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GUARDING THE FAITH. I Timothy 1:1-7. 2/27/2022. #01.
I Timothy 1:1-7 [New King James Version]
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, 2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may [a]charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from [b]sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
1. Introduction
a. A new section of Paul’s epistles
a1. The Pastoral Epistles (First and Second Timothy and Titus)
a2. Timothy and Titus were pastoring churches to train leadership
a3. Along with Philemon = written to individual people and not churches
b. Written in early 60s AD
c. Church polity (organization) comes from these epistles = tells us how the church is to function
d. Timothy is Paul’s favorite disciple and emissary
a1. Timothy felt inadequate for the job
a2. Tim. = shier and not as certain as Paul
e. Paul emphasizes his apostleship
a1. What he is giving Tim. is authoritative
a2. Tim. = not doubt Paul, but the church needed to know that his words = from God
f. As Paul moved on to Macedonia (Philippians, Thessalonians), he left Tim. at Ephesus to continue teaching and organizing the church
g. Paul spent 3 years at Ephesus
2. Timothy, the pastor
a. Timothy’s primary task = secure church in sound doctrine (solid teaching)
a1. Doctrinal drift destroys churches
a2. Doctrine effects belief and practice
b. 3 areas cause doctrinal drift
a1. Family and cultural traditions
a2. Influence of others around us
a3. Sin nature resisting biblical admonition
c. Paul warns against myths, fables, and endless genealogies that pollute the Word of God
a1. The Jews followed heritage as being a sign of spirituality (Philippians 3, Matthew 3:9)
a2. The Gentiles were steep in myths
d. A danger to mix former beliefs with faith
a1. Liberal church background = can taint biblical teaching
a2. Must cast out old error for God’s truth
e. Paul states that there are 3 goals (telos = ends)
a1. Love and purity from relation with Lord
a2. A good conscience (lit. “with knowledge”) = from right belief and practice
a3. A sincere faith (sincere = “without wax” => no hypocrisy) – genuine walk
3. False teachers of prideful disputations
a. Tim. is up against prideful teachers of the Mosaic Law who don’t know subject
a1. Self-deceived (think they are experts)
a2. Strayed = missed the mark (drifted)
b. Many grab on to a concept and fixate to error, building an errant belief system (II John 1:4-11)
c. Idle talk = futile speculation (empty speaking)
d. Many desire to teach, but are neither called or equipped to do so, leading others astray (James 3:1)
e. Only the well-grounded can discern error
Key verse: 2 John 4-11
4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.