Route 66: 1 Timothy - Faith, Order and Pastoral Wisdom

So please turn in your Bibles to the book of 1 Timothy, and if you don't have a Bible with you, you can use the one in the pew Bible in front of you, and you can find it on page 1051.

And if you don't own a Bible, you're welcome to take that one as a gift from our church.

Now, as we navigate through the Apostle Paul's letters, the first nine were written to different churches that he planted.

The remaining letters were written to individuals who were very dear to him, and three of these letters written to Timothy and Titus are referred to as pastoral epistles.

And we're going to start looking at these letters tonight and in the next couple of weeks.

But before we get started, let's pray.

Heavenly Father, you are the source of all wisdom.

Your word is like a lamp to our feet and a light on our path.

As we look at this letter, please give us instruction and understanding so that we may apply it to our lives and grow in the knowledge of you.

In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.

So the first two verses declare Paul as the author and Timothy as the recipient.

Paul describes Timothy as his beloved son in the faith, and his name is appropriate, as it means one who honors God, and certainly Timothy was faithful to that.

He was taught the scriptures from a young age, as his mother, eunice, and his grandmother Lois were devout Jews who became believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we don't know much about his father, except that he was a Greek and possibly deceased by the time Timothy met Paul.

Timothy was from Lystra, a city in the Roman province of Galatia, which in geographical terms would be modern-day Turkey.

It was Paul who led Timothy to Christ and on his second missionary journey he chose Timothy to accompany him.

At the time Timothy was a young man, probably in his late teens or early twenties, but he already had a reputation for godliness.

Timothy would become Paul's disciple, friend and co-laborer for the remainder of the apostle's life, serving with him in Berea, athens and Corinth, while accompanying him on his journey to Jerusalem.

Paul frequently mentions Timothy in many of his letters and often sent Timothy to those churches as his representative.

He was with Paul during his final imprisonment and after being released, paul and Timothy revisited several of the cities where he had planted churches and, seeing a need at Ephesus, he left Timothy there to deal with problems that had arisen in the church.

At Ephesus, he left Timothy there to deal with problems that had arisen in the church.

Paul then went on to Macedonia, from where he wrote Timothy this letter to help him carry out the task of pastoring.

Evidence shows that the letter was written between 62 and 64 AD.

First Timothy is a practical letter containing pastoral instruction.

Now, when I say pastoral instruction, the context of this letter is an older pastor, paul, writing to a younger pastor, timothy.

Yet we as Christians need the same instruction, so we should listen as if Paul is speaking to all of us.

And in today's talk we will cover five different types of instruction and in the process we will break down some well-known passages of Scripture.

Now the first instruction, which we see in chapter 1, is a personal plea from Paul to Timothy to be steadfast in his calling.

Verse 3 makes that very clear.

It says, as I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine.

Now, the key word here is remain.

Timothy had a difficult task.

He was not just a small country church pastor.

He was not just a small country church pastor.

His task was to oversee all the churches in the region of Ephesus.

He was still a young guy and was probably of the mindset that he was not up to the task he was given.

He might have been intimidated and maybe had a case of the fear of man.

So to minister in a territory that had a population of about 300,000 people was indeed a daunting task.

Paul had to urge him to stay, and he gives Timothy a handful of reasons why he should, and we see that in verses 3 to 20 of chapter 1.

There were false teachers springing up everywhere and Paul needed Timothy to stand firm in the faith, confronting them with the truth.

Ephesus was Gentile country.

Paul describes the people as irreligious, not having an open heart for the gospel.

So not only did Timothy have to deal with false teachers, he had to deal with hardened unbelievers as well.

Paul was building Timothy up for the task at hand.

He had to approach the job as a soldier approaches battle.

He needed to carry on the fight.

A soldier had a responsibility not to desert his post.

Timothy had to have faith that God was in control and would guide him as Timothy continued to seek him.

But to me, the most compelling reason for Timothy to stay in Ephesus comes in verses 12 to 16.

Now we already know that Timothy may have been plagued by insecurity.

It would be easy for him to consider himself unworthy of the calling which he had received.

But Paul debunks this theory in that passage.

