The Epistles to the Evangelists

1 Timothy Chapter 1
1 Timothy 1:1 - Apostles and Evangelists
1 Timothy 1:1-2 - Initial Greeting in I Timothy
1 Timothy 1:3-4 - Problems with the Law System
1 Timothy 1:5 - The Goal of our Instruction
1 Timothy 1:6-11 - Fruitless Discussion
1 Timothy 1:11 - The Gospel of Glory
1 Timothy 1:12-13 - Thanks to Jesus our Lord
1 Timothy 1:14 - Abundant Grace
1 Timothy 1:15-16 - Christ Came to Save Sinners
1 Timothy 1:17 - To the King...
1 Timothy 1:18 - "Fight the Good Fight"
1 Timothy 1:18-20 - Keeping Faith and a Good Conscience

1 Timothy Chapter 2
1 Timothy 2:1-4 - Call to Prayer
1 Timothy 2:3-4 - The Knowledge of the Truth
1 Timothy 2:5 - One God, and One Mediator
1 Timothy 2:6-7 - The Testimony
1 Timothy 2:8 - Instructions for Christian Men
1 Timothy 2:9 - Some Instructions for Christian Women
1 Timothy 2:10-13 - More Instructions for Christian Women
1 Timothy 2:13-15 - The Role of Men and Women

1 Timothy Chapter 3
1 Timothy 3:1 - Introduction to Overseers
1 Timothy 3:1 - Another "Trustworthy Statement"
1 Timothy 3:2 - Some Qualities of a Bishop
1 Timothy 3:2-3 - More Qualities of a Bishop
1 Timothy 3:2-7 - And Still More
1 Timothy 3:8-13 - Deacons
1 Timothy 3:14-15 - Conduct in the House of God
1 Timothy 3:16 - The Mystery of Godliness
1 Timothy 3:16 - Three Points in the “Mystery of Godliness”
1 Timothy 3:16 - More “Mystery of Godliness”

1 Timothy Chapter 4
1 Timothy 4:1-3 - The Coming "Apostasy"
1 Timothy 4:2 - More on Demonic Forces"
1 Timothy 4:4-5 - Wrong Focus
1 Timothy 4:6-7 - Nourished on Words
1 Timothy 4:7-9 - Godliness
1 Timothy 4:8-11 - Prescribe and Teach “Godliness”
1 Timothy 4:12 - “Show Yourself an Example”
1 Timothy 4:13-16 - Insuring Salvation

1 Timothy Chapter 5
1 Timothy 5:1-2 - Interpersonal Relations
1 Timothy 5:3-5, 8-10 - Windows Indeed
1 Timothy 5:6, 11-15 - More on Widows
1 Timothy 5:7-8, 16 - Financial Considerations
1 Timothy 5:17-21 - Interactions with Elders
1 Timothy 5:22-25 - "Random" Points

1 Timothy Chapter 6
1 Timothy 6:1-2 - Slaves and Masters
1 Timothy 6:3-4 - Sound Words
1 Timothy 6:4-6 - Constant Friction
1 Timothy 6:6-8 - Some Poignant Thoughts

The epistles to Timothy and Titus open with the same phrase in their greetings: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus” (or “Jesus Christ”). The word apostle means “one sent out,” someone on a special mission, or someone sent as an ambassador or authorized to speak for the one who sent him. In new covenant writings, there are basically two kinds of apostles: those sent out by congregations, such as when Paul and Barnabas were sent out by the church in Antioch of Syria as recorded in Acts chapter thirteen; and, apostles of Jesus Christ, specifically commissioned by Him. The original Twelve were chosen by Jesus as recorded in the gospel accounts. Judas betrayed the Lord, and went out and hanged himself; hence Matthias was selected to take his place as recorded in Acts chapter one. The apostle Paul was chosen, “as one untimely born,” by special calling as recorded in Acts chapters nine, twenty-two, and twenty-six. These thirteen “apostles of Jesus Christ” were the only ones able to make a legitimate claim to being the inspired apostles, and were the only ones who could represent themselves as the specific messengers of Christ. Consequently, the new testament teaching is also styled “the apostles’ doctrine,” and any doctrines that would contradict that body of teaching would therefore be false. “Even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you,” asserted Paul to the Galatian brethren, “let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6). Thus the former Saul of Tarsus, when introducing himself by letter to two of his closest associates, still uses the authoritative phrase, “an apostle of Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:1). That phrase carries the appropriate weight, not only for Timothy and Titus, but also for anyone who happens to read these letters!

God did indeed give apostles of Christ for the instruction and direction of the church. Another important office that Jesus gave to the church, according to Ephesians 4:11, was that of evangelist. The word evangelist comes from evangel, the Greek word meaning “the good message” or “the good news,” usually translated gospel. The primary function of evangelists is to preach the gospel; hence the term preacher is often a new covenant synonym for evangelist. “But you,” the apostle of Christ instructed Timothy, “be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). Timothy clearly was an evangelist, and since Titus was given a parallel set of instructions to what Timothy received, Titus clearly was an evangelist also. Furthermore, the men who often traveled with Paul and performed the same functions as Timothy and Titus were evangelists also. The only one so named was “Philip the evangelist” (Acts 21:8).

The apostles of Jesus Christ were to receive the inspired instruction from Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and get a widespread base established for the continuing development of the church. Thus “the apostles’ doctrine” was identified as authoritative, and all future teaching was to be compared to that doctrine. Even Jude, whose epistle was included in the new covenant writings, makes his appeal: “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:17).

The evangelists of the first century were to follow the direct instructions of the apostles. The job of the evangelists of the twenty-first century is to follow the instructions of the apostles as indicated in the teaching and examples of the New Testament. Hence the epistles to the evangelists figure prominently in God’s plan.

The office and function of evangelists, doing the work as directed in the New Testament, is critically important. Often, as in the case of Titus, they would work an area, setting things in order and appointing elders (or bishops) in congregations, and rebuking the bishops when necessary. So significant is the role of evangelists in the structure of the church that the developing Catholic Church of the late first century destroyed the office of evangelist as it simultaneously elevated one man and called him the Bishop. Modern saints need to learn and pay attention!! Thus these are “epistles to evangelists” rather than the perverted term “pastoral epistles.”

The apostle Paul wrote the first epistle to Timothy after the closure of the history recorded in the book of Acts, sometime around AD 62 or a little later. Paul had been released from prison, and, as he indicates, he had departed for Macedonia [Philippi, Thessalonica]. Timothy is in Ephesus at the time of this letter, but where Paul was at that time is unknown. The congregation at Ephesus had been started or greatly augmented by the apostle on his third missionary journey, had grown rapidly, and had elders [bishops, or pastors]. Timothy, working as an evangelist in that area, needs this instruction from Paul to do his part in guiding the direction and expansion of the church in Ephesus and all Asia.

• Paul’s apostleship - “Paul,” is the opening word, “an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope…” (1 Timothy 1:1). As indicated earlier, Paul states his authority as an apostle of Christ (of which there were only the Twelve plus Paul). Very possibly Timothy needed that authoritative back-up to solve some issues in Ephesus. When the Lord spoke to Ananias about Saul of Tarsus (his “given” name) on the Damascus Road, He explained that “he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My Name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15). This “chosen instrument” was set apart from his “mother’s womb” to be an apostle of Christ, and at the right time God “was pleased to reveal His Son” in Paul (Galatians 1:15,16). Hence Paul writes that his apostleship was “according to the commandment of God.”


