The Charge

1 Timothy 6:11-21, “The Charge”
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Introduction:
Have you ever received a formal charge from someone? Sometimes a charge is given at high school or college graduations – at Eagle Scout ceremonies (court of honor), the Charge is a major part of the event. Lays out what’s expected of you as you’re sent off into the world with new responsibility.

As Paul closes his 1st letter to Timothy, he does so with a charge – laying out what’s expected of him as a minister of the gospel. In a sense, the whole epistle might be viewed as a “charge” from Paul to Timothy to teach sound doctrine & to establish the church according to God’s design – but in the close, the charge becomes even more evident (threefold). (1) Charge concerning Timothy’s character… (2) Charge concerning the wealthy… (3) Charge concerning the gospel… Why so serious? Why all these charges? Because although Timothy might be the lead elder/overseer in the church, it’s not Timothy’s church. It’s Jesus’ church! Thus Timothy (as do we) had the obligation to do what Christ Jesus was calling him to do – and nothing else.

1 Timothy 6:11-21 (NKJV)
- Charge to the man of God (character)…
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

A. Flee what things? What Paul was just talking about in the rest of Ch 6: rejecting the authority of the Bible, obsessing over words & arguments, using godliness as a means of gain, and loving money in greediness. The man (or woman) of God is supposed to flee these things! Like Joseph encountering the temptation of Potiphar’s wife, when we encounter the temptation of pseudo-religion, we’re to run as fast as we can in the other direction…
B. Don’t just flee from something; flee to something else. Pursue that which pleases God! Whether we’re talking about the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) or the qualifications for elders (3:2-6), these are all qualities that are borne out of the work God does in us as we seek after Him. The basic idea is that the false teachers seek after gain & riches; true Christians seek after Christ…
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12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

A. Don’t just flee; fight! In 1:18, Paul charged Timothy to “wage the good warfare”; here he picks up the theme again with athletic competition. “Fight” = agonizamai “compete – struggle – strive (agony)”. The charge to follow Christ, preach the gospel, and live righteously is not something that is given passively. We are to pursue it with passion & zeal!
B. What are we to fight for? To “lay hold on eternal life.” Is this ‘salvation by works?’ God forbid! We were “called” to eternal life! It’s not something that can be earned nor bought – it is something that must be given to us through the grace of God. God called us to Himself – the Holy Spirit convicted us of sin, righteousness, and judgment – the Lord Jesus made provision on our behalf…the only thing we did was simply respond in the faith He gave us. Salvation is a work of God; not man!
__a. What does it mean to “lay hold” of it? Simply to apprehend that which Christ Jesus has already apprehended for us. The Lord Jesus has already made us new creations (2 Cor 5:17) & the Holy Spirit empowers us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) – we are simply to believe these promises and walk in faith.
__b. There are a lot of people that say, “I’ll worship Jesus in Heaven; I’ll learn of Him there…that’s what eternal life is for.” Why wait? What on earth is possibly more important and pressing than worshipping our Savior now? Lay hold on eternal life NOW…
C. What does it mean that Timothy “confessed the good confession”? Some think this is a reference to Timothy’s ordination – others to his baptism…the basic idea is that Timothy at some point (if not continually) had publically confessed Christ as Savior & Lord. Paul’s reminding him, “You already made a public commitment – don’t lose heart in carrying it out.”
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13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things [life has but one Source], and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

A. Jesus also witnessed the good confession…He was silent before the Pharisees (Mark 15:3-5 – they didn’t really want an answer anyway), but with Pilate Jesus clearly stated who He is (Luke 23:3, John 18:37). Our Lord never asks us to do what He did not already do Himself – He is our example. We might not be called upon to confess Christ when our life is on the line, but we are all called to be witnesses of Him and confess Him continually…our lives ought to be continual ‘confessions’ of the gospel which saved us.
B. Paul’s point? He’s charging Timothy before our God, Creator, Lord, and Savior to keep on teaching sound doctrine & holding fast to the gospel. “this commandment” likely a reference to the entire letter & goes back to the idea of teaching no other doctrine (Ch 1:3)
C. For how long? Until Jesus comes back (literally, His “epiphany”)…until we see Christ’s face through death or rapture, we are to hold firm to the gospel in word and deed. [Winston Churchill after the Blitz] “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never –in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Likewise for us! We have an unrelenting enemy who tries to take us down at every opportunity. We live in a world that hates our Lord and would love to see us deny Him and His gospel. But we are to never give in – never, never, never, never!
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15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

A. “He” = God the Father (context from vs. 16). God will send the Lord Jesus to receive His church in God’s own timing, which only He knows – and could happen at any moment.
B. God is the “blessed…Potentate”: We don’t use the word too much today – “potentate” in English refers to someone who has power/rule over others. In Greek (dunastes), the emphasis is on ‘power’ – it comes from the same root word as dunamis (miraculous power).
C. God is the “King of kings & Lord of lords”: In Rev 19:16, the same title is used of Christ Jesus – in both cases it signifies God’s ultimate authority. There is NONE higher than God – not even the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). The Devil’s authority is infinitely less than God because God is infinitely greater than all His Creation. Now put yourself in the shoes of a Roman citizen…if God is infinitely higher than Satan, how much higher is God over Caesar? In a culture where emperor-worship was encouraged (if not demanded outright), the Scripture puts the ‘mighty’ emperor in his place…he ain’t nothing compared to God!
__a. Every human being who ever existed – no matter how great or how small – how rich or how poor – how powerful or how humble – will one day bow the knee to the Ultimate King of all the Universe! … … Philippians 2:9-11 (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. []
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16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

A. God is immortal: literally, He is “without death.” There will never be a point in which God comes to the end of His existence. By His own name, He is the “I AM” – the ever-existent One who was & is & is to come. More than never dying, God never had a beginning. In a sense, we all experience eternity through everlasting life/death – we will always exist in either heaven or hell for all time. Angels are everlasting beings. Any creature with a soul is an everlasting being. But although everlasting beings have no end, they certainly had a beginning. God never began; He always has been. He has no beginning & will have no ending – and none other in all creation is like Him because by definition, creation has a beginning; the Creator does not.
B. God “alone” is immortal: The statistics are pretty solid – 10 out of 10 people die. But God is God…and God the Father never dies. Even when Jesus breathed His last breath on the cross, God the Father & God the Holy Spirit was still living and active. The rest of us have a date with death or rapture – and ANY access we have to everlasting life comes through God alone via Jesus Christ.
C. God dwells in “unapproachable light”: God is clothed with light (Ps 104:2) & in eternity there is no need for a sun or moon because the Lamb of God Himself is our light (Rev 21:23) – but the emphasis isn’t so much on illumination as it is on His holiness. God is so holy that He is “unapproachable”. Before God gave Israel the 10 Commandments, He told Moses to cordon off Mt. Sinai so that people wouldn’t get to close (under penalty of death – Exo 19:12). Why? Because God is so holy that no man can presume to be worthy enough to approach Him…our sin defiles us.
__a. Yet this is exactly why the Incarnation of God (which we celebrate at Christmas) is so wonderful! We cannot approach God, so God approached us. The Word of God clothed Himself with flesh & dwelt among us, He took our sin upon Himself & died in our place at the Cross. Now in Christ, we can not only reverently & boldly approach God in prayer, but He’s called us to physically spend eternity with Him.
D. God is unseen: Because of His holiness, no one has seen God at any time (not even Moses – Moses saw the backparts of God) except the Son of God & Christ declared God to us. (John 1:18)
E. God is worthy of “honor & everlasting power”: Not only does God have all power and authority (vs 15)…think about this: God is worthy of MORE. For all time there have been creatures continually surrounding the throne of God worshipping Him & proclaiming His holiness & it’s never stopped because it is never sufficient. Our infinite God is worthy of infinite worship.
F. What does all this mean for us? THIS is the God we’ve been called to worship & proclaim! There is no greater privilege that can be bestowed on a man or woman than be called by the Holy King of kings to serve Him. Guess what? If you’ve been saved, you’ve been called!
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- Charge to the rich & wealthy…
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

A. Before those of us not in the top 1% of the population start thinking these verses don’t apply to us…we’ve got to keep some perspective in mind. The poorest people in the United States are generally more wealthy than of the rest of the world’s population. In 2003 of the lowest 10% of US households in income, 91% owned a color TV – 74% owned microwave ovens – 47% owned clothes dryers…all considered luxuries 50 years ago. (Bruce Bartlett, Washington Times 10/6/2003) If you’re an American, you ARE rich!
B. Since we are rich, we ought “not to be haughty”: It’s not difficult to call to mind various people who flaunt their wealth & look down their noses at the masses – Christians shouldn’t be that way. Our sin left us just as guilty before God as the homeless man down the street – we are in just as much need of salvation as him.
C. We ought not “trust in uncertain riches”: We only have to watch the stock market the last few weeks to know that money is fleeting…here one day & gone the next. Yet so often we fall into the danger of trusting our money rather than the One who gave us our money. Trust in God! Jeremiah 9:23-24 (23) Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; (24) But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. []
D. But “enjoy” what God does give you: There’s no shame in being rich – God blessed many wealthy people (Abraham, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea…even Job). We simply ought to enjoy these things in a way that brings glory to God.
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18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

A. The best thing to be rich in? “Good works…” Goes back to where Paul left off earlier in Ch 6. Those who desire to be rich fall into a trap (vs 9), but those whom God has blessed with riches can use them in wonderful ways for His Kingdom. Mentioned last week that we can’t take it with us. But we CAN send it on ahead & store up a “good foundation” for eternity. Matthew 6:19-21 (19) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [] The last line is the key: where’s your heart? Are you trusting in God & glorifying Him with what He’s given you?
B. The result? That the rich “may lay hold on eternal life” – just like Timothy. That they would experience that life God has for them. Paul’s not talking about “your best life now” in terms of material blessing – but he is referring to the spiritually abundant life of someone who knows what it means to walk with Jesus who IS the Life!
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- Final charge…to keep the gospel.
20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

A. Guard the gospel… Just as the gospel was committed into Paul’s trust (1:11), it was committed into Timothy’s. And through the centuries, it’s been committed unto us as well. There are always movements that run through Christianity (historical and present) that either try to water down the gospel until it’s meaningless universalism (generic pablum for the masses) or strip it of it’s grace until it’s nothing but rigid legalism. It is the responsibility of the Church (us! All true Christians) to keep it pure. We have the glorious privilege of proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and offers forgiveness & eternal life to all who repent from their sins and trust Him by faith. May we guard the gospel fervently!
B. Avoid the apostasy… Timothy was undoubtedly going to encounter the false teachers Paul had been warning about & they’d expose themselves as profane “idle babblings” (literally “empty voices”) which lead to “contradictions of…[false] knowledge”. KJV says “science”, but Gk gnosis = “knowledge”. Paul hadn’t mentioned them directly so far in the epistle, but this could be reference to the Gnostic heresy he dealt with in Colosse. Could also be another reference to the false money-grubbing folks he’s mentioned so far. Some people like to make themselves sound smart through their words, but their ideas prove themselves to be more empty babbling.
__a. Whatever the case, some had listened to this false teaching & began to stray from the truth & faith in Christ. Christian, be forewarned. Guarding the gospel doesn’t just preserve the truth for others to hear, it protects us from the lies of the enemy that creep into the church.
C. Go in grace… And praise God for it! He gives us grace to hear the gospel, grace to receive the gospel, grace to stay in the gospel, and grace to witness to the gospel. All 100% dependent on the grace of God – and all to His glory.

Conclusion:
3 sections, one main charge from Paul as he closed the letter: Do what God’s called you to do! God called Timothy to preach the pure gospel & Timothy was to do it. God called the rich & wealthy to give cheerfully, storing up for eternity and they were to do it. Their charges are ours as well…we’ve been entrusted with proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel of Christ & we ought to be doing it.

What has God called you to do? Maybe there’s something specific like a ministry in the church or someone God’s laid it on your heart to be a witness to… Maybe it’s something general given to the whole church that perhaps has fallen to the wayside (your personal worship or prayer time – living righteously in purity – being the epistle of Christ – bearing one another’s burdens)…

What are you waiting for? We’ve been charged by God Himself – so let’s be about doing what He’s told us to do!

Contentment in Christ

1 Timothy 6:1-10, “Contentment in Christ”
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Introduction:
There are a lot of things the United States is known for throughout the world – but one of them is NOT contentment. And if it’s evident throughout the year, it’s amplified much more so the day after Thanksgiving at the mall. Yet how important is contentment as a believer in Christ? Important enough for Paul to begin closing his 1st letter to Timothy with it.

Think of it this way: the entire letter to this point has been focused on (1) holding to & presenting sound doctrine, and (2) practical roles of ministry within the local church…and then out of nowhere (seemingly) Paul gives these instructions regarding contentment vs. greed. But upon a closer look, it fits perfectly. How we behave as believers is a direct reflection of what we’ve been taught & what we believe about Christ & what we find our contentment in is a great indicator for who/what we’re trusting.

1 Timothy 6:1-10 (NKJV)
- Contentment with position
1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.

A. Historical context: Slavery within the Roman empire was vastly different than what the American experience was. (American slavery was more akin to kidnapping & man-stealing than anything else.) Roman slaves were usually either prisoners of war, or born into slavery – but they also had the opportunity to purchase their freedom & become normal citizens.
__a. Does God approve of slavery? No… God gave guidelines for dealing with it as a cultural reality. Some estimates say there were 60 million slaves in the empire; we’d expect to see God say something about it in His word!
__b. Keep in mind that Christianity eventually destroyed the foundations of slavery in every nation it spread to. The Bible proclaims we all descended from the same parents (Gen 1:28; 9:1) – the Bible shows that believers are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28) – the Bible tells us that we ought to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31)… Over the centuries, the gospel decayed slavery’s foundation & it was due in large part to evangelical Christians such as William Wilberforce & Harriet Beecher Stowe that brought it to an end in the western world.
__c. For all the exhortations throughout 1 Timothy to pay attention to & teach sound doctrine (which we’ll see again today), American Slavery provides a tragic example of what happens when the church ignores the clear teachings of the Bible. For every evangelical abolitionist, there were hundreds more who used their church attendance to ignore & mask their evil deeds. To be clear: Scripture properly taught will expose sin & glorify God; it certainly won’t sweep it under the rug!
B. Basic idea: if you served as a slave, then you were to serve your master well. Why? Because a lazy Christian gives the impression of a lazy Christ. A servant is no greater than his Master & if we’re presenting a bad example of Jesus to the world, why would they ever realize their utter need for Him?
__a. The most important thing to any believer shouldn’t be our own comfort; but rather the glory of God. We were SAVED… [] And because of His great grace which saved us, everything we are belongs to God & everything we do should serve to give Him glory… That includes whatever station/position we might find ourselves in – we need to use that to glorify God.
__b. Did that mean that a Christian slave shouldn’t wish to be free? Of course not. But they should wait upon God for His timing & be content in the meanwhile. 1 Corinthians 7:20-22 (20) Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. (21) Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. (22) For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. [] Bottom line: we belong to the Lord Jesus; so we ought to be content with whatever He’s planted us for the time being.
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2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. (stop here)

A. What happens if your master is a believer in Christ? Should you expect to be set free immediately upon his conversion? Would have been nice (and it would have reflected the love of Christ – Phm 16), but it obviously didn’t happen very often. … If that’s the case:
__a. Don’t “despise them”: don’t disdain them because they did not provide immediate freedom; don’t take advantage of them thinking, “He won’t mind; he’s a brother in the Lord.”
__b. Instead, “serve them” with diligence & effort. Why? Because they are a fellow brother in Christ. [] That gives the slave all the more reason to seek the best for him!
B. Any modern application to this today? Sure – there are a ton of slaves around the world that this directly applies to. What about for those of us blessed with freedom? We all serve someone. Be it the government, or a employer – what is our attitude in how we serve? Are we seeking to glorify God through our diligence in serving? … Whatever it is we do, we’re to do it unto the Lord Jesus & not unto men (Col 3:23) – precisely because He IS our Lord!
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…Teach and exhort these things.

