The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying Paul's pastoral Epistles (Letters) to his proteges, Timothy and Titus.
1. Teaching sound doctrine
2. Proclaiming the gospel
3. Defending the faith
We got through the first two in this session we will look at defending the faith next week as well as chapter two of 1 Timothy where we ask the question...."Service or Circus?"
In 1 Timothy Paul is writing to Timothy, who is in Ephesus, to encourage him in the task of leading that church. He gives Timothy a lot of advice both for the Christians in the church and for Timothy himself.
There were some problems with some of the teaching and teachers there and Paul wants Timothy to sort out this problem.
1 Timothy 1:3 (NKJV) As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
Timothy needs to deal with those in error.
In 1 Timothy, Paul gave Timothy quite a list of subjects to teach, including: exposure of false doctrines, myths and genealogies; law; sound doctrine; the glorious Gospel; mercy; truth; dedication; prayer; harmony; women's dress and appearance; marriage and dietary practices; qualifications for leaders; conduct; sayings, truths of the faith; the practice of religion; relationships with fellow Christians; treatment of widows; ways to select elders; contentment; righteousness; faith; love; endurance; hope in God; and doing good, that's a lot and we are going to talk about all of it.
Paul was concerned about Timothy communicating sound doctrine, mercy, commitment, conduct, and truth plus a whole new way of life. A new way of life in which shaped beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavior
Paul wrote the letter we call 1 Timothy to encourage Timothy, to explain how a local church should be managed, and to enforce his own authority as a servant of God.
The Church and Its Message
In 1 Timothy 1, Paul explained the three responsibilities of a pastor and people in a local church.
1. Teaching sound doctrine
2. Proclaiming the gospel
3. Defending the faith
1. Teaching sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:1–11)
1 Timothy 1:1-11 NIV Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
From the very greeting of the letter, Paul affirmed his authority as a servant of Jesus Christ. Those who were giving Timothy trouble needed to remember that their pastor was there because God had put him there. Paul’s authority was given by God. Paul was an “apostle,” one whom God sent with a special commission. His apostleship came by “commandment” from Jesus Christ. This word means “a royal commission.” Both the King of Kings sent Paul and Timothy!
Paul encourages Timothy for what will be a big challenging task by reminding him that Jesus is his and our hope.
1 Timothy 1:1 NIV Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
Hope is future tense – something that we expect to happen in the future; a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
Hope is a vital part of our spiritual and our natural lives. We have hope that Jesus Christ will return for His Church. We know this is going to happen and we continue in hope for it. We rejoice in the knowledge of it happening, but it is still something that will happen in the future.
Galatians 5:5 NIV says For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
Romans 8:24 NIV says For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
When we are hoping, we are expecting something in the future. We don’t “hope” that God is hearing our prayers and “hopefully” will answer them. We know, by faith, that He has heard and has answered them.
In our introduction last week, we said tha5 Paul told Timothy that he had to deal with was false doctrines, myths, and genealogies; and the belief that you must obey the Mosaic law to become a Christian.
1 Timothy 1:3-4 NIV As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
There were teachers of false doctrines in Paul’s day just as there are today, and we must take them seriously. These false teachers have no good news for lost sinners. They seek instead to lead Christians astray and capture them for their causes.
He wanted them to take these false teachings seriously, that's why he used the word command in verse 3. Command is a military term. Timothy as a soldier for the gospel under the command of Jesus was to pass the orders to the rest of the soldiers, the church.
What was the order? “Do not teach different doctrines from those taught by Paul!”
God had committed the truth of the Word to Paul
1 Timothy 1:11 NIV conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
and Paul had committed it to Timothy
1 Timothy 6:20 NIV Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,
So it was Timothy’s responsibility to guard the faith and to pass it along to faithful people.
2 Timothy 1:14 NIV Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
2 Timothy 2:2 NIV And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Paul identified the false teaching as “fables and endless genealogies”.
1 Timothy 1:4 NIV or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
The false teachers were using the Old Testament law, and especially the genealogies, to manufacture all kinds of novelties, and these new doctrines were leading people astray. The false teachers were raising questions, not answering them. They were not promoting “God’s saving plan”. Instead of producing love, purity, a good conscience, and sincere faith, these novel doctrines were causing division, hypocrisy, and all sorts of problems.
The reason for this false doctrine was a misuse of the Old Testament law. These false teachers did not understand the content or the purpose of God’s law. They were leading believers out of the liberty of grace into the bondage of legalism, a tragedy that still occurs today.
Paul listed fourteen kinds of people who were condemned by the law in
1 Timothy 1:9-10 NIV We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
The lawful use of the law is to expose, restrain, and convict the lawless. The law cannot save lost sinners; it can only reveal their need for a Savior.
Galatians 2:21 NIV I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
Galatians 3:21-22 NIV Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
It is the “glorious gospel” that saves lost sinners.
Romans 1:16 NIV For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
2. Proclaiming the gospel
1 Timothy 1:12-17 NIV I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul shares his own personal testimony. He was “Exhibit A” to prove that the gospel of the grace of God really works. When you read Paul’s testimony of his conversion on the way to Damascus to persecute Christians you will begin to grasp the wonder of God’s grace and His saving power.
He was a blasphemer because he denied the deity of Jesus Christ and forced others to deny it. He was a persecutor who used physical power to try to destroy the church. During this period of his life, Paul consented to the stoning of Stephen and made havoc of the church.
Acts 7:54-59 NIV When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Acts 8:1-3 NIV And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
1 Timothy 1:13 NIV Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
He was a blasphemer because he denied the deity of Jesus Christ and forced others to deny it. He was a persecutor who used physical power to try to destroy the church.
Paul was violent, the Greek word that Paul used a means “proud and insolent.” A modern equivalent might be “bully.” It conveys the idea of a haughty man “throwing his weight around” in violence.
The basic causes of his godless behavior were “ignorance” and “unbelief.” Even though Saul of Tarsus was a brilliant man and well educated, his mind was blinded from the truth. He was a religious man, yet he was not headed for heaven! It was not until he put faith in Jesus Christ that he was saved.
Acts 22:3 NIV “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
How could the holy God ever save and forgive such a self-righteous sinner?
1 Timothy 1:13-15 NIV Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
The key words are mercy and grace. God in His mercy did not give Paul what he did deserve; instead, God in His grace gave Paul what he did not deserve.
Paul said that before he was ignorant. Is ignorance an excuse before God? Of course not! When we studied Leviticus we learned that you still had to bring a sacrifice even if you sinned unknowingly. If a person sinned in ignorance, they were permitted to bring the proper sacrifices to atone for his sins.
Leviticus 5:15 NIV anyone is unfaithful to the Lord by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering.
Numbers 15:22-24 NIV "‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses— any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come— and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering.
Jesus recognized this principle when He prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Their ignorance did not save them, nor did Christ’s prayer save them, but the combination of the two postponed God’s judgment, giving them an opportunity to be saved.
Paul stated that it took “exceedingly abundant” grace to save him! Paul made it clear that this salvation was not for him only, but for all who receive Jesus Christ.
If Jesus could save Saul of Tarsus, the chief of sinners, then He can save anybody!
1 Timothy 1:15 NIV Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
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