• Source of Paul’s authority - It is interesting that Paul says that his apostleship derives from “God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope.” Sometimes, as in his letter to Titus, he will speak of “Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5), whereas here in the opening of his first epistle to Timothy, he uses “God our Savior” separated from “Christ Jesus” by the conjunction and. The scripture is non-Trinitarian (separate but equal), but often it shows “interchangeable but not always equal” roles, ultimately using Jesus to give all glory to the Father. The role of God (or Jesus) as Savior figures prominently in the early portion of this letter to Timothy, Paul being very conscious of his own personal need of the Savior. But he also pictures Christ Jesus as being “our hope.” The apostle generally uses “hope” as an expression of our ultimate resurrection from the dead. “I am on trial,” said Paul to the Sanhedrin, “for the hope and the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 23:6). It is not surprising, then, that he should term Christ Jesus as “our hope,” since the Lord Himself stated, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).


• To Timothy - This epistle is openly directed to Timothy, but the apostle knows there will eventually be many people looking over Timothy’s shoulder to read these words. Timothy, says he, “is my true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Timothy was converted in Lystra on Paul’s first missionary journey, circumcised on Paul’s second, and often traveled as a trusted associate with him from that point on. At one juncture he remarked concerning “his true child in the faith” that he had “no one else of kindred spirit” (Philippians 2:20).


• The greeting - “Grace, mercy, and peace,” are the standard but not empty words flowing from Paul’s pen, “from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Grace has to do with all the good gifts which come forth from the Father, but especially His willingness to give us the spiritual blessings of salvation, the indwelling Spirit, all that derives from those. Mercy is tied to God’s willingness to withhold the punishment that is entirely due us because of our initial rebellion against Him and His principles. Peace is the result of the cessation of our hostility toward God, and our reconciliation to Him through the provisions of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

These personal and sincere words of greeting to Timothy testify to the genuineness of the letter, and not something made up by a later imposter. These are the “true words of God”!!

Men who did not understand the difference between “the Law of Moses” and “the faith of Christ” dogged the apostle Paul all his Christian life. Barnabas and Paul had just finished up the first missionary journey, coming to the base church in Antioch of Syria, and there arose a major problem over this issue. Luke recorded the statement of those from the “converted” Pharisees in Jerusalem, “It is necessary to circumcise them [the Gentiles], and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.’ ” (Acts 15:5). From that point on a significant portion of Paul’s public teaching and letters are devoted to clarifying the difference between “the Law” and “the faith.” The congregation in Ephesus, having begun with Jews converted from the synagogue, apparently continued to have these problems. Thus the apostle has some instructions for Timothy.

• Dealing with “strange doctrines” - A careful reading of the inspired record shows that there was a lot of confusion within Judaism itself, and many charlatans of Jewish inheritance preying on that ignorance and confusion. When Paul and Barnabas met with Sergius Paulus on the island of Cyprus, the preachers were challenged by a “Jewish false prophet” who doubled as a “magician.” In Ephesus, the sons of “Sceva, a Jewish chief priest,” were supposedly casting out demons (and how is it that there was a “chief priest” in Ephesus, with no temple and no sacrifices to be offered there?). Lots of confusion! This confusion carried over into the congregation at Ephesus. Hence the apostle wrote this letter to Timothy, with a particular opening emphasis on those bringing the confusion of those in the Jewish system into the church. “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia,” Paul reminds Timothy, “remain on in Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not teach strange doctrines” (1 Timothy 1:3). Timothy was going to have to get “confrontational” with some of the brethren over what they were teaching, dealing with whatever “crazy stuff” these guys were trying to inject into the church’s teaching.


• “Myths and genealogies” - The Jewish heritage placed great emphasis on the genealogical record, and rightly so. The genealogical record provided the skeleton on which the rest of Israelite history hung, culminating in the coming of Christ as a descendant of David according to the flesh. But with the establishment of the new covenant, the physical is replaced by the spiritual, and the important aspect of genealogy is whether the individual is “born…of God” (John 1:13). If, in the spiritual sense, God is a person’s Father, his human heritage is irrelevant. The directive, then, to Timothy includes telling these “talkers” not “to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God” (1 Timothy 1:4). Who knows what myths were circulating!! “Mere speculation” was a problem then, just as it is now. What is always needed is sound doctrine, based on a solid “thus saith the Lord.”


• “By faith” - “The administration of God” is furthered “by faith.” The point here is that the entire purpose of God, being set in motion in Genesis, having groundwork laid in the Old Testament, being built under the terms of the new covenant, and culminating in the return of Christ, is to produce and reward a people who operate “by faith.” This “faith” is a system of thought and action as contrasted to the system of thought and lack of action under “the Law.”

“Therefore the Law,” Paul informed the Galatian brethren, “has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). Without the backdrop of the Law, with its teachings, types, foreshadows, and history, the significance of the new covenant system of faith would not be very understandable. But with the aid of the “tutor,” interested people can understand the faith of Christ, and through obedience to its gospel, be justified. “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:25). The system of law served its purpose; now it is time to move on to “furthering the administration of God, which is by faith.”

There have always been those who are most concerned about outward appearance. The “whitewashed tombs,” the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, stand as a great example. “You outwardly appear righteous,” was Jesus’ divine analysis, “but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:28). The Jewish society, operating under the full knowledge of the Law, tended to produce this type of hypocrisy among its leadership. The Pharisees were the teacher/leaders, and therefore to be the examples to the rest of their synagogues, but in failing to live up to the law and shackled by guilty consciences, they then put up the pretense of living the law. “They do all their deeds to be noticed by men,” was the Lord’s blunt exposure (Matthew 23:5).

Such was the society of the synagogue out of which grew the congregation in Ephesus. The “loud mouths” of Jewish background which had not processed the difference between Christianity and Judaism were still locked into a similar type of hypocrisy and exercising influence in the congregation wherein Timothy was laboring. Paul therefore explains: “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). The word “instruction” here is not just a recommended list; it embodies the force of teaching that needs to be carried out!

• Love from a pure heart - Purity is always the key to Christianity. Nothing really good is ever going to come from an impure heart, especially new covenant agape love. This pure heart can only live in those who are under the covenant of faith, who have been purified from their sins and their evil ways through their immersions into Christ, who have obeyed the truth of the gospel (1Peter 1:22). The law system cannot grant a pure heart, nor does it provide for the development of Christ’s love within the saint. “We know love by this,” said the apostle John, “that He laid down His life for us; and that we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).


• A good conscience - The system of law has no mechanism for granting a clean conscience. “Through the law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19), but there is no true provision for forgiveness, and no means of granting the individual a new beginning. But the new covenant, “the faith of Christ,” has all that! To those who have come under the terms of the new covenant, it is written, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17). The new heart is thus spoken of as “sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22). Through immersion into Christ, the appeal to God is made for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21).


• A Sincere Faith - The word of God is so designed that it exposes the dishonest heart. When Jesus, for example, spoke of the good soil in His parable, He spoke of the seed of the word of God falling on or being sown “in an honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15). Only in the honest heart is where the seed bears fruit; all other hearts are not the honest and good ones. The dishonest heart’s claim to faith is a bogus one; it is not a “sincere faith.” A sincere faith results as described by Paul: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The person of Jewish background would need honestly to process the Old Testament foreshadows and prophecies, and see that they point to Christ and the faith of Christ as the future system.

