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1 Timothy

Intro and ch. 1

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Intro

“Hello, my name’s Bruce, and fish are our friends!”

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Hi everyone, my name’s Dan and I’m an

immortal being!

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Intro

  • Scriptures give us instructions on how to live our lives
  • If we just know the theory behind Godliness but aren’t obeying, we’re wrong
  • If we have amazing ideas about God but aren’t living it, we’re wrong
  • What you believe shapes how you live
  • If you aren’t living Biblically, check what you believe mentally
  • City of Ephesus had a disconnect between their words and their actions

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Intro

  • Sometimes Paul is not clear in his writings; we need to look in love when there are valid disagreements among Christians
  • “...[Paul’s] letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16b)
  • We are immortal beings and what we do matters to God
  • Learn truth to live truth, not to simply know truth

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Outline for today

  • Who is Timothy (and Paul)
  • Authorship, date, audience, theme, outline (1 Timothy)
  • Historical/cultural context of city of Ephesus
  • 1 Timothy ch. 1

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Who is Paul?

Paul: Jew, former member of Pharisees who God confronted and converted to Christianity

  • Pharisees: very religious Jews, followed oral teachings as well as Mosaic Law, had ear of the common people
  • Sadducees: aristocratic and wealthy Jews, often political and usually controlled priestly positions, were not very religious (ie, didn’t believe in an afterlife)
  • Paul would have be classified as a religious zealot
  • After conversion, Paul spent the rest of his life traveling and spreading the Gospel via missionary journeys

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Paul’s 1st missionary journey (46-48 AD; Acts 13-14)

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Who was Timothy?

  • From Lystra, had a Greek father, Jewish mother
  • Mother and grandmother were devout Jews who taught Timothy the OT Scriptures
  • Seems Paul may have led Timothy or relatives to Christ, thus Timothy is Paul’s spiritual son
  • Timothy probably in late teens or early 20s when he first met Paul

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Paul’s 2nd missionary journey (49-52 AD; Acts 16-18)

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Overview of 1 Timothy

  • Author: Paul (1 Tim. 1:1)
  • Date: 63-65 AD (compiled from history in Acts and details in Paul’s other writings)
  • Audience: personal letter to Timothy (but all Christians can benefit)
  • Theme: the Gospel leads to practical, visible changes in our lives

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Outline of 1 Timothy

  • [ch. 1] Commission to Timothy
    • Confront false teachers and their perversion of truth
    • Purpose of the Law was to expose the sinful human condition, NOT lead us into perfection
    • Following Jesus leads to true love and faithfulness
  • [ch. 2-3] Instructions regarding conduct and leadership
    • Prayer helps with anger
    • Bickering and fighting about doctrines is a bad idea
    • Church as a fashion show is another bad idea
    • Role of women in church leadership
    • Qualifications for deacons and elders
  • [ch. 4-6a] More instructions regarding conduct
    • Food is good, stop telling people to not eat it
    • Marriage is good, stop telling people to not get married
    • Stop letting the younger widows take advantage of the church’s support system for widows
    • Christian slaves should be focused on spreading the Gospel and should work even harder for Christian masters
  • [ch. 6b] Commission to Timothy
    • Confront teachers profiting from ministry
    • Christians blessed with wealth should use it wisely to further the Gospel

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Outline of 1 Timothy

  • [ch. 1] Commission to Timothy
    • Confront false teachers and their perversion of truth
    • Purpose of the Law was to expose the sinful human condition, NOT lead us into perfection
    • Following Jesus leads to true love and faithfulness
  • [ch. 2-3] Instructions regarding conduct and leadership
    • Prayer helps with anger
    • Bickering and fighting about doctrines is a bad idea
    • Church as a fashion show is another bad idea
    • Role of women in church leadership
    • Qualifications for deacons and elders
  • [ch. 4-6a] More instructions regarding conduct
    • Food is good, stop telling people to not eat it
    • Marriage is good, stop telling people to not get married
    • Stop letting the younger widows take advantage of the church’s support system for widows
    • Christian slaves should be focused on spreading the Gospel and should work even harder for Christian masters
  • [ch. 6b] Commission to Timothy
    • Confront teachers profiting from ministry
    • Christians blessed with wealth should use it wisely to further the Gospel

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Issues in Ephesus Paul alludes to

Ephesus is a spiritual warzone

  • Food: evil
  • Marriage: evil (sex: evil)
  • Young widows taking advantage of church benevolence (sleeping around and gossiping)
  • Christian slaves should serve masters faithfully, especially fellow Christians
  • Church isn’t a fashion show (don’t wear fancy clothing to demean others and make them feel inferior)
  • Teachers were profiting significantly from “ministering”
  • Role of women in church leadership
  • Mystical “secret” knowledge (ie, Gnosticism) combined with Mosaic Law to distort Gospel
  • Selecting church leaders
  • And oh yeah, the resurrection of believers has already occurred, you all missed it, and we’re all screwed!

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City of Ephesus (“New York City” of ancient world)

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1 Timothy 1:1-20

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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

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to Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

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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

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or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.

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The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

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Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.

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They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

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We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.

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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,

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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

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1 Timothy 1:1-20

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that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

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I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

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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.

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The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

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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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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.

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Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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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,

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holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.

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Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

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Discussion Questions

  1. What’s the issue with some of the individuals who want to be teachers of the law (but shouldn’t be in Paul’s opinion)?
  2. What is the purpose of the Law according to Paul in this chapter?
  3. Why was Paul shown mercy? What role do you think intent plays?
  4. What does v20 mean when it says that Paul has “handed over [Hymenaeus and Alexander] to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme”?

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