5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

Lois and Eunice

The apostle Paul speaks of them as possessing "unfeigned faith," from which it is evident that they adorned the doctrine of Christ. Of the various ways in which their faith manifested itself we have no direct record. We have, however, a very strong inference of one direction which their work took in Paul's statement concerning the faith of Timothy. This he directly connects with the faith of the two sisters—

"When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice."

Faith is no heritage naturally transmitted from parent to child—

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

Therefore, the only way in which the faith of Lois and Eunice could be transmitted to Timothy would be by implanting the truths of Scripture in his young mind. This conclusion is borne out by the statement of the apostle:

"From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures," &c. (2 Tim. 3:15).

God Himself laid down the plan to be pursued.

"These words . . . . shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up."

How faithfully Lois and Eunice carried out these instructions Timothy is a testimony. Paul might well commend these sisters for their faith. Few things require greater faith than the training of children in things spiritual. The work is so slow and tedious, and results are so imperceptible.

The temptation to hand the burden over to others and engage in more expeditious work is great. Those who feel thus tempted should take courage from the case of Lois and Eunice, and recognise, as they must have done, that the teaching of children is a divinely imposed task. It is not God's will that we should preach to others and leave our own children to perish from lack of knowledge, or want of timely and wise reproof.

Some persuade themselves that they are not adapted for teaching. God does not countenance this non-adaptability. His command has gone forth: teach your children, teach your young men, teach your young women; and He expects the custodians of His truth to qualify themselves for the work.

Lois and Eunice appear to have kept young Timothy's education under their own supervision. In this we should do well to follow them. The principle contained in the words:

"Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge,"

it is perilous to depart from. Let us not go in opposition to it by placing our children where they will imbibe the divinely abhorred fables of Christendom. We cannot make the paths for the young feet too straight—

"train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Lois and Eunice were greatly rewarded for their labour, and doubtless they will be still more so in the day of judgment.

The Christadelphian, Dec 1889

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

There is an inclination in everyone to infringe this exhortation. The truth is so unpopular; a confession of it makes one so singular.

There may be no objection to publish abroad some big special effort, or vaunt meetings when held in a desirable hall, or publicly recognise this or that brother because of his so-called respectability or ability, but to preach and practise doctrines that separate us from friends, that bring upon us ridicule and contempt, to openly associate ourselves with poverty and humility—there is the trial! In order that we may successfully combat our natural prejudice in this matter, it is written,

"Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

Bro AT Jannaway

The Christadelphian,Nov 1886

10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

While a believer is out of Christ, he is in his sins, and while he is in his sins he is under the sentence of death; for "the wages of sin is death." As soon, however, as his sins are forgiven through Christ's name, in the act of forgiveness he passes from under the sentence of death; and as there is no middle, or neutral, position, he comes under the sentence of life, and rejoices in hope of the kingdom of God...

There is no other way of obtaining them than through his name, and by a resurrection from the dead; or, if living at the setting up of the kingdom, by a change in the twinkling of an eye. Such is the doctrine of Christ as opposed to the vain philosophy of Plato.

The papist and protestant admirers of this heathen speculator, contend for the hereditary immortality of an immaterial essence, innate in sinful flesh; while the Lord Jesus has made known that life and incorruptibility are attributes of the kingdom of God, which they only can obtain who are accounted worthy on gospel principles of inheriting it... incorruptible life is part of the reward of the righteous; and no where in the Bible is immortality predicated of, or promised to, men who die in their sins.

Out of Christ, immortality there is none.

Elpis Israel 2.5.

The first principles

The first principles concerning immortality, are that it is brought to light by the gospel; that it is a state future to the resurrection, in which the subjects thereof will be bodily exempt from sin, suffering and death; that its attainment is preceded by faith, obedience and judgment-approval; that it is the gift of God to the faithful in Christ; that it is to be conferred by the Lord Jesus at his appearing; that it will be inwrought by the instantaneous operation of Holy Spirit; that it will be inaugurated by a change, in which earthy flesh and blood will be transmuted into incorruptible angel nature; and that it will be consummated in the experience of strength, glory, beauty and divine perfection unspeakable, and full of praise.

Bro FR Shuttleworth

The Christadelphian, Feb 1875

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

In the earliest years of the ecclesia in Rome, its faith was spoken of throughout all the empire. Its members presented their bodies a living sacrifice, and were not conformed to the world; but were transformed by the renewing of their mind; which was characterized by unanimity, a disregard of high things, and association with men of low estate.