A. Remember that although the words of the Bible are inspired, the verse numbers & chapter breaks are not. Seems to be the case with the end of vs 2… Might be better to think of “these things” as not merely applying only to slaves & masters, but of the whole context of Ch 5 – if not the entire letter leading up to this point.
B. Throughout 1 Timothy, this has been Paul’s ringing challenge: teach the truth! Sound doctrine / right teaching is foundational to the Church. It’s not something to be addressed once in a blue moon; the Body of Christ needs a steady diet of milk & meat of God’s Word in order that we might grow & be healthy.
..a. Keep in mind that one of the primary ways God has chosen to communicate with mankind is through the written word! And it’s through the written word that we find out about the others (the Incarnation, prayer, etc). Dedicated, systematic study of the Bible is not something to be relegated to professors of theology; it’s what God intends for every believer in Christ!
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- Contentment with sound teaching…
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,

A. Talking about false teachers here. How are we supposed to know if someone is a false teacher? Two ways:
__a. If they don’t “consent” to the Bible. Meaning if they don’t hold to it as an authority or believe in its inspiration. The words within the Bible ARE “the words of the Lord Jesus Christ” (not just the red letters!)… Gk “consent” literally means to “approach/come near”. The person who consents to the words of Scripture comes near to it; he/she doesn’t try to force the Bible to fit his/her ideas. …
__b. If they don’t “consent” to the true teaching that flows out of the Bible – the “doctrine which accords with godliness”. Right teaching that is properly based on the word of God should leave an impact of good things – help develop the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. After all, we’re transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2), so the test is: what does our mind produce as a result of this teaching? Conviction of sin, thankfulness to God – Amen! Covetousness & legalistic thinking – beware!
B. How is the church to determine either of these things? We’ve got to be Bereans! (Acts 17) We are so blessed to have access to the Bible! For over 1000 years of Christian history, the Scriptures disappeared from the hands of the common man & went into the halls of the priesthood – but God worked through men like Luther, Wycliffe, and Tyndale to give the church our Bible back. Today, we have even more – the average American study Bible has more information in it than many 3rd world pastors in their entire libraries. If anyone has the responsibility within the church to be Bereans against false doctrines, we do! (Do you have a Bible?)
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4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

A. What does a false teacher look like? Nothing godly…quite the opposite!
__a. “proud”: Gk = “to envelop with smoke” – you might say he’s blowing smoke. Basically, his head is inflated with all the knowledge he thinks he has, but he reveals how little he knows of God through his attitude. Thus his pride shows he “know[s] nothing.”
__b. “obsessed with disputes & arguments”: He’s got a morbid desire (“obsessed” could be translated “sick”) to argue his pet doctrines & point of view.
B. What does it yield? “envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions & useless wranglings.” … Compare this to how Christians are supposed to be identified: John 13:34-35 (34) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (35) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” [] Why is agape love a defining characteristic of Christians? Because agape love is a defining characteristic of Christ. As with the lazy slave, the argumentative ‘teacher’ either provides proof he’s not qualified to teach or proof he doesn’t know Christ at all.
C. Be careful about spending too much time with these people; the constant arguing simply drags you down. [Trinity denier on ptw blog] Note Paul is not talking about theological debate or Bible studies. God-fearing, Jesus-loving, Bible-believing Christians sometimes have profound disagreements on theology…and it’s ok to discuss those disagreements with passion. The problem comes in when our character stops reflecting Christ in the process… We can be so intent on winning a debate that we lose our witness…
D. Many times, the ultimate goal of these false teachers has nothing to do with supposedly “finding out the truth.” They simply want to make a buck off of Christians. (L Ron Hubbard, “You don’t get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.”) We see it all the time on ‘Christian’ TV – how many ‘pastors’ disqualify themselves from the pulpit through either false teaching or ungodly behavior & jump back in there the next Sunday asking for your “financial gift to keep this ministry afloat”? [] That’s not true “godliness” – see vs. 6…
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- Contentment with provision…
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

A. Talking about a whole different type of “gain” here. Whereas the false teachers look to pad their wallet, true teaching prepares us for eternity… (Matt 16:26 – What profit to gain the whole world & lose soul?)
B. Talking about a whole different type of “godliness” as well. The Gk is the same, but the context is completely different. To the false teacher who stirs up arguments & strife, he uses the pretense of piety to manipulate people into giving. True godliness really IS holy, reverent living & virtually by definition, this includes “contentment”. How so? The one who seeks to please God has a different set of priorities & becomes content (self-sufficient) with what our God has given him/her.
__a. Paul knew this from experience… Philippians 4:11-13 (11) Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: (12) I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. []
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7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

A. Job realized the same thing, “Naked I came in; naked I’m going out” (Job 1:21)… Once we come to grips with this truth, it tends to change our perspective regarding “stuff.” “Stuff” just isn’t all that important in the long run – “Stuff” is either going to rot or get broken over the years – even the most valuable long-lasting “stuff” simply gets passed to the next person (or the gov’t) after we die. The only gold that’s going to be in heaven is the gold God puts there for pavement & crowns. As for all the rest, “you can’t take it with you.”
B. “Stuff” may not last, but what we do with that “stuff” might have eternal value! … Use it for the Lord & His glory…
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8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

A. Obviously Paul understood this 1st hand – this was all HE had on the road as a missionary! But the principle applies to all of us. Besides sufficient food, clothing, and shelter (which the Grk word used for clothing is derived from), what more can we purchase that we truly need from a physical standpoint?
__a. Our culture has a greater temptation to fall into materialism than any other culture in human history! Even the ‘basic’ luxuries aren’t luxurious enough. [mobile phone to iPhone] That’s not to make anyone feel guilty; it’s just a reality of our culture & no one is exempt (some of the biggest tech-addicts I know are pastors!). But there’s a problem when we don’t know when enough is enough… We ought to be content.
B. So what should we spend our time on? Seeking after God! Matthew 6:31-33 (31) “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. []
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9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

A. What a time to be looking at this verse! Those who led Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Goldman Sachs, AIG, and even Enron (not to mention Congress) know exactly what it’s like to “desire to be rich” and then “fall into temptation and a snare…” That’s not limited to Wall Street; the lustful desire for riches can hit any of us. [Rich young ruler went away sad – Matt 19:22]
B. What’s the danger? Those lusts would destroy us… (Nelson’s) “Drown literally means to drag to the bottom. Paul was painting a graphic word picture of the greedy person drowning under the tremendous weight of material desires.” Make no mistake, materialism is a trap…and we have an enemy who is actively waiting to spring it on unsuspecting Christians. Understand that the basic temptations haven’t changed since the Garden of Eden (lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, pride of life – 1 John 2:16) & materialism/greediness falls right smack in the middle of all of it.
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10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

A. Is money the problem? No – money (properly viewed) is simply a tool…no better than a hammer… The “love of money” is the problem! It’s a:
__a. “root of all kinds of evil”: Was a love of money behind Satan’s attempted overthrow of God? Of Adam & Eve’s fall? No – but it does go to the heart of those events: pride. People love money because they think it gains them power or fame or security (or all 3). Their pride places them (us) at the center of their lives & all of a sudden we’re breaking the 1st Commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exo 20:3) – ultimately, we’re talking about idolatry, which leads to all sorts of specific sins…
__b. Temptation to “stray from the faith”: One of the most dangerous results from a love of money is the temptation to walk away from the gospel that saved us in search of riches. Is Paul referring to getting into heretical doctrine or is he referring to spiritual apostasy? Context could refer to either, and neither option is good!
____i. Beware of anything or anyone that tempts you away from your Lord & Savior! As a Christian, the Lord Jesus took the wrath you deserved upon Himself & saved you from eternal damnation…what could possibly be so attractive that it’s worth leaving our 1st love?
__c. Something from which people “pierce themselves through”: Inevitably, people eventually find out that the Beatles were right (on one count) – money can’t buy them love (or happiness, or anything else). Like Solomon, they learn that those who love silver will never be satisfied with silver; it’s all vanity (Eccl 5:10). And they reap the consequences of their sin as a result.
B. What’s the solution to this problem? That’s next week. But for now, it really goes back to vs 6: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”
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Conclusion:
What happens when we content ourselves through what God has provided through our position, solid teaching, and sufficient provision? We stop being distracted so much by worries & strife, and ultimately find our contentment in Christ, glorifying Him… Does that mean Christians won’t ever suffer or be in need? Of course not! But as we walk through those times, we don’t walk through it alone. Jesus promised to be with us always, to the end of the age (Matt 28:20) & that His grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor 12:9). Even in our times of deepest need, we can still find contentment in Christ simply because He’s saved us. We were lost – we were dead – we were doomed; but in one fell swoop at Calvary & 3 days later, Jesus changed everything! Now those who trust in Him are forgiven from sin, born anew, adopted into His family, transformed by His grace, & set apart for all eternity with Him. We of all people ought to be content.

What happens if you’re not one of His people? If you haven’t been born-again, trusting in the Lord Jesus to forgive you from sin? Then my prayer is that you certainly DON’T find contentment. The stuff in this world will bring satisfaction for a season, but not for eternity. What will your job, influence, or money bring you when you stand face-to-face before Almighty God to give an account for your sin? You can’t take it with you – and all your best works are like filthy rags in comparison to the Holy & Just God. Your only hope is in Christ – turn to Him for forgiveness today!

Existing with Elders

1 Timothy 5:17-25, “Existing with Elders”
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Introduction:
For a vocation that is supposed to call attention to the Lord Jesus, it’s not uncommon for preachers to be in the headlines (even this week…). Unfortunately, usually when pastors make the news, it’s not for a good report – but for scandal. Most of us remember the televangelist failings of the 80’s & 90’s…but it didn’t stop there. 2006 saw Ted Haggard’s fall & 2008 had the rise & fall of the Lakeland ‘Outpouring’… No doubt that if Jesus tarries, we’ll see many more.

So what is the Church to do when scandal erupts? Even when the sin is not necessarily ‘newsworthy’, how is the Church supposed to deal with sin among elders & overseers? Even beyond the subject of sin – how is the Church body supposed to interact with those whom God has called to lead? Obviously God has a lot to say on the matter & has done so in 1 Timothy. If Chapter 3 discussed what to look for & expect in church leadership, Chapter 5 discusses how to relate to church leadership.

Take a moment to chew on that for a bit. Many religions in the world take pains to separate the leadership from the ‘laity’ (even the word is an example). They set up barriers between the people & the priests who would bring them spiritual instruction. They act like the “ministry” is a kind of spiritual fraternity that only certain people are allowed to enter & none on the outside could ever get a glimpse of… Not so with Biblical Christianity! The only difference between the people & the pastor is the gifting & calling of God…and that’s it! Before Christ we face the same condemnation – we are saved by the same Savior & same blood – we read from the same Bible & read the same spiritual instructions. … Thus God makes it absolutely clear to His church what the expectations for pastors and congregations are & puts everyone on the same page for how to deal with sin & problems if they arise.

1 Timothy 5:17-25 (NKJV)
17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.

A. Who are the elders? The same general group of people referred to in Ch 3 as overseers/bishops. ‘Presbuteros’ (presbyterians). Blameless – 1 woman man – able to teach – not greedy – gentle, etc…
B. Which elders is Paul referring to? Those “who rule well”. Elders have the responsibility of presiding over the church… … But simply because they have the calling doesn’t mean they do it well. There are many who love the idea of ruling, but don’t desire to serve Christ & the church. As Jesus showed, service is the primary way God desires us to lead (John 13:14). [sons of Zebedee] Mark 10:42-45 (42) But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. (43) Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. (44) And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. (45) For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” [] The Lord Jesus is our example! Those who want to rule well should strive to serve as He served…
..a. The elders may rule the church, but to Whom does the church belong? The Lord Jesus Christ – it’s HIS church! (Matt 16:18)
C. If they do rule well, the church is to count them “worthy of double honor”. Obviously we are to respect those who teach us the Word of God, but the context is undoubtedly referring to monetary compensation. The widows who were worthy & had no family support were to be assisted by the church & a similar word is used here regarding elders. Greek is actually much more specific as to finances (“value/worth/price”).
D. Elders are to be laboring in the word & doctrine. Apparently not every elder did this, but the ones who did so were especially worthy of the double honor (they all had the responsibility of ruling; but only a few of teaching).
..a. “labor”: Bible studies were not to casually thrown together with the elder teaching the 1st thing that came to mind under the excuse of “I’ll just let the Spirit guide me.” They didn’t (fortunately) have websites where they could purchase someone else’s sermon for the next Sunday message. Teaching elders were expected to “labor in the word and doctrine.” Greek means exactly what the English implies: “to work hard, labor, toil, be wearied.”
..b. “word” = “logos” (also used of Jesus in John 1). Some translations say “preaching” – the idea is that the Word of God (Christ) is preached in the proclamation of the word of God (the Scriptures). Tells us 2 things about preaching. Godly preaching:
….i. Constantly proclaims Christ… [responding to Jews seeking to kill Him] John 5:46-47 (46) For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. (47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” [] The whole of the Scriptures proclaim Jesus Christ’s life, purpose, being, sacrifice & more as a scarlet thread woven throughout. Does it have much practical teaching about marriage, money, & employment? Sure…but if we stop there without seeing Christ we’ve stopped too soon. The Bible is not primarily a book of rules & guidelines; it’s a portrait of our God & Savior & a proclamation of the love He demonstrates at the cross to save us from sin!
….ii. Centers on the Scriptures… Not every pastor teaches verse-by-verse (though I highly recommend it), but every pastor better be teaching the Scripture, or they’re not fulfilling what God has called them to do. We are to be laboring in the WORD.
..c. “doctrine”: Many translations say “teaching”…either is a proper translation. A constant theme throughout 1 Timothy has been the need to proclaim right teaching & sound doctrine to the church. Hence the need to “labor” in it. If it’s going to be truth, we need to take the time to ensure that what we’re teaching IS truth.
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18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

A. 1st quote from Deut 25:4 [context] Paul used it again in 1 Cor 9:9-10. [] 2nd quote might have been taken from Lev 19:13, but it far better fits Jesus’ words in Luke – Luke 10:7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. [] (context – sending out the 70, 2×2)
..a. Usually when we see Scripture quoted in the NT as “Scripture” it’s an OT reference. Here, we see that Paul considered Jesus’ words & possibly even the Gospel According to Luke AS Scripture itself. Brings up a question as to dating. We know that 1 Tim must have been written around 62-63AD, after the close of Acts & prior to his final arrest. We also know that Luke had to have been written as a precursor to Acts. Many scholars put Luke in the 58-61AD timeframe. The question becomes: Would that be enough time for the gospel to have been circulated & known? Possibly – and at the very least, Paul would have been very familiar with Luke’s Gospel as Luke was a constant travel companion of Paul.
..b. So what #1: We don’t believe a myth that developed over the centuries as the skeptics claim. We believe the multiple eye-witness accounts left to us by the apostles & attested to throughout history.
..c. So what #2: The early church (including Paul) recognized that these letters & gospel accounts weren’t the product of man; they were words given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit & thus held up as the very word of God.
B. Note that the Scripture never gives an amount. There’s no promise of riches for ministers of the gospel; simply provision… Beware of ministers abusing this for financial gain! (False prophets; wolves in sheep’s clothing – Matt 7:15)
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19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

A. We know what to do if an elder rules well. What if he doesn’t? 1st, don’t follow rumors. Bringing an accusation against anyone (beyond elders) is a serious matter & we are specifically told not to bear false witness (9th Commandment). If charges are to be brought forth, they need to be based on more than “I heard Johnny say that his friend felt the pastor did ___.”
B. Wait for 2-3 witnesses… OT precedent. Deuteronomy 19:15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. [] Trying to avoid a he-said/she-said scenario. Sometimes conflict arises out of a simple (or not-so-simple, depending your point of view) misunderstanding/miscommunication. The more godly unbiased perspectives we can get on a matter, the better… (Prov 18:17, the 1st one seems right until his neighbor examines him)
..a. This is protection for the elder; it’s also protection for the church. When an innocent elder is taken down due to a false accusation, the whole church suffers…
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20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

A. 2nd, investigate the accusation: For the elder to have been found sinning, the obvious implication is that the 2-3 witnesses’ claims were examined. Accusations of sin need to be dealt with (they are ignored to everyone’s detriment, per 1 Cor 5) – but we needn’t rush to a false judgment.
B. 3rd, if they are indeed found to be in sin, “rebuke” them. Just a reminder, this is different than the “rebuke” found in vs. 1. Greek in vs. 1 spoke of abuse & berating; in vs. 20 it speaks of a Godly reproof & admonishment. The sin needs to be exposed in order for repentance to take place, but it needs to be done in a way that glorifies God & exemplifies Christ.
C. 4th, ensure that the rebuke is public. This is where most people tend to hesitate. Sometimes our natural tendency is to sweep sin under the rug in order to avoid further embarrassment. But especially in the case with elders whose sin has the potential to stumble others in the walk with Christ, the rebuke needs to be public in order for everyone else to recognize that his actions were indeed sin.
..a. Paul personally applied this with Peter (Gal 2:11) – and it was a good thing!
D. There’s a purpose in public rebuke: “fear”. Is it embarrassing to have one’s sins broadcasted to the church? Yes – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve lost the concept of “shame” in our culture, but shame can serve as a good incentive not to delve off into sin. (Not talking about abusive shame; but healthy. If a pastor was found at a strip club, he should be ashamed.) Keep in mind that a healthy fear of God is the beginning of knowledge & wisdom (Prov 1:7, 9:10)…if more of us properly feared the Lord, there would be a lot less sin among Christians.
E. Note that this isn’t really different than church discipline for anyone else. Matthew 18:15-17 (15) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. (16) But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ (17) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. [] …
..a. What is the purpose behind the discipline? Restoration! (1 Cor/2 Cor)
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21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.

