragement, and resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org and explore the growing library of studies designed to help you stay grounded in God’s Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

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2 Timothy 4:13 (KJV) Paul Chose This Above All

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) We’ve Stopped Preaching the Last Days

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I’m interested in the fact that the chapter declaring the inspiration of all Scripture begins with a warning about the last days…

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (KJV)
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

That warning is the theme of the chapter.

It is, I think, a symptom of the last days that those living in them stop thinking of it as the last days. We hear much less preaching on that subject than we did even 35–40 years ago.

I once had an elderly preacher, Dr. Dennis Brown, preach for me in Astoria, OR. This would have been in the very early 1990s, I think. Dr. Brown was nearing (or just over) 90 years old, and his granddaughter had packed his things and driven him the five hours or so from Yakima to Washington. I taught the Sunday school lesson.

When Dr. Brown stood to preach the morning service, he explained that his granddaughter had packed his Bible—and it was not until the Sunday school hour that he realized she had packed his grandson’s Bible instead of his. He then remarked, “But it’s a King James Bible, so it’s all good!” and turned to this passage.

Having no notes before him, he preached a well-prepared message on the last days—a subject he knew well. We all believed we were living in the last days then. It drove our ministries, and it drove us to holiness.

These days, pastors seem less inclined to meditate on the last days and, because of that, I think, less inclined to be concerned about holiness.

Here’s the point: the cure for this problem is the Word of God.

A holy, reverent, and believing life lived in the Word will perfect the man of God and keep him preaching all the counsel of God’s Word—including the doctrine of the last days.

#AllScriptureInspired #LastDaysLiving #PreachTheWholeWord #KJVTruth #BiblicalHoliness

We’ve Stopped Preaching the Last Days—A Wake-Up Call from Scripture

What do you see happening in these last days—and how is God’s Word shaping your response?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear how this passage has challenged or helped you.

For more Bible teaching, resources, and encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org and join me in staying grounded in the Word of God.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) We’ve Stopped Preaching the Last Days

 

2 Timothy 2:18 (KJV) This False Doctrine Can Destroy Faith

2 Timothy 2:18 (KJV)

Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

My copy of Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (in e-Sword) reaches into the writings of Augustine of Hippo and attributes this belief—that “the resurrection is already past”—to the Seleucians or “Hermians,” stating that this was the beginning of what later developed into Gnostic heresy.

Exactly what they meant by this “resurrection” that had already passed is unknown, at least to any writer I have found.

-Was it a reference to those who were raised at the crucifixion?
-Was it an attempt to redefine the resurrection as spiritual rather than literal?

I am reminded of what I consider to be the dangerous error of preterism, which claims that the prophecies of the tribulation period, the millennial kingdom, and perhaps even the culmination of God’s promises were all fulfilled in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem.

This line of thinking suggests that the path the world is on now is the only one it will ever know. It leaves “the church” (at least in its Catholic form) as the continuing authority in this ongoing age, minimizes the afterlife, and shifts the focus toward shaping the world as we desire in the present.

It is naturalism dressed in religious language.

Albert Barnes writes:
“Whatever was the form of the opinion, the apostle regarded it as a most dangerous error, for just views of the resurrection undoubtedly lie at the foundation of correct apprehensions of the Christian system…”

May I state it more plainly?

• The literal, biblical doctrine of the resurrection is foundational to all Christian truth.
• The resurrection of Christ, in victory over sin.
• The resurrection of believers, to live eternally with Christ.
  

And even,

• The resurrection of the damned, to be cast forever into the lake of fire.

#ResurrectionTruth #RightlyDividingTheWord #BiblicalDoctrineMatters #FutureHopeInChrist #StandOnScripture

This False Doctrine Can Destroy Faith: Why This Teaching Is So Dangerous

What do you believe about the resurrection—and why does it matter?

Drop a comment below and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear how you understand 2 Timothy 2:18 and how this truth has shaped your faith.

