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Pastoral Ministry 101 - 1 Timothy 1:1 - 20

 Tuesday, Sept 8 –

Welcome to Tuesday, and our continued reading of the New Testament in a Year.  We are also beginning a new book, or letter, in reading Paul’s next letter, 1st Timothy 1:1 – 20.  After you have read the passage, please come back, and we’ll do some introductions and a second look at the text.

The Apostle Paul writes the next three letters in the New Testament to two young pastors – Timothy and Titus.  Paul took both of them under his wings to provide mentoring and oversight.  Timothy has become well-known to us in reading the other letters of Paul.  By the time Paul wrote the last of the three (2 Timothy), he knew that his time left upon the earth was soon to end.  These letters are “gold” when it comes to seeing the early church’s needs and leadership.  Timothy became Paul’s partner in missionary ministry on the second missionary journey (Acts 16).  His mother was a Jewish woman, his father, a Gentile.  Paul speaks fondly of Timothy’s mother and grandmother but does not mention his father.  After fifteen to twenty years of working alongside Paul, Timothy ends up as Paul’s appointed leader in Ephesus, as Paul spends the end of his years in a Roman Prison.  Paul had hoped he would get out and told Timothy twice that he hoped to visit him soon (1 Timothy 3:14; 4:13).  In the meantime, Paul passes along valuable advice for this young pastor, who is part of the second generation of Christian leaders following the Apostles. 

The theme is Paul’s encouragement to him to teach the truth, defend the Gospel, stand strong in the face of emerging heresies, and pass it all along to the next generation that will follow him.  Reading Timothy, and later Titus, we see that the revelation the Apostles received from the risen Lord Jesus is passed along in both truth and faithfulness to the generation of leaders who were to follow the first Apostolic leaders.  The local church is the depository of the revelations of God’s word contained in the Old and New Testaments.  It is in the faithful handling of truth by called leaders that God’s word continues to heal the sick and wounded to Christ Jesus in every generation.  Knowing how to lead people is not easy, but it is the great need of every church.  Paul begins to address this as Timothy unfolds his letter and begins to read –
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,  To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (1:1-2). 
It may not sound like our letters (if you remember when we wrote letters), but it was a standard greeting, and in this case, a warm greeting as Paul speaks to Timothy as “my true child in the faith.”  How old was Timothy at this point in time?  Speculation abounds because we do not know how old Timothy was when he left with Paul in Acts 16.  Since Paul keeps referencing his youthfulness, one can guess that he is still not yet forty years old, even though he had been on travels with Paul for somewhere between fifteen to twenty years. 

Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, saw something in Timothy and knew he was the young man he wanted to train so that Timothy would take over for him.  He left him in Ephesus to deal with a young church, full of promise but steep in problems –
“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.  The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1:3-5).
In quick order, Paul says:  1)  stay at your task (vs. 3a), 2) teach the doctrines of truth (vs. 3-4), 3) keep the goal of leading people clear in your mind (vs. 5).  He urged him to stay in Ephesus, probably because Timothy wanted to come to be with him in Rome.  He knows that some have come to “teach different doctrine” (a compound word, heteros + didaskaleo, to teach something different than was the truth). Ephesus was known for its schools of Greek philosophy that tried to reshape the message of the Gospel to fit into their systems.  Paul received the revelations from the Holy Spirit, taught them to the churches, and most of all, to Timothy (and Titus), and reminded him that nothing taught should ever contradict the truth they had received.  It’s no different today, as bold, clear, communicating the Scripture is still the great need of every church pulpit.  Finally, Paul reminds Timothy to keep God’s goal in pastoring the church central.  The goal God produces through truth is love – a love that produces purity in heart, clarity of a good conscience, and genuineness of faith. 

