The Message Of I Timothy
“Effective Ministry” • 5.26.09 • The Power Of One: One Man, One Life, One Mission, Session #23
Intro.
- At the end of the book of Acts, we find Paul in his own rented house, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom.
- During the next four years, Paul would write 3 final epistles that would address those that would continue with his work.
- As such, what we are about close our study upon will seem specialized and thus irrelevant. We cannot ignore that certain things apply directly to Pastors.
- However, what we can relate to are the principles that Paul relates to Timothy and Titus.
- Before we get there, we need to refresh ourselves in Timothy’s story. Timothy was a disciple when Paul came to Derbe & Lystra. He was well thought of and thus a perfect complement to Paul.
- Shortly after their first meeting, Paul circumcises Timothy so that he would be fully able to participate in the mission. From this point on, Paul and Timothy were understandably close!
- As time goes by, Timothy is called by Paul a “fellow worker,” a “brother” and “a minister of God.” Paul aaffinity for Timothy is best seen in II Corinthians 4:17.
• II Corinthians 4:16,17 : “Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.”
- Paul thought so highly of Timothy, that he called him a faithful son in the Lord. More than that, an accurate representative of Paul’s theological viewpoints.
- Paul vouched for Timothy and trusted him enough to give him a deep level of responsibility among the churches that he founded.
- With this as our background, we come to the teaching of I Timothy. From what we can gather of Timothy is a bit younger than Paul and his mission is one that he fights perpetually.
- He is a young Pastor charged with transferring the knowledge of the life of God, as well as supervising it’s implementation. This would be a very intimidating job for anyone!
- I pray now that as we survey Paul’s words, that we will see things in this light. Paul wants Timothy, his disciple, his son in the faith, to take on certain characteristics that every Christian needs to possess.
Text
- Most scholars believe that Timothy was 40 years of age. As such, he would likely have been one of the youngest in the congregation. Still, he was called to lead.
• I Timothy 4:12,13 : "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."
- Paul sets Timothy up as an "example." The word "example" means to be the template or the form of what a Christian is to be like.
- Blue letter Bible defines it like this: "The pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made." Timothy was to be the mold.
- The template for believer's lives would be shown in 6 ways. First, in word, which is better understood as speech.
- I am surprised at the lack of attention that is paid to the way that we speak. What we say, how we say it and why we say it are all important considerations in walking with Christ.
- Turn with me to Ephesians 4. Paul gives us a rule that should govern our speech.
• Ephesians 4:29 : "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."
- Secondly, he is to be the mold in conduct. This refers to his behavior, his manner of life.
- His actions reinforce his words. Paul recognizes that the actions of anyone desiring to represent Christ will live under intense scrutiny. Are you responsible? Dependable?
- Let me say that this does not mean that we need to be sour and maintain a demure disposition. It means that we should conduct ourselves appropriately to the given moment.
- As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for sadness and a time for joy. Act accordingly.
- Paul goes further and adds the word "love." Agape love, others centered, responsible for others and wanting their best.
- Jesus told His disciples that this characteristic would define them, and that the world would know them by their love.
- Fourth, Paul mentions that Timothy was was to be the template in terms of spirit. One would better understand this as his attitude.
- How is his attitude when things are difficult? How is his attitude when he is tired? What's his attitude like when he has to do something that he does not like?
- Fifth, he speaks of faith. Literally, we would say "faithfulness." Faithful in terms of dependability. Faithful in terms of carrying out a given mission with complete trustworthiness.
- Turn over to II Timothy 2:2. When Paul wanted Timothy to transfer his ministry, he advised him to note one essential quality.
• II Timothy 2:1,2 : "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
- Finally, Paul points to his purity. The word used here is better thought of as holiness.
- You and I think of holiness as a foreign concept. Holiness is a desire to be separated for God's use in all venues that life presents us with.
- I want to be separated for God's use in my employment. I want to be separated for God's use in my neighborhood.
- The six attributes are to be the tenets of Timothy's leadership. Now, at this point, you might be asking what this has to do with having a sense of authority.
- The foundation for any minister's authority is a life that is lived under authority. A life lived without these characteristics will only undermine the minister's authority in the church or the home.
- These were characteristics in Timothy's life, note the words that Paul uses to charge Timothy.
- Three times, Paul uses the word "command." (4:11, 5:7 & 6:17) Three times Paul uses the word "charge." (1:3, 1:18, & 5:21). Both come from the same Greek word. Both confer authority.