Let's start with verse 12.

It says so.

Let's stop right here.

It was Paul's faith that made him ready for the ministry.

Now, ministry sounds like a fancy, important word, but it simply means service.

It means to work hard for God and serve like a slave, and Paul surely fit that description.

Let's continue on in verse 13.

This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them.

But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.

So we see that twice in this passage Paul calls himself the worst of sinners.

Now for him to say this should not be taken as a flippant remark.

In Acts 20, in verse 11, paul is giving his testimony to King Agrippa, speaking about his persecution of Christians.

He says in all the synagogues I often punish them and try to make them blaspheme.

In other words, before killing them, he would try to get them to deny their faith in Christ.

Can you imagine?

Your last words before you die are the denial of Christ?

But overall, paul was trying to shut down Christianity before it could even get started, and he tried to destroy God's plan for humanity.

Only Satan himself was worse than that.

Now, considering this, you might think that Paul's past would disqualify him from the ministry, but, on the contrary, god's mercy and grace are enough to cover our sins and make us useful to serve him.

So be encouraged, brothers and sisters.

God can use any one of us for any task.

We should never feel that our past makes us unable to be used by God.

Paul was living proof that God can use any sinner, no matter how great a one he might be.

So, now that Timothy had his personal charge, paul turned his attention to the church, covered in chapters 2 and 3.

It is the instruction concerning the church.

Now, before we get into this, I want to be clear that the issues being addressed are meant for use within the confines of the church and its worship service.

So you might ask why instruction for the church?

I thought this was a letter to Timothy.

Well, it was, but these letters were also read aloud to the congregations so they could hear firsthand what Paul expected of them.

Let's start in chapter 2, in verse 1.

It says let's start in chapter 2 in verse 1.

It says First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for everyone.

Now.

Prayer was very important to Paul and he wanted Timothy to have that same priority, and likewise we should have that priority here in our church Now.

Most Christians find it easy to pray for their families, friends and loved ones, but it should not end there.

Paul prayed for his enemies and we should also pray for our enemies and for those with whom we have conflict.

So I encourage you, brothers and sisters, look around the church, consider praying for someone you might not ordinarily pray for.

You may change someone's life and maybe change yours as well.

Now, moving on, in chapter two, paul speaks to the roles of men and women.

Let's break it down into two parts, remembering that this is in the context of the worship service.

Verse 8 singles out the men to pray.

It says Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, establishes that men are to take the lead in praying during the worship service.

And verses 9 and 10 call out the women, instructing them on how to dress for church.

It says Also the women ought to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls or expensive apparel, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.

Apparently, there were wealthy women who were purposely drawing attention to themselves and away from the Lord by the manner of their dress.

Paul wanted to keep the attention on the Lord, because that is where it belonged.

And as we move on, he stays with the women in what has become a much debated passage of Scripture verses 11 to 13.

Verse 11 reads A woman is to learn quietly, with full submission.

Now, the key word here is quietly.

In this passage, quietly actually translates as peaceably or without contention.

But that does not mean that women are prohibited from speaking in the service.

What it does mean is that they are to listen and learn to what the men are teaching in a peaceful manner, without disruption.

And Paul is also clear that women are not to have the role of teaching authority.

Verse 12 says I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.

Instead, she is to remain quiet.

Now, that doesn't mean that women cannot have teaching roles in the church.

For example, we have many strong biblical women here in our church that teach in a variety of ways Sunday school, women's Bible studies, brunches, teas but Paul's focus here is the public worship of the church.

God has established a clear chain of authority in both the church and the home.

In those spheres God has ordained that men are the head, that is, that they have the place of authority and responsibility.

And the reason for male authority in the church is God's order of creation.

Verse 13 reads For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

So Adam or man was created first and given original authority on earth by God, or man was created first and given original authority on earth by God.

In fact, the first command God gave to the human race is found in Genesis, chapter 2, verses 16 and 17.

Genesis 2:16

It says of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

Now this command was given to Adam and Eve had not yet been created.

Therefore, adam received this command and his authority from God Once Eve was created.

It was Adam's responsibility to convey the message, but it seems like something was lost in the translation.

