1st and 2 Timothy and Titus are known as the Pastoral Epistles.
In 1 Timothy Paul gives Timothy instructions regarding Church order.
In 2 Timothy the emphasis is on the pastoral care of the churches.
These letters deal with the care and functioning of the flock of God.
They tell us how we ought to behave ourselves within the church.
They give instructions how the church should be administered.
They tell what kind of people the leaders should be.
They also instruct us as t how we should meet the threats which endanger the purity of our Christian faith.
In these letters we get a picture of the infant church.
In those days it was an island on the sea of paganism.
The 1st Epistle was written during the last days of Paul’s life.
As the local churches increased numerically, there were questions which arose regarding church order, soundness of faith and discipline.
When available, the apostles could deal with them, but Paul could foresee the end of the apostolic age and how necessary it was to leave authoritative teaching in writing.
Paul, by the Spirit, was convinced that Timothy would undertake the work after his death and wrote him this personal letter, giving him clear teaching as to matters of faith and order in the local church.
Timothy was a young man saved under Paul’s teaching.
He had a very devout mother and grandmother 2 Tim 1:1-5.
He joined Paul on his second missionary journey and was his consistent companion until he became more mature, then he was entrusted to represent Paul on many occasions.
v. 5 False teaching always brings division, strife and contention
Sound doctrine builds up the believers.
The results of good teaching is 1) pure hearts see God 2) Good conscience heart prickled 3) unfeigned faith
v. 6 Some had turned away from this and were engaged in verbal battles.
v. 7 In this verse Paul indicates their natures:
They desired to be known as teachers of the laws. Judaizers.
They did not clearly apprehend the significance of the Law in its relationship to the Gospel. They were the enemies of the Cross.
v. 8 The Law is good when used properly – as God wants it used.
v. 9-10 The Law is not for the good people but for the bad
Note the types of people that the Law is against.
Paul’s black list here is open ended. If there be any other thing that is contrary to “sound doctrine”. Mentioned 15 times in Pastoral (4 times elsewhere).
v. 11 Linked with the thought of “sound doctrine’ there is the Gospel of the blessed God.
Anything contrary to this Gospel should be rejected.
v. 12 Paul was eternally grateful to God for:
1. Committing the Gospel to him. See Gal 1
2. And for counting him worthy to be put into the ministry.
v. 13 The reason why Paul was thankful to God was that in his unconverted days he had been: 1) a blasphemer, 2) a persecutor, 3) an injurious person. He did these things in ignorance (describe)
v. 14 The position which he now occupied in Christ was due to the “exceedingly abundant race of God.” Describe his conversion.
v. 15 Paul now expounds a truth which he says is worthy of universal acceptation.
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
This is the essence of the Gospel.
Christ came into this world – His Deity
To save sinners as shown in vs. 9-10
Paul describes himself as “the chief of sinners” (foremost of sinners)
v. 16 None need despair – all may be saved. His conversion is an exemplification of this glorious truth.
v. 17 Because of who Christ is – the grace bestowed – the blessings obtained
Paul worships God (explain and give other examples)
v. 18-20
Studies in 1st Timothy
v. 1 First Paul calls himself “an apostle of Jesus Christ”.
Never a man magnified his office as Paul did.
He magnified it in wonder that God had chosen him for this office.
An “apostle” is “one who is sent faith”.
It means an “envoy”, or an “ambassador”, one who is sent to represent his country.
It is the duty of every ambassador to establish relationship between the country to which he is sent and the county from which he has come.
He is the connecting link.
Paul always regarded himself as Christ’s envoy or ambassador.
This is the privilege of every Christian.
It is the first duty of every believer to be a connecting link between his fellow-man and Jesus Christ.
The best translation render Jesus Christ … Christ Jesus.
In this epistle Paul uses Christ Jesus 12 times and Jesus Christ only twice.
The theological reason for this is that “Christ Jesus” is the One who was with the Father in eternal glory and who became incarnate in human form.
Perhaps Paul had a good reason for using this unique term throughout his epistles.
He never accompanied the human Jesus while he was here on earth.
He first experienced the knowledge of the Christ of glory.
Paul’s apostleship was bestowed upon him by divine command.
It was something which must be obeyed.
Acts 16-19 “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”.
If any one of us can arrive at this consciousness of being commissioned by God a near splendor will enter into our life.
This commission and command proceeded equally from God and Christ Jesus.
v. 2 Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, his true child in the faith.
Timothy had been saved under the preaching of Paul. Acts 14 and 16.
v. 3 This epistle was written about 5 years after Paul and warned the elders of Ephesus that grievous wolves would enter among them.
Read and express thoughts on Acts 20:-28-30.
Issue a warning here.
Paul gave Timothy his apostolic authority and commissioned him to order some of their own teachers to stop preaching falsehoods.
Fables or idle tales and endless genealogies, these were the offshoots of Gnosticism.
v 18 “This charge I commit onto thee”
The charge committed to Timothy was 1) The whole body of divine revelation and 2) He was commissioned to guard this … to war a good war fare … earnestly contend for the faith.
Timothy knew what his function was in the early Christian Church.
This role for Timothy was revealed by God to the prophets in the Church.
“According to the prophecies which pointed to thee”
At an assembly meeting as they waited upon God for guidance, the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets, and commissioned Timothy to this service.
This commission was confirmed to Timothy and to the assembly, as the prophets and elders layed their hands on him.
In doing so they authenticated God’s call to Timothy and gave him their blessing, and affirmed their support.
Compare the call and commission of Barnabas and Paul Acts 13
In his campaigning Timothy must 1) hold faith and 2) a good conscience.
The conflict is outwardly but the conditions for victory are within
His faith must never falter in God and in His message he brings,
He must live what he asks of others.
If his conscience is violated then the power goes out of the message.
v. 19 This first section ends with a stern rebuke to two former members of the church of Ephesus Hyprenaeus and Alexander
They from the context had hurt the testimony of the Church, and grieved Paul, and made shipwreck of their own lives.
1. These men had rejected the guidance of conscience
2. Had embarked on a course of divisive ministry
3. In fact were teaching false doctrine 2 Tim 2-7
These men Paul had delivered unto Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme
“Delivered to Satan.” This is a difficult phrase.
It is generally understood as an act of “excommunication”.
They were put out of the local church which is in the kingdom of God and assigned to the kingdom of Satan.
In the light of 1 Cor 5 if included bodily affliction or calamity by apostolic authority
The end result in view is that they may learn not to blaspheme
They were actually blaspheming the truth of God to make way for their own fables and endless genealogies.