This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
In both his first and his second letters the aim is to stir believers' pure minds by reminding them of what they already know and have already received. The remembrance called for centers on the words spoken by the holy prophets and the commandments of the apostles of the Lord and Saviour. Remembering the truth in this way keeps the mind pure, clear, and attentive to God's word so that believers remain mindful of it and follow Him day by day.
The verse belongs to a warning about people who caused trouble in the early church, and because similar conditions would arise again God's people must be on their guard. This stirring by remembrance calls believers to hold fast to Bible truth as alone worth living for and to refuse to diminish God and His glory by any pleasing sophistry of human wisdom. It also leads them to recognize the abominations and crimes of the world as fulfillment of its prophecies of the wickedness that would prevail during the last days, moving true Christians to lives of humility and prayer.
Believers' minds need to be stirred by remembering the Bible's claims, which calls for sounding an alarm against the church conforming to the world and recalling the truth that sanctifies the soul. Material published for God's people can serve this stirring of pure minds by remembrance and encourage more people to attend camp meetings. The verse means being awakened to see negligence where ministers are not all intensely earnest in the right way and do not all grasp the highest gift of God. It also means seeing that whole families need to be educated and diligently trained to prepare to be laborers together with God, calling fathers and mothers to closely inspect their own present work and to educate and train their children.
In both his first and his second letters the aim is to stir believers' pure minds by reminding them of what they already know and have already received. The remembrance called for centers on the words spoken by the holy prophets and the commandments of the apostles of the Lord and Saviour. Remembering the truth in this way keeps the mind pure, clear, and attentive to God's word so that believers remain mindful of it and follow Him day by day.
The verse belongs to a warning about people who caused trouble in the early church, and because similar conditions would arise again God's people must be on their guard. This stirring by remembrance calls believers to hold fast to Bible truth as alone worth living for and to refuse to diminish God and His glory by any pleasing sophistry of human wisdom. It also leads them to recognize the abominations and crimes of the world as fulfillment of its prophecies of the wickedness that would prevail during the last days, moving true Christians to lives of humility and prayer.
Believers' minds need to be stirred by remembering the Bible's claims, which calls for sounding an alarm against the church conforming to the world and recalling the truth that sanctifies the soul. Material published for God's people can serve this stirring of pure minds by remembrance and encourage more people to attend camp meetings. The verse means being awakened to see negligence where ministers are not all intensely earnest in the right way and do not all grasp the highest gift of God. It also means seeing that whole families need to be educated and diligently trained to prepare to be laborers together with God, calling fathers and mothers to closely inspect their own present work and to educate and train their children.