Let's pick it up in verse 14.

It says and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.

Both Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, and Eve clearly sinned first.

Yet the Bible never blames Eve for the fall of human race, but it always blames Adam.

Romans, chapter 5 and verse 12 clearly states.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

It says Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and that man was Adam, so, as you can see, god had all of this figured out from before creation.

There is a reason for the order that he established.

And now, thousands of years later, it is still the same authority and cannot be subject to the whims of the culture.

So listen up, men.

God has given us a big responsibility to lead his house and our home.

The world is in the shape that it is in because in many cases, we as men have neglected that responsibility or we have allowed the culture to take it away from us.

Now, finally, we come to verse 15, which is the subject of many interpretations, and I think it is an important verse to cover.

It says but she will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness, with good sense.

So what does save through childbearing mean?

Now, there are a few interpretations out there, none of which are clear from the text, so I'm not giving any opinion here.

I'm just saying what is out there.

Some suggest that bearing children is a means of salvation for women.

However, this contradicts the biblical message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Some suggest that women will be protected from the dangers of childbirth if they continue in faith, love and holiness of childbirth if they continue in faith, love and holiness.

However, christian women, like all women, can experience difficulties or even death through childbearing.

Now, in the original Greek text, this phrase translates as the childbearing, and some interpret this as referring to the birth of Jesus Christ, through whom all are saved.

And another interpretation suggests that being saved is understood in terms of women finding fulfillment as wives, mothers and managers of the household, provided they pursue faith, love and holiness.

Now again, these interpretations are only for you to consider and draw your own conclusions.

Now we have spent some time speaking about how men are to take the lead in the worship service.

So who are these men and what qualifies them to lead?

In chapter 3, paul continues his instruction to the church and teaches Timothy on how to qualify leaders.

In verses 1 to 7, we see a list of qualifications for the office of pastor-elder.

This saying is trustworthy.

If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.

Aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.

An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, but gentle, not quarrelsome and not greedy.

He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity.

For if anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he then take care of God's church?

He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.

Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil's trap.

Now, the words overseer, pastor and elder are words that can be used interchangeably to describe men who are responsible to lead the church.

Notice, in this extensive list of qualifications, there is very little emphasis on spiritual gifts, aside from being able to teach.

Every qualification is about character, and it is clear that the character of a man is the most important qualification for a leadership role in the church.

But if you think about it as Christians, these qualifications are something we should all desire to have.

Now, in verses 11 to 13, we see the qualifications for the office of deacon.

Let's start with verses 8 to 10.

Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

They must also be tested first.

If they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons.

So it seems pretty straightforward, though the tasks may be different.

All the qualifications are character-based, just as for the pastorder.

The main difference is that the ability to teach is not a requirement, although it is certainly not prohibited.

Now, moving on to verse 11, we come to a bit of controversy when it comes to the interpretation.

It says Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything.

So it mentions wives, and the Bible does not give a clear explanation on the meaning.

Some translations say women.

What women?

Now it's in the middle of the section on deacons.

So are they deacons' wives?

Why would Paul call out the deacons's wives and not the elders' wives?

Are they women deacons.

Now, since the office of deacon is task-based and does not require doctrinal teaching, it can be a role that women may be recognized for, and in some churches they are, and it's just another question we can ask Paul when we meet him.

Continuing on in verses 12 and 13, deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently.

For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The bottom line here is that Paul wanted leaders with character.

A man demonstrates his fitness for office in the church by his conduct.

You don't just become this, you already are this.

It is not a title, it is more of a function and it is certainly not a status, but it is indeed a calling.

So as we close out chapter three, let's recap.

In chapter one we see Paul encouraging Timothy to remain in Ephesus, and in chapters two and three we see him encouraging the church in its worship, service and leadership.

And as we move to the second half of the book, we go from encouragement to warning.

And as we move to the second half of the book we go from encouragement to warning.

The third instruction Paul gives concerns false teachers and we find that in chapter 4.

Let's read verses 1 and 2 and see how Paul describes the way false teachers work.

He says Satan and his demons constantly corrupt and pervert God's Word, using human false teachers to do their work.

