I Timothy 4:1-5

I Timothy 4:1-5

After having outlined the common confession, Paul moves to warn about the opposite. The Holy Spirit explicitly says that people would reject Orthodox faith. Some scholars believe that this refers to the doctrines Paul has just outlined. The Spirit explicitly warned of this coming apostasy. These people follow doctrines that are designed and developed by the powers of the demonic. They might not actively seek demonic guidance, but they are nonetheless deceived and led to a point that return to orthodox faith is not possible. It is not possible because their conscience has been destroyed as with a branding iron. In ancient times criminals would be branded, leaving them with a mark that never left them. Paul here indicates that those who fall away have a conscience that is equally obvious. What does this look like? In verse 3, Paul gives an example; many look at this verse as descriptions of specific denominations or fellowships. But there's more to it than trying to pin the label heretic on someone. What is portrayed here is an attempt at “works righteousness and salvation.” This is about the heresy of “earn-by-doing”. There are specific cults and sects that teach this heresy. But this has application beyond any one specific group. Anyone who thinks or teaches salvation by earning is part of this heresy. 

In verses 4 and 5, Paul describes not earning but loving gratitude as expressed in holy living. Rather than trying to find someone else to label as deceived by demons, we need to make sure that our lives reflect gratitude and love that express themselves in holy living.

“Thank you Lord that I am saved by Your Grace and not what I attempt to do. AMEN”.

1 Timothy 3:14-15

1 Timothy 3:14-15

At this point Paul steps back from his practical applications of church leadership and takes a bit larger or broader view. The church at Ephesus had fantastic potential. It had a great location along trade routes, which could spread the gospel. It apparently had some outstanding leaders that could direct effective ministry. The church had so much potential that Paul wanted to come and provide his direct leadership. That not being possible, he sent Timothy this letter to give guidance on how he wants him to conduct himself in the critical moments of leading this church.

This may strike us as odd in view of the history of the church. This church had a ‘who's who’ of first-century leadership. Before the letter was penned, the church had been taught and led by Priscilla and Aquila, Apollos, Timothy, and Paul. It had been the scene of Paul's longest located ministry, over two years in duration, and as a result, the whole of Asia had heard the word. It was the scene of marvelous miracles; the aprons or handkerchiefs taken from Paul resulted in the sick being cured and the demonically possessed being set free. It was here that men, who tried using Jesus's and Paul's names as a sort of incantation to cast out demons, failed and were severely beaten. Here warlocks and wizards burned their books and scrolls valued at about 7.7 million dollars (US). Here the fetishes of the temple goddess Diana were so unwanted that their craftsmen started a riot that lasted over 2 hours. 

The church here had become one of the great churches in the first century and, by the time of this writing, was a large and powerful force. So we might expect that this church would be sending and not receiving instructions. Timothy wasn't leading a congregation of a couple of dozen believers. He was leading scores or even hundreds of leaders of groups who were in turn leading small groups or house churches. The directives about careful selection of leadership are critical in such a context. Undoing a bad leadership appointment is always difficult, and in this large setting where close supervision is difficult, it could result in groups going wrong before it was noticed. 

Understanding this helps us to understand the last phrase of vs 15. Almost all translations link the church with the “pillar and support of the truth.” That opinion is not universal. The grammar is not completely cut and dried. Other suggestions include Timothy or other leaders as the pillars and support of the truth. Some think this is a reference to God Himself. Still others refer to the mystery of godliness in verse 16. The best interpretation is that “the church” is the pillar and support of the truth. Hence the priority of good leaders who will remain faithful to what Paul is about to express as the common confession. 

“Lord, grant that I will always be fully committed to the truth. AMEN”

I Timothy 3:16

I Timothy 3:16

Paul moves from telling about the church as the “pillar and support of the truth” to a statement of that truth. He begins by saying the “common confession,” or literally the “one word” of the church. The early church did not have the luxury of books, so the written word was rare. However, outlines of the beliefs of the church doctrine were used as memory tools. One example of this kind of outline is listed at the end of this verse.

The phrase “mystery of godliness” tosses us a curve ball. The word mystery is not “that which cannot be figured out.” Rather, it is the “marvelous thing that has been revealed.” So what is this mystery? What does this mean? One possibility is that the mystery of godliness is the conduct of the life of the church. How is the church able to live holy? By the doctrines listed in this outline. Another possibility is that this refers to Christ in the Incarnation, which is to empower the church.