A. Investigations were to be impartial & without prejudice. There is no “buddy
club” among the elders & accusations were to be treated with all seriousness, despite someone’s status or friends. We have a tendency to “look the other way” if a pastor is extremely gifted in teaching or evangelism… God forbid! God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34, KJV); neither should we be.
B. How important was this? Paul charged Timothy before all heaven to carry this out… (note the 2-3 witnesses!) Integrity in the ministry is not only important; it’s vital! People are watching to see if our walk matches our talk & are all too quick to point out our failings. The hypocrisy of the Jews caused the name of God to be blasphemed among the Gentiles (Rom 2:24) & sin among believers (especially the pastorate) has the same result. We represent a HOLY God! Believers are obviously not perfect (apart from Christ’s viewpoint), but when Christians (especially elders) live in such a way that is inconsistent with a Holy God, the world uses US as an excuse to claim God must not be as holy as the Bible says. After all, if Christians do not fear Him, why should they? Integrity is essential!
C. BTW – what are the “elect angels”? Probably a distinction between heavenly angels & fallen angels (demons).
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22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

A. Laying on of hands, likely speaking of ordination. Also could be a reference to a warning against restoring fallen leadership too quickly. Either way, it’s a valid warning not to move too quickly in either scenario…
B. What’s the problem with hasty ordination? Immature Christians placed in leadership positions often lead to sin, which also places the one who ordained him at fault…he shares in the sins. Ordination isn’t based upon one’s talents & abilities; it’s based upon the calling & timing of God. Part of that timing is determined by the character of the potential-elder, as seen in Ch 3… In the case of restoration, we can ask the same thing: can the person be viewed again as blameless? Has the repentance been so complete that no one could reasonably bring a charge against him? Then perhaps (if God is calling them) the person could be restored to ministry.
..a. Some ask: ‘Why hasn’t anyone laid hands on me as an elder? Deacon? ___?’ Be careful of thinking that certain ministries in the church are a promotion or a demotion. The NT reminds us that the gifts we think are the least valuable are actually the most necessary. 1 Corinthians 12:23-24 (23) And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, (24) but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, [] Whatever it is God has gifted you for within the Body of Christ, do it joyfully to Christ!
..b. More to the point – when hands are laid on someone, it’s not a ‘promotion’ into the leadership of an organization. (The church isn’t an organization to begin with…) It’s a recognition of a particular way in which God Himself has gifted that person to serve in the Body. A ‘promotion’ is a work & elevation of man; ordination is a recognition of God’s work.
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23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

A. Seems like a random thought. Might be best thought of (like in ESV) as a parenthesis… Possible that Timothy might have been stressed out due to problems with too-quickly-ordained leadership & he developed stomach problems as a result.
B. Is this a contradiction with the standard given for elders & deacons in Ch 3? No. Overseers were not to be people who sat long beside the wine (literal phrase 3:3) & deacons were not be given over to much wine (3:8). Paul here is only recommending a “little wine” & for a specific purpose. Wine was used as a purifier. Ancient Rome didn’t have Brita filters (or whatever)…wine helped kill the bacteria. Apparently Timothy drank only unpurified water (w/o wine), which aggravated his stomach.
C. Does this add anything to the alchohol/abstinence debate? Not really. Does it say something about how the Bible views medicine? Yes. Some Christians look at doctors as a failure of faith… [] If that were true, what does it say about Timothy?
..i. Do we pray for healing? Yes! Sometimes God heals supernaturally; sometimes He uses a doctor. Either way, God still gets the glory.
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24 Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. 25 Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.

A. Picks up from vs. 22. Why is it important that Timothy not hastily ordain anyone & thus share in their sins? Because even though someone may look blameless at the moment, it doesn’t mean he’ll look at way in a month or two. Paul seems to be recommending a period of observation prior to ordination/restoration. Most of us can put on a good show for a while, but after enough observation people see us for who we really are. (Doubt it? Just ask your spouse! )
B. Sin always leads to judgment… Perhaps in this life & definitely either at the Cross or at the Great White Throne.
C. The opposite is true as well. Just like sinful works of people who shouldn’t be ordained will eventually be obvious, the works of those whom God HAS called to the ministry will one day be obvious as well. Even if we don’t see the results of these good works in this life, we’ll see them in the next at the Bema Seat…

Conclusion:
So is this a message to pastors, or to everyone within the church? Paul definitely thought it was a word from the Holy Spirit to the entire church – not only is it evident throughout the epistle, but why else would the entire church be involved in any necessary rebuke of an elder in sin?

God definitely set up order within His church (God is not the author of confusion – 1 Cor 14:33) – but the roles He arranged were never meant to be a dictatorship allowing one or several men to wield absolute power over people. Instead, God makes it perfectly clear what the relationships are between congregation & elders – and like every other relationship in the Body, it’s one of mutual submission. (Eph 5:21) The congregation willingly submits itself to the teaching & doctrine of the elders (which is only derived from the authority of Christ in the Scriptures) & the elders willingly submit to the congregation in times of failing.

What Paul is underscoring is that the Church doesn’t belong to any single pastor or any group of elders. The Church belongs to Christ Jesus! We are His bride & He guards us jealously. He cleanses us by the washing of water & by the word & wants to present us back to Himself without blemish (Eph 5:26-27). He wants us to be holy & live righteously – and if that doesn’t take place at the level of leadership, Jesus ensures that we know how to bring correction where needed in order that He may continued to be glorified, and that we may continue to be edified & built up in Him.

Working With Widows

1 Timothy 5:1-16, “Working with Widows”
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Introduction:
As a letter to a young pastor, Paul’s instructions to Timothy have been a great mix of the theological & practical. Theologically, we’ve looked at the lawful use of the law – the grace of God to save sinners – acknowledging Jesus as the one mediator between man & God – the essentials about the deity, death, resurrection, & ascension of Christ – and the coming (and now is) Great Apostasy of the latter times… On a practical level, Paul’s covered issues such as what to teach, what men & women should do in the church, what to look for in leadership, and what things Timothy should personally be about doing. With this section on widows, Paul gets back to the practical & looks at how to work with people within the church – specifically how the church should demonstrate compassion on widows & those in serious need.

This is one of the great things about the Bible! It not only transforms us by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2), but it also equips us for every good work (2 Tim 3:17). And showing the compassion of Christ to our own family members is definitely a good work!

1 Timothy 5:1-16 (NKJV)
1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

A. What’s wrong with rebuking someone? Isn’t that what Elihu did with Job & his 3 ‘friends’? Doesn’t Paul actually command this? 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. [] If this is one of the functions of ministry, is this a contradiction in Scripture? No. The difference is in how the rebuke takes place. Actually 2 different words in Greek. In 2 Tim 4:2 (and elsewhere in the NT) the word means “to censure, admonish, charge”. The word used in 1 Tim 5:1 is the only time the word is found in the NT & means “to chastise/upbraid”…actually a compound word combining “over/beside” & “to pound/smite”. Here, Paul’s referring to harshly berating an older man – and that’s simply not appropriate for a younger Timothy to do, nor is it reflective of the heart of Christ.
__a. The old children’s chant “Sticks & stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” really isn’t very true. Words DO hurt. So what words we use & how we use them absolutely matter. All Christians (young/old, pastor or not) are supposed to speak the truth in love…
B. What should Timothy do? Exhort! Gk = paracaleo “invite” (Paraclete)…same word used in 2 Cor 1 in describing the ministry of the church to come alongside one another & comfort each other with the comfort by which we’ve been comforted… The idea is for Timothy to come alongside the church & invite them to do better in following Christ… Older men are exhorted as fathers – younger men as brothers – older women as mothers – younger women as sisters. Everyone was to be exhorted…
__a. One specific note about the younger women: Timothy was to treat them “with all purity.” If there’s any way Satan loves to attack ministers of the gospel, it’s through infidelity. Paul would save Timothy (and the rest of us) from that & the best way to go about it is by remaining above reproach.
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3 Honor widows who are really widows.

A. This might seem kind of redundant to us, but in Paul’s day, not every woman who lost her husband was really a ‘widow.’ He’ll qualify the term in vs. 4… Culturally, a widow had very little options. The husband was the breadwinner; once he was gone, women usually had very little respect and/or ability to make a living. (Some exceptions: Lydia – Acts 16)
__a. God has always had a heart for widows! Psalm 68:5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. [] Promised to personally administer justice for them (Deut 10:18) – commanded the Hebrews to allow them to glean from the fields (Deut 24:20) – exhorted Jerusalem to plead for the widows (Isa 1:17) – condemned them when they did not (Eze 22:7).
__b. Tells us something very interesting about God. He doesn’t merely pay attention to world leaders, the rich & powerful – He knows ALL His creation intimately (even the stars by name)…and so He also knows & cares for those that the world would usually ignore. And if GOD loves & cares for the widow, so ought His people whom He bought with the blood of Jesus.
B. What does it mean to “honor” them? Obviously meant to show respect to – but context refers more to financial help & donations. (Related but different word than used in vs 17 re: elders…vs 3 not quite as direct to money.) The idea was to provide food, assistance & perhaps even a stipend for their daily support. Practiced early on in the church – this was the reason the apostles appointed deacons in the 1st place (Acts 6:1).
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4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.

A. Before the church steps in to help these deserving widows, the Bible makes it clear that 1st the family is to provide for them. (KJV “nephews” in old English referred to grandchildren) Our modern culture has gotten away from this somewhat & it’s not uncommon to see widows & elderly fully abandoned…God would have us avoid this & have us provide for our own.
B. What does this do for the child providing for them? 2 things:
__a. It helps them “learn to show piety at home”: Two levels to this. (1) They’re able to honor their parents in accordance with the 5th Commandment as they provide for them in their time of need. (2) They’re able to demonstrate their love of God in the process. James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. [] If that applies to orphans & widows outside our own family, how much MORE to those within our house?
__b. It helps them “repay their parents”: We never quite fully understand the sacrifices our parents made for us until we become parents ourselves… To provide for those who once provided for us is simply the right thing to do.
C. Is it always easy? No… But it is good! In God’s sight, this is “good & acceptable”
__a. Our families are our 1st ministry!
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5 Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

A. What happens if a widow doesn’t have any children – or at least no one to provide for her? Thus this is a person who’s truly trusting in God for daily bread! …
B. Because she’s dedicated to prayer, she’s a great value to the local church – and thus she can be supported (like overseers/elders) to pray & serve the congregation in good works. Example: Anna the prophetess who “served God with fastings and prayers night & day” (Luke 2:37).
__a. Obviously some of our seasoned saints today may not be in need of financial assistance – but many times they have a wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord! Sometimes retirement from the job is an open door into ministry and mission work…
__b. (Courson) “When you can’t sleep, don’t watch TV. Pray. Go to your knees and intercede for those who are hurting. There’s something about the nighttime hours which often become the matrix of miracles, the womb of wonder. There’s something about being in the dark with the Lord which allows you to focus on Him, to do battle against the enemy, to receive insight from Him in a way unlike at any other time of the day.”
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6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

A. Is Paul suggesting that widows have to always wear black & never experience happiness again? Of course not… “pleasure” isn’t a reference to joyful living, but to carnal, self-indulgent living. …
B. This isn’t just true for widows; this applies to everybody! … … It’s actually the opposite of what Christians should be doing! Instead of being dead to good works & alive to carnality, we should be crucifying our flesh (Gal 5:24). Romans 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. []
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7 And these things command, that they may be blameless.

A. As a pastor/leader in Ephesus, Timothy had a responsibility to instruct & command these things to the widows & people there so that they would be blameless & live lives above reproach.
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8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

A. Harsh words – but necessary to hear! Our culture has tended to abandon our elderly & it shouldn’t be so. What does it mean to “provide”? Different things in different situations. Some people feel extraordinary guilt with the thought of allowing their loved ones to be taken into a care facility…but in some situations, that kind of 24/7 care might be the best possible scenario considering our own lack of medical training… At the most basic meaning of the context in the chapter, to “provide” is to supply financial support for our aging parents – but obviously much more can be included. What may be sufficient provision for one widow might not even scratch the surface of the needs for another. Greek actually means “to provide; foresee; think of beforehand” – the question we ask with our family members is: “What are their needs?” Not “What did the Joneses do with their parents?”
__a. Modeled by Jesus – John 19:26
B. What happens if we don’t provide appropriate care for our family members? We’ve in effect “denied the faith.” Even heathens know to take care of their own; Christians definitely should! Think of it this way: at the core of our faith is the agape love of Christ. [Greatest Commandment] Mark 12:30-31 (30) And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. (31) And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” [] How important is loving our neighbor? It’s the 2nd greatest commandment & goes hand-in-hand with the 1st. The NT goes on to tell us loving our neighbor is the fulfillment of the law (Rom 13:10), fulfills the law in one word (Gal 5:14), and is the fulfillment of the royal law (James 2:8). To deny this love to our own mothers is an awful thought & truly antithetical to our faith.
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9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

A. Qualifications for the type of widow that the church was to provide for…not unlike some of the qualifications mentioned in Ch 3 for elders & deacons…
__a. Age: We’ll get the reason why in vs 11 – but the guideline was that a widow would be 60 years old (elderly for the day) & thus past the age (and temptation) of remarriage.
__b. Wife of one man: As the overseers/deacons are to be one-women men (1 Tim 3:2), the widows were to have been a one-man woman.
__c. Reputation as a caregiver: Technically says “brought up children,” but Paul never specifies whether or not she was their biological mother. Many scholars believe the reference could either be to her own children or to orphans. …
____i. Many wonderful sisters in Christ ache to bear children, but cannot… You are no less valuable to the Body of Christ than any other woman! If God’s gifted you to work with children, you can still be a caregiver & bring up children in Sunday School, youth, etc… …
__d. Reputation of hospitality: Again, somewhat reflective of the requirements for overseers/elders who were to be hospitable (1 Tim 3:2). Lodging “strangers” was common in the day (Lydia) – today we’d think of someone who makes a point to be hospitable.
__e. Reputation of service: We don’t have much need for literal foot-washing today – but we definitely have need of willing servants! To the culture, foot-washing was the lowest of the low positions that a houseservant could perform (underscoring Jesus’ actions) – and the deserving widow would have been willing to serve one another in the same way.
__f. Reputation of compassion: Although the widow may not have the financial resources to “relieve the afflicted” any longer – she may have at one time. But keep in mind that ‘relief’ can include far more than cash! Providing food – attending to their needs – providing clothing…
__g. Reputation for obedience: Whatever good work the Lord Jesus placed before her, she would have willingly followed Christ in obedience.
__h. As with elders/deacons, these are all characteristics we should want to see developed in our lives. Someone being faithful to their spouse, hospitable, serving, compassionate, and obedient is just a good description of a born-again believer in Christ!
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11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith.

A. Why not widows under age 60? 2 reasons. #1: If they were brought into the church, the expectation is that they would serve the church full-time… Younger widows would want to eventually re-marry.
B. Is Paul referring to eternal condemnation? No – KJV “damnation” is misleading in modern usage. Gk refers to more of a judicial judgment. IOW, they would have made a commitment to the church like an OT vow to the Lord, and then knowingly broken it. Thus they condemned themselves by their actions & opened themselves up to reproach. They would have pledged their faith to Christ like a marriage vow & then broken it.
__i. We’re not required to make a vow to the Lord, but we ARE obligated to pay the vows we do make (Deut 23:21-22). We’re to let our yes be yes & our no be no (Matt 5:37) – especially unto the Lord our God!
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13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

A. Reason #2 is a lack of discipline common in youth. The older I get, the more I realize that every age has some level of immaturity. Teenagers are obvious, but I thought I had ‘grown up’ when I hit my 20’s…and obviously still had a lot of growing to do. Hopefully we all continue to mature throughout our life. We should expect to do so as we grow in the Lord… Scriptures, prayer…
B. The specific problem with the lack of discipline?
__a. They were “idle”: Instead of laboring in prayer, they’d use the support of the church to live lazily.
__b. They were “gossips & busybodies”: Instead of going from house to house genuinely seeking how to pray & intercede for the congregation, they would seek out unnecessary details in order to engage in gossip.
____i. We have a tendency of thinking of ‘gossip’ as a sin amongst women – but it’s frequent among men too…and it’s wrong either way. Beware of the temptation to gossip! The words taste sweet going down (Prov 18:8), but it always brings trouble. Proverbs 26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. []
__c. Instead of idle gossips, what the church needed (and still needs) are people (men & women alike) who are prayer warriors! We need those who are willing to labor away in prayers for the saints, thanksgiving unto God, and intercession for the lost…and it can definitely be labor. We need not look further than Jesus in Gethsemane…
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14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan.

A. The answer to idleness is activity. Instead of encouraging young widows to make a vow they would most likely break, the church was to spare them from that & encourage them to remarry. If they weren’t gifted for singleness (1 Cor 7:8-9), the church was definitely not to pressure them into remaining single. That’s just setting them up for a fall…which apparently some had already done.
B. When believers fail, the enemy rejoices. Keep in mind that Satan is actively looking for believers to destroy (1 Peter 5:8). He challenged God about Job, and he had personally desired Peter by name to sift him like wheat. We’re fooling ourselves if we think the enemy is going to ignore the opportunity to tempt us!
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16 If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
A. Sums up the section.

Conclusion:
For some, reading this Scripture has obvious application – but for others, maybe not. Many have either lost their parents already, or it’ll be years before they will be at the point of needing assistance (if ever). So what do we do with this? At the core, Paul is instructing Timothy on practical expressions of compassion – and there are always opportunities to share that. Maybe that’s with a family member, or neighbor, or co-worker…whoever it is, we need to be following the leading of the Holy Spirit & be ready at all times to lovingly respond to those He’s placed in front of us.

Depending on your relationship with your parents, this might seem like a pretty tough Scripture. I praise God for those mother/child relationships that are rock-solid & the kids can’t speak highly enough of their mothers – but not everyone has that same testimony/background. Maybe you’ve come from an abusive home, or a mom who abandoned her family & you’ve wondered how you’d ever be able to provide for your parents if they needed it.
A. God is good. As a Christian, you have been born-again & adopted as God’s own child & He loves you perfectly – far better than any human mother or father ever could! What He calls us to do, He equips us for. He offers to empower us with the Holy Spirit, strengthen us with His might & provide His all-sufficient grace. What might seem impossible is indeed possible – we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).
B. There’s hardly any better witness of the love of Christ than laying down your life for those who have caused you pain. That’s what Jesus did for us – while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). When we walk in simple obedience to our Lord, demonstrating His sacrificial love, we have a wonderful platform from which to share the glorious gospel of God.

Instructions to a Young Pastor

1 Timothy 4:1-16, “Instructions to a Young Pastor”
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Introduction:
Since the 1990’s, one of the buzzwords among those working with youth has been “mentoring.” Obviously the concept is ancient – in trades, it used to be called “apprenticeship.” It’s invaluable to form a relationship with someone who can bring you along & teach you things never found in a classroom…. The pastorate is no different – we learn not only from books, but from the examples set before us.

