1
Timothy 1 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of
Christ Jesus our hope,
2
To Timothy my true son in the faith:
Grace,
mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Timothy
charged to oppose false teachers
3 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 4 or to devote themselves to
myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather
than advancing God’s work – which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is
love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They
want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking
about or what they so confidently affirm.
8
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 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, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practising
homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever
else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11
that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he
entrusted to me.
The Lord’s grace to Paul
12
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me
trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 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. 14 The
grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and
love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy
saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners – of whom I am the worst. 16 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. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour
and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The
charge to Timothy renewed
18 Timothy, my son, I am
giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so
that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith
and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck
with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I
have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
What to do with your
personal prophecies, from Elim Missions
1 Timothy 1:18-19
You
may have a Bible where you underlined that important verse which spoke to you
all those years ago. You may have a plaque on the wall or a fridge magnet where
the quotation is a voice in your house. You may have a journal with that
prophetic word given to you in a church service was written down in excited
enthusiasm.
So what should you do
with them?
1. Remember them.
2. Tell someone else
about them and ask them to remember too.
3. Follow them, aligning
your life with them.
4. Be inspired by them
and helped in life by them.
5. Let them cause you to
hold on despite your struggles.
We
like the prophesies but we need the "instruction in keeping with the
prophesy".
The IVP New Testament
Commentary Series
Timothy's Standing
Order: Stay and Fight (1:3-20)
When
it comes to heresy or even misguided enthusiasm in the church, it is fairly
obvious that history repeats itself. Early misconceptions about Christ and his
relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit (was he really human or did he
just seem to be? was he simply adopted by God because of his moral purity? was
he really divine?), from which heretical movements developed, are still with us
today in popular quasi-Christian movements well known for their vigorous
proselytizing. The denial of the deity and resurrection of Christ currently
fashionable in parts of Christendom also presents parallels. Spiritual
elitism/enthusiasm, confusion about the times and subtle systems of
interpretation—things that characterized certain Gnostic-Christian communities
and troubled earlier New Testament churches—can also be found in certain
quarters of the modern church. Justification by works (legalism) is yet another
modern delusion (even in some "evangelical" churches) with roots
going back well before the time of Pelagius in the fourth century. A close look
at our situation will uncover many points of contact with the situation Timothy
was to face in Ephesus.
Heresy
is to the church what treason or sedition is to the state—a divisive force made
treacherous by the fact that it begins within the organization and exploits
lines of trust and positions of authority. In the church's experience, false
teachers often rose to prominence within the Christian community. Once censured
by church leaders, they and their followers could choose either to repent or to
depart. Much of what the early church fathers wrote was in response to false
teachers who had departed and continued to challenge the faith with their own
"enlightened" versions. Strangely, given all the emphasis on
interpretation and knowledge, the appeal and staying power of any such cult
often owed more to the personality or charisma of the leader(s) than to its
distinctive doctrine.
Yet
heresy is a term that needs to be carefully defined. As Harold O. J. Brown
points out, the term, originally meaning "party" (Acts 5:17),
gradually took to itself negative connotations as it was applied to factions
that had deviated or split from the apostolic faith (1 Cor 11:9; Brown 1984:2).
But the term is used so loosely today (as it has been down through history)
that still further definition is necessary. Heresy in reference to a doctrine
denotes one "that was sufficiently intolerable to destroy the unity of the
Christian church. In the early church, heresy did not refer to simply any
doctrinal disagreement, but to something that seemed to undercut the very basis
for Christian existence" (Brown 1984:2). Some today (as, again, down through
history) would place things like infant baptism or tongues-speaking into this
category. Yet to judge from the New Testament and the early fathers of the
church, the early church's greatest concern was for deviations in doctrines
pertaining to God and Christ and the nature of salvation and justification,
because the very substance of the gospel message and the salvation that rests
on it lies in these things. Teachings that tend to characterize and distinguish
the various Christian denominations (views about baptism, Communion, church
government, gifts of the Holy Spirit and the role of women in ministry, among
others) may certainly be held to with passion, but the differences here derive
mainly from biblical passages capable of more than one reasonable explanation.
The term heresy is not appropriate in this latter context.
As
Paul saw it, heresy posed a dual threat. It endangered the church and
individuals who would be drawn into error, perhaps beyond the reach of
salvation. It threatened the church's evangelistic mission in the world, by
contaminating the gospel. Thus Paul's charge to Timothy is equally a charge to
us.