The Star-Angel that ruled them was neither "Bishop of Rome," "Universal Bishop," nor "Pope;" but a presbytery, or eldership, of inspired men of low degree in society, whose only ambition it was to be "glorified together with Jesus Christ." They would have rejected with indignation and contempt the idea of being united with the State, or any state, as "the Church by law established."

Their mission was to convert sinners from the error of their way, not to form alliances with them; for they well knew that the friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15).

But this state of ecclesiastical affairs, so highly commendable, did not continue very long undisturbed by "unlearned questions and strifes of words," which do not edify. Peter's use of the SECOND KEY entrusted to him, and to him only, to the exclusion of all successors in Caesarea and elsewhere, aroused all the latent prejudices of the Jewish mind, whether identified with the Synagogue or the Ecclesia.

The Jewish element of the Body of Christ soon found themselves in the minority; and that the uncircumcised were rejoicing in things which Peter said nothing about, when, by the use of the FIRST KEY, he opened the door of faith to them. Some of them were Judaistically disposed, while others who had been added from the Synagogue were but partially enlightened, and developed themselves as "false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily (or with a secret purpose) to spy out the liberty which the Gentile party had in Christ Jesus, that they might bring it into bondage."

These false brethren stood up in all the ecclesias of Christ, and became the occasion of much trouble and anxiety to Paul, who was "preacher, apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles" . Thus, Paul being especially the apostle of the uncircumcision, and Peter the apostle of the circumcision, in Corinth the Judaizers said they were of Cephas, or Peter; while their Opponents, who advocated liberty from Mosaic bondage, said they were of Paul.

The same condition of things manifested itself in Rome. The false brethren there were zealous for Peter, in whom they boasted as the Prince of the Apostles and Holder of the Keys. Their dogma was, that "it was needful to circumcise the Gentile converts to Christ, and to command them to keep the law of Moses, or they would not be saved" (Acts 15:1,5): and, although this was contradicted by all the apostles as well as Paul, they continued to teach it; and with so much success, that the leaders of the faction and their disciples through-out Asia Minor, all turned away from Paul (2 Tim. 1:15); whom they did not hesitate to speak of evilly and with disrespect.

The false brethren in Rome were not behind their brethren in the provinces in zeal for the propagation of their traditions. By their fruits they were proved to be "grievous wolves, not sparing the flock; and speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them." Their party was in secret alliance with the Synagogue; and their purpose seems to have been to Judaize Christianity, and then to use it in this corrupt form to turn the idolators from Jupiter to Moses, and subordinately, to Christ. In this way they would draw disciples after them, and thus acquire importance and influence in the world, which they clearly perceived were not to be obtained by devotion to the unadulterated Word.

The interests of Christ's flock they measured by their own selfishness, which was promoted by the assumption of clerical lordship over the multitude of them that believed. Paul alludes to these "grievous wolves," overlaid with wool, styled by Christ Jesus, "false prophets who come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves," in his letter to the saints in Rome, ch. 16:17, saying,

"I beseech you, brethren, mark them who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine you have learned; and AVOID THEM. For they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

They caused divisions and offences, which, when viewed in the light of the apostolic teaching, and that of the Star-Angel which presided over them, were clearly seen to be such.

Now, it was from this Judaizing Faction in the Ecclesia at Rome all those evils sprung, which afterwards attained maturity as "THE CHURCH OF ROME."

Eureka 13.13.

15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

Asia be turned away from me

But who will say that Paul will regret his course in that day now at the door, when the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall acknowledge his faithfulness, and award to him that crown of life which the fearful, and the faltering, and the unbelieving will apply for in vain.

We must take our example from the good and not from the evil. We must, therefore, preach the word, be instant in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine. We must affirm constantly, that they which believe in God be careful to maintain good works.

The adoption of this plan will be sure to call forth the disfavour of some who will talk about the standard being too high and the call to duty too incessant; but against all such murmurings a wise man will set his face as a flint. The exhortation is the apostle's, the standard is Christ's, and to tamper with either is a crime.

Yes, but say some, "We can read it in the Bible for ourselves; we don't want to be told about it?" What does that mean, but that the commandments are distasteful, and ought not to be spoken of by one to another? An enlightened heart, rejoicing as David did in the statutes and commandments as found in the word, rejoices in them as re-echoed from the lips of a brother.

And inversely we may argue that those who object to them in oral exhortation, do not delight in or obey them as found written. But whether they are liked or the opposite, it is at our peril, as brethren, if we pare a single shred from them, or abate for a moment the voice of warning to conciliate whomsoever.

Let us obey God rather than man, and His commandment is, to affirm these things constantly, and to exhort one another daily, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

The Christadelphian, Feb 1875