- This authority to speak cannot happen unless his actions speak first. The same is true for us.
- Timothy was a man well acquainted with responsibility for the church. This first epistle to Timothy demonstrates just where Timothy's responsibilities lay. His first responsibility was doctrinal.
• I Timothy 1:3,4 : "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith."
- The church was overrun with some that had lost course. They spent time on peripherals, majoring on minors, etc.
- Ultimately, as Paul puts it, the result of their influence brought about disputes, and not edification. Paul's call to Timothy was to make sure that they did stay on the theological track.
- This is not some archaic piece of advice. This remains a critical function of pastoral work.
- People start talking about theological chicken or the egg arguments and before you know it, contentions rise and the brotherhood is disrupted. Second, Timothy's responsibility was practical.
• I Timothy 3:1 : "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work."
- Timothy's job was to help men assimilate into positions of ministry. This is seen here implicitly by the instructions given to Timothy. Paul explicitly charges Titus with this.
• Titus 1:4,5 : "To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you--"
- Any ministry that we are involved in will require a certain amount of practical work.
- New leaders will have to be identified, trained and then given duties to test their mettle.
- Timothy's job was more than casual oversight. This job required a painstaking process, requiring relationship with direct communication over a long period of time.
- Take a closer look at some of the things that Timothy was to discover.
• I Timothy 3:2-6 : "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil."
- Often, the church is guilty is of finding just anyone. Timothy was to be discerning in his job.
- Finally, Timothy's responsibility was personal.
• I Timothy 4:14-16 : "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
- Paul knew as much as anyone else, the necessity of keeping sharp. There is a daily need to refresh oneself.
- Refining what gifts you have, in whatever way you can, is of vital importance. Say for example, you have the gift of wisdom and you counsel often. It would be prudent to read or converse with others who share in the same gift.
- Perhaps you are a teacher. It would be wise to continue to grow in that gifting.
- Timothy was to take heed, to watch himself and to watch and examine his doctrine. This was good for himself and it was useful to the Lord in bringing about salvation.
- I use the word "urgency," not to express a state of perpetual fervor, where zeal gives way to obsession. Rather, there is a sense of urgency which recognizes that time is limited and the work we have must be attended to now.
• I Timothy 4:1 : "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,"
- The early church lived as if Jesus was returning within days. They obviously still functioned and made provision for organization, but there was a belief that they lived in "latter times."
- Even during Paul's time, things had begun to spiral away from the truths of God's word and the message that they were called to deliver.
- He says here that some would depart from the faith and open themselves to all sorts of deceptions. The time was right at the moment to double the efforts of spreading the word of God.
- Turn over to II Timothy 4. Paul writing TImothy a second time is no less strong on this point.
• II Timothy 4:2,3 : "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;"
- "There was once a Church of England clergyman who was gloriously saved. When Jesus changed his life he started preaching the gospel to his whole parish and they all got saved. Then he started preaching in neighboring parishes, and the clergymen of those parishes were offended. They asked the bishop to make the man stop. When the bishop confronted him he said, “I hear you are always preaching and you don’t seem to be doing anything else.” The changed man answered, “Well bishop, I only preach during two seasons of the year.” The bishop said, “I’m glad to know that; what seasons are they?” He replied, “In season and out of season!”
- Note the verbs here. Convince, rebuke, and exhort. To convince means to expose, to bring something to light. To rebuke means to actually call an action wrong! To exhort means to come alongside of and encourage.
- These are functions of God's word and His ministry will require that we do all of these over and over again.
Conclusion
- Paul was a man of God who wanted to pass the proverbial torch. These beliefs are what made him so effective.
- He charges Timothy and the Spirit charges us to be men of authority. Is your life speaking as loud as your words?
- Responsibility: It doesn't end at 5PM or when your current duty is done. We are to have eyes that look to be useful in His hands, wherever we are.
- Finally, let us realize that the time is short. We can't take any time from our essential work in Christ.
“Effective Ministry” • 5.26.09 • The Power Of One: One Man, One Life, One Mission, Session #23
Intro.
- At the end of the book of Acts, we find Paul in his own rented house, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom.
- During the next four years, Paul would write 3 final epistles that would address those that would continue with his work.
- As such, what we are about close our study upon will seem specialized and thus irrelevant. We cannot ignore that certain things apply directly to Pastors.
- However, what we can relate to are the principles that Paul relates to Timothy and Titus.