The goal, the end product, of new covenant teaching cannot be accomplished by the old covenant system. Hence those who are attempting to hold on to the old covenant in any way are locked out of the spiritual blessings of the new covenant: no new covenant love, no new covenant “good conscience,” and no new covenant “sincere faith.” New wine cannot be put into old wineskins, and those who attempt to live as old covenant people end up being hypocrites without the sincere faith of those who have come under the terms of the new!

The attempt to live under the terms of the old covenant ends up being the way of death! The apostle Paul called the law system “the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones” (2 Corinthians 3:7). Who, then, in an undeluded, right mind, would promote such a dead system? One of the key “take-aways” of the apostle’s exhortations to Timothy here is that there are many people who can’t think straight, who are somewhat ignorant, or who make big conclusions based on incomplete information or understanding. The “god of this world,” Satan, does indeed “blind the minds of the unbelieving” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

• Straying away - There is a path that leads to eternal life, and Jesus called it the “small gate” and the “narrow way” (King James Version used “strait and narrow,” meaning constricted at the gate) (Matthew 7:13,14). That path is the new covenant doctrine and application which results in “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” The apostle Paul continues his education of the younger preacher Timothy, “For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion…” (1 Timothy 1:6). Any discussion which leads away from the truth is guaranteed to be unfruitful.


• Law experts? - The “big talkers” were certainly at work! The particular way in which these men were trying to use their “straying” influence was in trying to get saints in the congregation to go back into the ways of the Law of Moses. Paul describes them as “wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are teaching or the matters about which they make confident assertions” (1 Timothy 1:7). The apostle Paul had been a Pharisee and a teacher of the Law prior to his conversion, and after his conversion to Christianity he was receiving instruction and revelation from the Holy Spirit Himself. When he comments that these “big talkers” did not know what they were talking about, that is hugely significant. The problem Paul had was that oftentimes his apostleship was not sufficiently recognized, or it was attacked. Timothy will have the same problem trying to get the congregation to understand that these men operating inside the church really are dangerous! They obviously position themselves as experts since they “make confident assertions” that are totally wrong, and that will require much teaching on Timothy’s part to expose the paucity of truth in their remarks.


• No problem with the Law - The Law served a major positive purpose in God’s overall plan. “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully…” says the apostle (1 Timothy 1:8). The purpose of the Law was to bring the whole world into a position of being accountable before God (Romans 3:19). By exposing the individual as a sinner and law-breaker through the principles of the Commandments, he can now be convinced of his need of a Savior. This law is good, if the teacher uses it for what it was intended, as the apostle adds in his comments, “realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching” (1 Timothy 1:9,10). Quite a list! It even has the catch-all expression “whatever else is contrary to sound teaching” at the end so that there is no “wiggle-room” for the sinner to escape the exposure of his unrighteousness before God. This is the “lawful use” of the law, and that is why it is “according to the gospel of glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted” (1 Timothy 1:11).

The congregation in Ephesus needed to be kept on the right doctrinal path, otherwise she and most of her souls would end up in the lake of fire. Timothy would indeed have to have the information and courage to “instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.” Through this letter, Timothy clearly had Paul the apostle’s backing!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the great theme of the ages! All history from “in the beginning” through Jesus’ ascension pointed to that time, and all the important work of God from that moment on was and is based on that gospel. The gospel, the “good news,” is variously described as “the gospel of Christ,” the “gospel of God,” the “gospel of peace,” the “gospel of grace,” the “gospel of your salvation,” and here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy “the glorious gospel,” or alternatively, “the gospel of glory.” This is interesting terminology, and deserves a deeper look.

In his first epistle to the Corinthian brethren, the apostle spoke in some detail of the gospel, noting that it contained the basic concept “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Hence, in comport with the expression “obedient to the gospel,” a repentant individual dies to sin, is buried in the watery grave of immersion into Christ, and is raised in the likeness of Jesus’ resurrection to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-11). Thus, the “gospel of peace” contains the mechanism by which the formerly alienated sinner can have “peace with God” through His reconciliation accomplished in his obedience to that gospel (Ephesians 6:15). It is “the gospel of salvation” because in it the individual receives forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:13). Likewise it is the “gospel of the grace of God” because in obedience to its terms the manifold grace of God is extended to the now blessed saint (Acts 20:24). But the gospel is the vehicle to more than even these awesome and wonderful blessings.

• Gospel of the glory of Christ - Writing again to the congregation in Corinth, the apostle Paul made this blockbuster statement: “And even if our gospel is veiled,” he remarked, commenting that most people will not believe in and obey that gospel, “it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4). It is not simply the “gospel of glory”; it is “the gospel of the glory of Christ”!! Christ is the One who possesses glory; the gospel reveals that glory, and through that revelation becomes the gospel of glory, or “the glorious gospel.”


• Christ glorified - Jesus, magnificently, became “for a little while lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:9). In this process, He divested Himself of any spiritual advantage that He might have above mankind; in taking the form of a bond-servant, He “has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The Word truly was made flesh, and had to ascend the fortieth day following His resurrection to return to the glory He once possessed. The apostle John noted, in explaining the “rivers of living water” flowing from within the Christian, “this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The “gospel of the glory of Christ” reveals the awesome glory which is Christ’s from that point on. “He is the radiance of [the Father’s] glory,” exclaimed Hebrews’ author, “and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

This, then, is gospel, as Paul described it, “with which I have been entrusted” (1 Timothy 1:11). This gospel saves; this gospel grants forgiveness and peace; this gospel opens the way into the grace of God; and this gospel makes possible the transformation of the inner man through the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Christ. What a stewardship indeed, since it had not yet been written and recorded in the completed sacred writings. Paul held that trust in high regard, and defended the gospel against all those who would pervert or twist it, especially against those who claimed “to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

It is clear from the word of God that the Almighty is less concerned about where we have been than where we are going! No matter how seemingly “saintly” a life an individual might have led prior to his immersion into Christ, his “small” sins (“small” to him, maybe, but “giant” in the sight of God) separated Him from his Maker, and transformed him into an enemy. “For if while we were enemies,” the apostle Paul had reminded the Roman brethren, “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10). The raw materials for God’s instruments of righteousness are abject sinners, strangers to the covenant of righteousness, without hope and without God in this world. The man who penned those words and expressed those concepts was very conscious of his own standing before the Lord prior to his immersion at the hands of Ananias, and was grateful to the All Merciful for giving him another opportunity to serve Him in carrying out the greatest of all purposes.

• Paul’s thanksgiving - Every thoughtful new covenant saint is very conscious of the grace and mercy of the Lord in God’s rescuing him from Satan’s domain and from the fires of an eternal hell. But not only is the saint rescued, more importantly he is turned into a useful vessel, fitted to be a temple of God and serving the positive purposes of the great King. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord,” are Paul’s words of great gratitude, “who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service” (1 Timothy 1:12). Once the former Saul of Tarsus recognized that Jesus was raised from the dead, due to his encounter with the Christ on the Damascus road, his belief system changed. Now ready to lay aside the system of the Law of Moses, he was ready to embrace the system of the faith of Christ, and to serve according to its terms. Because the Lord now considered Paul to be faithful, he strengthened him! The “new man,” in the process of laying aside the old self, has to be “strengthened” in order to be of use in this new system, “strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). “Born from above,” and now strengthened, the new Saul of Tarsus was ready and grateful to be “put into service.”