Timothy was blessed to have the mentor of mentors – the apostle Paul. Obviously Paul didn’t want to leave Timothy in Ephesus unequipped & unprepared, thus he’s been taking the time throughout this letter to prepare Timothy for the ministry that awaits him. He’s written about setting up leadership, the roles for men & women, the importance of prayer – and in Ch 4, he seems to come back to the subject of Ch 1, where he exhorts Timothy to teach no other doctrine than the doctrine Paul had previously taught him.

In Ch 4, he takes things a little deeper. (1) Teaches Timothy how to avoid error in his doctrine. (2) The importance of backing up true teaching with Godly living. (3) Using the teaching in the ministry.

1 Timothy 4 (NKJV)
- How to avoid error (vs 1-5)
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
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A. Make no mistake…there WILL be a great apostasy. Many teach a ‘latter-rain revival’…the NT teaches the opposite. There definitely will be people getting saved by Jesus until the very moment He calls us home through the rapture – but by & large this time is marked by people getting their ears tickled & even denying their former faith rather than people gladly receiving the truth of the gospel.
B. This is to happen in the “latter times” – are we there now? Without a doubt, yes. The phrase doesn’t necessarily mean the same as the “last days” (specific reference to a specific timeframe) – but when looking at time from an eternal perspective, we have been in the latter times since the resurrection of Christ. More so now than at any point in history, we are in the “latter times.” We ought to expect to see people who call themselves ‘Christian’ but who do not hold to the true faith…and lo & behold, that’s exactly what we find.
__a. ‘Surely Paul’s not talking about apostasizing from Christ as a whole? Surely he’s just talking about minor points of doctrine.’ Wrong – look at the context. He just came out of this incredibly hymn & creed about Jesus (the Christological Confession) – and then immediately in the next verse writes that the Spirit expressly says that people will depart from the faith. What other faith would Paul be referring to? Whether this is played out in whole segments of ‘Christianity’ or of individuals walking away, it matters little – the apostasy has the same result.
__b. Here’s the point: when people depart from the truth about the Lord Jesus, they are beginning to deny the Lord Jesus. We learn of Him through the Scriptures (John 5:39) & by the Spirit (John 15:26) – if we ignore what the Bible says about Christ, then we’re not following the Christ of the Bible. Doctrine is important!
C. What happens when people fall away from the faith (the truth – the gospel)? They start being deceived by demons…they’re being lied to by the minions of the ‘Father of Lies’ (the Devil).
__a. Sound familiar? This is the same thing that happened to Adam & Eve! They departed from the truth of God’s Word (Gen 3:3), and listened to the lies of Satan…
__b. Make no mistake we are in a spiritual battle! Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. [] What makes us believe that the enemy wouldn’t attack us at the core of our faith? If that is shaken, everything else follows. (Again, doctrine is important!)
D. What are some of the doctrines of demons from false teachers? See vs. 2-3…
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2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
A. False doctrines are hypocritical lies – and the teachers know that they are, they just no longer care. The overall context here is one of legalism & the great thing about legalism is that it always works out for the one who’s teaching it. It’s the people that are expected to follow it that suffer… … Thus it’s hypocritical! Because they wouldn’t be able to follow the legalism that they place on other people (not unlike the Prosperity Gospel movement…)
__a. This is one of the things the Lord Jesus condemned the Pharisees for in Matt 23. They were hypocrites! They bound people up with heavy burdens, but they themselves didn’t do anything to follow the same laws (Matt 23:4).
__b. How can these false teachers put up with the hypocrisy? Because they’ve grown numb to it – their conscience has been cauterized.
B. Example #1: The Ascetics (perhaps Gnosticism) & celibacy. To these people, anything dealing with pleasure (material things) were evil & thus marriage must be bad. The problem is that God created marriage; it was His perfect will for Adam & Eve. No different in the NT – the Lord Jesus affirms marriage (Matt 19) & even when Paul is arguing against it for those who are able, he heartily recommends it for those who are not. (Better to marry than to burn with passion – 1 Cor 7:9)
C. Example #2: The Judaizers…diet. Ascetics might also pick this up as well (material pleasure from food), but this obviously has more of a Jewish ‘flavor’ to it. Leviticus & Deuteronomy have whole chapters dedicated to diet & it would be easy for Christians to pick up on these things & apply them to the church. The issue here is three-fold.
__a. God gave many of these dietary laws as a means of protection; not legalism. Today we know how to avoid the dangers of undercooked meat & we know how to properly guard against disease – Ancient Israel didn’t have access to some of this while wandering in the wilderness.
__b. God gave many of these dietary laws as a means of sanctification. It wasn’t that there was necessarily anything wrong with some of the meat; only that God used it to set the Hebrews apart from the other nations of the earth – making them a peculiar people that the Gentiles would look to for God. (Today, we are the peculiar people set apart by the Spirit & the Word)
c. Nowhere in the early church do the apostles pick up on the idea of diet for Gentile believers. They would have had a perfect opportunity in Acts 15, but understood that putting this yoke on the Gentiles would be putting them under the yoke of the law & God has shown us His grace.
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4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
A. It’s not what goes into our mouths that defile us; it’s what comes out of our hearts (Matt 15:11). Our cursing & lusting & sin should be far more abhorrent to us then bacon. When we ignore the former & dwell on the latter, our priorities are all messed up.
B. To take it a step further, when the food has been sanctified by God, it IS good. And that should be enough. This was the object lesson God used with Peter prior to preaching the gospel at the Roman Centurion (Cornelius’) house (Acts 10)…
C. Bottom line on diet: if you can receive it with thanksgiving in faith (Rom 14:3), then praise God. Neither feel guilty for someone else’s conviction, nor condemn them in your liberty.
__a. BTW, this is probably one of the best biblical foundations for the practice of “giving thanks” in prayer before eating. The early church probably just adapted the Hebrew custom, but many think Paul’s affirming exactly that custom here.
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- How to live for God (vs 6-11)
6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
A. Which things are “these things”? The previous errors Paul just detailed. Whereas we don’t want to spend all of our time looking at false teaching, we definitely need to address it as it comes up. Preaching the truth & warning believers away from error pleases God…
B. What is far more important than the nourishment of food is the nourishment we receive from God’s Word. It’s no wonder Jesus quoted Deuteronomy in His temptation – man truly does NOT live by bread alone! (Matt 4:4)
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7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
A. What kind of “old wives’ fables” is Paul referring to? Some think this is another reference to the false teaching already listed; could be a related subject – warning Timothy away from what we’d call ‘urban legends’ today. With the internet, some of these myths & rumors fly around faster today than ever before. We’re to reject that stuff…it’s a distraction from being built up on the Scriptures. After all, why gossip about a brother’s co-worker’s friend who was there in Siberia when they drilled a oil well that broke through to Hell, when we *could* be talking about the gospel?
__i. We don’t need urban legends & myths to ‘prove’ our faith. The Holy Spirit does a good enough job on His own convicting people of sin, judgment & righteousness – we ought to simply bring them Jesus rather than stories.
B. Instead of fictitious and faddish legalism, we should instead seek after holiness & godliness. See vs. 8…
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8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
A. No one denies the benefit of exercise (we might debate whether or not we want to do it, but we can’t debate the value. )…it takes discipline & dedication to condition your body to get it in shape. How much more value is our soul & service to Christ Jesus? Bodily exercise lasts for this life only; godliness is profitable in eternity.
B. It’s interesting that there are so many debates about holiness & living rightly for God; according to the NT “this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.” … Whereas we need to be careful not to fall into a legalistic mindset (which is a doctrine of demons – vs. 1), we also need to be careful not to be so licentious that we abuse the grace that we’ve been given…
__a. Christians should neither be legalistic, nor licentious. Instead, we should rejoice in the liberty we have in Christ to live for Him in the power of the Holy Spirit…
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10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11 These things command and teach.
A. Which “end”? Godliness. Paul wasn’t exempt from holy living simply because he was an apostle. He also exercised & labored towards it.
B. Depending on your translation – Paul either “suffers reproach” or “strives” for godliness as well. Different manuscripts use a different word in Greek. “Strive” makes a lot of sense for the immediate context, but introducing the idea of “suffering reproach” is not out of place. The apostles did suffer reproach for the sake of the gospel! (People still suffer reproach…)
C. How does Paul endure the reproaches – how is he strengthened in his labor? Through trusting in the Living God & Savior of all men! Imaginary fables don’t help during times of suffering; we don’t put our lives on the line for legalism…we serve, trust, and hope in the One True God!
__a. Is Paul teaching universalism here? … No. God is our Savior & He has made provision for the salvation of every single human being on the planet. But only “those who believe” will be born again… Shorthand: Jesus’ death on the cross is sufficient for the entire world; it’s efficient for those who believe.
D. This was to be what Timothy’s teaching should be about: the gospel & right doctrine. Too many times in too many churches, pastors preach everything BUT the gospel! They talk about how to have a better life/job/kids/marriage/attitude, etc… But we don’t come together as a body of believers to make ourselves feel good; we come because the Living God has saved us! We come to worship Him – to glorify Him – to rejoice in Him – to be reminded of His grace & be built up by His word.
__a. Does that mean the Bible has nothing to say about our marriages, etc? Of course not – but it’s not the primary reason we gather together. Paul hits it on the head with this young minister, saying “There are all sorts of teachers teaching all sorts of things. Don’t get pulled down by that stuff! To be a good minister of Jesus Christ, teach the gospel & word of Jesus Christ.”
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- How to serve in ministry (vs. 12-16)
12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
A. Sometimes we get the idea that Timothy was a teenager and newly saved. Definitely not the case. Timothy had been a faithful travel companion of Paul & had assisted him in much ministry (he was Paul’s “son in the faith”)…some scholars think he was between 35-40 at the time of this writing. Besides, if he was too immature or inexperienced, Paul would never have sent him to give guidance to the leadership in Ephesus, as he wouldn’t have even fit the basic requirements for an overseer laid out in Ch 3… In the grand scheme of things, 35 is still young – and he likely encountered some issues with elder who were more ‘elder’ than himself. [I’m gradually losing that problem. ]
__a. It’s no secret that sometimes people major on the minors…don’t let it get in the way of what God has told you to do.
B. How was Timothy to overcome this? By being an example to the congregation in the faith. Note this includes what people could see & what people couldn’t see. They could see his conduct (whether or not it reflected the fruit of the Spirit), but they wouldn’t necessarily know his faith or his purity – but God would. This goes back to the idea of being blameless (Ch 3:2, 10). Those in leadership ought to live their lives in such a way where they are an example on Sunday morning, but also on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc…even when people can’t see them.
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13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
A. Like Ch 3:14, Paul gives the impression he had every intention of coming to Ephesus – we just don’t know that he ever got there. But in the meantime, he laid out some very specific tasks for Timothy:
__a. Read: the Jewish Synagogues had a tradition of publicly reading the Scripture – Timothy was to carry on the same tradition in the church.
____i. Some congregations accomplish this through responsive readings – others read the text aloud… regardless HOW it’s done, it needs to BE done. Both publicly & privately. (If you’re waiting until Sunday morning to read the Bible, you’re waiting too long & starving yourself spiritually!) The word of God is living & powerful & sharper than any 2-edged sword (Heb 4:12) – and just its simple proclamation alone is powerful. It keeps us from sin (Ps 199:11) – sanctifies us (John 17:17) – equips us (2 Tim 3:17) – washes us (Eph 5:26)!
__b. Exhort: Some translations say “preaching” – either is good. The idea is that once the Word has been presented, the people need to be exhorted to put it into action…
__c. Teach doctrine: This goes hand-in-hand with exhortation. Some ministers say, “I’m a preacher; not a teacher”…if so, then they are not fulfilling the whole duty God has called them to. We need to be exhorted, true – but we also need to be taught in order that we understand the exhortation.
B. This is what he was to spend the most attention on…for good reason. This is how we’re built up in the faith! A common criticism of evangelicalism is that so much priority is put on the teaching…but that’s what the NT tells us to do! Pastors are to preach the Word (2 Tim 4:2) & what we find is that when we learn, understand, and grow in the word of God, we are changed…which is exactly what we’re told will happen. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. []
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14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
A. What was the gift? We don’t know…it’s mentioned again in 2 Tim 1. Whatever it was, Timothy was supposed to use it & stir it up. In Timothy’s situation, the gift was given in a worship service of sorts (like our 3rd Wed service) where the elders (presbyters) laid hands on him & prophesied over him.
__a. We may not have elders lay hands on us to receive them, but we’ve all been given gifts…(1 Cor 12:11) We’re supposed to use them according to the grace that’s been given us (Rom 12:6). Whether it’s public like prophesy or exhortation, or private like giving or service – God gave it to us for His glory & His purpose. If you’re not using it, the Body of Christ is missing out on something important.
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15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
A. Two-fold exhortation somewhat saying the same thing. Meditate (ponder/think about) the doctrine & teaching Paul had passed on, so that Timothy could be the example he needed to be.
B. It’s not enough to start in the doctrine/gospel; we’ve got to continue in them. This isn’t ‘salvation by works’ – it’s definitely salvation by the grace of God (Eph 2:8-9). But there is a battle to take us away from His truth (vs 1), so BY His grace we need to continue to stay IN His grace.
__a. There are a ton of people who start, but never finish. They repeat a prayer after someone & feel pretty emotional afterwards, so they think they’re saved. 2 weeks later, they’re living like they’ve always lived & figured Christianity didn’t work for them. The Calvinist would say they were never saved; the Arminian would say they apostasized from the faith – whatever the position you take in the debate, one fact is true: the person is not saved right now. In the end, that’s the only thing that matters.
__b. It’s interesting that the Bible rarely addresses someone’s salvation from the past tense – it’s almost always where they are at that moment. Thus Paul asks a church he personally helped found to examine themselves to see if they were in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). Even Jesus said the same thing to the 12 disciples: John 15:5-6 (5) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (6) If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. []
____i. Where do you stand right now? Are you trusting in a past ‘decision’? Or are you trusting in Christ? We must continue in the gospel, thus we must continue to abide in Christ Jesus!

Conclusion:
Out of all the things Paul could pass on to a young pastor, what’s the one thing he hits over & over? The importance of preaching & teaching the Word of God! …

Keep in mind these are instructions not just for pastors, but for ministers () – and we’re ALL ministers in the Body. We ALL serve the Lord Jesus in some way, this these are instructions for all of us. Beware of false teaching… Pursue godliness… Stay in the Word…

A Creed of Christ

1 Timothy 3:14-16, “A Creed of Christ”
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Introduction:
We don’t deal much with creeds today, but historically they’ve been very important to the church. Served as methods of worship (in recitation – which is wonderful, if it’s not a boring rote repetition), as symbols to distinguish true believers from Gnostic (and other) cults, and as confessions of faith prior to baptism & other events. Most of us are probably familiar with the “Apostles’ Creed”…it actually developed out of a series of questions used in baptism. (1st developed around 150AD).
A. Do you believe in God the Father almighty?
B. Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was born of the Holy Ghost and of Mary the virgin, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died, and rose again at the third day, living from among the dead, and ascended unto heaven and sat at the right of the Father, and will come to judge the quick and the dead?
C. Do you believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy church, and the resurrection of the flesh?

These are still all great questions! Great way to rehearse the foundational truths of our faith & to understand what the essentials of the gospel. Keep in mind that although many creeds developed over time, Christianity has always been a creedal faith. From the Hebrew Shema (Deut 6:4-5), to the summary of the resurrection & gospel in 1 Cor 15… creeds are scattered throughout the Scripture. So much so, that you’d almost think the Holy Spirit wants us to know correct doctrine about the faith.

God does want us to understand the faith! It’s no wonder that we’re to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)…the true worshipers of God worship Jesus in spirit & truth (John 4:24). If we don’t understand our faith, we’re missing out on a major aspect of our faith…thus we ought to take the time to look at these Biblical creeds to see what God has to say about Himself.

That’s what we’re looking at in 1 Timothy 3. Theologians technically call this a “Christological Confession”…but really that’s a fancy way of saying, “A Creed about Christ.” Scholars believe this may have been an ancient hymn that helped condense some basic teaching about Christ. Jesus is the Author & Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2) – and there’s hardly any better theology we can dig into than the truths about Christ Jesus Himself!