For more Bible teaching, articles, and study resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org and continue growing in the Word of God.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Timothy 2:18 (KJV) This False Doctrine Can Destroy Faith

2 Timothy 1:2 (KJV) A Godly Heritage But

2 Timothy 1:2 (KJV)

To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy was not a spiritual orphan. According to 2 Timothy 1:5, his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice both possessed “unfeigned faith.” Little is known of his father except that he was a Greek. That is not to say he was an unbeliever, or that he was not supportive of Timothy’s call to ministry. God had already done a real work in that home.

Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Ghost, calls Timothy “my dearly beloved son.” He is not Timothy’s birth father. But there is no sense that Paul is taking something away from Timothy’s family. In fact, Paul goes out of his way to honor Timothy’s heritage before he ever speaks of his own relationship to him.

Spiritual fatherhood is not robbery. Timothy did not have to choose between the faith of his parents and the influence of Paul. God gave him both. One laid the foundation. The other helped build upon it.

A young man may be raised in a good home, taught the Scriptures, and grounded in truth. Yet the Lord, in His wisdom, places him under a man of God who further shapes him, challenges him, and prepares him for greater usefulness.

Paul did not replace Lois and Eunice, or his father. He stood alongside their influence and strengthened what they had already begun. And Timothy, receiving from both, became a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

We ought never to view godly influence as competition. A faithful pastor, a seasoned teacher, or a spiritual mentor is not intruding where there is already a strong family. He is participating in what God is doing.

And when that is handled rightly—when honor is given where it is due—God knits those influences together for His glory.

A godly heritage is a gift.
A spiritual father is a grace.

And when both are received with humility, the result is a life that is firmly rooted and faithfully growing.

#SpiritualFatherhood #BiblicalDiscipleship #FaithfulHeritage #ChristianMentorship #PaulAndTimothy

A Godly Heritage But—Timothy Needed Paul Too

What stood out to you most in Timothy’s story—his godly heritage or Paul’s influence as a spiritual father? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment and join the conversation.

If this encouraged you, there’s more Bible teaching, resources, and studies waiting for you at marvinmckenzie.org. Come take a look and grow with us.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Timothy 1:2 (KJV) A Godly Heritage But

2 Timothy 4:21 (KJV) Baptists Before Rome

2 Timothy 4:21 (KJV)

Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.

Years ago, I listened to a series of history classes taught by a professor at Columbia University in New York City. He taught that history is more of an art than a science. History happened—but none of us were there. Historians use archaeological, anthropological, and documentary evidence to paint a picture of what they believe happened, usually from a preconceived or personally preferred perspective.

He gave the illustration of a Korean student he once taught whose goal was to become a credentialed historian and then write the first history of Korea from a positive Korean bias.

Modern historians, for instance, often have a different—less pro-American—perspective. They're rewriting American history through their own lens, criticizing previous biases.

Welsh Baptists like Jonathan Davis, Berlin Hisel, and others (in the 19th and 20th centuries), drawing from documents such as those by the poet Martial and other early Christian traditions, claimed that Pudens, Linus, and Claudia were from the British Isles and brought the gospel to Britain and Wales in the first century.

While it can’t be “proven” per se, (no history can) historians have called it a very plausible legend.

I am convinced that at least some Baptists have a history that lies outside of—and predates—Roman Catholicism. This history is found both in the European Anabaptists and in early Christians in the British Isles, whose story very plausibly connects to Pudens, Linus, and Claudia—believers who had firsthand relationships with the Apostle Paul.

#PudensLinusClaudia #WelshBaptistRoots #PlausibleLegend #PreCatholicChristianity #BaptistHeritage

Baptists Before Rome: History, Bias, and the Untold Story of Early British Christians

💬 Was the gospel in Britain before Rome claimed the Church?
Some believe Claudia, Pudens, and Linus—mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21—carried the gospel from Rome to the British Isles in the first century. It’s a story many Welsh Baptists have passed down.

👉 If true, it connects early British Christianity—and possibly even Baptist roots—directly to the Apostle Paul.

📜 Do you believe our Baptist heritage predates Catholicism?
💭 What are your thoughts on this “plausible legend”? Drop your take in the comments!

📲 Hungry for more solid, biblical teaching? Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, videos, and resources rooted in the King James Bible.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6800 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Timothy 4:21 (KJV) Baptists Before Rome