• Paul’s past - Paul’s past is instructive in that it shows that God is willing to use, and can use, any faithful individual who turns to Him on His terms, regardless of his past life. Paul can write about his past life without twinges of a guilty conscience, almost like it was another person, because of the grace and mercy of God. Christ put Paul into service, “even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (1 Timothy 1:13). Certainly the record of Saul of Tarsus as noted in the book of Acts shows him to be all those things, described as one who was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1).


• Ignorant unbelief - Anyone who is running counter to the will of God is in some sense ignorant of the eternal consequences of his rebellion or his neglect. Paul did hear the gospel of Christ from the lips of Stephen, and actively engaged in Stephen’s execution for his preaching the gospel of Christ. But he really did not “hear” the words because of his own mental preset, so there was a “willful ignorance” on Paul’s part. That is why Jesus, in meeting Paul on that Road, stated, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). Thus, the apostle writes, “And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13).

Conscious, then, of the great mercy of God exhibited through Jesus Christ, Paul was willing to offer his life as a living sacrifice to the One who saved him. Persecutions, privations, punishments, and prison could not turn him from proclaiming the gospel to the lost, and serving to preserve the saints. His example is worthy of our emulation!!

It cannot be overemphasized: there is no grace under law! The system of law is inflexible: “one and done”; one sin and the person is dead spiritually and separated from God. The apostle Paul, to illustrate this point, quoted from the Law of Moses itself, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them” (Galatians 3:10). It is evident, in order for God to save truth-seekers from the cursed fires of hell, another system, a system of “grace,” must be brought in. “The Law was given through Moses,” thus affirmed the apostle John, whereas “grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). God in His mercy covers the negatives of the saint’s life; His grace is His giving the saint all the positives of the terms of the new covenant. “We believe,” stated the apostle Peter at the first formal welcoming of the Gentiles into the early church at a meeting in Jerusalem, “that we [the Jews] are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way they [the Gentiles] are” (Acts 15:11). The salvation of the Gentiles by faith through grace (operative at immersion into Christ) was clearer than the salvation of those coming out of Judaism because it was not cluttered with remnants of the Law.

• Grace of the Lord - Paul, then, the former blasphemer and persecutor of the church, was justified at his immersion and introduced to the grace of God. “I was shown mercy,” he said, “and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant” (1 Timothy 1:14). Before the coming of Christ, the apostle explained to the Romans, sin entered the world through one man, and so spiritual death spread to all men because all sinned. The result was a world in which sin reigned. But with the coming of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the means by which God, out of the goodness of His heart, could graciously forgive even the worst transgressions was inaugurated, and grace now reigns in righteousness. At Paul’s immersion, that grace became personally operative in his life, and, as he put it, “more than abundant” to cover his sins and make him worthy to serve in newness of life.


• Faith - Paul, former Pharisee and zealous for the Law and customs, understood the value of the new covenant, the covenant of “the faith of Christ.” But the foundations for that coming faith were laid in the old covenant writings. “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather in the flesh, has found?” he queried (Romans 4:1). Abraham had obviously found something of great value, rudimentary as it was in his time, and that something was a belief and trust in God that resulted in God’s justifying Abraham. The apostle’s use of the term “found” with regard to Abraham expresses his own wonderment at what he “found” in regard to the “faith of Christ,” which is far superior to the “faith of Abraham.”


• Love - When the Law of Moses issued the commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might,” that love was based on His creative power and His deliverance of Israel from Egypt. But the apostle was aware that much more of God’s love was expressed in His sending Christ into the world to seek and save that which was lost. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us,” the apostle noted, “in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). That demonstration significantly impacted Paul, and produced in him a love for God and for the lost.

The extreme hostility that the former Paul had for Christianity made him conscious of how great an effort God had gone to reconcile mankind to Himself, and to reconcile Paul personally. His words are worth restating: “I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” Amen!

Man, in general, is afraid of facing God. He is only one step away from his first ancestor, Adam, who hid in the garden because he was afraid. The guilty conscience, built into every human being who has crossed the line and has committed sin against his Creator, condemns the individual, and his tendency is to figure out ways in which he thinks he is hiding from God. It is roughly equivalent to the small child covering his face with a dishcloth, and then crying out, “You can’t see me!” To bring man out of his hiding, God sent the gospel of Christ into the world. The first portion of the gospel brings the individual to accountability before God, and acquaints him with the penalty of eternal punishment as the consequence for that sin. The next portion of the gospel brings the message of what Jesus did through the cross to redeem man to Himself. The third portion then gives the specifics of how each lost soul might secure for himself the blessings of that salvation.

• Trustworthy statement - The sinner, having his conscience verify the message that he is separated and running from God, now has to be convinced that there is a real mechanism for turning the wrath of God from him. Hence the apostle writes, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance…” (1 Timothy 1:15). What the apostle is about to say is backed by everything that establishes that the Bible is true, and that Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. The statement is “believable and certain.” The statement furthermore, deserves a total and complete acceptance. If it does not, the scripture will not accomplish its purpose for that doubting individual.


• To save sinners - The trustworthy statement, in part, is “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The lost individual, perhaps having a long habit of hiding from God, needs the reassurance that the reason Jesus came into the world was to redeem wretches like himself. Many a person has been doubtful that God would be interested in someone who had fallen so low as he. But the scripture makes it clear that any sin, no matter how big or small from a human viewpoint, separates the individual from God. The “little white lie” is just a monstrous as cold-blooded murder; both separate the man from his God. The record is clear: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).


• Paul is foremost - To further reassure the wavering prospect that God is willing to forgive him, the apostle is willing to put himself forward as the extreme example. His basic point is that if God was willing to, and could save, the former Saul of Tarsus, He is willing to, and can save, any person examining the gospel of Christ. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Paul is not using the present tense “I am” to say that he currently, as he walked and worked among the first century churches, was the foremost of sinners. He is using “I am” in the sense that he is an example of how God’s gospel can save anyone. God’s loving invitation truly is extended to all!


• Perfect patience - For quite a period of time, Saul of Tarsus ravaged the church as “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.” But the Almighty was patient, waiting for the right time to turn him who was “kicking against the goads” to the Christ in glory. Further reassurance for the quavering sinner: “And for this reason I found mercy,” the apostle explains, “in order that in me as foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16).

God’s patience is extended to anyone who is currently processing the fact that Jesus died for him, was buried, and was raised to the power position to save him. But “today” is the day of salvation, and “now” is the acceptable time, before it is too late. “Repent, and be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!!” (Acts 2:38).

How many words could be used to praise God? With what words could anyone describe the Majestic God? The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has some of best that could be offered. In describing Jesus Christ, revelation of the awesome God, the apostle states that He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21). He runs out of superlatives!

Similarly, after speaking of the great mercy and grace extended to sinners (of which Paul regarded himself as “foremost”), the apostle launches into another set of descriptive words and phrases setting forth the greatness and worthiness of the Prince and Savior: “Now to the King eternal,” he opens his doxology, “immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17). Certainly these descriptions are worthy of examination.

• The King eternal - “Jesus Christ,” stated Paul, “in me demonstrated His perfect patience.” Christ, as is commonly known, means “the Messiah,” “the Anointed One, “the King.” Hence, the apostle is talking, in this context, about Jesus Christ, when he offers his praise to “the King eternal.” Jesus has always been “the King,” but it took the revelation of the scriptures and plan carried out in the realm of time, to make that point known to the sons of men. As the apostle Peter noted in his first gospel message, preached on Pentecost, that “God has made Him Christ” (Acts 2:36). This is how the eternal King was revealed to man! Always has been, and always will be!!