The
logical structure of 1:3-20 recommends that we consider it as a unit.
A
The Charge to Timothy to Oppose the False Teachers (vv. 3-5)
B
The False Teachers (vv. 6-7)
C
The Law: Mishandled by the False Teachers (vv. 8-10)
C'
The Authorized Doctrine (vv. 10-11)
B'
The Testimony of a Faithful Teacher (vv. 12-17)
A'
The Charge to Timothy Repeated (vv. 18-20)
Paul
denounces the heresy forcefully at the outset by introducing a contrast between
true and false. False teachers are contrasted with Paul. False doctrine and
misuse of the law are contrasted with the genuine gospel. And opening and
closing charges to Timothy bracket this contrast. This juxtaposing of true and
false and instructions to Timothy will carry on through the whole of the
letter.
The IVP New Testament
Commentary Series
Committed to the Gospel
and God's Plan of Salvation (1:15-16)
With
the turn in thought that occurs at this point, Paul continues his contrast of
the faithful teacher and the false teacher. In teaching false doctrine, the
false teachers are diverging from the authorized gospel and God's plan of
redemption (1:4). In contrast, the faithful teacher will follow Paul in fully
affirming God's plan.
First,
at the center of this plan is the gospel message. Paul was fully convinced of
its reliability. He signals his commitment and calls others to do likewise with
a formula, Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, and a
succinct statement of the gospel, Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners. As he clearly states here, the basis of salvation is the historical
ministry of Christ. As he has stated elsewhere (1 Cor 1:18-31; 2 Tim 1:10),
this "ministry," executed in the past (Christ came), continues in the
present day to be effective in the preaching of the gospel. This is God's plan:
salvation is linked solely to Christ and the message about him. Commitment to
anything but the apostolic gospel is heresy.
Second,
God's redemptive plan is imperturbable, as Paul's own experience taught him. It
reaches to the depths of depravity. Paul's self-confessed pre-Christian history
(as the worst of sinners [v. 15], a reference to his persecution of Christians
[v. 13; compare Gal 1:13]) made him, ironically, the perfect illustration of
the effectiveness of the gospel, the boundless grace of God and the
inexhaustible patience of Christ (v. 16).
Third,
the readers are reminded that salvation requires "belief" in Christ
(v. 16). Furthermore, Paul's language (believe on him) indicates that he means
personal faith in Christ, not simply adherence to a dogma. In order for this
kind of belief to occur, the gospel must be kept pure.
Finally,
the ultimate goal of the plan of salvation is eternal life (v. 16; compare 4:8;
6:12, 19; 2 Tim 1:10; Tit 1:2; 3:7). Paul's connection of ideas makes it clear
that the believer's personal faith in Christ is the necessary stepping-stone to
the ultimate goal of eternal life. It is this plan of salvation that Paul's
life verified.
Most
of us would be reluctant to do what Paul has done here. We are certainly no
match for the apostle. But humility aside, each Christian's spiritual history
is filled with poignant reminders of God's grace and mercy. While it will not
do to live in that past, from time to time we must take our bearings from it as
we move forward on a path that may not be clear. Paul's testimony of his
personal encounter with Christ demonstrated the power of the approved gospel.
Paul knew in his heart and was fully convinced that this message was true. And
it is essential that every Christian share this conviction borne out of
experience. We must remember, however, that this proof cannot be based solely
on a mystical encounter with God; it must be backed up by a changed life (v.
14). Could the false teachers with their version of the gospel make the same
claims as Paul? No! God's salvation plan is linked solely to the Christian
gospel. It requires faith and produces a new manner of life.
The IVP New Testament
Commentary Series
Timothy, Fight the Good
Fight (1:18-20)
Before
moving on to instructions to the whole church, Paul returns to underline
Timothy's standing orders concerning the heretics. It is this purpose of
instructing Timothy that controls the entire first chapter. The instruction of
verse 18 is the command of verse 3 and all that has followed. Now, however, in
repeating the charge to Timothy, Paul speaks to him as to the minister whose
special calling by God carries with it special obligations.
The Bible Panorama
1 Timothy 1
V 1–2: SPIRITUAL SON Paul writes, as an
apostle, to his spiritual son, Timothy, and reminds him of the need for grace,
mercy and peace from their common Father and Saviour.
V 3–7: FAITHLESS FABLES Timothy is urged to
stay in Ephesus in order to correct the teaching of fables which produces no
faith. Edification, love, good conscience, and sincere faith are the results of
good doctrine being taken in the right spirit by the hearers. Timothy is to
resist those who pervert the truth.
