Generations

2 Timothy 2:2 ESV

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Four generations. I have two pictures of my great grandfather, grandfather, father, and myself. I enjoy them for multiple reasons. One is that they are taken days apart with the same backdrop. In one the Boyd men are in their grubbies (Great granddad in his traditional farmers overalls, my dad in the tradition rednecks’ sleeveless button up.) the next picture in the Sunday suits. I still have wonderful memories of my great-grandfather playing his fiddle for us kids. Given he was mid-eighties at the time I know it is not half the fiddler he used to be, but it is still indelibly written in my memory. A few short years latter my grandfather would die of cancer, and when I was eleven my great-grandfather would also pass. I now only dream of being able to take another four generations picture of Boyd men. Given Peter’s age it will be a few years, if God allows.

The text of scripture has these moments as well. Jacob would have heard of the blessing of God from the lips of Abraham himself. He would have heard of his grandfather tying his father up to sacrifice him, and God’s provision of a lamb. He would have heard it from the mouth of two witnesses. The patriarchs would have heard the same story from one eyewitness with their father telling of Abrahams own words speaking of God’s provision and promise. Teaching the generations what was needed for them to know and be certain of how God works and what he has done. This is the biblical pattern of generational teaching. One group teaching another while the teacher is still present to provide all the clarification that is needed.

Paul picks up this pattern in 2 Timothy as he charges his disciple to teach “faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” A generational pattern of teaching doctrine. Paul teaches Timothy, who teaches men, who teach other men. Even as Clement of Rome articulates Justification by faith alone, he stands as a fourth generation, on of the men Timothy taught was faithful to teach this man that we are Justified by faith alone. (1 Clement 32:4 And we, too, being called by his will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen)

This this is the pattern teaching doctrine given in scripture, exemplified and commanded, what then happens when a generation goes missing. Much like all the stories I will never have or hear of my Great-grandfather, nor of my grandfather, they are simply lost. Such is our state in the church as generations go missing from our communities. What can we do? We must persist in training faithful generations in both doctrine and what they must do, train another generation who will in kind train another. We must not fall short and only train in what they need to know, but also training them in how to train another generation. Train a trainer and watch as God grows the kingdom for generations!

CRUCE, DUM SPIRO, FIDO