And the most common deception comes in making human works as a prerequisite for salvation.

This is the mark of all false religions.

They teach that faith plus works for salvation.

And in today's world even professing Christians are deceived.

Faith plus anything is false and anyone teaching that is a false teacher.

Ever hear the question which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Well, in the bible the answer is very clear good deeds won't get you saved, but true salvation by faith will produce all of those good works.

Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, makes it clear.

Ephesians 2:8

It says For you are saved by grace, through faith, and this is not from yourselves.

It is a gift from God, not from works, so that no one can boast.

Brothers and sisters, don't be deceived.

I encourage you to cultivate a relationship with our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ, and to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to all good works.

Now, moving on, we see Paul instructing Timothy on how to be a true teacher Verse 6.

If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed.

So what are these things that he wants Timothy to point out?

The scriptures, constant feeding on the truths of God's word, are essential for all Christians, but especially for leaders like Timothy.

It is only by reading the scriptures, studying them, meditating on them and mastering their contents can a pastor fulfill his calling, which is to preach and teach God's word.

And as a believer, it is the only way that you can tell a true teacher from a false one.

You have to know God's word so that when you hear it you can believe the speaker to be true, and if you hear something else you will know the speaker is false.

But you have to make the effort.

Be a Berean, know God's word, don't be deceived.

Our fourth instruction is in chapter 5.

And here Paul encourages Timothy concerning his pastoral duties.

But the instruction pertains to all people in the church.

It is not enough for just the pastor to be doing this work.

It is our responsibility too.

And here Paul is teaching not only Timothy, but all of us as well.

Now, timothy was a young man in a prominent leadership role, so Paul showed him how he should relate to both men and women, young and old.

Let's read verses 1 and 2.

It says don't rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers and the younger women as sisters with all purity.

So let's look at the word rebuke.

To rebuke is a very important duty for a pastor.

It is the main goal.

The main goal is not encouragement, but instead to clearly confront someone with their wrong behavior or thinking.

In Titus, chapter 2 and verse 15, paul made the importance of rebuking clear.

Titus 2 · chapter mention

He says Rebuke with all authority, let no one despise you.

And in this case, in 1 Timothy, the Greek word used for rebuke literally means to strike at or to use harsh words.

Now, the command was not that Timothy must never rebuke older men, but that he was not to strike at them in an overly harsh way.

A young pastor such as Timothy must shepherd older men faithfully, but with respect for the years and presumed wisdom of the older men.

He was to exhort them as a father, encouraging them to do what is right.

When it came to younger men.

These were to be treated as brothers, that is, as partners and friends in the work of the gospel, but without the same deference due to the older men.

But he needed to deal with women differently.

Older women were to be treated as mothers, with the respect and honor that comes with age.

As a young pastor, timothy must accept and appreciate mothering from some of the older women in the church and it is proper to give them that honor.

Now the younger women were to be treated as sisters.

Timothy, as any godly man, was to make certain his conduct towards younger women was always pure and above reproach.

A godly man is not flirtatious or provocative and he does not use words that can be taken in a flirtatious or provocative way.

Now, in this situation, paul was addressing a young pastor as a man speaking to a man.

But I might add that women in the church have the same responsibility and that the behavior and conduct of all people in the church must be above reproach.

Next, paul spends verses 3 to 16 talking about how to treat widows.

Now, at the time of the writing, widows were a large segment of the population and there was no public assistance from the government.

Widows are described as over the age of 60 and without means to adequately support themselves.

Those who were really widows were to receive honor, which in this context means financial support, yet given in a dignified and honorable way.

In verses 3 and 4, paul places the responsibility in the hands of family, if there are any.

He says support widows who are genuinely in need.

But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn to practice godliness towards their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God.

He continues in verse 8, speaking mainly to the men.

But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

In summary, paul is clear in his instruction on the support of widows.

The local church is to support godly widows who are truly destitute, but for those with family, the primary responsibility starts in the home.

Now, as we continue in chapter 5, we see more instruction concerning church leaders.

Back in chapter 3, paul taught Timothy how to qualify elders, but here he instructs Timothy on how to manage them.