1 Timothy 3:14-16 (NKJV)
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
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A. It seems probable that Paul had written this letter after the book of Acts had come to a close – so we can’t say for certain where Paul was at this time. Many scholars believe that Paul had been released from prison for a while, and then re-arrested later & quite possibly this affirms the idea. Wherever Paul was at the time, he thought he’d be able to get to Ephesus again at some point.
B. Seems to indicate that he hadn’t intended Timothy to always minister in Ephesus without him there – but he did want to prepare Timothy for the possibility that he may not be able to join him.
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15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
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A. Gives the background for all the various church ministries & roles he had previously taught on in Ch 2-3. Why are the men invited to pray – the women invited to worship – the leadership accountable to Godly character? Because this is the correct conduct for the “house of God”.
__a. Seems like every few years, there’s another move that attempts to “redefine the way we do church.” There’s nothing wrong with trying creative ways of communicating with the culture around us, but we need to be careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Some things should absolutely NOT change: authentic worship of the Lord Jesus – the preaching of the gospel & right doctrine – prayer – instruction in the faith – holy living…these are issues of substance & not issues of style. And according to the NT, these things are not up for debate; it’s what the church is expected to do.
B. The church is the “house of God”…not in the respect that there’s anything inherently special about the building we meet in. Rather the church (us – the “assembly/called-out-ones”) are the temple of the Holy Spirit who indwells and fills us. Thus we are the household of God & He resides in us individually and collectively. How is the “house of God” described?
__a. The “church of the living God”: We have indeed been called out of the world – not to worship ourselves, but to worship the One True Living God. We don’t worship an idea – we don’t expound a philosophy – we serve a (THE) Living God. He is alive.
____i. Do we remember that?
__b. The “pillar and ground of the truth”: Normally houses might be built on a pillar – but in this case, the house of God IS the pillar. Our Chief Cornerstone is Jesus Christ Himself (Eph 2:20) – and upon that foundation we proclaim the truth about Jesus Christ. Thus the church is both based on AND supports the gospel.
____i. Some have taken this to mean that the source of truth is the church itself. Incorrect! Jesus is the source of truth (because Jesus IS the truth) – and the church proclaims that truth. So on one hand, spiritual truth is not found outside the church (as in Buddism or Islam), but on the other hand the church is not the originator of truth…that belongs to God alone & revealed through His Word.
____ii. Where do we point people to regarding truth? Do we make ourselves to be the authority? Or do we point them to Jesus through the Scriptures?
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16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
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A. Seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Mysteries (today) by definition are usually controversial. But a “mystery” in the NT is a truth now revealed, that was only hinted at in the OT… And because the mystery was about Christ, it’s now been fully revealed because Christ has been fully revealed…
B. These things should be “without controversy.” Among believers in Christ Jesus, these items are essentials – foundational truths. If a supposed ‘Christian’ disagrees on these points, they’re not really a true Christian…
__a. That’s not uncommon! Whole theological societies deny the deity and resurrection of Christ, yet still try to claim to be “Christian.” Can’t do it! 1 John 2:22-23 (22) Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. (23) Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. [] This isn’t rhetoric; simply a statement of fact. Christians are those who are saved by & trust in the Risen Son of God (Christ). …
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…God was manifested in the flesh,
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A. Can’t read a commentary on this verse without the author commenting that different manuscripts differ on whether or not the word “God” is actually in the text. “Theos” (God) is included in the Majority Text; not in the oldest texts. The problem with the debate (IMO) is that it misses the forest for the trees. Even if we substitute “He” for “God”, the subject doesn’t change…Paul’s immediate context is of the church of the living GOD, the house of GOD – obviously even a “He” is saying “GOD was manifested in the flesh”
B. Speaking of the incarnation. Fully God became fully man & yet never gave up any aspect of either nature. As we soon head into the Christmas season, this is what we celebrate: God put on flesh & came to His creation, that we might see Him face-to-face and live, and that He would physically be the sacrifice by which we must be saved. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. []
C. What does the incarnation tell us about the Lord Jesus?
__a. He is fully 100% God. He has all the power God has because He IS God. There is nothing beyond His ability – no one beyond His reach – no information He does not know. He’s GOD. …
__b. He is fully 100% Man. He has all the experiences you & I have. Jesus knows what it’s like to be hungry & thirsty. Jesus knows what it’s like to need to go to the bathroom. To be tempted – to grieve – to be betrayed – to be falsely accused – to be jailed – to be beaten & put to death – to feel like God has turned His back on Him…
__c. The result? Jesus knows what we go through as humans, and is infinitely equipped to walk us through it as God. … He’s a perfect High Priest who can both empathize and empower us (Heb 4:15)…
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…Justified in the Spirit,
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A. What does it mean that the perfect Son of God was justified? Does a perfect Person need justification? Some translate as “vindicated” – the word means to be “declared righteous” & that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit did in His earthly ministry. We need to have righteousness imputed to us (Rom 4:24); Christ Jesus simply needed to be declared/testified as righteous to the world around Him. Jesus was filled with the Spirit (Luke 4:1), and the Spirit testified of His identity visibly at His baptism (Mark 1:10), and later as the Son of God. (John 15:26) This was one of the primary effects of the resurrection – Romans 1:3-4 (3) concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (4) and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. [] …
B. Note how this completes the Trinity. God becomes manifest in the flesh & justified in the Spirit – and we know Him as Jesus. Continues the line of thought throughout 1 Timothy that all 3 Persons within the Godhead are intimately involved in our salvation. GOD is our Savior…whether we speak of God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit, God Himself saves us from sin.
__a. Be careful not to take this into modalism. One of the common analogies of the Trinity that often falls short is “water.” … The problem is that water can only be 1 thing at a time (solid, liquid, gas) – but God is all 3 Persons at ALL times. God the Father didn’t come down in the flesh; Jesus did. We are not born of the Son; we’re born of the Spirit. (Athanasian Creed, ~440AD), “That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.” The doctrine of the Trinity is a mystery, but it’s a glorious mystery as we look to the nature of our Creator God who saves us!
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…Seen by angels,
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A. As God the Son, the angels worshipped Christ in His glory – as the Son of Man, the angels attended to Jesus throughout His ministry (to Mary & Joseph – after His temptation – in the Garden of Gethesemane (Luke 22:43)). The reference also seems to refer to the Resurrection. We often say that the women were the 1st witnesses – but to be more accurate, they were the 1st human witnesses of the Resurrected Lord. All 4 gospels affirm that angels were there first (and scared the pants off the Roman guards! ).
B. It is interesting that the focus here is not on people, but on angels. Obviously, people are addressed in the next two lines – the fact that angels did witness of Jesus emphasizes the fact He is both divine and human. At the same time, Gk could be translated “messengers” as well…some think this could be a reference to the apostles. Christ Jesus was definitely seen by people! 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (5) and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. (6) After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. (7) After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. (8) Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. []
C. Whatever the reference, the point is clear: the Lord Jesus Christ has been seen! We don’t worship a mythological figure – we don’t follow a bunch of legends – we are an heir of eyewitness history…of men and angels.
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…Preached among the Gentiles,
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A. The gospel message began among the Jews, but it didn’t stay there for long. The gospel of Christ was preached among the nations of the earth – whatever nationality or ethnicity. It can be preached despite cultural barriers or various ethnicities because God calls us out of where we were into one NEW ethnicity: the Body of Christ. In Christ, there is neither Greek, Jew, barbarian, Sycthian, slave or free – just Christian! (Col 3:11)
a. [Iron Curtain fell – gospel explosion] Why? Because the church wasn’t attempting to export ‘Americanism’ – it was simply sharing the gospel…
B. It may seem minor, but the fact that the gospel is preached among the Gentiles is absolutely incredible. We Gentiles are saved by the Hebrew Messiah! Remember how controversial it was for Cornelius to be converted? (Acts 10-11) Yet this was God’s plan from the beginning! Isaiah 49:6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” []
C. The point? The gospel has been preached, but we must still preach the good news of salvation through Christ!
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…Believed on in the world,
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A. The gospel must be preached, but it is only really good news to those who believe. What does it mean to believe? There are many who would say, “Oh, I believe in God” – but so what? So do the demons (James 1:19). Belief in Christ is far more than simply acknowledging the historical fact of His existence. Could be defined as “committing to one’s trust” – actually comes from the same root in Greek as the word used for “faith.” IOW, to believe IS to believe in faith – there’s no separating the 2 concepts.
__i. Practically speaking, this means ‘belief’ isn’t an action anyone can do for you – it’s not a prayer you can utter – it’s not even a concept you can simply sit and ponder. It’s a conviction you must come to in your heart, which brings about a response of commitment to the Lord Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. []
B. Who does the message go out to? The entire world. The world rejected Him, but yet the world is exactly who God gave Christ for in the 1st place (John 3:16).
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…Received up in glory.
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A. We sometimes tend to think that Jesus stopped everything at the Resurrection – but that’s not true. He also took part in the Ascension and was physically received into heaven (while the apostles watched with their mouths gaping open! ).
B. What does the Ascension tell us?
__a. Jesus is STILL alive: Every other resurrection in history still ended in death (i.e. Lazarus) – but not Jesus’. When He was raised from the tomb, He never tasted death again…proving that He didn’t merely cheat death; He defeated it! Death has no more sting & no more victory because Jesus is victorious!
__b. Jesus is currently in Heaven: Because Jesus is still alive, He is still active. The work of salvation is complete & He sits at the right hand of God (Heb 12:2), but He is still our mediator (1 Tim 2:5) – He intercedes for us (Rom 8:34) – He’s preparing a place for us (John 14:2).
__c. Jesus will be coming back from Heaven: This was what the angels had to remind the apostles when they were staring into the sky (Acts 1:11)…Jesus may have ascended, but He’s promised to return & to receive us to Himself. He’ll receive the church at the Rapture; He’ll dispense Judgment at the 2nd Coming.
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Conclusion:
‘Dude, that’s a lot of doctrine.’ Yes…but the question is: do you believe it? Can you confess with the church of the Living God that Jesus Christ is:
1. God manifested in the flesh
2. Justified in the Spirit
3. Seen by angels
4. Preached among the Gentiles
5. Believed on in the world
6. Received in glory?

If you can & do, praise God! Immerse yourself in these truths about Christ Jesus, and give Him all the praise He deserves! Live accordingly to this creed, serving God & preaching the gospel in word & deed as you wait for His trumpet call.

If you can’t, then you need to know this: this is far more than just another faith statement from just another church in just another religion…this is the absolute truth according to the word of God Almighty Himself. Jesus Christ IS God, crucified for our sins, risen from the dead, ascended to glory & alive today. Every single person in all history will see Him one day, either as Savior or Judge.

So You Wanna Be in Ministry?

1 Timothy 3:1-13, “So You Wanna Be in Ministry?”
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Introduction:
Some people treat the pastorate as a career path, to the detriment of the church (and themselves)…it’s definitely not a career, but rather a calling from God. At the same time, there are specific qualifications to look for in a person who thinks they have been called into ministry – which Paul outlines here.

Take a minute to appreciate that. Don’t you love the fact that God set aside instructions in His Bible to tell us what to look for in those who would give us spiritual instructions? It’s easy to get caught up in charismatic personalities – or impressed by multiple degrees. (End up with cults & non-christian ‘churches’) But God would have us look beyond what the world would view as their ‘skillset’ & focus our attention on what the Holy Spirit is doing in their heart & lives. Thus He calls someone into ministry & gives the church the tools to recognize His calling upon someone’s life – and then they can be released into what God had intended for them to do. (Marvelous!)

Remember that Paul had sent/left Timothy in Ephesus to help bring correction to a church that had gotten somewhat off-track. There had been some false teachers in the city, and so Timothy was a kind of apostolic emissary to help get things right again…getting them back on track with right doctrine & helping the local church reorganize a bit. Came out of a section dealing with the ministry roles of men & women in the church. Men were invited to pray & women invited to learn… Paul narrows it down even further to the qualifications & expectations of church officers…
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1 Timothy 3:1-13 (NKJV)
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.
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A. 1st thing we need to do is define “bishop” – we tend to think of guys in pointy hats or chess pieces. Other translations use the term “overseer” & it’s pretty accurate. Gk ???????? (episcopal) compound word ??? “over” + ?????? (scope) “view/see”… There are several terms used in the NT to refer to the senior leadership of local churches: bishop/overseer – elder – pastor. Vast majority of scholars (almost universally) view them all as equal terms…synonyms for the same office.
__a. Good evidence for this! Paul exhorting the Ephesian elders (Acts 20)… Peter also affirms it – 1 Peter 5:1-2 (1) The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: (2) Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; [] All 3 combined here…yet we’re still left with the question of: Why would the Holy Spirit choose 3 different words to refer to the same office in the church? We may not be able to answer that now. We can ask the apostles when we see them.
B. It’s good to desire a calling into the ministry! If that’s something you believe God has placed on your heart – that’s a good thing. Sometimes we get the idea that God’s only going to call us to do things we don’t want to do – but its likely that if He called you, He’d also give you the desire to do it.
__a. At the same time, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the pastorate is the only good way to serve God! [] It’s good to serve God however He’s called you to serve…whether that’s as a truck driver or a teacher. Wherever God has called us to work, that’s the area He’s given us as a mission field.
C. Ministry is work! The one who desires to be a bishop/elder/pastor doesn’t desire a life of laziness or luxury – he desires one of labor. When you hear someone say, “I just get up in the pulpit & say whatever the Spirit leads,” beware! Different men may or may not use notes (mine are pretty extensive, because I can hit rabbit trails! ) – but a faithful pastor has labored over the text & dug deep into what God wants to say to the church.
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- Positive qualifications
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
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A. “must be”: Stop there because this is important for everything to follow. Note this is present tense; not past. There is not a man throughout history (save Jesus Christ) that could truly be considered blameless over the course of his whole life – or completely sober-minded, or well-behaved, or whatever. The NT qualifications for a pastor/overseer doesn’t look over the course of one’s past life; but rather what Christ has done in someone’s life upon their salvation – bringing them to a point where God can use them to minister to others.
B. “blameless”: Other translations say “above reproach.” Note the word isn’t “perfect” – simply “blamess”. Gk is the negative form of a word meaning “to seize / lay hold of.” The idea is that if someone was to throw an accusation at him, it wouldn’t stick – that Christ Jesus has done such a work in the overseer’s life that old charges don’t apply anymore & there’s no need for new charges.
C. “the husband of one wife”: A lot has been debated regarding this little phrase! Literally the construction in Greek is “one woman man.” Many interpret this as meaning “married only once” – many others interpret this as faithful monogamy (one wife at a time, till death or divorce only under clear Scriptural guidelines). There are weighty scholars on each position. Wherever the exact line is actually drawn, the overall thought is clear: pastors should not be philanderers.
__a. In a perfect world, this would go without saying – but obviously we don’t live in a perfect world. Some churches are perfectly willing to put up with men in the pulpit who are known to have many mistresses, under the guise of “he teaches so well.” It doesn’t matter how good his sermons are – it’s window dressing upon a lifestyle of sin & it’s abhorrent to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
D. “temperate, sober-minded”: The words are very similar in definition, and different translations might appear to be reversed. The idea isn’t so much one of abstaining from alcohol (though ‘temperate’ can be translated that way in other contexts) – Paul will deal with wine in the next verse. Both words deal more with clear-headedness & refraining from extreme behavior.
E. “of good behavior”: Modest…well-mannered, dignified behavior.
F. “hospitable”: Could be translated “fond of guests”. Especially important in NT times when travelers would more likely stay in house-to-house, rather than in hotels. Still important today! Some joke, “Ministry would be great if it wasn’t for the people.” It’s a poor joke…ministry IS the people. It’s not ensuring we have a well-oiled program; it’s about glorifying God through loving His people & loving the lost enough to share the gospel with them.
G. “able to teach”: Could also be thought of as “teachable” – but most think that it’s a reference to being qualified & capable to teach the Word of God. Ephesians 4:11 implies that “pastors & teachers” are closely related (if not the same) gifting from God – thus it wouldn’t make sense to call a teacher who couldn’t teach.
__a. Doesn’t necessarily mean that someone needs to be skilled to preach to a hall full of people – but rather simply that they are able to teach the Word of God. Perhaps that’s in a small-group – or even one-on-one. Whatever the group size; they simply need to be able to teach when called upon. Thus someone might serve as an elder, but not what we think of as a pastor.
__b. Note this is the only skill. All the rest deal with lifestyle. We put a HIGH value on skills, but God does the reverse. [Samuel looking for a replacement for Saul] 1 Samuel 16:6-7 (6) So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” (7) But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” [] God is always more interested in our heart-condition than our skills & abilities. God can GIVE the abilities to whomever He chooses – but He desires our heart to be humble before Him.
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- Negative qualifications
3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
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A. “not given to wine”: Actually 1 compound word in Greek ???????? “para” = “beside”, “oinos” = “wine”…some translate this “a drinker”, with the idea that someone would be known to be lingering with a cup of wine. Overseers have the responsibility to bring & demonstrate the word of God to the people of God – it’s a misrepresentation of God to do that while tipsy.
__a. There are a variety of opinions for how this is played out (esp. depending on someone’s denomination). For me, I’ve got a personal conviction that overseers/pastors are simply to abstain. Especially in this day & age where alcoholism is so rampant, there’s no reason for a pastor to be a stumbling block for others who might be struggling in this area.
B. “not violent”: Goes hand-in-hand with the instruction on wine – Pastors are not to be drunken brawlers. Moreover, there are some who would abuse their position as spiritual leaders & they do spiritual violence upon the flock of God. Those who do so will answer to the Good Shepherd.
C. “not greedy”: This one little phrase should be enough to shut whole churches down. An overseer is not to be greedy! Pastors have a responsibility to feed the flock of God; not to fleece it. [Ezekiel 34]
D. “gentle, not quarrelsome”: Not looking for fights & arguments, but instead someone who seeks to handle disagreements in the gentleness of Christ.
E. “not covetous”
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- Personal Family
4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
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A. What does it mean to “rule” one’s own house well? Does it mean the pastor’s children are to be perfectly behaved & never rebellious? No… (Otherwise men would be dropping out of the pastorate the minute their kids turned 2 & again at 12!) It means that the pastor is faithful in leading his own home according to the Word of God. Sometimes that includes godly discipline.
B. Why is it important to have a well-ruled home? Because otherwise he can’t truly pay attention to the needs of the church! Besides the logical inconsistency of attending to the needs of dozens when he can’t attend to the needs of his own family, there is a huge misplacement of priorities when this takes place. A ministers’ 1st ministry is always to his family…if that’s in chaos, everything else needs to take a backseat.
__a. That’s not reserved for pastors – that’s for everyone. It’s OK to take time off from ministry within the church if things need to be taken care of at home…it’s actually the best thing that can happen for everyone!
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6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
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A. Note that “novice” doesn’t necessarily equate to age. Timothy was a relatively young man – but Paul had entrusted him with ministry. Instead, the idea is that someone isn’t brand-new or immature in the faith.
B. What’s the danger here? Pride! Pride seems to have been what took down the devil & it’ll take down ministers of God too. People can mature quickly, but we never want to try to rush the process. Moses tried to rush things & ended up killing an Egyptian – so God let him mature for 40 more years in Midian.
__a. The problem with pride is that (virtually by definition), it places us on a higher place than God. We start thinking, “Look how good I am? I’ve built this all on my own – I can do this all by myself.” Many times in response, God basically says, “Well have at it then,” & things crumble. In all areas of our lives, every good & perfect thing is a gift from God (James 1:17) – but especially in the church, we need to remember that it’s fully dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. [] It’s HIS church & HE’s the One that builds it. Any human that takes credit for it is falling into the trap of pride.
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7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
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A. Sums it up with their personal testimony. Someone’s eloquence in the Scriptures doesn’t mean much if people aren’t willing to hear him because of his poor character.
B. There is an urgent need for pastors & leaders to be above reproach!
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8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
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A. What’s the difference between a deacon & a bishop? The responsibilities of the office. The bishop oversees the church & teaches doctrine; the deacons minister to the (primarily) physical needs of the Body. [Acts 6…1st formation of deacons]
__a. Churches often get this mixed up & call their boards “Deacon boards.” That’s backwards, Biblically speaking…if the board is a group of men giving leadership to the workings and doctrine of the church, it should more properly be an elder board. Elders eld & deacons deac.
B. Regarding qualifications – the deacons are very similar to overseers…
__a. “reverent”: honors God & honorable among men.
__b. “not double-tongued”: Doesn’t say one thing to one person & turn around & say something else to another. Regardless of whether or not we serve as elders or deacons, Christians should not be double-tongued. Let our yes be yes & no be no (Matt 5:37).
__c. “not given to much wine”: English translation looks very similar to that for overseers, but the Greek is fairly different (one word vs. phrasing). The idea here is that deacons would not “pay attention to” or “having their mind held by” wine. Nothing wrong with abstaining (I’d recommend it!), but biblically speaking moderation is the key. Keep in mind that the ancients (for the most part) drank wine differently than we do. They obviously had a natural fermentation process, but generally diluted their wine with 2-3 parts of water. For them, drinking a little wine was virtually like using a water purification tablet – our culture treats it much differently & Christians should take that into consideration.
__d. “not greedy”: just like the overseers.
C. What else are deacons supposed to be doing? “holding the mystery of faith with a pure conscience” IOW – that they’d understand the faith. Overseers are to be able to teach doctrine; deacons must have a good comprehension of it. (Makes logical sense – why would you have church leadership that didn’t understand church teaching?) Possible reference to the end of the chapter…come back next week to dig into it.
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10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
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A. IOW, don’t throw a title on someone – see them in action 1st. The best way to look for future servant leaders is to look at who’s currently serving. Have they been faithfully serving in such a way where blame “doesn’t stick”? They might be a good candidate for a deacon.
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11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
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A. Some argue that “wives” here could be a reference to deaconesses, and not the wives of the deacons themselves. However, the whole context is one of male deacons (as seen in vs. 12). The difficulty lies in the fact that the Gk word used for “wives” could just as easily be translated “women” & there’s no possessive pronoun (note the italic “their” – added by the translators). There is a female form of the word translated “deacon” (actually applied to Phoebe in Rom 16:1), but Paul doesn’t use it here. As with other items in this chapter, scholars are split on the issue. Historically speaking, the NT shows many women serving in ministry – whether or not this is a reference to that is unclear.
B. What are the requirements for the women/wives?
__a. “reverent”: Same as the deacons.
__b. “not slanderers”: Literally, “not devils” – the Devil IS the Grand Accuser, and when we engage in backbiting & slander, we’re treading on his turf.
__c. “temperate”: Same as vs 2 – not given to extremes.
__d. “faithful”: However we serve the Lord Jesus, we want to be found faithful. It’s not that certain tasks are more worthy of being faithful in than others – we ought to be faithful in all things…whatever the Lord has put before us.
C. Otherwise, same requirements for deacon as for overseers – they’ve got to be able to serve their homes before serving the church.
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13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
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A. Like those who serve as bishops, those who serve well as deacons have a good work. Re-emphasizes that ministry isn’t a career path; it’s simply serving as God has called us to serve. We are the body of Christ – and whether you consider yourself to be the tongue or the spleen, you have a vital role to fill. I firmly believe at the Bema Seat of Christ, we will see more rejoicing over those who were faithful in “smaller” works than those who spoke to 1000’s of people & fell short in their character.