V 8–11: LEGITIMATE LAW The correct use of law
is to show sinful people their need for a Saviour. Sinners of all types need
sound teaching in a gospel context. The law gives the foundation to enable the
recognition of the need for forgiveness.
V
12–14: GOD’S GRACE Paul records his thankfulness for God’s grace which has
saved him from his former life of blasphemy, persecution and insolence, and has
put him into Christian service.
V 15–16: ‘ALL
ACCEPTANCE’
Paul recommends to Timothy a saying which is ‘worthy of all acceptance’. It is
simply that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. Although Paul
sees himself as the chief of sinners, he recognises that, through his
conversion, God is showing His longsuffering to other sinners. If God’s
longsuffering can bring to salvation such a rebel as Paul, this is an
encouraging pattern for other sinners, who come to believe on Christ.
V 17:
MARVELLOUS MONARCH The thought of God’s grace to Paul leads him to praise
Jesus Christ as King, whose attributes belong to God alone.
V 18–20: WAGING WARFARE Paul urges Timothy to
fight the good fight of faith and keep his conscience and his faith as
priorities. Others who have rejected this counsel have shipwrecked their faith.
They have been put out of fellowship (the meaning of ‘delivered to Satan’) so
that the sin of blasphemy, resulting from their ignoring of conscience and
faith, may be terminated ultimately when the discipline of being put out leads
them to repentance and faith.
Dictionary of Bible
Themes
7944 ministry,
qualifications for
God,
who calls his people to minister, also equips his people. The chief
qualifications are a response to God’s call, faithfulness, godliness and
Christlikeness.
God
calls people to minister
Qualification
is by call, not gifting or achievement Dt 7:7-8 See also Dt 9:4-5
God
calls those who the world regards as weak or foolish 1Co 1:27-29
Feelings
of inadequacy to God’s call are common Ex 3:11 Moses; Jdg 6:15 Gideon; 1Sa 9:21
Saul; 1Sa 18:18 David; 1Ki 3:7 Solomon; Isa 6:5 Isaiah; Jer 1:6 Jeremiah
Responding
to God’s call to minister
Readiness
and availability 1Sa 3:10; Isa 6:8
Faith,
rather than natural talent or moral perfection, is required Heb 11:1-2 See also
Ge 27:19-24 Jacob was a deceiver; Nu 27:12-14 Moses and Aaron disobeyed God.
David committed adultery and murder: 2Sa 11:4,14-15
1Ki
11:9-13 Solomon disobeyed God’s command.
NT
ministers are recognised by call rather than their achievement
The
Twelve Mt 10:1-4 pp Mk 3:14-19 pp Lk 6:12-16 The Twelve, including Peter and
Judas, failed Jesus Christ at critical times.
Paul
Ac 9:15; Ac 26:6; 2Co 4:7-12; 2Co 12:7 Though greatly gifted, Paul was kept
humble by his sense of unworthiness, difficulties and disappointments and his
“thorn in the flesh”; 1Ti 1:16
Ministry
in the NT is described as service
Serving
God Ro 1:9; Jas 1:1
Serving
Jesus Christ Ro 1:1; Jude 1; Rev 1:1
Serving
the gospel Eph 3:7; Col 1:23
Serving
the church Ro 15:31; Ro 16:1; 1Co 16:15; 2Co 9:1; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7,25
Ministry
is described in terms of its source, content or nature
Its
source It is of the Spirit: 2Co 3:6,8
2Co
4:1 It is from God.
Its
content Ac 6:2-4 the word of God; 2Co 5:18 reconciliation
Its
nature Apostolic: Ac 1:25; Gal 2:8
Ro
15:16 priestly
Various
ministries are equally linked by qualifications of character
Ac
1:21 the replacement for Judas; Ac 6:3 the Seven Overseers: 1Ti 3:2-7; Tit
1:7-9
1Ti
3:8-13 deacons; 1Ti 6:11 Timothy
The
personal qualifications for ministry
Faithfulness
1Ti 6:11-14 Timothy; 2Ti 4:7 Paul’s claim for his own ministry “faithful” is
the sole description of the ministries of Epaphras and Tychicus: Col 1:7; Col
4:7
Godliness
Ac 8:21 Simon was not right with God. Timothy: 1Ti 6:11,20-21
Christlikeness
Ac 1:21-22 The replacement apostle for Judas had to have been with Jesus Christ
from the beginning.
