Immersed

I’ve mentioned before that I love being near the ocean. I love listening to and watching the waves roll in to shore. Sometimes I even see a turtle head pop up or a pod of dolphins. It’s peaceful. I don’t necessarily like swimming or playing in the ocean, but I do enjoy snorkeling. There is a place in Maui we have stayed several times that is right on the beach. We go out early in the morning while the ocean is calm and there aren’t many people. There is a whole other world just below the surface of the water. My husband and I have seen all kinds of fish, but some of the most incredible experiences have been swimming a few feet from a sea turtle. Each time is still amazing.

When I snorkel, I barely have my mask in the water. If I look down, I can see the wonders of sea life, but if I raise my eyes, I can still see the shoreline. I like the safety of knowing where I am. My husband, on the other hand, is a certified diver. He loves the experience of going deeper down where he is surrounded by nothing but water, fish, and reefs. In Guam, he was able to stretch out his arms and touch two different ships that had sunk near each other. I can’t do that when snorkeling.

All three of these provide a different experience of the ocean from a surface view to an expanded but still limited view, to an immersed and total view. Immersed is the word that caught my attention last week as I read through 1 Timothy. Timothy was the Apostle Paul’s protégé. He remained in Ephesus primarily to combat false doctrine. Paul writes this letter to Timothy as a young pastor to warn, instruct, and encourage Timothy. Although most of us are not pastors, there are still many principles we can learn from Paul’s letter.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.[1]

1 Timothy 4:11-16

In this section, Paul writes to Timothy, “Command and teach these things” (vs 11, emphasis added). Timothy is to command and teach what Paul has taught and commanded Timothy. Likewise, although not in the form of preaching in corporate worship, all believers should be able to give an answer for the hope they have (1 Peter 3:15). We should share the Gospel and what we have learned from Scripture.

We know from what Paul writes later that Timothy struggled with timidity or fearfulness (1 Timothy 1:7). We see a hint of the temptation to fearfulness in vs 12. “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Some in the Ephesian church may not have accepted Timothy because he was young (probably in his thirties), but Paul’s words encourage Timothy he can be an example regardless of his age. Whether with other believers, at work, in school, with our families, or just running errands, we too can set an example in our words, conduct, love, faith, and purity (moral).

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (vs 13). Paul spoke to Timothy as a pastor, but as I read this, I also think of what my role is. Pastors are the ones who in corporate worship expound the Scripture to the congregation, but I can fully devote myself to the reading and teaching of God’s Word. Exhortation and teaching are closely related in referring to the exposition, explanation, and application of Scripture. I can learn from and apply what is being taught. Outside of corporate worship, I can also study Scripture with others, and through mentoring help others grow in their understanding of Scripture. So can you!

Verse 14 is likely referring to Timothy’s ordination as a pastor. Paul reminds Timothy not to neglect the gift he has. We aren’t told specifically what the gift is, but this can remind us that we should not neglect the gifts God has given us either. We may think our gift is unneeded. We may be fearful of using our gift. We may use our gift selfishly instead of for serving others. Regardless of the excuse, Paul’s reminder to Timothy is a reminder to us. I’m not going to go into gifts here except to say it isn’t just pastors or elders or church leaders in general who have gifts. All believers have God-given gifts. Some may be more obvious. Some are behind the scenes, but all are God-given and should be used to serve the body. In addition, we can encourage and support our pastor as he uses his gift in reading, exhorting, and teaching Scripture.

Now we get to the verse that especially grabbed my attention. “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” (vs 15). Let’s break this down. “Practice these things” – The Greek verb is meletaō meaning to keep thinking about, to meditate on, give careful thought to, be diligent. Remember, these things refer to what Paul had taught Timothy. It isn’t pastors alone who need to meditate on and to keep thinking about what we have been taught and have learned in Scripture. We do this by studying as well as reading Scripture, memorizing, sharing or discussing Scripture with others, praying Scripture and praying for understanding of Scripture, singing Scripture, and actively dwelling on Scripture throughout the day.