Conclusion:
‘Gee, this was great – but I’m not in church leadership.’ Two responses to that:
A. We all serve Christ in some way – these are characteristics we all should want to see the Holy Spirit develop within us. Most are simply a mark of maturity in Christ.
B. If you’re not serving locally, why not? Do you want to grow in your faith & mature in your walk with Christ? Serve Him how He’s called you to serve. Whether or not it has a title is of little importance – note what happens to those who serve well in vs 13: not only do they have a good standing, but they obtain a “great boldness in the faith.” That’s true regardless of the position in which you serve Him – being simply a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord is better than dwelling in tents on earth (Ps 84:10) – why? Because we’re serving the King! The more we serve Him, the bolder we become in our service to Him, the more joy we gain in our worship of Him!

If you’re not a Christian – this was an in-house message. Ministry is a calling from God He extends to people whom He’s already saved. Does that include you? Are you saved? Did you even know you needed to be saved? Many people don’t. They are either like I was (never giving the afterlife a 2nd thought), or if they do think about heaven they’re relying on their good works to get them there…

The problem is that none of our good works are good enough. The Bible makes it clear that the best we can do are like filthy rags in the sight of God, because God is more than just “pretty good” – He’s absolutely perfect. We’re not! Even the ‘good’ ones of us have lied & lusted, or cheated, or dishonored our parents. And because God is absolutely perfect, He must provide perfect justice…which includes more than just murderers & rapists, but liars & the rest of us. If we are honest in examining ourselves, we will find ourselves guilty – and we’ve got to face God on Judgment Day.

What can you do? YOU can’t do anything, but GOD can & did. He sent His only Son to die on the cross for you & me – taking the punishment that WE deserved upon Himself. Jesus didn’t deserve a single second on that cross, but you & I deserved an eternity there. He paid the price we couldn’t pay & freely offers the gift of forgiveness & eternal life to you – but you must receive it.

Is Christianity Chauvinistic?

1 Timothy 2:8-15, “Is Christianity Chauvinistic?”
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Introduction:
Is Paul (and more generally, Christianity) chauvinistic? Are those who believe that every verse of the Bible is given by inspiration of God people who chastise women for speaking their mind & just looking for new ways to keep them pregnant, barefoot & in the kitchen? It’s certainly not difficult to find critics of the Bible who think exactly that.

But what do we do with these verses? How do we deal with these teachings that seem so out-of-touch to our 21st century ears? The Christian community has come up with several solutions:
A. Dismiss them as uninspired. Some claim that the pastoral epistles (1-2 Timothy & Titus) weren’t written by Paul, but someone claiming to be Paul. Thus their argument is, if it doesn’t have apostolic origin, it’s not inspired & we can dismiss it. The problem with this is that the early church accepted the authorship of Paul & this teaching lines up with other teaching on the subject throughout the NT.
B. Ignore them as culturally irrelevant. Some argue that these are dated remarks meant to address a specific situation in a specific city, thus the 21st century church can ignore them since we are so removed from the original situation. The problem here? What Paul addresses is universal among the church (teaching) & he makes his argument from Adam & Eve, making it relevant to all time periods.
C. Bend them to a more pleasing teaching. In this view, we’re supposed to take a little bit of the core teaching & turn the rest into some sort of spiritual analogy. The problem? That’s just bad hermeneutics (study methods) to begin with!

Question: apart from the teachings on women & homosexuals, is there ANY other doctrine in the Bible that we would dismiss, ignore, or bend? Would we dare do this to justification? The role of the Holy Spirit? Of course not! If not to any other doctrine, then why would we do it to this one?

So how DO we deal with this? Let’s go back to basics. Proper Bible study method: (1) Observation… (2) Interpretation… (3) Application… One of the major problems (and there are so many!) of dismissing, ignoring, and bending this teaching is that we rush to application without spending any time observing the text/context, and looking at the interpretation as intended by the Holy Spirit through Paul. And that’s where we MUST start – if we don’t, we’ve missed it entirely. Keep in mind these ARE words given by inspiration of God…thus we should be able to trust the heart of the ultimate Author. This is the same God Who went to the cross for your salvation – we can only glimpse at the extent of love He has for each one of us! We can be assured that these words were not penned to oppress; but given to help make us complete & equipped for every good work in Him (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Remember the context leading up to this point. Paul exhorted the church to pray – primarily for those in government, under the understanding that the only way we can approach the Father in prayer is through the One Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus. Gets back to prayer in vs 8…
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1 Timothy 2:8-15 (NKJV)
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
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A. Before we get to the section on women, we get 1 little verse about men…but be careful not to pass off this little verse. It sets up the context for everything that’s about to follow. What is it? How to participate in the local church fellowship. We know we’re supposed to pray, but how do we pray as a local body of believers? For the men, several characteristics:
__a. “Pray everywhere”: Keep in mind that the church didn’t have the luxury of synagogues at the time – they were meeting from house to house. Wherever they were, the men were to pray.
____i. Mentioned this last week…many times we look at prayer as the ‘supplement’ or ‘afterthought’ of ministry. Wrong! Most of the time, it IS the ministry, or at least a foundational portion of it. We do ourselves a disfavor if we discontinue prayer – it’s absolutely vital to the health and work of the church.
__b. Lift “up holy hands”: This isn’t the normal word used for “holy” (set apart) – refers more to piety & sacredness. The idea is that when we come to God in prayer as a church, we should come undefiled. Men, confess your sin (1 John 1:9) & be done with it – and then lift your hands in prayer.
____i. Do we have to literally lift our hands? Not necessarily – it was a common posture for prayer among the Jews. But we needn’t feel like we have to fold our hands & bow our heads either…we have freedom to boldly pray to our Abba Father!
__c. Pray “without wrath”: Prayer isn’t an opportunity to hold grudges; it’s a time to forgive them. Ever listen to someone ‘pray’ when they’re really speaking to someone else? [] We should have none of that! We’re coming before the God Who has forgiven us much; we should be willing to forgive as well.
__d. Pray without “doubting”: The thought isn’t so much of a lack of faith (per James 1:6), but one of disputing – either within oneself in distraction, or among others (in wrath). Neither has a place in prayer. Prayer should be intentional & reverent.
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9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.
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A. “in like manner” – like what? Like the men in the church. Paul’s continuing the context – how Christian women are supposed to participate & conduct themselves in the local church.
B. 1st, adorn themselves with modesty. There are a ton of churches where the women (and men) put on a fashion show… Not only does it introduce unnecessary pressure & stress, it becomes a distraction from true worship. Our eyes & thoughts should be on Christ Jesus; not on what Sister So&So is wearing.
__a. Also seems to be a reference to physical modesty. Braided hair & gold used in certain circumstances were indicative of the temple prostitutes. … We don’t need to ‘dress up’ to worship, but we shouldn’t ‘dress down’ to the point of going clubbing, either. Again – we want to have our thoughts on Christ in worship…not distract one another.
C. 2nd, adorn themselves with good works. Far more important than wardrobe is the work Christ Jesus is doing in us. As He transforms us from the inside out (man or woman), our lives should reflect that in the works that we do. The sister who is truly godly doesn’t need to brag about it in endless profession; her godliness will be evident in the fruit of her life.
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11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.
A. Be careful not to jump to the controversy too quickly here – again, we 1st want to observe. How does the text begin? “Let a woman learn…” Amen! Women are encouraged to learn & the church was to allow the opportunity for this to take place.
__a. Do we understand how revolutionary this was for the time?! Greek culture treated women as little more than property. In their worldview, they were good for procreation & recreation, and little else…certainly they weren’t allowed an education. Roman culture wasn’t much better – although some elite women were educated, most common women were not. Yet the Lord Jesus invites ALL those whom He bought with His blood to learn of Him & to know and understand His word!
__b. Do we understand how revolutionary this still is? Christianity encourages all its followers to learn. Not to simply do as their told – not to be a blind follower – but to love God with all our heart, soul, MIND, and strength. God invites you to know of Him & to learn His word & ways…this is startling when we stop to think of it. If the US President invited you to a one-on-one lunch, offering to answer whatever questions you had about him, what would be your response? How much more the God of all the Universe? We’ve all been given that invitation: Matthew 11:28-30 (28) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” []
B. How was a woman to learn? “in silence with all submission.” 1st thing we need to do is to define “silence” – same basic word as “peaceable” in vs. 2, and in this case doesn’t necessarily mean “silent.” (Walvoord & Zuck) “It is clearly used elsewhere (Acts 22:2; 2 Thes. 3:12) to mean “settled down, undisturbed, not unruly.” A different word (siga?) means “to be silent, to say nothing.” The idea isn’t so much one of ‘zipped lips’ but an orderly atmosphere for learning. And again, before we jump to controversy, we need to ask if this is really bad? After all, how are men supposed to learn? We have a time & place for Bible discussion fellowships, but in a church service, how does everyone learn? Quietly in submission to the Word that’s being preached. Women are no different from the men in this respect…but Paul needed to give instruction to a culture that hadn’t given this opportunity to women in the past.
__a. We ALL need to be submitted to the Word of God. The immediate context here is being submitted to the teaching from the elders of the church – but the only reason the elders carry any weight is because of the word and gospel they are proclaiming. The Bible is our final rule of authority and practice because it is the very word of God Himself…and it is good because HE is good!
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12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.
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A. Here’s where the difference between males & females in church kicks in. But before we look at what it is, notice what it’s not. The difference is not one of worth. Too often when we look at these sorts of passages, this is the conclusion we jump to: ‘Paul said that a man is better than a woman!’ Perish the thought! Nowhere in the NT will we come to that conclusion if we look at a passage in context. Regarding worth in the body of Christ, men & women are exactly the same! Galatians 3:26-28 (26) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [] Why? Because we were all bought with the same blood. Jesus did not have to pay more for John Smith than Jane Doe on the cross – we all had the same debt of sin which brought the same punishment, and thus the same blood that saves you saves me, and we are all equal in the Body of Christ…all glory be to God!
B. Instead, the difference is one of role. What ministry roles are available to men & what ministry roles are available to women? In many cases, there is much overlap – but when it comes to teaching the Word of God, there is distinction. Men are not exhorted to teach the young women; that’s reserved for the mature women. Likewise, women are not to teach the men….practically speaking, women are not to serve as elders/bishops (which Paul is contextually moving to in Ch 3).
C. Question: is Paul saying women should never say anything in church? Not at all! Elsewhere, Paul specifically instructs women regarding prophecy (1 Cor 11:5) – he gives instruction for older women to teach the younger women (Titus 2:4) – Philip’s 4 daughters were known to prophesy (Acts 21:9) – John wrote to the elder woman who hosted a home church at her house (2 John 1) – Aquila & his wife Priscilla were instrumental in teaching Apollos (Acts 18:26)…obviously, women were (and are) to be very active in the church! That activity is simply submitted to the church leadership.
__a. Keep in mind the context here is limited to the local church fellowship – this isn’t a reference to home life, school, the workplace or anything else. Mothers teach their sons, and they are to honor her for their entire lives. Male students should have no problem taking instruction from female high school teachers or college professors, etc. Anytime we take Scripture out of context, we invariably get into trouble, and this is no exception.
D. How could Paul teach this so definitively? See vs. 13-14…
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13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
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A. God is a God of order, and the role follows the order of creation. Adam was not created 1st because God ‘liked’ him more; he was simply created 1st & carried the authority of being the 1st born. (He also carries the responsibility, as we’ll see in a minute.) But order is found in the Triune Godhead itself! God the Father & God the Son are of equal worth, equal power, equal natures – yet the Lord Jesus willingly submits Himself to His Father. Philippians 2:6-8 (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. []
B. Apart from creation, this order is reinforced because of the Fall. Eve was created 2nd, and fell 1st. Personally speaking, I believe this is all the text says. Many commentaries take a viewpoint that somehow women are more susceptible to spiritual deception – but I would argue that’s reading into the text. Paul is simply reviewing the Genesis account…if he’s implying anything, the context has to do with order; not ‘ability.’ When Adam took the fruit from Eve, the order was reversed as Adam was intended to be the spiritual head. At that moment, everything was turned upside down as Eve followed the lead of Satan, and Adam followed the lead of Eve – when it should have been Adam following the lead of God, and Eve following the lead of Adam.
C. Question: Is Paul absolving Adam of guilt here? Not at all! Paul doesn’t pull punches with Adam in the slightest (see Rom 5)…the Bible squarely puts the blame of the fall of creation at the feet of Adam. But the simple fact is Eve was deceived & Adam wasn’t…and that doesn’t speak well of Adam at all. Eve had never been lied to before; there was no reason to expect the subtle attack of Satan. Adam knew better, yet still willfully sinned & transgressed the law.
__1. Before we start casting too many stones, we should realize that we all would have made the same choices. Had the Father of Lies lied to us, we would have listened – had we been given the choice of the temporary pleasure of the fruit instead of God, we would have taken it. How can we be sure? This is what we do already! Even before we are born-again in Christ, we have the law of God written on our conscience (Rom 2:15) & yet we still buy into the lies of the devil & willfully transgress against the God that created us.
__2. This is why the gospel is so glorious! No matter what we’ve done – no matter how bad we’ve transgressed against the Lord – all can be forgiven through Christ Jesus. But you must repent! If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
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15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
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A. ‘What on earth is Paul talking about here?’ Good question! There’s a ton of debate on this verse…virtually every commentary takes a different view. Some think it’s a reference to back to the curse, that women would bear children in pain, but Christian women would be saved (not die) in childbirth (which is the focus of the NASB). Big problem here: what about all the godly women that have died in childbirth? … Others think that Paul is proclaiming that a woman’s proper role is in child rearing, and that’s where a woman finds her greatest satisfaction. Problem here: the vast majority of what’s involved with “childbearing” takes place in the home & outside the ministry roles of individuals in the church – and that’s where most of the context is. And if this is a reference to eternal salvation, how does this avoid a ‘salvation by works’ scenario? Go back to basic bible study methods:
__a. Observation: (1) Who does “she” refer to? The woman – specifically Eve, but all who followed her. (2) Define “saved” – the word can (and does) refer to physical life, but it is usually used to refer to eternal life…to deliver & make whole. (I.e., a much larger context than that of general childbearing). (3) Although the English translation doesn’t show it, “childbearing” is accompanied by a definite article…could be literally translated “the childbearing.”
__b. Interpretation: The preceding verses are plainly talking about the Genesis account of the fall. Adam was formed – Eve was formed – Eve fell – Adam fell…then what happened? God gave a prophecy of salvation of a specific Childbearing. Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” [] The woman was to bear a Child…who would crush Satan’s head, bringing salvation. And that’s exactly what happened – Galatians 4:4-5 (4) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. [].
__c. Application: Women are saved by Christ Jesus – the One born of a woman. Amplified Version takes the same position: “Nevertheless [the sentence put upon women of pain in motherhood does not hinder their souls’ salvation, and] the will be saved [eternally] if the continue in faith and love and holiness with self control, [saved indeed] through the Childbearing or by the birth of the divine Child.” How are women saved? The same way men are saved: through Christ Jesus! Their gender had the honor of bringing Him into the world.
B. The exhortation to women? Continue! Hearkening back to Ch 1:19, Paul’s basically saying, “Don’t let your faith get shipwrecked!” Men & women both ought to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5) – is our walk with Christ producing fruit of faith, love, holiness, and self-control? If so, praise God! If not – go to your knees, examine your heart, and turn to Christ Jesus.