• King immortal - Jesus, the King immortal, took on mortality to save man from his sins. Following His crucifixion at the hands of godless men, He arose from the dead on the third day, appeared to witnesses for forty days, then ascended to glory, to return to immortality. That is powerful immortality! Though dead, He lives!!


• King invisible - The eternal and immortal King took on flesh and became visible to the eye of man. Once He had completed His work in the visible realm, He entered again into the invisible realm, that which must be revealed to the sinful race by what became the written word of God. “We look,” then, says Paul of those who have been called out of darkness into light, “not at things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Therein we behold “the King in His beauty” (Isaiah 33:17)!!


• The only God - To some, to apply the ascription of “the only God” to Jesus is too far a stretch. But other scriptures from the inspired apostle need to be considered. For example, in regard to Jesus’ second coming with the shout of the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, the NASB says “God with bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14) The construction shows that Jesus is the God who is bringing the spirits and souls out of Paradise to return with Him. But the NIV, having trouble with the idea of Jesus being “the only God,” translates the 1 Thessalonians passage thusly: “God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” The point of Paul’s praise here in 1 Timothy is that Jesus is “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God.”

The apostle Paul, considering the wretchedness of his condition prior to his immersion into Christ, certainly would have the highest praise for his deliverance and his Deliverer. Having been a “blasphemer and persecutor and violent aggressor,” and very well aware of the eternity in the lake of fire for those found “not knowing God,” he lauds the Jesus who met him on the Damascus Road and sent Ananias with the words of what he should do to secure his salvation. The mercy, grace, patience, and love that Jesus extended to him were not taken lightly. This doxology is sincere, every word ringing with gratefulness toward the Christ who died and rose again that Paul might live forever in heaven. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen!”

There are many temptations for any saint who tries to keep his focus on Christ. Even for someone like Timothy, protégé of the apostle Paul, the pressures from the forces of darkness would be intense. Hence, the apostle has an exhortation (a command, even) for the younger man and co-laborer in the gospel. But before the exhortation is issued, Paul reminds Timothy of some important history in the evangelist’s life, and uses that history as a basis for his exordium.

• Timothy’s being “set apart” - What are called gifts or “manifestations” of the Spirit were given by the laying-on-of-hands of one of the apostles. Paul, for example, laid hands on twelve men at Ephesus who had been immersed into Christ after previously having been immersed into John’s immersion. When he did so, the men “began speaking with tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:6). Paul also had laid hands on Timothy. This is how the apostle noted that in the inspired record: “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). Whether Timothy could prophesy or cast out demons or whatever is not recorded for us; but he has at least one of the gifts of the Spirit through Paul’s laying his hands on him. But Timothy received the gift of being an evangelist through the laying on of hands of the eldership (presumably Lystra). “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery [eldership]” (1 Timothy 4:14). Just as Barnabas and Saul of Tarsus were set apart by the laying on of hands by the leadership of the church at Antioch of Syria (Acts 13:1-4) to go and preach to the Gentiles, Timothy was “set apart” to do the work of an evangelist by the laying on of hands of the leadership (the group of elders) of the congregation to which he was closely connected.


• Prophetic utterance - In the case of Barnabas and Saul, one of the prophets in Antioch, directed by the Holy Spirit, made a prophetic utterance. Here is how Luke the beloved physician noted the occasion: “And while they [five leading men of Antioch] were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’“(Acts 13:2). Notice that in Timothy’s case a similar “prophetic utterance” was tendered, the result of which was that Timothy was set aside to do the work of an evangelist. The apostle Paul, then, refers back to these events when he exhorts his true child in the faith: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you…” (1 Timothy 1:18).

The Lord is using the church — His saints — to wage war against the forces of darkness. The battle for each soul is raging, as the new covenant writings consistently point out. Timothy is encouraged to “fight the good fight,” not only maintaining his faith for his own soul, but having the character and preaching/teaching power to continue to reach the lost and work with the brethren.

It is a “fight”; it is absolutely brutal spiritual warfare. In the physical realm, troops are recruited, armaments amassed, and armies take the field under swirling banners with navies standing offshore; then the opposing forces proceed to cut each other to pieces. It is comparatively easy to process just how brutal warfare is in the physical realm, both for those who have experienced it firsthand, and for those who have to some degree processed that warfare through actual photographs or verbal pictures. But God wants His children of faith to use the physical as a basis to process the spiritual, and draw the conclusion about the horrific brutality of that war for men’s eternal souls. This war is the one worth engaging in. Timothy, and all moderns, “fight the good fight!”!!

There are many temptations for any saint who tries to keep his focus on Christ. Even for someone like Timothy, protégé of the apostle Paul, the pressures from the forces of darkness would be intense. Hence, the apostle has an exhortation (a command, even) for the younger man and co-laborer in the gospel. But before the exhortation is issued, Paul reminds Timothy of some important history in the evangelist’s life, and uses that history as a basis for his exordium.

• Timothy’s being “set apart” - What are called gifts or “manifestations” of the Spirit were given by the laying-on-of-hands of one of the apostles. Paul, for example, laid hands on twelve men at Ephesus who had been immersed into Christ after previously having been immersed into John’s immersion. When he did so, the men “began speaking with tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:6). Paul also had laid hands on Timothy. This is how the apostle noted that in the inspired record: “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). Whether Timothy could prophesy or cast out demons or whatever is not recorded for us; but he has at least one of the gifts of the Spirit through Paul’s laying his hands on him. But Timothy received the gift of being an evangelist through the laying on of hands of the eldership (presumably Lystra). “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery [eldership]” (1 Timothy 4:14). Just as Barnabas and Saul of Tarsus were set apart by the laying on of hands by the leadership of the church at Antioch of Syria (Acts 13:1-4) to go and preach to the Gentiles, Timothy was “set apart” to do the work of an evangelist by the laying on of hands of the leadership (the group of elders) of the congregation to which he was closely connected.


• Prophetic utterance - In the case of Barnabas and Saul, one of the prophets in Antioch, directed by the Holy Spirit, made a prophetic utterance. Here is how Luke the beloved physician noted the occasion: “And while they [five leading men of Antioch] were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’“(Acts 13:2). Notice that in Timothy’s case a similar “prophetic utterance” was tendered, the result of which was that Timothy was set aside to do the work of an evangelist. The apostle Paul, then, refers back to these events when he exhorts his true child in the faith: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you…” (1 Timothy 1:18).

The Lord is using the church — His saints — to wage war against the forces of darkness. The battle for each soul is raging, as the new covenant writings consistently point out. Timothy is encouraged to “fight the good fight,” not only maintaining his faith for his own soul, but having the character and preaching/teaching power to continue to reach the lost and work with the brethren.

It is a “fight”; it is absolutely brutal spiritual warfare. In the physical realm, troops are recruited, armaments amassed, and armies take the field under swirling banners with navies standing offshore; then the opposing forces proceed to cut each other to pieces. It is comparatively easy to process just how brutal warfare is in the physical realm, both for those who have experienced it firsthand, and for those who have to some degree processed that warfare through actual photographs or verbal pictures. But God wants His children of faith to use the physical as a basis to process the spiritual, and draw the conclusion about the horrific brutality of that war for men’s eternal souls. This war is the one worth engaging in. Timothy, and all moderns, “fight the good fight!”!!