Paul lists six articles of church faith. First is that Christ was the Incarnation of God. Second, the Spirit vindicated Him by means of the miracles and wonders. These proved His ministry and claims. Third, and this one is a bit odd for us, he was seen by “angels.” We think of angels only in terms of spirit beings or heavenly messengers. The word can actually mean messenger in the common sense and need not refer only to heavenly beings. This statement says those who proclaim the messages were eyewitnesses. Fourth the gospel was preached among the nations, even gentiles. Fifth, the message has been believed, and now there are active groups of believers spread all over the world. Sixth, this refers to the doctrine of the Ascension, something we often forget. Paul is providing for Timothy a short outline of Orthodox faith. A shared outline of the Christian faith is a great tool for learning what is believed as a Christian. 

“Lord, help me grow a systematic mature understanding of the faith. AMEN”

I Timothy 3:11-13

I Timothy 3:11-13

These verses are part of Paul’s comments about leadership roles in the church. Paul is addressing the roles and character of overseers and deacons and, in the midst of this discussion, gives a directive for women. The word literally means “woman" but is also used for wife. Was Paul giving specific directions for the wives of deacons, or was this for the wives of both deacons and overseers? Was this possibly addressed to all the women of the church, or was this a reference to deaconesses? All of these possibilities have merits and weaknesses. Great and godly scholars who love the Lord disagree and do so with a clear conscience. This is perhaps the place to especially practice the old adage, “In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; and in all things, love.”

The conflict within the church regarding the role of women is often more shaped by our culture than the Holy Spirit. It is not hard to see, on both sides, an assertiveness that seems to be more driven by the desire for power than the desire to serve. Some day the well-intentioned but misguided will look back with regret on both their attitudes and behaviors. On that day the malicious actors will suffer for the harm they have caused. But no one will ever regret living up to the high standard for behavior and service we find in these verses. 

“Lord, grant me grace in word, action and thought when I disagree with my brothers and sisters. AMEN”

1 Timothy 3:1-10

1 Timothy 3:1-10

We have often rushed into the qualifications of an overseer concerning his moral character without taking sufficient time to look at the first verse of this chapter. If a man “aspires to,” “desires,” or “reaches up to take hold” of the overseership, he desires a good work. The word ‘office’ is not in the Greek text. The word is inserted into the English translation to make the sentence flow more smoothly. The unfortunate result is we have made the life of an overseer a job, or hobby, or part-time distraction. This is often further reduced to the seat on a panel or board that gives oversight to church operations. ‘Overseership’ is as all-encompassing as kingship. Every aspect of a king's life is defined by the fact that he is a king. You can't separate being a king from the person of the king. Nor is it possible to have an overseer for whom part of his life and days are not spent as an overseer.

The word “aspire” is a most important selection. The word in the New Testament is always in the middle voice or acting upon oneself. It literally means to “stretch oneself out in order to touch or to grasp.” There is an implication that no one is ready to be an overseer but must work toward this role or life. It also implies serious and meaningful effort. It carries the implications of focus. The use of sports metaphors might help. The sprinter stretches out to reach the tape first. The baseball player is stretching to catch the ball as it flies over the fence. Think of the golfer who, by concentration, is able to block out everything except the point of impact of the club head with the ball. This calling is no casual nomination to sit on a board of directors, but intense self-discipline to get ready for the role, the life of an overseer.

The word “overseer” is sadly distant from its New Testament roots. The translation επισκοπη (episcopal) has become a word that means a denomination or form of church government. However, the word in the New Testament was very different. It is a compound word, the first of which meant “upon” and the second meant “to look intensely.” It meant to examine closely, with a view to giving wise counsel or judgment. There is also the distinct implication of visitation and close personal contact. Imagine two shepherds, one who systematically checks each sheep for health and well-being, going over it with the eye of a concerned vet or caregiver. The other takes a monthly casual glance at the whole flock. The first is an overseer as described in this passage; the second is often what we have today. The first shepherd will know the condition of the whole flock more clearly than one with a bird's-eye view or general view. Any leadership of a congregation that focuses on the big picture but neglects the attention to individual sheep is like the second shepherd.

One final thought: leadership is hard. It is never easy for any man to be an overseer. However, in the context of first-century Christianity, it meant setting oneself up as a target of persecution. The role of overseer would make a man very likely the first to be arrested and abused. Why desire a difficult job filled with risk and with a high likelihood of suffering? Because this man has received from God a calling that has initiated a desire in him that only this ministry can satisfy.

“God, please bless the good shepherds in our churches, and correct those who lack love for Your sheep. AMEN”

1 Timothy 2:1-15

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Why is it so hard to pray? Not the perfunctory or routine prayers that are half memorized and half gibberish, but real prayers. Reading a prayer or mindlessly rehashing the things we have heard is easy, but real prayer is perhaps the most difficult of all Christian disciplines. The disciples who would have learned the prayers of the synagogue came to Jesus asking Him, “Teach us to pray.” In this chapter we often rushed to the end to take up the role of women in the church and to speculate on the confusing “… women shall be preserved through childbearing…” passage. But Paul begins with prayer.