Paul continues, “immerse yourself in them.” The word immerse in the ESV jumped out at me. It can also be translated as give yourself wholly. It literally means to be in. “Devote yourself to them with all your heart and soul. The REB catches the emphasis well: ‘Make these matters your business, make them your absorbing interest.’”[2] Yes, we want our pastor to be immersed in Scripture, but isn’t it good for us to be immersed in Scripture as well? We have the blessing of easy access to Scripture unlike the early church. We can and should be reading, studying, immersing ourselves, giving ourselves wholly to Scripture. It is God’s Word; His very words breathed out for us. This is a great gift that we would be foolish not to treasure by immersing ourselves in it. In the pages of Scripture, we learn who God is and what He has done. We learn who we were apart from Christ and who we are in Christ. We learn our purpose and what we are to do. We learn our future. We are convicted, challenged, and encouraged. We need to be immersed in God’s Word.

Why? “so that all may see your progress.” Coming to saving faith was not the end. It was the beginning. We continue to grow in sanctification until God completes what He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6). All believers are to be growing, conforming more and more to the image of Christ. I am reminded of John Bunyan’s book, Pilgrim’s Progress. It would be a short book indeed if it was only about Pilgrim’s conversion. No, the believer’s life is a progression towards Christlikeness.

In this section, Paul’s last admonishment is for Timothy to “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save yourself and your hearers” (vs 16). Pastors and elders do have a special charge to shepherd the flock. Recall that Timothy stayed in Ephesus to deal with false teaching that was infiltrating the church. As a pastor, he needed to guard himself from false teaching and be diligent in what he was teaching. But what if, those in the Ephesian church had been immersing themselves in the Word? What if they were so grounded in truth that they could have recognized false teaching? They would be able to stand with Timothy against the false teaching. Our pastor won’t be with us at work, in school, or at home as we watch TV or scroll through social media and are bombarded with all kinds of false teaching. And yes, there is still false teaching in the church today. We need to keep close watch on ourselves that we are not deceived. We should also keep close watch on ourselves that what we say lines up with Scripture. Maybe as Timothy was tempted to do, we can be fearful of standing up against the world’s lies, but we need to persist.

The last portion of verse 16 may seem confusing. Is Paul really saying that Timothy can save himself and others? Isn’t salvation by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone? It is. Paul is not contradicting himself or Jesus. First, he is illustrating that perseverance is the evidence of Timothy’s saving faith. Second, he is showing that God uses the preaching of the Gospel to bring others to saving faith. God is pleased to use those who share the Gospel as instruments of His saving work in another’s life.

I realize this devotion so far could leave some feeling discouraged. Some of you may not know how to study God’s Word on your own. Some of you may be in a stage of life (like a mom with little ones) that doesn’t leave hours of time to be immersed in God’s Word. Some of you may feel like there is little progress in your life. If you aren’t sure how to study God’s Word, ask someone to help you. I would love to help you, but I’m guessing there is also someone in your life who could walk with you in learning. Don’t stumble on being immersed in God’s Word or reading God’s Word at all. Today’s passage is six verses, but I have spent about a week chewing on it. I’ve read it several times over different days. I’ve studied different portions of it on different days. Spending time or even being immersed in God’s Word does not have to mean spending hours every day studying huge portions of Scripture. This summer our women’s group at church is tackling just two Psalms per week to start with something manageable. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to be consistent. After a week or two or maybe a few days, I got derailed and gave up. Start again. God isn’t keeping score. He just wants to spend time with you in His Word.

Reflection

1. Do you share with others what you are learning from God’s Word both from corporate worship and your own study? If not, what holds you back? If you do, pray for even more opportunities to share.

2. Do you make corporate worship a priority? If not, why? When was the last time you encouraged your pastor as he faithfully teaches God’s Word?

3. Are you using your gifts to serve other believers? If not, why? If yes, what is your motivation? If you are struggling to know what your gifts are or how you could use them, talk to a leader in your church.

4. What are some steps you can take to immersing yourself in Scripture? Set a realistic goal to start with and then you can grow from there. If you’re stuck, ask someone to help you get started. A good way to start is simply by looking for all the “God is…” truths (who God is and what He does). From the “God is…” truths alone you can meditate on how those truths impact a current situation. You can incorporate them into your prayer time for praise, thanksgiving, and framing your requests.

5. Is your spiritual progression evident? Thank God for His grace in your progress. Most of us have times when progress seems stunted. Don’t give up if this is how you feel. Pick one thing you want to begin growing in. Set a realistic goal and steps for growing. Ask someone to pray with and for you in this. Remember that you have Jesus’ righteousness. Slow growth or abounding fruit will never change God’s love for you or your standing before Him.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Ti 4:11–16. [2] John R. W. Stott, Guard the Truth: The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 123.