It’s a good fight, indeed, in which the saints are enlisted. What greater cause could there be than one wherein souls are turned from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to God? What greater battlefield could there be, where the spiritual swords of the saints clash with opposing demonically driven forces? What greater purpose could there be than one in which people’s future is changed from one of eternal darkness and pain to one of eternal light and pleasure? It is a good fight, and worthy of each saint’s total participation, and fulfilling to the greatest degree!

But it is a fight! It demands full time concentration on the part of the saint just like any physical battle. “Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh,” states the apostle in his letter to the Ephesians, “but against principalities” and all the world forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). Wrestle is a great description because in a wrestling match the combatants are extremely intensely engaged for the full round, and if either lets up or loses concentration for even a moment, he is pinned. The saint, then, is engaged in spiritual warfare with an opponent who does not give up or let down; hence the Christian must continually recognize that he is involved in a spiritual fight from which there is no release until God calls him home!

• Maintaining faith - Because Timothy (and each of us as well) was engaged in spiritual warfare of the utmost magnitude, it was important for him not to lose his faith as defined by the new covenant. He was to maintain the sound doctrinal positions of the apostles, he was to keep his mission of seeking and saving the lost in focus, and he was to endure all opposition and obstacles in continuing to move forward in serving the Lord Jesus. If Satan could get him on any one of those points, he would score a tremendous victory and Timothy would suffer tremendous loss.


• A good conscience - God has granted to each follower of Christ a “good conscience” at his immersion into Christ. “Let us draw near” to God, says Hebrews’ author, “having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). Only God can grant that clean conscience which Jesus purchased with His own blood; no amount of human effort could ever accomplish that spiritual cleansing. That clean or good conscience is therefore worthy of maintaining, regardless of what external pressures might come. Paul is thus exhorting Timothy to “fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith” (1 Timothy 1:18,19).


• Some bad examples - A disciple of Christ is about to violate his conscience whenever he starts to make long explanations and excuses about what he is getting ready to do (or getting ready not to do). His conscience has already triggered what the decision should be; now the saint has to process whether he is going to do “what is right” or whether he is going to do something the flesh would rather do. Paul is warning Timothy that anyone who starts down that road is going “to suffer shipwreck” and lose his faith on the coral reef of that particular temptation. Lest Timothy think that Paul is speaking in hypothetical terms, the apostle brings the names of a couple of men whom apparently were known to Paul’s protégé: “Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme” (1 Timothy 1:20).

This is indeed life or death combat in the spiritual realm. It was for Timothy, and it is for us. The key ingredients in this fight are maintaining faith and a good conscience. Those are not the “properties” which a person would normally think of in terms or protecting territory in a fight. But such it is in the spiritual realm, and this instruction to Timothy should guide modern saints in the raging battles to come. GO, FIGHT, WIN!!

“Christ Jesus,” said Paul, “came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus Himself, during His years on the surface of earth, engaged in tremendous spiritual warfare with the prince of darkness in carrying out His mission, and was personally tempted by “the big bad one.” Even as the hour of His crucifixion was approaching, as Jesus was finishing inaugurating the Lord’s Supper, He stated to the apostles, “the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14:30). Judas Iscariot, however, had succumbed to pressure, and the scripture states that when he ate the morsel that Jesus gave him, “Satan then entered into him” (John 13:27). These examples show that the battle for the soul is fierce, and Jesus deserves maximum praise for winning that battle. That battle is also that to which Paul called Timothy in exhorting him to “fight the good fight.”

• Spiritual warfare - Spiritual warfare is not fought with the weapons of spears, mortars, or “cruise missiles.” “The weapons of our warfare,” explained Paul, “are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” (2 Corinthians 10:4). What, therefore, would be the first weapon in the arsenal? “First of all, then,” is Paul’s imploring, “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men” (1 Timothy 2:1). The apostle has a series of logical points: 1) Christ came to save sinners; 2) Timothy, set aside to preach, is to fight the good fight, which would be for the souls of those lost sinners; and 3) he is to pray. Prayer, as it fits in with God’s design, is the first weapon is seeking and saving the lost. In the book of Acts, the record is that the apostles and the early church prayed, then the preaching began!


• Entreaties, etc. - Entreaties are humble and earnest prayers; begging, pleading, appealing to the One who could answer the requests. Petitions carry the picture of making formal requests to the King. Thanksgivings have the connotation of gratefulness for past requests granted.


• For all men - The baseline is that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The sweet incense of the saints in prayer on behalf of even the most abject of sinners is pleasing to the Almighty, and the brethren are obviously urged to add their contribution in modern times as was Timothy in his.


• For kings and all in authority - The baseline still is that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Often it is that the most despicable, most brutal, and most ruthless of human beings rise to the top of the rubble heap of humanity. Pray for these? Yes! “I urge,” says Paul, that prayers be made “for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we might lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2). One of the purposes of such prayers is for peaceful conditions of comparative freedom in which the gospel might spread, and saints might live their quiet lives in their communities while setting up Bible studies with their neighbors and acquaintances.

These prayers are necessary, as Paul restates in his point about the purpose of spiritual warfare. “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,” he notes, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). Timothy, and all who are likewise addressed and challenged in this epistle, remain open to the possibility that anyone can be saved. Hence comes the exordium from Jesus Himself, “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Each saint is reminded that at one point he too was an enemy of God: “For if while we were enemies,” Paul reminded the Romans, “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10). Children of faith are greatly encouraged to take on the character of their Father in loving their enemies and praying for those who persecute them, “in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…” (Matthew 5:45). Let entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men!

The Law, although it was spiritual, did not produce a spiritual people. It took the coming of Christ in the flesh, and the gospel message emanating from that event, to begin to reach the calloused hearts of men, and move them to desiring spiritual and important truths. It is in the gospel that the love of God for each member of the lost race of man is expressed in the death of Christ on the cross. As Jesus put it, referring to His upcoming crucifixion, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32). Hence comes the exhortation to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Once the individual is enrolled in the school of Christ, and is immersed per Acts 2:38, then the next step kicks in: “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Naturally, as the spiritually awakening descendant of Adam recognizes his dreadful condition as a sinner before the justice of the Almighty God, his major concern is to be reconciled to God through his obedience to the gospel of Christ. Once he has peace with God, then he can continue his education in the all-important spiritual realm, revealed only through the scriptures. The apostle Paul expresses the concept in these terms, building off the base that saints should pray for all men: “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). First the salvation, then the rest of the truth!

• Desire for all to be saved - The word of God emphasizes that God’s desire is for all men to be saved, or, as the apostle Peter phrased it, the Lord does not wish for any to perish but “for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Thus the scripture emphasizes that ultimately all individuals have a choice to make in whether they desire to pursue the information pointing to the truthfulness of God’s written revelation to man. God is not in the process of “cherry picking” those with whom He desires to have fellowship; the information is available to all. There is enough information in the orderliness of Creation to give each person a start in following the threads of truth in his life to lead him to Jesus Christ. Therefore, “they are,” said Paul, “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). “The light is come into the world,” said Jesus, and men in general “loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil,” and they avoid coming into the light. “But he who practices the truth comes to the light,” is the contrast, “that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (John 3:19-21). God desires that all men be saved; those who end up not being saved chose that condition!