For our purposes, let us look at verses 1-2 and 8 and then return to the question, “Why is it so hard to pray?” Paul began by directing four types or aspects of prayer to be offered for all men, beginning with the king. The four aspects are, first, entreaties; these are supplications to avert evil of every kind. Second, we are to offer prayers or requests for good things, both spiritual and temporal. Third, we make intercession or prayers on behalf of others. Christ intercedes for us, and we, by His grace and mercy, intercede for others. Fourth, we give thanks or praise to God as the parent or giver of all good things. Note that Paul puts these in couplets so that we have a prayer something like, “God protect them from harm, but instead bring good into their life. Bless them, and here are the specific needs that they have, and thank you for the good you have done for them and through them.” Paul begins by directing these prayers to be offered for Nero. This letter was written in the early sixties and, as such, would have predated the aggressive persecution by Rome. Nevertheless, Nero was by no means a Christian.

In verse eight Paul gives us additional instructions about prayer, and here we may also see why prayer is so difficult. For there to be a life of prayer, there must be the presence of one thing but the absence of two others. Paul insists on the presence of holy living on the part of those who would pray. The practice of “lifting hands” is less important than that those hands be holy. Without holiness, the act of lifting hands by itself accomplishes nothing. If our lives are marked and identified by sin, prayer will be difficult. Or, to put it another way, we will pray less as we sin more. Our prayer life is a reasonably good indicator of our personal holiness. It is a sort of compass that points the direction of our life. Next, Paul points out the first thing that must be absent: wrath or anger. This is more than momentary frustration or irritation but a settled, resolute feud, or a constitutional opposition. We might say a hot, active grudge. Have you ever noticed that churches in serious conflict don't pray very much? The other mandated absence is ‘dissensions.’ This may be surprising as we look at the Greek text. The Greek word is a compound word; the first part is “through,” and the second part is “to reckon, count, or calculate.” Put it together, you get “the doubt or unbelief that results from our own thinking of things.” Often, but not strictly, associated with our plotting to resolve our personal conflicts. More generally, it means that if we can't figure out a solution, it must not happen. This is the opposite of faith. It is a sort of thinking that results in our own solution and not God’s. The word can also be translated as “evil thoughts.” Prayer will not develop and be active in our lives when we are in unholy conflict, engaged in trying to find our own solutions. 

Prayer is the hardest discipline. It must overcome so much of our own nature. But it is what God wants, and it is what we want. Thankfully, He is more than able to overcome our obstacles.

“Lord, You are willing to help those who desire to pray.  Lord, help me to pray. AMEN

1 Timothy 1:12-20

 1 Timothy 1:12-20

There is ongoing debate about verse 15 and whether or not Paul was making a statement that was literal or whether he was speaking in a hyperbole. Was Paul literally the worst sinner until that time, or was he attempting to make a point? There are arguments for each side of this dispute, but perhaps there is a third possibility. Perhaps Paul was speaking emotionally. Perhaps he was expressing the wonder of grace in terms of emotion, not in terms of literal description or literary device. 

Part of repentance is to come to terms with the true nature of the sin that defines our lives and nature. Until we realize what an affront our sin is to a holy God, we will never feel the need for repentance at the core of our being. There are two ways of approaching our sin, indeed our lives as a whole. First is to say, “I'm not perfect, but I'm not bad, and at least I'm not as bad as...” Using this approach, we will never come to terms with our guilt and the true nature of our sin. The second way to approach our sin is to say, “In light of God's nature and holiness and His grace and goodness to me, even my best moral effort and condition is like a filthy rag, and at my worst I am the worst possible person.” Repentance is not an emotional event or reaction, but it must have an emotional component. Repentance is not primarily about what we have done; rather, it is about what we have done in the context of God's character and goodness and grace. Anyone who comes to the presence of God and comes away thinking, “I'm okay,” didn't actually meet the true God.

Paul’s life was an explosion of thankfulness for grace; this verse and those that follow express that grace. This is not a bragging contest of sin, nor is it a literary expression. It is a thankful heart cry of love, praise, and worship from one who was, frankly, shocked at how good God was to him. The tepidness or passion of our faith and discipleship will reflect how amazed we are by God's love. Our amazement at God’s grace is a result of our heart’s response and evaluation of our sinfulness before the Holy One.

“Help, me Lord, to have a genuine awareness of the evil of my sin and heart.  AMEN”