Conclusion:
Is Christianity chauvinistic? No. The greatest thing that ever happened to the world came through a woman – so grand that a multitude of angels sang “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14) A Samaritan woman was one of the 1st evangelists (John 4:28) and women were the 1st witnesses to the Resurrected Christ (Matt 28:9). The Lord Jesus invites men and women to be saved, follow Him, and learn of Him – and He graciously proscribes an order in which learning ought to take place.

Do people use these verses out of context to be chauvinistic? Without question. But just because Scripture is abused doesn’t make it invalid – it’s still the Word of God, and we can be thankful for every jot & tittle. The response to those who would use it out of context is to take them back to the Scripture itself for correction. Be a Berean & let God deal with wrong teachers…they will be held to a stricter judgment.

Bottom line?
A. Men: We have an invitation to pray. Women tend to naturally gravitate towards prayer; men want to be ‘active.’ Prayer IS being active – and we ought to pray everywhere.
B. Women: You have an invitation to learn. There is much ministry that God has for each person (male and female) within the Body of Christ – we need to be equipped from His Word in order to fulfill that calling.

We’ve ALL been invited to follow Christ! The question is: have you acted on that invitation? Have you received Christ as your Lord & been born-again? It doesn’t matter how religious you are or how much learning you think you already have – when speaking to Nicodemus the Pharisee, Jesus said “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) We must be born again spiritually because without Christ we are spiritually dead – our sin (and Adam) has condemned us to that. Every lie – every lustful thought – every time we place our will above God’s will – every sin carries a death sentence, and we are all guilty. That’s why Jesus went to the cross…to bear the punishment you & I deserved – He did it so we wouldn’t have to. And now He offers grace & forgiveness to all those who call upon Him.

One Mediator

1 Timothy 2:1-7, “One Mediator for all Men”
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Introduction:
Just over a year ago on August 1, 2007, the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis suffered a catastrophic collapse during rush hour, killing 13 people & injuring 145 others. The bridge had served as Minnesota’s 5th busiest bridge, carrying over 140,000 vehicles every day. And then at 6:05pm, it was in the water.

For thousands of Minnesotans, that bridge was what connected them between their home & their workplace – it was their mediator for transportation. What happens when that mediator isn’t good enough? Tragedy. How much more important when considering eternity? Almost all religions agree that our sin needs to be dealt with – they mostly differ on the method of mediation. Is it our works? The priests? The prophet? Or is it (as Christianity claims) the Savior? Paul makes it absolutely clear to Timothy that we need a Mediator – and that Mediator is none other but God Himself, the Son of God Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NKJV)
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
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A. Wherefore the therefore? Remember the context Paul’s coming out of…he had just urged Timothy to teach no other doctrine than the truth of the Scripture (1:3), and charged him to wage the good warfare by staying true to the faith of the gospel (1:18). Now that all that is said, Paul can get to the meat of the letter: how to instruct the church at Ephesus about roles, leadership, practice, etc. And where does it all start? Prayer! How important is prayer? It’s the 1st priority.
__a. It should always be the very 1st priority! Whether it’s before Sunday service in the office – at intercessory prayer meetings – at 3rd Wednesday prayer services – small groups, devotional time, wherever. Prayer is absolutely essential to the work of ministry. Why? Generally it IS the work of ministry!
B. What’s included in prayer? A lot!
__a. “supplications”: This is what we mostly think of when it comes to prayer – and sometimes all we do when we pray. … We need to avoid the habit of making our prayers into ‘laundry lists’ – but at the same time, we don’t want to downplay the importance of bringing our supplications to God. The NT specifically encourages us to do so. (Phil 4:6-7)
__b. “prayers”: Prayer is often defined as “talking with God” – and this is pretty accurate. But never forget prayer is more than just simple conversation between friends – prayer is a specific conversation between you and your God, Father, Master, Savior, and King!
__c. “intercessions”: This actually seems to be the majority of prayer Paul’s contextually referring to – when we put our “selves” to the side & intercede for others. Usually for their salvation…which is the context Paul seems to take it in.
____i. Never let anyone tell you it’s fruitless to pray for someone’s salvation… It’s absolutely essential that we intercede for the lost that they would receive the gospel & be saved!
__d. “giving of thanks”: Sadly, oftentimes this is what we forget. But our prayers ought to be bathed in thanksgiving, because there’s so much to be thankful for. The very fact that we are invited to come boldly before the throne of grace in prayer because of the work of Christ Jesus is enough reason to forever be thankful!
C. Who do we pray for? “all men” – Speaking of all peoples…starting with the government. See vs. 2…
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2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
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A. Specifically we’re to pray for those in government & leadership. For those leaders who are believers, we pray that they may follow Christ… For those who are not believers, we pray that they would be saved… For all, we pray that they would be used by God to accomplish His will. Question: can God use a pagan ruler for His purposes? Yes! Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah tell us of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon & Cyrus, Darius, & Artaxerxes of Persia – all used by God to protect His people & ultimately bring the Jews back into the land. God even used Caesar Augustus to fulfill prophecy when Augustus ordered a census that brought Joseph & Mary to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. Since God can use leaders of all stripes, we are to pray for them.
__a. As we approach the presidential election, this is especially important. We don’t pray for only Republicans, only Democrats, Independents, etc…we’re to pray for ALL “who are in authority.” Pray for both candidates & for God’s will to be done in our nation.
__b. ‘What about dictators & rulers who hate Christians?’ Pray for them, too! (Especially for them.) Keep in mind that Nero was on the throne when Paul wrote this – if he could pray for the emperor who would later kill him, surely we should pray for those who would wish Christians harmed.
B. Why? To have freedom to live out our walk with Christ. … Specifically:
__a. “a quiet and peaceable life”: We praise God for all the freedoms we have to speak our mind, but the primary thing we are concerned with is not a loud political voice, but a quiet life. Christians don’t need special privileges or attention (and in the vast majority of countries around the world, they definitely don’t get them!); we just need the same privileges as everyone else to live out our faith freely & worship Him without hindrance.
____i. Does this mean Christians should never be politically active? No. Be as active in whatever circles as God leads you to be. We just need to keep the proper perspective & priorities.
__b. “in godliness and reverence”: Emphasizes our own personal walks with Christ. Sinners are going to act like sinners (we shouldn’t be surprised by that) – but WE don’t have any excuse…we’re to live in godliness, being respectful towards all who are in authority.
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3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
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A. Isn’t it great to know there are some things about the will of God we can be absolutely sure of? Praying for our leaders pleases our Heavenly Father…by extension, when we intercede for others (“all men”, vs 1), it pleases God. It’s “good and acceptable” in His sight.
B. Note God is our Savior. Reiterating the thought in 1 Tim 1:1… Every Person within the Triune Godhead is completely active in our salvation. Jesus went to the cross & rose again, God the Father draws people to Christ, and the Holy Spirit gives them a new birth. God is our Savior, and without Him we have no hope!
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4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
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A. Does “all men” really mean ALL men? Some might argue no – that “all men” refers to all of God’s elect. … Simply not supported by the Greek! The word “all” truly means “all”! It means every person – the whole – the totality. God really desires all men to be saved… This is what Peter was referring to regarding the soon coming of judgment day – God isn’t willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9) …
__a. This is where I have severe trouble with the Calvinistic doctrine of Limited Atonement. [] LA (also known as ‘particular redemption’) says that Christ died only for the elect, and not the whole of humanity… Yet to affirm that God desires all men to repent, but limit the opportunity to only a few isn’t even logical – nor does it reflect well on the glory of God.
__b. It’s worth noting that even John Calvin agrees that this verse shows God’s universal invitation for mankind to repent & be saved! (Calvin), “for the Apostle simply means, that there is no people and no rank in the world that is excluded from salvation; because God wishes that the gospel should be proclaimed to all without exception. Now the preaching of the gospel gives life; and hence he justly concludes that God invites all equally to partake salvation.” I disagree strongly with many aspects about Calvin’s view of predestination – but on this point, we can all say AMEN! In the words of Spurgeon, those who claim to follow Calvin while applying the idea of Limited Atonement to this verse apply “grammatical gunpowder to it” in their attempts to explain away the clear meaning of what the Holy Spirit intended to say through Paul.
__c. If God truly desires ALL men to be saved, wouldn’t it follow that God made provision for ALL men to be saved? Yes – and that’s exactly what the Lord Jesus affirmed to Nicodemus: John 3:16-17 (16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. [] ‘Yeah, but couldn’t ‘whosoever’ still refer to the elect?’ Perhaps, but how then do we explain ‘the world’ in vs 17? The Greek isn’t talking about a select group of ‘whosoevers’ – it’s a specific word referring to the entire universe! ?????? (cosmos)…all of humanity has access to salvation through Jesus Christ.
__d. The point here is not a debate for/against Calvinism – it’s that we would take the Scripture at its word for what it says. The Bible plainly proclaims that God desires all men to be saved – and for that we can say “Amen!”
B. ‘So is Paul teaching universalism here?’ Absolutely not – perish the thought! It is certainly God’s desire that all be saved, but obviously not all do. Hell is a very real place & the Bible makes it perfectly clear that anyone who’s name is not written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). ‘So is this a contradiction?’ No – God desires that all would be saved, He commands us to repent (Acts 17:30) – but that doesn’t mean that we all are or do. Jesus commands us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48) – does that mean we are? Of course not. We fail every single day (if not every single minute). What then makes the difference? Jesus Christ. In Christ, we ARE perfect, because we have been clothed in His righteousness. Likewise, God desires that all men be saved, but the only people that are saved are the ones found in Christ. What makes the difference? Jesus Christ!
__a. Question: if God desires for us to be saved, and has made provision for us to be saved, whose fault is it then if we are not saved? Our own. We are the ones who have sinned against our Holy God. We are the ones who would have rejected His offer of forgiveness and life. One claim that those who for eternity will be in Hell will not be able to cry out is: “God it’s Your fault that I’m here!” No, the responsibility for our sin lies with us. God became man & died the horrendous death of crucifixion, and rose again to new life – He freely offers forgiveness to all who call upon Him…and today you’re hearing the good news of the gospel. What more do you expect Him to do?
____i. If you’re not saved, repent & trust Christ today!
C. What happens when we’re saved? We “come to the knowledge of the truth” – as if a light is turned on in a dark room, we see Christ for Who He truly is: the Son of God, our Savior, and our Lord. … We’re not talking about a gnostic “special knowledge” only available to certain people through certain initiation rites (like some lodges & Scientology circles) – Paul’s simply referring to correct knowledge; the truth.
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5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
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A. There is “one God”: One common argument from other religions against Christianity is that they claim we worship 3 gods. Nowhere in the NT will you find that affirmed. We worship ONE God. He is revealed in 3 distinct persons, but He is 1 God. Every analogy falls short in explaining the Trinity, and to that I say “Praise God!” I’m so glad to worship a Creator that is more complex than my limited understanding.
B. There is “one Mediator”: Today we think of “mediation” as legal arbitration. Instead of going to court against each other, we go to a 3rd party who negotiates between us until we can come to a compromise together…we each walk out with less than what we started with, but at least we didn’t go to court. Suffice to say, this is NOT what Christ Jesus does as our Mediator. Jesus does not make a compromise with God the Father because of our sin, nor does God ‘walk out’ with anything less than pure perfection & holiness. Instead, Jesus takes on the role of a High Priest – He represents us to God (because we cannot represent ourselves), and He represents God to us (because we in our sin cannot see God & live). He mediates (Latin “in the middle”) between us.
__a. How does Christ Jesus fulfill all this? As God, Christ is supremely holy; as Man, Christ endured every temptation we do – but showed Himself to be perfect. Thus through His sacrifice, there is a perfect offering that satisfies the righteousness of God for all the sins of mankind. Hebrews 9:13-15 (13) For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, (14) how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (15) And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. [] IOW, Jesus is the only option as a Mediator because He’s the only One who qualifies. We don’t qualify for the sacrifice – it would take an eternity to pay our debt. Bulls & goats definitely don’t qualify…anything they did in the OT covenant was purely temporary & symbolic of the future sacrifice of Christ. Only an eternal God can offer an eternal sacrifice bringing an eternal inheritance.
C. Who’s the Mediator? “the Man Christ Jesus.” Not the saints – not Mary – not Mohammed – not any created being. The only One who is capable and qualified to mediate between man & God is God who became Man – none other but the Lord Jesus Christ. Other religions, no matter how sincere the adherents are sincerely wrong – and Jesus Himself made this perfectly clear. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. [] We quote this often b/c it’s absolutely foundational! If we don’t start at this truth, we can go no further. It sounds exclusive b/c it is – but make no mistake, it absolutely is truth. (Every real truth is absolute, despite their objections)
__a. In response, those who advocate praying to saints will say, “But the saints are alive in heaven, so what’s the difference between asking your friends to pray for you & the saints?” The difference is twofold: the role & the means.
____i. The role: Those in the presence of our Lord and King surely worship & pray even while seeing Him face-to-face. But they certainly do not mediate. They are sinners saved by the grace of God just as we are, and they cannot mediate between God & man.
____ii. The means: Contextually, Paul is speaking entirely of prayer. Where in this passage (or anywhere else in the Scripture) are men commanded to pray to anyone but God? This verse even makes it clearer – there is one God AND one Mediator. The one who mediates for us is God & God alone, thus He is the one to which all “supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks” is made.
__b. Jesus is fully God & fully Man – now and forever. It’s not that once God the Son became incarnate that He gave up His divinity, walked as a human for 33 years & became all God again when He ascended to Heaven. Once the incarnate Christ Jesus was implanted in Mary’s womb, He was 100% God, and 100% Man – and now that He sits at the Father’s right hand, He’s still 100% God and 100% Man. Why is this bit of theology so important?
____i. Because otherwise He could not serve as our Mediating High Priest. Without Christ there is an unfathomable chasm between Holy God and sinful man & nothing we can do can possibly change that. But the Son of God as the Son of Man can perfectly bridge that gap!
____ii. Because it demonstrates that God’s love for us is not temporary. Jesus didn’t become a man for 33 years, go back to heaven & say, “Boy am I glad THAT’s over with!” He forever took on human nature in an eternal commitment – showing beyond a shadow of a doubt the extent of love God has for us & the desire the Son had to glorify the Father.
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6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
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A. How is it that Jesus can be our Mediator? Because He is our “ransom”. (DA Carson) “The ransom metaphor is drawn from the slave market, where a slave could obtain his freedom if someone paid the ransom price.” Make no mistake, prior to trusting Christ Jesus, we are enslaved to sin (Rom 6:16). To be freed, we must be bought – and that’s exactly what Jesus did as our ransom. Every Christian has been bought at the highest of prices (even more than the $700B bailout! ) – we’ve been bought by the precious blood of the Son of God…and nothing is more valuable than Him!
B. Who is it Jesus became a ransom for? All. Again – His work of atonement is sufficient for the entire world; it’s only efficient for those who trust in Him.
C. How can we be assured that Jesus is the Mediator? Because we have sufficient testimony.
__a. Prophecy: Prophetically speaking, Jesus Christ came at just the right time…it was “due”. Not enough time to get into it today, but it’s truly amazing to see the 300+ prophecies fulfilled in Christ’s 1st coming. He came from exactly the right family (from Abraham through David) – He is of the correct lineage (Mary’s line through David; not Joseph’s) – He came at the time that crucifixion was enforced as punishment (prophesied in the Psalms) – He came at the exact moment that the Messiah was expected after Jerusalem was to be rebuilt (Dan 9:25). Truly, the time was “due!”
__b. Witnesses: Jesus had a four-fold witness to His identity (outlined in John 5) – John the Baptist, Jesus’ works, God the Father, and the Scriptures (Moses). In addition, the Holy Spirit witnesses to Jesus (John 15:26). The apostles were witnesses (who died for their testimony!) – over 500 people saw Christ risen from the dead, which is the ultimate declaration that Jesus is the Son of God (Rom 1:4), thus the One Mediator.
____i. Leads into vs. 7 – Paul is a witness who offers his testimony.
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7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying— a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
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A. Whether he was heralding & proclaiming the good news of the Gospel, or planting churches all over the Roman Empire as an Apostle, or teaching the Gentiles in every corner of the world, Paul was a faithful witness of Christ Jesus, Who had appointed him to the task.
__a. Did Paul really need to emphasize this to Timothy – even to the point of emphasizing it under oath? Of course not – Timothy was Paul’s “son in the faith” & had no doubts about Paul’s calling. – This seems to be one of many indications that Paul intended this personal, pastoral letter to Timothy be read to the entire church at Ephesus. If there were people who doubted Paul’s calling due to Hymenaeus & Alexander, Paul’s putting those doubts to rest.
B. What he preached was the truth! The Gospel IS the truth…Jesus really is the Son of God crucified for our sins & risen from the dead! Our response to that? Have faith!