• The knowledge of the truth - Being immersed into Christ and thus having been “saved from sin,” the new saint begins his marvelous educational journey. Step by step the manifold wisdom of God is revealed in the pages of God’s word, as he learns from reading the scriptures and from teachers and preachers who challenge his thinking to move from an emphasis on the physical to an increasing understanding of the spiritual realm.

God truly desires all men to be saved, and He truly desires that His disciples come to a knowledge of the truth. Understanding the Father’s desire for each of His spiritual children enables us to put the process of continued discipleship in the right context and to spur the heart’s desire for more than just the basics. God is in the process of producing a truly spiritual people who have their minds set on the Spirit rather than the flesh. Time, tribulation, and torture have ways of sorting out who those people are.

The written revelation makes it clear, from even the earliest scrolls, that there is but one God. “Hear, O Israel!,” cried the prophet Moses, “The Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). All other “gods” or idols are figments of men’s imaginations, stirred up by demonic forces. “We [as Christians] know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world,” posited Paul, “and that there is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4). “I say,” he fervently pointed out, “that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20). Hence God’s long war against idolatry is really God’s long war against the Satanic/demonic forces working in the minds of men. God had to work long and hard to drive idolatry out of Israel; thus the brethren are warned, “Therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).

• One God - “For there is,” Paul reminds Timothy, “one God”(1 Timothy 2:5). There is much idolatry in the world, some direct and some subtle, but the scriptures are consistent and insistent that the God who created everything is the only God. “There is no other God besides Me,” the Almighty stated through Isaiah, “a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:21,22).


• One Mediator - The holy and righteous God is separated from sinners, and has only wrath for those who remain in that condition. For the sinner to be able to approach the great and righteous King, he must have a go-between, Someone who could interact with mankind and yet sinless and able to be welcome in the presence of Him who said “I am the first, I am also the last” (Isaiah 48:12). Hence cometh into the world Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man! Yes, “there is one God,” and there is “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Jesus came in human form and “bore our sins in His body on the ‘wood’ ”(1 Peter 2:24). But in order for His mediation to be in effect, He had to be raised from the dead and ascend to glory and intercede for us as the great High Priest of the order of Melchizedek. He was “the man Christ Jesus.” “Christ Jesus is He who died,” observed the apostle Paul, “yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:34). He is the mediator!


• Gave Himself as a ransom - Christ’s taking the form of a bond-servant on behalf of mankind was not without cost. Something had to be offered to extricate man from sin’s deadly lair, and the only thing of sufficient value was the life and blood of Jesus Himself. “Christ Jesus,” explained the apostle, “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 1:6). Himself!! The Son of God in exchange for the sons of man. The deal was set forth, and Christ showed up on Calvary’s hill at the deadline. The payment was met, Christ resurrected and ascended, and the whole process was consummated in the propitiatory action of Jesus in the true Holy of Holies. What a plan, and what a Man!

The desire of God “for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” is indeed intense, and the willingness of Jesus to carry out His part is more than incomprehensible. God is indeed “a righteous God and a Savior.” He rightly and justly condemns to an eternity in the lake of fire those who reject His love, His sacrifice, and His offering on their behalf. “Every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance” (Isaiah 45:23). “In the Lord all the offspring of [true] Israel will be justified, and will glory” (Isaiah 45:25). The ransom price was paid in full!

If someone has an apartment for rent, and no one knows about it, the apartment will remain vacant. If God has a tremendous plan for the redemption of all mankind, but no one ever knows about it, redemption’s rolls will remain empty. Thus, with the plan of redemption, God also had to have a plan for the distribution of the message. What little dissemination of the knowledge of the God of Israel was accomplished through the Jews and their dispersion through the Gentile lands. But there was no aggressive attempt on the part of the Jews to spread that information; in fact, the Jews were told to keep separate from the Gentile peoples of the world so that they were not destroyed by their association with pagan religions. But with the coming of the new covenant, the message of the gospel is to be taken to the world, as Jesus commanded the apostles following His resurrection: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and been immersed shall be saved…” (Mark 16:15,16).

• The testimony - The core of the message of the gospel depends on the testimony of eyewitnesses, particularly the apostles. The apostles were physically eyewitnesses of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and witnesses of His bodily resurrection (Paul was the exception, being a witness of the same events by special revelation). All the apostles by revelation were witnesses of the events that happened in heaven following Jesus’ ascension (such as the beginning of His High Priestly ministry) by special revelation, and the truthfulness of their testimony was backed by their ability to perform miracles that no one else could. The apostle Paul, when his apostleship was under fire in Corinth, called the Corinthian brethren’s attention back to this: “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles” (2 Corinthians 12:12). Thus, in Paul’s reminders to Timothy, he speaks of Jesus who “gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:6).


• The proper time - Jesus could not come into the world until the stage was properly set. The Jews themselves had to be moved out of their tendencies to idol worship, and they had to be scripturally literate because of the reading of the Law and the prophets in the synagogues. They had to have experienced enough oppression from the hands of their rulers to welcome John the Immerser with his twin message that the “kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and that he was the one to make the Messiah manifest to Israel. The way was now prepared for Christ to make His presence among the people known, and the events were in motion for His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to be believable by a percentage of the Jews. “At the right time,” said Paul to the brethren in Rome, “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). Not only were things prepared for Jesus to come into the world, but things were also prepared for the distri-bution of the gospel of the glory of Christ. When the Samaritans were coming in droves to listen to the Lord after He visited with the woman at the well, He explained to the apostles about the future spread of His message, “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered their labor” (John 4:38). The Jews were prepared, the Greek language was a universal language, and Roman order and Roman roads were available, so that all things were prepared on a very broad basis for “publishing abroad the glad tidings”! It was “the proper time.”

Paul himself came into the whole mix at the proper time. He explained to the Galatians that he had been set apart, “from my mother’s womb” to be an apostle to the Gentiles, and at the right time God “called me through His grace…that I might preach Him [Jesus] among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15,16). “For this,” the apostle reaffirmed to Timothy, “I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth” (1 Timothy 2:7).

Paul did point out to Timothy that he had been called as an apostle. Speaking to the point of his participation in the gospel as a preacher, a teacher, and an apostle, when he spoke of his apostleship he emphasized, “I am telling the truth, I am not lying.” As an apostle, Paul is about to give Timothy some in-structions to pass along to Christian men and women in the congregation in Ephesus (and ultimately to all congregations in Christ), and he wants Timothy and the listeners to know that these are coming with apostolic backing. It is similar to the specific statement that he made to the church at Corinth in his second epistle, where he spoke of “the authority [exousia] which the Lord gave me, for building up, and not for tearing down” (2 Corinthians 13:10). Functioning in “faith and truth,” the apostle stated, “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension” (1 Timothy 2:8).

• Men must pray - One of the functions of prayer is that it reminds men of their need for God. Natural man has a tendency to think that he doesn’t need God’s help—a form of pride. Thus in natural man there is often no acknowledgement of the major things God does to even make crops available, or His work in having metals in the ground or trees for wood. The simple statement out of Jesus’ model prayer illustrates the need to recognize God’s hand in making man’s labor productive: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). The apostle opened this section of the epistle with an exhortation that prayers and entreaties, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men. Here, then, he adds, “I want the men in every place to pray.”


