I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (2 Timothy 1:3-5)

Human traditions invented to neutralize the word of God are wicked and destructive, but a godly heritage is a beautiful thing. Both of them emphasize continuity of beliefs and practices from generation to generation, but whereas human traditions represent a continuity of rebellion against God’s rule, a godly heritage represents faithfulness and a conscious dependence on God’s grace. Only a Christian heritage is a godly heritage, and is one whose continuity deserves to be celebrated. All other traditions set up alternative paths for living that lead people away from truth and eternal life.

Paul says that he serves God with a clear conscience, as his forefathers did. One writer comments that, by this statement, the apostle acknowledges that Christianity is a continuation of Judaism. But this can be misleading. If by Judaism, we refer to the religion of the Old Testament, so that Paul’s forefathers refer to those who believed and preached its promised Savior, then Christianity is indeed a fulfillment and continuation of that religion. But Judaism is not the religion of the Old Testament. By the time of Christ, the Jews have so rejected and perverted God’s word that they murdered the personal fulfillment of the Old Testament. Christ’s own ministry was not a continuation of the ministry of the Jews or the Pharisees, but a sharp contrast to it, with John the Baptist, who condemned the Jews and the Pharisees, as the forerunner. Paul had to convert away from the religion that he was serving and back into the faith of the Old Testament in order to return to the doctrinal track that coheres with the faith of Jesus Christ. His forefathers are not the Jews and the Pharisees, but those prophets and elders that they murdered.

Turning to Timothy’s heritage, Paul mentions the faith of his grandmother and mother. This same faith now dwells in Timothy. Since Timothy’s faith is a Christian’s faith, when Paul refers to the faith of his grandmother and mother, it is likely that he has in mind the Christian faith also. If Paul has in mind the Jewish faith, then one or both of them must have died before they heard of the Christian faith, or they must have now converted to the Christian faith. This is because Jesus said that if someone believes in Moses, then he will believe in Jesus, since Moses spoke about Jesus. So no one who truly believes in the Old Testament will refuse to believe its fulfillment, that is, the message of Jesus Christ. And since the Old Testament faith is nothing other than a forward-looking faith in Christ, it is most appropriate to call it a Christian faith as well. In other words, whether Old or New Testament, there has never been any true faith other than the Christian faith.

Timothy is the third generation of believers. Paul uses this fact to encourage steadfastness in his protégé. It is necessary to cut off a history of human rebellion and false religious traditions, but it is a praiseworthy thing to continue a godly heritage. Sometimes there is no overlap between our spiritual and natural heritage, and there is no spiritual good in our natural lineage. Perhaps our parents and grandparents are evil people and believe some very foolish things. And when God saves us, he does not save us to continue a godly heritage, since there is none, but to depart from a wicked one. He rescues us from the abominations of previous generations, and shows us that we are not chained to their beliefs and practices.

Some of our parents are atheists. They imagine a fantasy world where there is no God to tell them what to do and to condemn them for their many sins. Atheism is a state of severe delusion, a mental disorder caused by sin. Or, perhaps our parents are adherents of non-Christian religions. These are alternatives taught by demons and accepted by people to avoid facing the truth about Christ the Savior and Judge. This is also an intellectual malfunction. Whether they are of the religious or the atheistic variety, non-Christians are stupid and insane. Visit a mental institution and observe the maniacs. Some mutter nonsense to themselves. Some scream incoherent profanities. Some foam at the mouth. Some laugh at nothing. And some are violent. All non-Christians are like that all the time on the inside. But God had pity on us while we were trapped in our insane delusions, and rescued us from the inner chaos. Now our minds are clear. Now we face reality and believe the truth. He has saved us from our insane ancestors, and from a history of idolatry, unbelief, murder, adultery, divorce, materialism, and the like.

This is the grace and the power of God, that in Christ we can have a new and glorious heritage. If our natural lineage does not overlap with it and does not share in it, then no matter – Abraham is our father through faith in Christ, and our predecessors are the prophets and the apostles, and all those who faithfully served God through the centuries. These people were not of our race according to natural lineage, but if we are so focused on race, as many people are, then we come under Christ rebuke: “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). Even when Paul expressed his concern for the Jews, his only focus was on their spiritual salvation. He never expressed any interest in the restoration of the economic and political strength of the Jews. It was just like how you would want your natural family to be saved through Christ. Caring about your countrymen would be a broader concern of the same type, but it remains mainly a spiritual concern, and not a racial one.