The issues were straightforward as Paul saw them.  Timothy was charged to Pastor a church of believers, by communicating, modeling, and standing firm in the truth, even though it was constantly under assault in the city –
Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions”(1:6-7).
Paul speaks about “certain persons” who miss the point (swerving from, or straying from) the Scripture.  We do not know for certain who these false teachers were.  Paul warns Timothy that they are wandering into “vain discussions” – “ekzetesis”, useless speculations.  The fruit of this is teaching without understanding, and even though they are wrong, it is presented as confident statements.  It is fruitless, empty religiosity – that stands in contrast to the clear teaching of Scripture.  Teaching Scripture leads to disciples, people rooted in God’s love while teaching something else is fruitless, controversial, and unprofitable.  Paul reminds Timothy, there is profitability in understanding how the Law of God in the Old Testament relevantly points to those who in their sin, desperately need the Gospel –
“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers,  the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted” (1:8-11).
I’m amazed, but not surprised, the number of Christians who either do not know what the Law is all about or have any understanding of how to apply it to faith today.  In short, Paul says that the Law, when rightly taught, always points a person to Christ and His Gospel.  The Law is a mirror to our sinfulness, and when we hold it up, it points out our need for redemption in Jesus Christ. 

Paul, who had been raised under the law as a Pharisee, learned this lesson at the very beginning of his “new creation birth” in Christ -
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1:12-15). 
So many people think that great leaders are born, and in Paul’s case, they would be partially right.  He was smart, highly motivated, skilled in argumentation, steeped in the Law, but completely wrong.  Paul was acting ignorantly, trying to work for his salvation, until Christ Jesus showed him who he was.  He “judged me faithful,” “appointed me,” how?  Through “mercy and grace that overflowed with faith and love.”  In contrast to the false teachers and the speculative vain teachings, the Gospel is clear – it is “trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”. Paul’s testimony of what Christ Jesus did to him was personal – not religious.  The Gospel is truth, trustworthy, intended for all (sinners), and received, not earned, by faith in Jesus Christ.  I cannot help but think of Augustus Toplady’s hymn of confession – “Rock of Ages, Cleft For Me”: 
“Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.”

Paul knew that a good pastor is one who knows their own human sinfulness.  Pastoring isn’t from a position of superiority, but from a place of humility.  Why is that needed?  Paul answers -
“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.  To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1:16-17). 
This is the great task of pastoral ministry.  Leaders first have to receive mercy, coming from God’s grace so that we might proclaim it to others.  Paul’s conversion was a prototype of all conversions.  Jesus grants his mercy, displaying his patience, to all who would believe – put their trust completely in Christ alone for eternal life.  No wonder Paul cannot help but break out into a doxology of praise.  God, the King of the ages, from eternity to eternity, who is immortal, invisible, the only God, has made himself known in Jesus Christ.  What can we give him but honor and glory forever. Amen?

Paul, Timothy’s father in the faith, reminds him of his calling and commission to teach the truth –
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1:18-20).
The “prophecies” were given to Timothy that he might know  God’s call on his life.  It was God who had called him into the ministry and not Paul.  The charge to him was “fight for the truth” – the “faith” that objectively is the Apostles teaching, and subjectively leads to love, purity, and a good conscience (1:5).  To teach the truth, will at times expose the falsehood, errors.  Paul mentions two – Hymenaeus and Alexander.  We could speculate as to who they were, but the point is, they had rejected the faith Paul had taught.  The word “rejected” is strong, meaning “violently and deliberately pushing it away”[1]. 

It has “shipwrecked” their faith and led to a conscience devoid of any sense of sin and their need for Christ’s redemption.  To this end, Paul says he “handed them over to Satan” – what did he mean?  They were part of the Ephesian church and had turned away from the Gospel, becoming false teachers (2 Timothy 2:18).  Paul had no choice but to appeal to them to repent and return to the truth, but when they refused, he led the church to excommunicate them.  Excommunication isn’t always permanent – as we saw in the case of the immoral man in Corinthians – but it decisively reminds the offender that they must understand they are not embracing the truth, and outside of the faith in hopes that they would repent and return.  While seemingly harsh, Paul points out to Timothy that he is protecting the church from those who would seek to destroy it. 

Timothy is immersed in pastoral ministry 101!  It wasn’t an easy place to be in.  The talents and intelligence needed are secondary to the wisdom, toughness, and tenderness that serve to guide the steps and protect the church.  Paul is giving Timothy the hard lessons of leadership.  Stay, teach, fight for the truth, live as a model of humility displaying the grace and mercy of God, and stand up when error needs to be confronted.  Most of all, stay centered on Christ Jesus, keep your own conscience and faith clear.

Peace



[1] Donald Guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles, 1 Timothy, page 78

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