- Before we get there, we need to refresh ourselves in Timothy’s story. Timothy was a disciple when Paul came to Derbe & Lystra. He was well thought of and thus a perfect complement to Paul.
- Shortly after their first meeting, Paul circumcises Timothy so that he would be fully able to participate in the mission. From this point on, Paul and Timothy were understandably close!
- As time goes by, Timothy is called by Paul a “fellow worker,” a “brother” and “a minister of God.” Paul aaffinity for Timothy is best seen in II Corinthians 4:17.
• II Corinthians 4:16,17 : “Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.”
- Paul thought so highly of Timothy, that he called him a faithful son in the Lord. More than that, an accurate representative of Paul’s theological viewpoints.
- Paul vouched for Timothy and trusted him enough to give him a deep level of responsibility among the churches that he founded.
- With this as our background, we come to the teaching of I Timothy. From what we can gather of Timothy is a bit younger than Paul and his mission is one that he fights perpetually.
- He is a young Pastor charged with transferring the knowledge of the life of God, as well as supervising it’s implementation. This would be a very intimidating job for anyone!
- I pray now that as we survey Paul’s words, that we will see things in this light. Paul wants Timothy, his disciple, his son in the faith, to take on certain characteristics that every Christian needs to possess.
I. A Sense Of Authority
II. A Sense Of Responsibility
III. A Sense Of Urgency
II. A Sense Of Responsibility
III. A Sense Of Urgency
Text
I. A Sense Of Authority
- Most scholars believe that Timothy was 40 years of age. As such, he would likely have been one of the youngest in the congregation. Still, he was called to lead.
• I Timothy 4:12,13 : "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."
- Paul sets Timothy up as an "example." The word "example" means to be the template or the form of what a Christian is to be like.
- Blue letter Bible defines it like this: "The pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made." Timothy was to be the mold.
- The template for believer's lives would be shown in 6 ways. First, in word, which is better understood as speech.
- I am surprised at the lack of attention that is paid to the way that we speak. What we say, how we say it and why we say it are all important considerations in walking with Christ.
- Turn with me to Ephesians 4. Paul gives us a rule that should govern our speech.
• Ephesians 4:29 : "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."
- Secondly, he is to be the mold in conduct. This refers to his behavior, his manner of life.
- His actions reinforce his words. Paul recognizes that the actions of anyone desiring to represent Christ will live under intense scrutiny. Are you responsible? Dependable?
- Let me say that this does not mean that we need to be sour and maintain a demure disposition. It means that we should conduct ourselves appropriately to the given moment.
- As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for sadness and a time for joy. Act accordingly.
- Paul goes further and adds the word "love." Agape love, others centered, responsible for others and wanting their best.
- Jesus told His disciples that this characteristic would define them, and that the world would know them by their love.
- Fourth, Paul mentions that Timothy was was to be the template in terms of spirit. One would better understand this as his attitude.
- How is his attitude when things are difficult? How is his attitude when he is tired? What's his attitude like when he has to do something that he does not like?
- Fifth, he speaks of faith. Literally, we would say "faithfulness." Faithful in terms of dependability. Faithful in terms of carrying out a given mission with complete trustworthiness.
- Turn over to II Timothy 2:2. When Paul wanted Timothy to transfer his ministry, he advised him to note one essential quality.
• II Timothy 2:1,2 : "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
- Finally, Paul points to his purity. The word used here is better thought of as holiness.
- You and I think of holiness as a foreign concept. Holiness is a desire to be separated for God's use in all venues that life presents us with.
- I want to be separated for God's use in my employment. I want to be separated for God's use in my neighborhood.
- The six attributes are to be the tenets of Timothy's leadership. Now, at this point, you might be asking what this has to do with having a sense of authority.
- The foundation for any minister's authority is a life that is lived under authority. A life lived without these characteristics will only undermine the minister's authority in the church or the home.
- These were characteristics in Timothy's life, note the words that Paul uses to charge Timothy.
- Three times, Paul uses the word "command." (4:11, 5:7 & 6:17) Three times Paul uses the word "charge." (1:3, 1:18, & 5:21). Both come from the same Greek word. Both confer authority.
- This authority to speak cannot happen unless his actions speak first. The same is true for us.
II. A Sense Of Responsibility
- Timothy was a man well acquainted with responsibility for the church. This first epistle to Timothy demonstrates just where Timothy's responsibilities lay. His first responsibility was doctrinal.
