Recently I led a bible study on 2 Tim Chapter 1. Here are the answers to a few raised questions, as well as a reminder to practice discipleship during the next few weeks:(1) Symbol of the Fish - The fish symbol was created using the Greek letters which spell out ICTHUS : Jesus Christ God's Son Saviour. ICTHUS also means fish - so the fish symbol was used when the early church was being persecuted. This was a secret sign scratched on the walls of buildings or drawn on the floor in the sand, to tell people where a Christian meeting was being held. It is still frequently used today.
(2) Life of Paul - Paul was born in Tarsus around 4 AD, and died in Rome around 68 AD.
(3) Laying Hands - This concerns the right of ordination, which is an official ceremony of 'commissioning' a pastor or other officer of the church as an act by which the responsibility of an office is passed on to an individual, affirming that his/her spiritual gifts are a good fit for the office.
(4) Rediscovery of the Strength of Our Spiritual Gift - As Paul reminded Timothy to apply the strength of his gifts to overcome his timidity, we too have the power from the Holy Spirit to exercise our clear conscience and sincere faith in God. Let us think of 10 items that we can act on to disciple a spiritually younger Christian. Pick the 1st priority item, and act on it everyday for the entire week. Then pick the 2nd priority item for the next week, and so on. If we can do that, I guarantee that our love and faith will grow substantially. I have selected a discipleship target. Have you?
