Introduction to Timothy
Notes
Transcript
Paul
Paul
So we know who this letter is being written from.
Apostle
Apostle
He is a sent one.
When Paul writes, He carries the authority of Jesus Christ.
The apostles were the ones whom God used to lay the foundation for His church. There are no longer apostles. The foundation has already been laid. We are now building on it.
But Paul was one of those laying the foundation.
Command
Command
God has commanded Paul to be an apostle.
Paul is not an apostle by his own choice, he is directed by God to do so.
It was Paul’s responsibility to correct the false teaching in Ephesus. He is doing it by proxy through Timothy.
It is Paul’s responsibility to encourage Timothy, and to make sure that the issues are resolved within the church, to the glory of God.
We many times overlook the idea of calling.
We look at what is our job, rather than what is our vocation.
What has God called you to, developed you for that you can do for the glory of God.
Whether you are a carpenter, an accountant, a baker, a home maker, a butcher, a factory worker, an educator, or a entrepreneur, you are to be doing everything to the glory of God.
A vocation means you see the gifting that God has given you, and the desires, the passions for a particular kind of work.
They you do that work heartily as unto the Lord.
Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
In this proverb of wisdom, Solomon is saying do you job the best you can, you will be recognized.
Make sure you are doing it, as heartily as you can for the glory of God.
Every aspect of life, is to be lived to it’s fullest for the glory of God.
Paul was commanded to be an apostle, it wasn’t something that he could turn off or on; and he is speaking to Timothy, who was commanded to be the Pastor at Ephesus.
Jesus Christ Our Hope
Jesus Christ Our Hope
In this statement Paul is reminding Timothy of his source of hope.
Timothy is a young flourishing Pastor.
Timothy was also placed in a church with issues. Timothy was placed in Ephesus to rectify them.
Timothy might place allot of pressure on himself to perform well.
With Jesus Christ being our hope, there is a reminder that it isn’t about you.
It is Jesus who works through you for His good pleasure.
It’s not about how great you can be, or what you can do. It’s about how great God is, and what He is faithful to do.
Your hope isn’t in your own strength, what we could call the arm of flesh, but your hope is in the almighty hand of Jesus Christ who shed His blood for the love of the church, for His love of the elect. And He will be the one who molds the church into what He desires.
What Timothy must do, is faithfully teach what he has been taught, what he has learned. Then place His hope in Jesus to be working in the hearts of the people and bringing about change.
In the passage, we can gather that in Ephesus:
False teacher were arising, leading people astray.
Men teaching different doctrines, and things that detract from the gospel, rather than showcase the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and reveal our works of darkness. Showing how we must be good disciples turning to Jesus and following Him.
Timothy must courageously follow God, He must show how good doctrine flows to every aspect of life, and how the gospel was given so we could truly be new creations in Christ Jesus.
Timothy was to establish proper church government that God is prescribing. Realizing that with the church is the temple of God, God had told us how He wants that temple to look. How are we to operate the church.
For it is His church, not ours.
Finally, Paul writes so Timothy will see what acceptable worship looks like. When we come before God, He actually does care what worship looks like.
For when we come together. It is to be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Paul was encouraging Timothy to be strong, and to know that his job was to follow the commands of God, and trust that God’s will, will be done.
Timothy
Timothy
Timothy was a native of Lystra, a Roman colony in the providence of Galatia.
Timothy’s father doesn’t seem to be in the picture, but we see that his mother and grandmother were faithful women.
2 Timothy 1:5
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
They faithfully trained Timothy to follow God.
They taught him by example, living out their faith before Timothy.
They were also faithful to train Timothy in the scriptures.
2 Timothy 3:14-15
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
He learned the scriptures from his childhood.
He was antiquated. He knew the sacred writings.
If we desire to have children who grow up to follow God, get them well acquainted with the sacred writings.
Paul seems to take Timothy under his wing. He figuratively refers to himself as Timothy’s father, and he refers to Timothy as his son. (v.2)
Timothy served as Paul’s representative in the churches of Thessalonica, Corinth, Philippi, and Ephesus which is where Timothy is when Paul writes this letter to him.
Timothy seems to have the “spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7)
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Timothy was a young man. (1 Timothy 4:12)
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Paul spent allot time in Ephesus, but he was afraid of false teacher rising up and leading the people astray.
Acts 20:29-30
I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
To fight against the false teachers, Paul leaves Timothy in Ephesus. (v.3)
It would seem that Paul’s fears of this have come true, for all through this letter to Timothy, Paul warns him about dangerous teachings of false teachers that were taking place within the church.
The heart of this letter, is that of a mentor to young warrior. That warrior is the young Pastor Timothy, who was left in Ephesus to do battle against the false teachers of the day.
Paul is urging Timothy to teach correct doctrine, set up proper church government, and to establish proper worship.
Key verses:
Key verses:
1 Timothy 1:3
1 Timothy 1:3
Establish proper doctrine, correct teaching.
Confront people who are acting against the commands of sacred scripture.
1 Timothy 6:20
1 Timothy 6:20
Guard, protect, as a shepherd protects a flock, the Pastor must protect the church and proper doctrine.
Avoid irreverent babble, That is to say keep your worship services focused on the correct thing
As we go through the book of first Timothy, my prayer is that we learn how to apply correct doctrine to the way that we live.
I pray we can also see the order of church government that God has established.
I pray that we will grow strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.