Sermon Tone Analysis

“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.

Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

“Grace be with you.” [1]

It is no secret that I am a news junkie; I fill my spare time with news reports, even watching news reports while eating my lunch.

Unquestionably, my favourite news programmes are on Fox News Channel.

My addiction leads me to set aside time for an afternoon coffee while watching Bret Baier’s Special Report.

When turning on the television during a break in the afternoon to permit watching Special Report on Fox News, I frequently catch the final few moments of “The Five,” the show that precedes Special Report.

That show almost always closes with a segment called “One More Thing.”

The “One More Thing” segment consists of brief items that have drawn the interest of the panel members.

The items may be something of personal interest, a humorous news item or some serious point that needs to be stressed.

As I read the text for this particular message, my mind was drawn to that segment of “The Five.”

The Apostle is saying to the young pastor, “O, yes, one more thing.”

This one more thing is a summary of all that Paul has written to Timothy.

It would be easy to dismiss these final statements; but dismissal would be a mistake.

Christians will benefit from refreshing their memories by focusing, even for a brief while, on Paul’s final reminder.

We will benefit because has seen fit to include this warning in the Word.

Obviously, He considered the danger to be real and the warning vital.

We will benefit from focusing on what the Apostle has written because we who would follow the Master still face this particular danger and similar dangers.

Moreover, we will benefit because through study of what the Spirit has included will equip us to think logically and critically.

With that, let’s get into the text to see what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

*ONE MORE THING* — “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.”

The urgency driving Paul as he writes is conveyed by the construction of the sentence.

The Apostle uses the vocative, “O Timothy,” addressing Timothy directly, pointedly demanding his full attention.

What Paul is about to say serves as a summation of the entire letter in a single sentence.

It is as though the Apostle has added this postscript saying, “Timothy, this is really, really important.”

It is Paul’s way of saying, “Oh, yeah, one more thing!”

This final charge expresses in succinct form the purpose and the theme of the letter; for one last time it expresses the Apostle’s concern.

Having grabbed the elder’s attention, Paul rushes to ensure that Timothy understands that the elder is responsible to be on guard.

Modern church-goers are often uncomfortable if the elder appears to be aggressive, at least in their estimate.

Admittedly, there is no warrant for meanness; nor may an elder be pugnacious or combative either physically or verbally.

However, the elder is to be a warrior.

He is charged with the responsibility of guarding God’s flock and of keeping the commandments of God.

He is defender of the Faith, resisting the insinuation of error and snatching the unwary from danger that is always lurking nearby.

Speaking of guarding the deposit, Paul employed a word [phylássō] that speaks of guarding closely, of watching or of obeying [2]; it carries the connotation of defending a person or a position.

[3] Thus, the word is quite descriptive, speaking of the responsibility imposed on Timothy as the elder of the congregation.

As God’s undershepherd, he is a defender of the flock.

Earlier, Paul used this word in a charge given Timothy.

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” [1 TIMOTHY 5:21].

In his next letter to Timothy, the Apostle would use this same word to caution against Alexander the Coppersmith.

“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message” [2 TIMOTHY 4:14, 15].

It begins to give an idea of Paul’s concern.

Let’s look at some other instances of where this particular word has been used in Scripture.

In His High Priestly prayer, the Master stated to the Father, “While I was with [the disciples], I kept them in your name, which you have given me.

I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” [JOHN 17:12].

When Paul had presented his case before Felix, the Roman governor deferred making a judgement.

“He said, ‘I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.’

And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium’” [ACTS 23:35].

Writing of Paul’s arrival in Rome, Doctor Luke states, “When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him” [ACTS 28:16].

Here are some of the other instances where Paul used this Greek term, phylássō.

“The Lord is faithful.

He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” [2 THESSALONIANS 3:3].

In his next letter to Timothy, Paul will write, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” [2 TIMOTHY 1:12-14].