• I Timothy 1:3,4 : "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith."
- The church was overrun with some that had lost course. They spent time on peripherals, majoring on minors, etc.
- Ultimately, as Paul puts it, the result of their influence brought about disputes, and not edification. Paul's call to Timothy was to make sure that they did stay on the theological track.
- This is not some archaic piece of advice. This remains a critical function of pastoral work.
- People start talking about theological chicken or the egg arguments and before you know it, contentions rise and the brotherhood is disrupted. Second, Timothy's responsibility was practical.
• I Timothy 3:1 : "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work."
- Timothy's job was to help men assimilate into positions of ministry. This is seen here implicitly by the instructions given to Timothy. Paul explicitly charges Titus with this.
• Titus 1:4,5 : "To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you--"
- Any ministry that we are involved in will require a certain amount of practical work.
- New leaders will have to be identified, trained and then given duties to test their mettle.
- Timothy's job was more than casual oversight. This job required a painstaking process, requiring relationship with direct communication over a long period of time.
- Take a closer look at some of the things that Timothy was to discover.
• I Timothy 3:2-6 : "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil."
- Often, the church is guilty is of finding just anyone. Timothy was to be discerning in his job.
- Finally, Timothy's responsibility was personal.
• I Timothy 4:14-16 : "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
- Paul knew as much as anyone else, the necessity of keeping sharp. There is a daily need to refresh oneself.
- Refining what gifts you have, in whatever way you can, is of vital importance. Say for example, you have the gift of wisdom and you counsel often. It would be prudent to read or converse with others who share in the same gift.
- Perhaps you are a teacher. It would be wise to continue to grow in that gifting.
- Timothy was to take heed, to watch himself and to watch and examine his doctrine. This was good for himself and it was useful to the Lord in bringing about salvation.
III. A Sense Of Urgency
- I use the word "urgency," not to express a state of perpetual fervor, where zeal gives way to obsession. Rather, there is a sense of urgency which recognizes that time is limited and the work we have must be attended to now.
• I Timothy 4:1 : "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,"
- The early church lived as if Jesus was returning within days. They obviously still functioned and made provision for organization, but there was a belief that they lived in "latter times."
- Even during Paul's time, things had begun to spiral away from the truths of God's word and the message that they were called to deliver.
- He says here that some would depart from the faith and open themselves to all sorts of deceptions. The time was right at the moment to double the efforts of spreading the word of God.
- Turn over to II Timothy 4. Paul writing TImothy a second time is no less strong on this point.
• II Timothy 4:2,3 : "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;"
- "There was once a Church of England clergyman who was gloriously saved. When Jesus changed his life he started preaching the gospel to his whole parish and they all got saved. Then he started preaching in neighboring parishes, and the clergymen of those parishes were offended. They asked the bishop to make the man stop. When the bishop confronted him he said, “I hear you are always preaching and you don’t seem to be doing anything else.” The changed man answered, “Well bishop, I only preach during two seasons of the year.” The bishop said, “I’m glad to know that; what seasons are they?” He replied, “In season and out of season!”
Quote From David Guzik
- Note the verbs here. Convince, rebuke, and exhort. To convince means to expose, to bring something to light. To rebuke means to actually call an action wrong! To exhort means to come alongside of and encourage.
- These are functions of God's word and His ministry will require that we do all of these over and over again.
Conclusion
- Paul was a man of God who wanted to pass the proverbial torch. These beliefs are what made him so effective.
- He charges Timothy and the Spirit charges us to be men of authority. Is your life speaking as loud as your words?
- Responsibility: It doesn't end at 5PM or when your current duty is done. We are to have eyes that look to be useful in His hands, wherever we are.
- Finally, let us realize that the time is short. We can't take any time from our essential work in Christ.
1 comment:
1 Paul's writing to Timothy confers a sense of authority. Paul tells Timothy to exemplify 6 characteristics that lead to authoritative leadership (speech, behavior, love, attitude, faithfulness and holiness). Which of these characteristics do you feel that you lack the most?
2 Paul wrote to Timothy to transfer a sense of responsibility for the doctrine of the church, the order of the church and his own walk with the Lord. Assuming that we take the greatest care for our own walk with the Lord, which of the other responsibilities do you feel the most passionate about and why?
3 Paul wrote to Timothy to give him a sense of urgency. Do you live with a sense of urgency regarding spiritual matters? In what ways have the sense of urgency been ignored by yourself or the church?
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