Conclusion:
Every single man, woman, and child on the face of the planet needs a mediator! Whether it is the king we pray for to be saved, or ourselves as we lift up our supplications to the Lord – we need a Mediator to go between us & God. In our sin, we cannot face God on our own, so what can we do? We must see God on Judgment Day…no way around it. We have to have a Mediator, and that One Mediator is the Son of God, the Man Christ Jesus. What’s our response to this?

As a Christian, praise God! There was no possible way you or any other created thing could possibly bridge the gap to our Creator – and so Jesus bridged the gap for you. Now your sins are forgiven & you can boldly go before the throne of grace in prayer & intercession for others. Rejoice in that – give thanks – and be a herald of this good news to others.

If you’re not a Christian (haven’t asked for His forgiveness & received Him as Lord), then you need to respond to His offer of Mediation today.

Oh What God Can Do!

1 Timothy 1:12-20, “Oh What God Can Do!”
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Introduction:
One of the (many) ironic things about so-called “reality” shows is that there is so little reality in them. This shows up especially in the casting. Generally there are stereotypes from every walk of life (the jock, the joker, the beauty queen, etc) – and every one of them “fits” in exactly how the producer of the show wants them to fit in. Imagine if the Apostle Paul showed up to audition for one of these things…the producer would have a meltdown! He simply doesn’t fit any stereotype.

By all reckonings, Paul (Saul) should have been a member of the Sanhedrin up until the day that the Temple was destroyed – enjoying the benefits of power and prestige among the Jewish community. And that seemed to be his career path in the early days of the church as he went around persecuting believers & increasing his own profile among the Jewish leadership. But when the Lord Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus, everything changed! Instead of a zealous Pharisee, he became a loving evangelist – boldly taking the gospel to the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Talk about blowing stereotypes away!

As Paul finishes out Ch 1 to Timothy, he’s struck by the ‘incredibleness’ of it all & left in awe that God would even choose someone like himself to take part in the Great Commission. Beginning the chapter, he exhorted Timothy to stay true to the doctrine that Paul himself had taught, using the law to bring about knowledge of sin & then providing the glorious gospel to those who understand their need for a Savior. As he pondered the magnificence of the gospel, he can’t help reflecting back on his own calling into ministry – breaking out in praise – and exhorting Timothy to keep following Christ alone.

1 Timothy 1:12-20 (NKJV)
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
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A. Jesus “enabled” Paul for the ministry. Gk is actually a compound word combing “in” & “power/strength” (the root is the same word used of God’s miraculous equipping power). The thought here is not that Christ sent Paul off with a diploma & a “good luck!” – but that He strengthened, equipped, and empowered Paul for everything he needed to endure in the apostolic ministry.
__a. Goes back to a fundamental truth: it is impossible to do the work of God without the power of God. Too many times, we try to “walk the life” in our own strength & we end up like Peter trying to walk on water by himself: over our head & gasping for air. It’s not that God’s power is recommended; it’s that it’s utterly necessary! We CAN NOT do this on our own!
__b. The good news is that He never intended us to do so. Acts 1:8 (8) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” []
B. Jesus “counted” Paul “faithful”. Sounds fine & dandy until we remember the history. Previously, Paul had been completely faithless (see vs. 13). There was nothing good in the guy to count faithful at all – which just goes to underscore the incredible grace Jesus provided. Any faithfulness Jesus found in Paul was the work that Jesus was already doing in him.
__a. Some think that Jesus was looking into the future & saw that Paul would be faithful to the calling…but that introduces a huge problem: Jesus would be seeing some sort of righteousness that Paul had prior to calling him…and Paul (like all of us) have none outside of Christ!
C. Jesus put the 1st 2 into action by putting Paul into the ministry. Why was this so astounding? Because of Paul’s past! See vs. 13…
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13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
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A. We’ve all got our B.C. stories, and Paul was no different. In his B.C. days, Saul was anything but a nice guy. He was a:
__a. “Blasphemer”: Even though he thought he was protecting the name of God from being sullied by this new sect. …
__b. “Persecutor”: Even though he thought he was defending the true faith of God, he was actually persecuting it. He was actually surprised when Christ Jesus confronted him about it on the road (Acts 9:5). Note the escalation here from blaspheming…this goes beyond words to actions.
__c. “Insolent man”: Even though he thought he was operating within the confines of the law, he was a violent man. He consented to hold the coats of those who martyred Stephen (Acts 7:58), and got illegal extradition authority (from the Jews; not the Romans) to go drag Christians away from cities outside of Judea (Acts 9:2).
B. What changed? Paul received “mercy”. The common shorthand distinction between mercy & grace is that mercy = “not getting what we do deserve” & grace = “getting what we do not deserve.” For the Christian, both are absolutely necessary & exactly what we experience through Christ. We are given what we don’t deserve (new life, adoption by God, co-heir with Christ), but before we are given those things, we are shown mercy & not given eternal wrath & punishment.
C. Why? Because he did these things in “ignorance and unbelief”. As when Jesus prayed while hanging on the cross for the people who put them there (they know not what they do – Luke 23:34), Paul (Saul) didn’t know that he was actively working against God (he actually thought he was pleasing God!), and it was at this point that God showed him mercy.
__a. ‘But I thought we were without excuse?!’ Right. So was Paul…that’s why he needed mercy. You can’t deserve mercy – it’s not a “right” to be given us simply because we didn’t know better… It’s called “mercy” precisely because we don’t deserve it.
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14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
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A. Paul almost seems to fun out of words to describe the mercy and calling he’s received from God… God’s grace was “exceedingly abundant” – lit “superabounded” – he experienced an overflowing amount of the grace of God.
__a. Why does Paul write “grace” this time instead of “mercy”? Mercy kept Paul from being punished for his sin. Grace gave Paul a calling into the ministry of the One he persecuted (vs 12). Not unlike today when former Islamic terrorists become born again & start preaching the gospel of Christ [Walid Shoebat] – Jesus performs such an utter transformation in this person’s life that they’re virtually unrecognizable from whom they were before…a “superabounding” of His mercy.
__b. Spiritually, that’s exactly what Christ does with ALL of us! We simply don’t always walk in it…
B. What is grace coupled with? Faith & love…Paul was able to experience them for the 1st time once he was regenerated & refreshed by the grace of God. Once he had faith in God, he was no longer operating in unbelief – once he experienced the agape love of Christ, he no longer blasphemed, persecuted, or acted out violently.
__a. (Earle) “This is another of the apostle’s great trilogies. ‘Grace’ provided his salvation, ‘faith’ appropriated it, and ‘love’ applied it.”
C. Where do faith, love, and grace originate? Christ Jesus. People will try to fake these things all day long – but it’s impossible to truly love someone in agape love without being transformed by the Lord Jesus…He’s our very example! We can’t fake faith because the Lord knows our hearts & true faith is given to us apart from any works (Eph 2:8-9). And all of this is rooted in the grace of Christ, which He gives freely to call who turn to Him.
__a. Affirms once more the divinity of Christ. Jesus is not only the Son of God; He’s God the Son. How else can faith, love, and grace originate in Him? There is only one “originator” of anything – the Creator God!
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15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
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A. Why did Jesus come? To be a good moral teacher? To be a mystic philosopher? To be a prophet or miracle worker? No! He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He came to make dead people alive again… He came to “save sinners”. We dare not water down this truth! People are often offended to be called a sinner…and rightfully so! … To have sinned against the eternal God is a terrible offense, worthy of eternal punishment. But simply because it can be offensive doesn’t mean it’s not true. It IS true – we have all sinned & fall short of the glory of God – we ALL deserve death…but that’s exactly why Christ Jesus came into the world: to offer salvation to those who need a Savior!
B. This isn’t some sort of secondary truth or minor point of doctrine. This is “a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.” If we can’t agree on this point about Jesus, then we’re not talking about the same Jesus.
__i. There are many theological debates I’ll engage in with people, but who Christ Jesus is & the purpose of His death on the cross is not one of them. Those who don’t understand these basic fundamentals won’t understand the debate – it’s foolishness to them (1 Cor 1:18)…they can’t understand it if they tried because they’re not born again (1 Cor 2:14). At this point, they don’t need a debate; they need the gospel!
C. Who qualifies as a sinner? We all do! And if there’s one point on which I disagree with Paul, it’s that he was the chief sinner…because I know that I am. … But I suggest that this is his point. Once we come to grips with the sinfulness of sin (through the law) and the greatness of grace (through the cross), then we can’t help but see ourselves as the chief of sinners…because at that point we understand what Christ saved us from and what He’s saving us for…
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16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
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A. What reason? Paul’s salvation. If Saul the persecuting Pharisee can be saved, then anyone can be saved. In the middle of all his persecuting, blasphemy, and insolence, Christ Jesus patiently dealt with Saul, bringing him to the point where he was ready to receive the shock of his life on the road to Damascus…
__a. That’s the way God deals with all of us. In our sin, God has every right to wipe us out every day. But He doesn’t! He patiently gives us day after day to repent & respond to His offer of forgiveness and grace. As Peter writes, this isn’t laziness, this is a demonstration of God’s longsuffering & kindness with us. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. []
B. Paul’s salvation becomes a pattern to us. Ultimately the rest of us experience the same thing he experienced – even if we don’t all have a visual encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus…every Christian still has an encounter with the Lord Jesus & He does the same work in us… We went from death to life – from condemnation to exaltation – and we are called by God to serve Him in the gospel…using whatever means by which He has equipped us.
C. How is “everlasting life” given? By believing on Jesus Christ! When we place our trust in Jesus as the Son of God risen from the dead – when we have faith in His work on the cross for forgiveness of sin – He saves us! There is no other work that can be done: we can’t buy it (it’s already been purchased) – we can’t negotiate it (Jesus is the only Mediator) – we can’t earn it (our righteousness are filthy rags) – we can’t rely on religious piety (Jesus is the only way). We simply believe on / trust in Jesus as Lord! Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [] That’s a promise from the word of God!
__a. ‘Isn’t that kind of easy?’ It depends on how you define easy. Nothing about our salvation is easy or cheap – evidenced by what Jesus endured at the cross. But at the same time, it is a free gift. God knows our hearts – if we truly turn to Christ, trusting Him alone for salvation, He will save us & transform us from the inside out. But good works follow salvation; they don’t earn it. It begins with belief.
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17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
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A. Coming to the end of this thought of how he was saved through the grace of God, Paul basically breaks into song… Doxology.
__a. God is King: He reigns! There is nothing in all of creation over which God does not have ultimate authority – He is the King. Even though there is a spiritual battle that wages on, Christ is already victorious. All authority in heaven & earth has been given to Him – and He has already been proclaimed King of Kings & Lord of Lord!
__b. God is eternal: In the Greek, “eternal” actually modifies “King” – God is the King of the Ages; the eternal everlasting King. Underscores the fact that God is beyond time. Genesis tells us “In the beginning God”…and provides no history beyond that because nothing else can be said. God has always been King; God will always be King – and in that we can rejoice & glorify Him!
__c. God is immortal: Just as there was no beginning to God, there will be no end. God never dies; He vanquishes death! Through the Resurrection, God has already taken away the sting of death – and in the future, Death itself will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14). We serve the immortal God!
__d. God is invisible: When speaking with the Samaritan woman, Jesus affirmed that God is a spirit & those who worship Him must do so in spirit & in truth (John 4:24). The reason that God commanded that we make no “graven images” is because no image we could create can possibly capture the invisible God…but God provided His own image in Christ Jesus! (Col 1:15)
__e. God is wise: This actually isn’t found in many Bible translations – the critical text does not include it; but the Majority Text (total # of manuscripts) does. To those who follow the critical text, Paul is interpreted as affirming monotheism (God is God alone – Deut 6:4). To those who follow the Majority Text, it’s both a testimony to His character, and a bridge to the context of what Paul’s been talking about…that although it would be foolish in the eyes of the world to take a persecutor of the church, save him, and call him to the ministry – to God, this is an act of supreme Divine wisdom! 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 (26) For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. (27) But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; []
__f. God is worthy of honor: Anything of any value or any price pales in comparison with God. His gift of grace is inestimable in its worth because God Himself is beyond measure. Anything (and everything) is worth giving up for God, because He holds our souls in His hand – and what would it profit to gain the whole world & yet lose our souls? (Mark 8:36)
__g. God is worthy of glory: He is supremely worth of glory! If God had done nothing at all, He would be worthy simply because He is God. If God had only created the universe, He’d be worthy of glory. But He went far beyond that – He created the universe, provided for those who sinned against Him, showed mercy on a daily basis for thousands of years, provided the propitiation for sin at the cross of Jesus Christ, provided the victory over sin at His resurrection, saved all who call upon Him, gave us new life, gave us undeserved righteousness, empowered us through the Holy Spirit…and on & on. Glory be to God!
__h. Forever! And ever! For all eternity we will join with the angelic chorus in singing “Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” It’ll never grow old – it’ll never become boring – there will never be a day when we say, “Can’t we stop praising the Lord now?” – because we will always be in awe of His goodness & love & mercy & grace…all for which He will forever be praised.
B. Glory be to God! What other response could we possibly have to the gospel?
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18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
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A. Because Paul had been called by God to the ministry (as had Timothy), he charges Timothy to stand firm and persevere in the ministry. Timothy’s calling had been verified by the church (through prophecy) – and Paul’s exhorting him to hold onto whatever those prophecies & promises were, in order to fulfill the ministry.
__a. Rely on the promises of God!
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19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
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A. How to wage the good warfare?
__a. Have “faith”: Like the exhortation in vs. 3, Timothy was to have faith in the good doctrine that Paul had been teaching. He was to hold fast to the truth of the Scriptures, and the promises of God. Christ Jesus had also enabled Timothy & placed him into the ministry – so he needed to keep the faith.
__b. Have a “good conscience”: Few things will deter someone faster from the calling Christ has for them than sin. Timothy (and all of us) needed to strive to keep his conscience clean before God. … That’s not to say Timothy wouldn’t mess up along the way & sin; but when he did, he needn’t live with the guilt – simply confess it to God & receive God’s cleansing & forgiveness (1 John 1:9)
B. Why this exhortation? Because some who were called do reject the faith…they shipwreck along the way and lose everything. Hymenaeus (also mentioned in 2 Tim 2:17) & Alexander (don’t know exactly who – it was a common name…could have been the coppersmith, but we don’t know) were two examples of this. Apparently these guys had been ministering in some fashion, but had fallen into false teaching & blasphemy.
__a. “shipwreck”: Is this a reference to a full apostasy & denial of the faith? Or someone who’s backslidden? Scholars are divided – Paul’s method of discipline is a method used for believers, but an apostate unbeliever would also be excommunicated from the church. Considering the definite article “the” (or “their”) – it seems to refer to their whole faith, rather than simple doctrinal error.
__b. If they were indeed apostates, were these guys saved to begin with? That’s also a matter of debate. Regardless of the theological reality concerning their salvation, these guys plainly thought they were ‘Christian’ at least at a surface level…and then later rejected it. [D.F.] It behooves us to examine ourselves & see if we’re in the faith (2 Cor 13:5).
C. What does Paul mean by having “delivered them over to Satan”? Simply part of church discipline… 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 (4) In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (5) deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [] The idea isn’t so much one of condemnation, but restoration. By being cast into the world, they leave the protection of the church in the hopes that they come to their senses.
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Conclusion:
Once Paul started thinking about the gospel, he couldn’t help reflecting back on what God had done in his own life – and it was amazing! God took a former persecutor & not only saved him, but turned him into a minister of the gospel. He who was once the “chief of sinners” was now born again & the apostle to the Gentiles…utterly amazing & God gets all the glory!

But that’s not the end of the story. If you believed on Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ saved you too! Amen! You once were _____, but now you’ve been called by Him to give God glory through the gospel. … Don’t give that up for anything! Stay true to the calling and promises of God through faith and a good conscience; trusting in Jesus’ finished work at the cross. The shipwreck isn’t worth it.