When Paul uses the word “guard” in our text, I note that it is an aorist imperative, indicating urgency.

In short, Timothy’s ministry—and the ministry of each elder since that time—may be summed up by the concept that a primary responsibility is to guard that which is entrusted to him.

What is to be guarded is “the deposit entrusted to [Timothy].”

In order to discover what this deposit might be, I direct attention to Paul’s final letter to Timothy.

The deposit is mentioned again in 2 TIMOTHY 1:12, 14, which I just read moments ago.

Let’s look at that portion of the Word.

“I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” [2 TIMOTHY 1:12-14].

These three instances account for the usage of this noun in the New Testament.

Something was entrusted to Paul, something that God Himself will guard.

Then, Paul speaks of “the good deposit” that was entrusted to Timothy and which is to be guarded by the Holy Spirit.

In either case cited, the Apostle speaks of a definite deposit; he speaks of “my deposit”; or in addressing Timothy, Paul speaks of “the good deposit.”

Timothy is a steward or guardian of this deposit, just as Paul is a steward or guardian of that same deposit.

Obviously, the deposit is not restricted to one individual; God has entrusted to all elders a deposit of some sort.

In the opening paragraphs of this First Letter to Timothy, Paul speaks of “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted” [1 TIMOTHY 1:11].

Moreover, as we saw just a moment ago, Paul admonished Timothy, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” [2 TIMOTHY 1:14].

Finally, Paul instructed Timothy “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” [2 TIMOTHY 2:2].

Taken together, this leads to the conclusion that “the good deposit” is the Gospel and all its accompanying truth revealed in Scripture.

The one thing entrusted to each elder is the Gospel of Christ.

J. N. D. Kelly writes, “The noun translated trust … is a legal term connoting something which is placed on trust in another man’s keeping.

The suggestion is that the Christian message (‘the faith’ or ‘the truth’, as it is so often called in these letters) is not something which the church’s minister works out for himself or is entitled to add to; it is a divine revelation which has been committed to his care, and which it is his bounden duty to pass on unimpaired to others.”

[4]

The Apostle used the language of commerce.

In the ancient world there were no safe deposit boxes.

Whenever a man went on a long journey, he might leave his valued possessions with someone whom he trusted.

When the valuables were deposited, it was up to the one receiving the deposit to keep them safe.

According to ancient legal doctrine, a trustee was obligated to preserve a deposit “unharmed and unchanged.”

[5]

Paul identifies portions of that sacred trust that is deposited at multiple points in this First Letter to Timothy.

For instance, Paul declared that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” [1 TIMOTHY 1:15].

There are not two means of salvation; indeed, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” [ACTS 4:12].

Paul also testified, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” [1 TIMOTHY 2:5, 6].

We do not approach the Father through saints or priests; we come to God through Jesus His Son.

Also, the Apostle stated the great mystery of godliness, that God “was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” [1 TIMOTHY 3:16].

Paul was trusting Timothy to guard these doctrines; Timothy was a trustee of the Gospel.

Similarly, each elder is a trustee of the Gospel.

Every Gospel minister has received as a sacred trust the message of salvation in Christ the Lord—the incarnation, the atonement, the redemption, the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

He is not free to make up his theology as he goes along; he must proclaim the message he himself has received.

The man of God is not to innovate, but to preserve.

Orthodox Christianity is not to be reinvented, re-envisioned or reinterpreted; it is to be cherished, guarded and defended.

If the Gospel is neglected or mishandled, will not He who gave the deposit hold accountable those to whom it is entrusted?

James warns members of the earliest churches, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” [JAMES 3:1].

I do not intend to provide exposition of what James has said at this time; I am, however, compelled to point out the cautionary warning James issued: “you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

Remember, James is addressing Christians; he is not warning unbelievers who enter into the ministry; James is warning professed believers.

We who teach must anticipate stricter judgement; we are held to a higher standard.

Those entering into ministry and those placing themselves under a given ministry must not do so lightly.