Part of Timothy's job was to appoint elders for the many local churches in the Ephesian territory.

This was a serious matter, with the leadership of the church at stake.

In verses 17 to 18, paul instructs Timothy on the compensation due to those who teach and preach.

The word Says the elders who are good leaders are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

For the scripture says do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain and the worker is worthy of his wages.

Here Paul clearly states that it is entirely appropriate for those who do the spiritual work to be compensated.

In Galatians, chapter 6 and verse 6, paul wrote let the one who is taught the word and that's us share all his good things with the teacher.

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

In verses 19 and 20, paul instructs him on how to handle accusations against leadership.

He says don't accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.

Now elders are to be held to a high standard, but there must be a solid case presented.

This is not about idle gossip.

No elder is perfect and their job is very difficult.

As a church body, we need to support them, not burden them.

Hebrews 13, 17 commands us obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account so that they can do.

Yet because elders are not perfect, they are prone to sin like all of us.

Verse 20 states it clearly.

There needs to be a high level of accountability among church leadership.

Fear of public rebuke is a great accountability partner.

And Paul's last words to Timothy on leadership come in verse 22.

It says don't be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder and don't share in the sins of others.

Keep yourself pure.

Paul cautioned Timothy to let a man prove himself before he was recognized as a leader.

There should not be a rush to appoint someone, especially a newer convert.

Only time can season a man and his ministry and allow his gifts and callings to demonstrate themselves.

And finally, paul warns him to keep himself pure.

If Timothy was called to observe and assess the lives of others, it was important that he pay even more attention to his own life.

Now there is one final instruction to Timothy in chapter 6, and it has to do with money, contentment and godliness.

Let's read verses 3 to 5.

Teach and encourage these things.

If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words.

From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.

Now the CSB doesn't have it.

But other translations finish verse 5 with the warning from such people, withdraw yourself.

In other words, timothy was to avoid people who taught wrong doctrine, stirred up strife in the church and who were thirsty to peddle God's word for money.

In verses 6 to 8, he encourages Timothy to be content with what God has given him.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out.

If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

A heart of contentment begins with seeing our earthly possessions from an eternal perspective.

The things that make a man rich in this world mean nothing in the world to come.

And verses 9 and 10 give us a lesson on the love of money, it says.

But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Many people misquote verse 10 by saying money is the root of all evil.

Money is not the problem.

In fact, there were many godly people in the Bible who had vast wealth.

Job, abraham, david and Solomon were just a few that we know.

The desire for wealth is far more dangerous than wealth itself, and it isn't only the poor who desire to be rich.

It is also the wealthy who want more wealth.

Only spiritual riches from Christ can satisfy us.

Everything else falls short.

But there are many people in the church who have means, and Paul goes on with instructions for Timothy on how to deal with those who do have material wealth.

Verses 17 to 19 state Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.

Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.

Pride is a constant danger.

With wealth, it is very easy to believe that we are more important because we have more than another man has.

Paul's main point to Timothy was leave the pursuit of money aside and be content with your work as a minister of the gospel.

Now, as the book closes, paul gives one final charge to Timothy, and the same charge to us as well.

He exhorts Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and to guard what has been entrusted to him.

He urges him to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness and to keep these commands without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord, jesus Christ.

And make no mistake, our Lord will appear when you least expect it.

So if you are here today and you do not know the Lord, we invite you to consider the good news that God sent his only begotten Son, jesus Christ, to die on a cross so that the sins of all those who believe would be forgiven.

He was buried and on the third day he was raised from the grave to conquer death, so that one day we, as believers, would also conquer death and have eternal life with him.

The Bible says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The Bible says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

So I invite you in this moment to look up and ask Jesus Christ to become your Lord and Savior, commit yourself to him in faith and love and watch him transform your life.

Heavenly Father, we know that all good things come from above.

Thank you for the godly instruction given to Timothy, knowing that, as believers, we must heed it as well.

Help us, o Lord, to be mindful of your word and obedient to your commands.

Lead us and guide us to be more like your Son, and we pray for all of this in his glorious name, amen.