2 Timothy 1:1-7

2 Timothy 1:1-7

Verse 7 is so often quoted it has almost become a cliché. But as powerful as this verse is alone, in context it is even more powerful. In the years ahead for Timothy, the church is going to face noteworthy hardships, and Paul is taking pains to prepare Timothy specifically and the church generally for the difficult times to come. The opening of this letter is not idle chatter or simple flattery. Paul is laying a foundation to strengthen Timothy for the challenges that he will face. Timothy may have been a sort of momma’s boy. We never hear of his dad beyond his being Greek. The religious and moral influencers of his life were his momma and grandmother. Additionally, Timothy was from Derbe-Lystra. This was where Paul took his first serious abuse on his mission trips. Paul was stoned so severely that when he was dragged out of town, he was assumed to be dead. Timothy, this tender, compassionate, and sensitive soul, could recall his father in the faith, his mentor, and his role model nearly dead. Now Timothy faces his own difficult ministry and turbulent years. Even without renouncing his faith, Timothy might still retreat from the fight and “hide his light under a basket.” Before Paul gets into the application of Timothy’s ministry, he bolsters and challenges his courage and imparts some ‘gusto.’

He does this by first reminding him that this thing called the church is the culmination of everything God has been doing since the days of the ‘forefathers.’ This is no ‘Johnny-come-lately’ scheme, but God’s desired end of a long-planned structure of redemption. Paul also calls to mind Timothy’s strong emotions and affections. It is not a weakness that Timothy tends toward a more tender personality; in fact, that can be his strength. If the tradition that Eunice was a widow is correct, then Paul may have been an especially powerful father figure for Timothy. The love and respect of a son for a father can be a powerful motivation. Paul mentions that the Holy Spirit has given a unique gift to Timothy. Timothy’s toolbox is not empty; he has all that he needs for the task at hand. 

Paul uses the metaphor of ‘fire.’ The flame of Timothy’s ministry has, in fact, died down, and it is time to bring the coals to life and build up that flame. Timothy’s faith commitment was no façade but went all the way to the core of his being. His faith was based on God’s eternal plan. Timothy’s faith, personality, and makeup were all a part of what God was doing. This unique gifting of the Holy Spirit reminded Timothy that the Spirit, or perhaps attitude, he has is not one of cowardice but rather power, love, and sound judgment. 

We lose a lot of ministers because they don’t have a mentor like Paul to bolster their courage. In the midst of struggle and without an end in sight, they leave the work. Sadly, many churches want a minister with the tenderness of Timothy so they can bully and intimidate him. What is needed is the tenderness of Timothy and the boldness of Paul. Few leaders have both naturally; that is why mentorship is so vital. 

“Lord, help me live with a spirit of boldness. AMEN”

1 Timothy 6:11-21

1 Timothy 6:11-21

Paul does two things as he begins his conclusion to this letter. Both are very descriptive. First he tells Timothy to run away from the allure and tempting seduction of money. The “these things” of verse 11 is a reference to the whole issue of verses 1–10, especially beginning at verse 3. The Christian leader should and will have a profound influence over people and their wealth. Working with people of means while desiring to be a man of means will ruin a leader. The addition of wealth and income to the ministry vocation can become golden handcuffs that pervert and ruin the heart of a leader. Working more effectively than sexual misconduct for a leader's ruin is the enemy of wealth. Overt sexual misconduct is spectacular but is less common than the struggle for money. A minister has to deal with money every day as he pays for his food, lodging, and other necessities. We can’t do ministry outside of the context of money. Often we don’t know how to have conversations about money. Since we don't talk honestly and openly about the contact points of money and ministry, the generational wisdom Paul gave to us has died.

Second, Paul talks about the struggle of ministries. Verse 12 could be translated, “Agonize the good agony of faith; seize the trophy, the trophy of eternal life.” The words agony and seize are descriptive words taken from the Olympic Games. The “many witnesses” is a reference to the spectators in the stadium. The call of leadership is an agony that agonizes. Seizing the prize is a reference to winning the laurel wreath at the end of the contest. The struggle is not a career; it is a passion. It is not a job; it is a conquest. In many churches, leadership has been dumbed down to being a chaplain for those who forged the golden handcuffs. The “pay to preach” mindset leaves us with the busy work of making people happy, rather than the profoundly powerful and world-changing good confession that Jesus is King, Lord, and the Messiah. The small vision of making people happy will not compel the faithful and can never attract the lost. But ‘Jesus is Lord’ and can and will do both.