Some Scriptures on
Christian Ministry.
Ministry in the NT is
described as service
1.
Serving God
Romans
1:9New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
9
God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my
witness how constantly I remember you
2.
Serving Jesus Christ
Romans
1:1-6New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called
to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – 2 the gospel he
promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his
Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, 4 and who through
the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] by his
resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received
grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes
from[c] faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who
are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
3.
Serving the gospel
Ephesians
3:7-12New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
7
I became a servant of this gospel by the
gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am
less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to
preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain
to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept
hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the
church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and
authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he
accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we
may approach God with freedom and confidence.
4.
Serving the church
Colossians
1:6-14 & 25 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
6
that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing
throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day
you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras,
our dear fellow servant,[a] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[b]
behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying
for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will
through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[c] 10 so that
you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing
fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being
strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may
have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you[d] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the
kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and
brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins…. 25 I have
become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of
God in its fullness
III.
The nature and purpose of ministry from the Encyclopedia of The Bible
A.
Ministry as mission. All ministry, whether of Christ or the Church, is divine
in its origin and sanction. In the fourth gospel Jesus characteristically
refers to Himself as having been sent by God, thereby claiming both a general
divine commission and specific divine authority for utterances and actions
which sometimes outraged the religious scruples of His contemporaries (John
5:36, 37; 6:29ff.; 7:28, 29, etc.; cf. Matt 15:24; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48;
10:16). He employs the same language when commissioning His disciples to carry
on His ministry after His Ascension (John 20:21). The Church’s ministry is a
mission, and in rendering its service to the world the Church demonstrates its
obedience to the command of its Lord (Matt 28:18-20).
B.
Ministry as service. To describe the Church’s ministry, the NT writers chose
out of various possibilities the word διακονία, G1355, a familiar term for lowly service,
which they apply indiscriminately to the service of all believers alike. The
comprehensiveness of this term is brought out by its wealth of association in
the NT. Apostles and their co-workers are διάκονοι of God (2 Cor 6:4; 1 Thess 3:2), of Christ (2
Cor 11:23; Col 1:7; 1 Tim 4:6), of a new covenant (2 Cor 3:6), of the Gospel
(Eph 3:7; Col 1:23), of the Church (1:24, 25), or in an absolute sense (1 Cor
3:5; Eph 6:21; Col 4:7). Ministry likewise is a διακονία, G1355, of apostleship
(Acts 1:17, 25), of the Word (Acts 6:4), of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:8), of
righteousness (3:9), of reconciliation (5:18), of serving tables (Acts 6:2),
and of financial aid for fellow believers in distress (2 Cor 8:4; cf. 8:19,
20). It is received from the Lord (Col 4:17), who calls all His followers to
participate in it (Eph 4:12). It should be noted that Christian ministry is not
exclusively oriented to the spiritual, but encompasses the physical dimensions
of life as well (cf. Rom 15:25).
The
spirit of humility which animates Christian ministry, already evident in the
term διακονία, G1355, is intensified
when believers are called “slaves” of Christ and of God (Acts 4:29; 1 Cor 7:22;
1 Pet 2:16; cf. Rom 12:11; 1 Thess 1:9). No ground for human vanity and pride
remains when even apostles bear the name of slave (Rom 1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1).
Yet where gratitude reigns in hearts redeemed by the Lord who took the lowest
place of service in love (Phil 2:7, 8), offering His life as a ransom for His
own (Mark 10:45), even the calling to be His slave is gladly embraced as the
noblest, most privileged vocation of all.
Called By God from The Oswald Chambers Daily Devotional
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who
will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." —Isaiah 6:8
God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying,
“…who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a select few but for
everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears,
and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. “Many are called,
but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). That is, few prove that they are the
chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with
God through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and
their ears opened. Then they hear “the voice of the Lord” continually asking,
“…who will go for Us?” However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, “Now,
you go.” He did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of
God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom,
could only be to say, “Here am I! Send me.”
Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you
or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without
irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence
of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew
4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we
too will hear what Isaiah heard— “the voice of the Lord.” In perfect freedom we
too will say, “Here am I! Send me.”
Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning
point--a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go more and
more toward a slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and
more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest--our best for His glory."
--Oswald Chambers, from the My Utmost for His Highest
Be
Blessed today
Yours
by His Grace, for the sake of His Church
and His Kingdom
Blair
Humphreys
Southport,
Merseyside, England
