| ReadBibleAlive.com Introduction to the Books of the Bible |
||
| Paul's
1st Letter to Timothy
BOOK : 1 Timothy Description : A letter from the apostle Paul to his young protégé, Timothy, encouraging and instructing on countering false teachers, administering the church and caring for the vulnerable. Author: The apostle Paul Date written : Probably somewhere between AD63 and AD65 Chapters: 6
Brief Synopsis:
Outline:
Some
Key Verses:
Paul's
initial instruction to Timothy (referred to in 1:18 at the end of the
section – see following)
1:3
As
I urged you when I went into Macedonia , stay there in Ephesus
so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines
any longer
1:18
Timothy,
my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once
made about you,
Paul's
second area of instruction to Timothy - teach prayer & orderly worship
administration
2:1,2
I
urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving
be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may
live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Paul's
third (implied) area of instruction to Timothy – check out elders and
deacons
3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
Paul's
fourth area of instruction to Timothy – continue to refute false teaching
and maintain good teaching
4:6
If
you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister
of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good
teaching that you have followed.
Paul's
fifth area of instruction to Timothy – teach & preach & press
on
4:11-16
Command
and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you
are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in
love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public
reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your
gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of
elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself
wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life
and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save
both yourself and your hearers
Paul's
sixth area of instruction to Timothy – teach/care for elderly, widows,
slaves and the affluent (on into Ch.6)
5:1,2
Do
not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.
Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women
as sisters, with absolute purity.
Call
to Refute False Teaching
In
a number of verses Paul expressly prompted Timothy to refute false teaching.
Note in what follows:
Error:
false
doctrines, focus on unbiblical myths, focus on genealogies, meaningless
talk that does nothing to build the church, focusing back in the Laws
1:3-7
As
I urged you when I went into Macedonia , stay there in Ephesus so that
you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer
nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies .
These promote controversies rather than 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 wandered away from these
and 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.
Unbiblical
asceticism from mistaken belief that material world was evil – part of
Gnostic heresy
4:1-8
The
Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and
follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come
through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with
a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain
from certain foods , which God created to be received with thanksgiving
by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created
is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point
these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ
Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching
that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths
and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical
training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding
promise for both the present life and the life to come.
See
first quote. Man-made arguing. Not revelation of God
6:3-5
If
anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound
instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited
and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversie
s and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious
talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind,
who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means
to financial gain.
‘Special
knowledge' was another aspect of Gnosticism
6:20,21
from
godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely
called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered
from the faith.
Note
‘Sayings' used in teaching in the early church
There
appear to have been a number of doctrinal ‘sayings' used by the early
church to teach new converts. Some of those appear in this letter. We
also include the 2 from 2 Tim and Titus.
1:15
Here
is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.
3:1
Here
is a trustworthy saying: If
anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
3:16
Beyond
all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He
appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken
up in glory.
4:8-10
For physical
training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding
promise for both the present life and the life to come .
This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this
we labor and strive), that we
have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and
especially of those who believe.
(NB.
It is unclear whether Paul refers to the verse before or after. Both could
be such sayings. We tend to feel it is more likely to be the words after.)
2 Tim 2:11-13 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself .
Titus 3:5-8 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. (Again it is unclear where this ‘saying' starts.) Concluding
Comments
As
a series of instructions to a church leader, this is a fascinating letter
because it reveals
Additional
Resources on this site
|
||