“Lord, give a godly passion to your faithful servants for fight the good fight. AMEN”

1 Timothy 6:3-10

1 Timothy 6:3-10

There were apparently some preachers who were advocating an economic reform to be imposed based on their understanding of the faith. Perhaps this referred to the early churches' common sharing of property, and these preachers wanted this to be the mandatory practice of all churches at all times. Like many economic theorists, their teaching deteriorated into harangues and noisy chaos of abuse for those with whom they disagreed. Paul identifies them in the harshest terms in verse five and points out that these teachers and those they try to recruit are followers who think that the purpose of godliness or religion is to bring about gain. When you hear a teacher claiming that Christianity promises wealth or supports a specific economic policy, rest assured that that person is of “depraved mind,” literally meaning completely ruined reasoning. The word ‘depraved’ literally means apostate from every form of the truth. The objective of faith is not to make us rich. It is interesting that in the American church we can easily associate the word depraved with a person engaged in sexual sin. But how often do we associate this word with persons who express greed or a passion for more wealth?

Our faith makes us rich when it is connected to contentment. That is when we have within our faith and ourselves all that we need. When we have contentment, whatever our circumstances are, they are sufficient. All that is needed to be human is with us when we are born. When we die, that is all we will take with us. Paul says what we need is food and covering, basically clothing and housing. Those needs are very simple. My wanting more than these creates a vicious cycle that can never be satisfied. We need so much less than we think.

Note that Paul doesn't say, “Those who are rich…” But rather, “Those who want to become rich…” Paul is not addressing a problem with a specific socioeconomic class but a problem of heart. Two deadly descriptions are used for those wanting to get rich. A snare, something that holds without release and is unexpected, takes them. The suddenness is the point to be emphasized here. They are also “plunged” into ruin and destruction. The word “plunged” is the word for a shipwreck. It is the doom that can be seen coming, and nothing can be done to avoid it. The pursuit of wealth is wholly hopeless, unsatisfying, and ultimately ruins the soul. 

“Grant to me Lord, great faith and great contentment. AMEN” 

1 Timothy 6:1-2

1 Timothy 6:1-2

About one hundred and forty years before Paul wrote these words, the Italian peninsula was terrorized by a slave rebellion. Spartacus led a slave revolt that lasted for two years. He marched up and down the boot of Italy and defeated the Romans on about a dozen occasions. The fear of a slave revolt was never far from the Roman mind. Anything that might incite such a revolt was not tolerated. In Christianity we do not see a call to remake society or culture. Rather, we see God changing, remaking, and giving new life to individuals.

Paul calls for slaves to exhibit not a disposition that agitates under slavery but rather attitudes of respect, honor, obedience, and service. Paul is not denying the difficulties of the life of a slave. The word he uses for master is δεσποτες, from which we have the English word despot. It means unrestricted power, absolute dominion, confessing no limitations or restraints. Paul was well aware of the ugliness of slavery. He was not imagining a “happy slave” mythology. But there was something bigger here than personal liberty: the name of God in the doctrines of the faith.

In explaining the explosive growth of Christianity in the first century, no one seems to mention the possibility that it was the result of the attitudes of slaves toward their masters. We often hear about the need for Christians to be counter-cultural. What Paul describes here is perhaps the most radical example of being counter-cultural. In our culture we make demands and we assert our rights and demand fair treatment, but here we are told to do the opposite. Here we are told to honor and respect a despot, an evil person working in an evil system. The world has no way of processing that response. 

Our demands are easily defeated, but Christ's love can't be. Someone asked an elder statesman among Christians, “Why do so many people hate Christians?” His answer was simple: “Because so many Christians are jerks.” We have demanded our rights, we have demanded preferential treatment, we have made bad decisions, we have lost our voice, and we have become just one more agitating party. And we wonder why people don’t listen to us. 

And remember Spartacus? He died, and his movement came to nothing. 

“Lord, I surrender my rights for the well being of the Kingdom. AMEN”

1 Timothy 5:17-25

1 Timothy 5:17-25

Timothy holds a unique role in the leadership. He is still a fairly young man and was leading and appointing ministers of numerous house churches. The task brings to mind several key questions.

First was compensation for ministers. Paul advocates good pay, or “double honor,” for ministers who work hard. In part they would not have time for secular work, and very likely they would have considerable out-of-pocket expenses. Bi-vocational ministry was the norm in much of the early church. However, well-paid ministers are fully acceptable, but only if they work hard. Unfortunately, too many times ministers are doing busywork and treating the church as a jobs program. 

Second, Paul advises that a certain trust be extended to the house church leaders. Only on the account of two or three witnesses are accusations to be entertained. There is a strong anti-gossip bias here. Charges against a leader cannot be a whisper campaign of the disgruntled. People are required to stand up publicly if they want to make an accusation, and that accusation must be specific in nature. Unless there are multiple witnesses of specific charges and a willingness to go public, Timothy is to trust the accused leader. Holding those who would slander and grumble accountable will reduce the frequency of baseless accusations.

Third, hold accountable leaders who act corruptly. There is a distinction between the leader who acts corruptly and the leader who is fully corrupt. The elder, pastor, or leader who has done wrong must face the music. A public rebuke is in order: what was done, why it was wrong, what should have been done, and the consequences of the behavior if it continues. Too often, for reasons that are not legitimate, churches refuse to address the specifics of the case of church discipline, and it spirals down into vague generalities and personalities.

Fourth verses 22, 23, and 24 address the need for due diligence in the review of one who would be a church leader. Paul makes the point that those who select or support a destructive leader share in the guilt of his destructive behaviors. Some are obviously bad, others can hide their failings, but sooner or later the truth will be discovered. This is also true of the good deeds of quality men. Doing a careful background search is vital for the well-being of the church before appointing leaders.

In verse 23, Paul advocates wine for Timothy’s stomach. This was not social drinking but medicinal. Those who advocate total abstinence or recreational drinking are equally unsupported by this verse.

“Lord, bless those who lead the church.  May they proclaim the truth by both their lives and their teaching. AMEN”

1 Timothy 5:1-16

1 Timothy 5:1-16

Timothy is leading a very large organization and, as such, has to deal with economic and social issues. The issue of widows consumes about 15 verses and is an indication of the church forming its response to the social issues of widowed women and their support. While it would take books to address in detail all that Paul has to say here, a few general principles come to light.

Number one, it is God's intention that the social safety net for the aged is the family. This is especially true for widowed women. If the widow has any relatives at all, it is assumed that they should care for her.

Number two, it is assumed that the primary means of support for women is found in the context of marriage and children. Certainly women at this time worked for profit, but their primary focus was the home. The woman who invested and her children had a retirement plan far better than any 401k or IRA. Children and grandchildren would care for her.

Number three: a faith community’s care for widows was a possibility but also a rarity. The word “honor” in verse 3 means support from the common fund. This indicates that the church cared for some widows. However, these women met stringent qualifications of destitution with no family, a history of Godly behavior, apparently some role or commitment of service in the faith community to which they were obligated until death, and they were too old to remarry. This is not an exhaustive list but indicates that a ‘need’ is not by itself sufficient reason to receive aid.

Number four: financial aid is both compassionate and tender and, at the same time, calculating and shrewd. Benevolence is too often given based on the emotion of the moment and sentimentalism. That is a recipe for ruin. The care from the Church must be tender but never naive.

Paul seems to envision a social context in which what a person can do for themselves, they must do for themselves. But if they can't care for themselves, they should turn to their family. If that is not a possibility, then the church can provide the appropriate care. In this passage you will find that more verses deal with not placing widows on the care list than verses that address putting a widow on such a list. In the American church, we have narrowed the meaning of care with giving money. That is a concept foreign to the scriptures.

“Lord, help me to be wise and tender in the care of those in need.  AMEN”

I Timothy 4:6-16

I Timothy 4:6-16

The flow of Paul's letter is important. He has moved from demanding a life of leadership to orthodox doctrine to the dangers of a works salvation heresy. In the next phase he addresses the constant struggle of being a disciple and especially the personal character of his leadership. Timothy and those he teaches are to be constantly nourished on the works of faith and sound doctrine. It is too easy and far too common for church leaders to flatline in their study and growth. Their teachings and sermons are old recycled lessons or sermons that were taught years ago, filed away, brought out and reused, and then the cycle repeats. A minister’s teaching and sermons ought to come from an ever-growing, ever-lively, ever-learning walk with God in Scripture. Instead of this vital life of study and proclaiming what we sometimes see is preaching as a job to be done with the least effort possible except when it comes to looking good for the audience.

Paul warns against silly fables. Judaism and paganism were both filled with stories that were illustrations, morality tales of one sort or another. Telling stories is a great way to teach, and Jesus used that tool frequently. But sometimes the point becomes the story, the fable, or the work/behaviors prescribed and not about Christ. Entertainment disguised as illustration is nothing new and is still a shameful reality in much of the modern church. It is worth noting that Paul contrasts fables with discipline. Don't miss the point. When we steer away from the hard work of spiritual discipline and sound doctrine, our teaching is going to veer toward old women's stories.

There can be no doubt that Paul is telling Timothy about hard work. In verse 10, Paul uses the words “labor” and “strive” (NASB). The first word means to work to exhaustion, and the second word is the word from which we get the English word agony. The first word might describe pulling two or three shifts in succession at a demanding job. The second word is descriptive of training for the Olympic games. When we see the training of a major college football team, it should remind us of how ministers work for the kingdom. Too often the effort of many ministers is more that of a homeless bum holding a sign, “Will preach for food.”

Finally, in addition to the gold medal standard of effort, Paul says that Timothy is to be an example of the gracious character of the Christian life. The word “example” means pattern. It is a word from which we get the English word ‘type.’ It is a consistent, reliable, repeatable, and reproducible pattern of conduct. This word was used for the mark left by striking a coin or the marks left by a nail. The call to discipleship, which is also a call to leadership, is not easy. But in following the difficult path, we are following the pattern of the apostles, prophets, and our Lord.

“Lord, help me to live the life of discipline as a disciple. AMEN”