• Holy hands - Paul requests that men in their prayers to be “lifting up holy hands.” The “hands” are only holy if the petitioner has pure and sincere motives in that prayer. Jesus, for example, spoke of the hypocrites whose desire was “to be seen by men” in their prayers (Matthew 6:5). “They have their reward in full,” was His analysis. Many modern “religionists” make quite a show of “lifting” up their hands, which actually is the fruit of manipulation techniques of those herding the crowd down the wrong road. No saint needs to “lift up” his hands in prayer; he can kneel, he can stand, he can sit, he can have his eyes closed, he can have his eyes open. A picture that could have been in Paul’s mind was Solomon at the dedication of the temple. “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the as-sembly of Israel,” is the record, “and spread out his hands toward heaven” (1 Kings 8:22). The point of emphasis by Paul is that those hands had better be holy, and if there is prayer done in pretense, that by definition is unholy and defiled.


• No wrath or dissension - An angry man is hard to deal with; no one knows when that cauldron is going to burst over. Such anger in a Christian is a result of not having put to death the flesh, and needs to be firmly and summarily handled by the saint with the problem; wrath is not caused by another person’s action or inaction in the context of which Paul here speaks. Dissension is another major issue. Those who cause division, who create factions, are walking by the flesh rather than by the Spirit, and are incredibly destructive to the body of Christ and its ability to get its job done.

Paul established his authority as an apostle of Christ, tested and trusted by the Lord Himself. Timothy, then is to pass the apostle’s instructions on to the congregation in Ephesus with the full force of Christ’s command and the apostle’s exhortation. “Therefore,” began the injunction, “I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or dissension.” We got it, Paul, we got it!

Saints need guidance as to how to conduct themselves in the church of the living God. Just as men need direction, so do the Christian women. These directives come underneath the heading of these words: God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Men in the church are therefore to pray to this end, live holy lives, and not engage in wrath or dissension; these are absolutely necessary for the church to carry out its role in seeking and saving the lost. The instruction for Christian women dovetails with the instruction to the men, and is for the same purpose.

• Adornment issues - Women have a huge and complementary role inside the church and in carrying out its Christ-designed mission to the world. Hence Paul’s words of wisdom to the women begin with “likewise.” “Likewise,” begins the apostle’s exhortation, “I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments” (1 Timothy 2:9). The manner in which women adorn themselves is important in the overall forward movement of the gospel. Females, at even a fairly young age, are conscious of their apparel, and increasingly conscious of the affect their attractiveness has on other people, both men and women. Immodest dress will attract attention, but not the correct attention. “Modesty” has the general thrust of being willing to take a step back, not being ostentatious or attention-getting, as a “modest house.” “Discreetly” is a form of “discretion,” which has to do with using good judgment. A Christian woman’s being costumed in 16th century middle European garb would neither be modest nor discreet in a 21st century culture. Proper clothing and proper amount of covering is modest and discreet, and every aware Christian female knows exactly what that is. The goal of God and the scripture is to have the saintly women carry out that good judgment.


• Allurement and entrapment - Certain women have used various means to attract attention to themselves, this being the means by which they attempt to gain value. Overall, the scripture encourages children of faith to “get their value” from God, who again and again communicates in sundry ways how much He loves and values each person in the body of Christ. But if a female is not clearly processing this, she will tend to try to attract attention to herself, often by how she fixes her hair or with the flash of “bling.” It isn’t the “braided hair” that is the issue; it is how she braids it. It isn’t the “gold or pearls” (it could be platinum or silver or diamonds); it is how she uses those to allure her prey. It isn’t the “costly garments” per se that are the problem; it is how those expensive garments are designed to show off her figure that is the problem; it is how she is spider-like entrapping the intended target of her game.

The exhortation from the Holy Spirit is for saintly and godly women to use good judgment in their dress and overall adornment. Godly character is of paramount importance, and that is the “attractiveness” that the Father desires in His girls. Part of that character is exhibited in modest and discreet dress, coupled with intelligent hair styles and jewelry. Christian women are to be lights in the world and salt of the earth; they can’t wear the costumes of the ancient world or not-so-ancient world and do that. But they can be tasteful without being trendy, they can be effective without being “edgy.” They can focus on showing the character of Christ to the people around them without exposing an undue amount of skin. They can be those “lights” without the flash of precious metal. They can be clothed with Christ without having to use earth’s “costly garments.” In that fashion, the mission of seeking and saving the lost can be most effectively accomplished as saintly ladies intermingle in their societies, without the distractions of indiscretion getting in the way!

Usually, more than half the population in a congregation are female. Women tend to live longer than men, and there are often “Lydia’s” who are very interested in the word of God. Those coming into Christ from the world often need instruction on how to conduct themselves in their new life; having been made disciples, having been immersed, they need to continue to be taught how to observe all that Jesus has commanded. Some of that education involves a new way of dress and a new way of acting in the public or congregational arena. Instead of being “attention-getters” in their clothing, hairstyle, or exhibition of jewelry, they are to be modest and use discretion.

• The best clothing - Having been clothed with Christ in immersion, and having had the inner person transformed, with what will the outer woman be clothed? “Not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,” affirms Paul, “but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness” (1 Timothy 2:10). The apostle, later in this letter, as he describes under what conditions widows might be on the church’s “list,” gives us an overall idea. She qualifies if she has “a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work” (1 Timothy 5:10). The “good works” of a godly woman are exhibited in the overflow of a true servant’s heart: a willingness to extend herself on behalf of others, and a willingness to carry out even the most “lowly” of tasks. And, yes, “good works” require WORK!


• Demeanor - The Christian woman is a new creation in Christ. Gone is any semblance of a loud-mouthed hussy fresh from the bar scene. “Let a woman,” explains the apostle, “quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness” (1 Timothy 2:11). Intelligent questioning and an unchallenging demeanor befit this woman. “Let it be the hidden person of the heart,” similarly stated the apostle Peter, “with the imperishable quality of the gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:4). These instructions apply to a woman “making a claim to godliness”; of course, if she makes no claim to godliness, this need not apply.


• Authority - In his first epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle states the order of authority: “But I want you to understand,” he said, “that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3). Christ has no issue in submitting to the Father, so the man should have no problem in submitting to Christ, and the woman should have no problem in submitting to the man. “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:12). No matter how it is “pitched,” women have no place in leading the audiences in Christian assemblies, in preaching or in teaching or in singing.

The forces of darkness have long been at work in “overthrowing the existing social order.” Because Western Civilization was, in a broad sense, Bible-based, and its foundational philosophy provided the basis for freedom in teaching and practicing the scriptures, from the perspective of those who are promoting “the new world order” that foundation must be destroyed. A key part of that overthrow is the fundamental God-ordained relationship between men and women, and their respective roles. “For it was Adam who was first created,” Paul reminds Timothy, “and then Eve” (1 Timothy 2:13). While the supposed goal of “leftists” in the modern world is “empowering woman,” the actual purpose is to devalue men. When men are devalued, women also are actually devalued as well, families are thrown into chaos, and the “existing social order” is destroyed. It is therefore understandable that one of the major Communist holidays is International Women’s Day on March 8. Congregations should not allow themselves to be pulled into the modern public agenda, but simply follow scripture and explain its tenets to those being converted to Christ.

“But from the beginning of Creation,” said the Lord Jesus Himself, quoting from Genesis, “God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6). Only in a world gone crazy would a person be able to be persuaded that someone could “choose a gender” or be able to tell other people by what pronoun he (or she, for clarity in today’s world) wished to be addressed. A boy is born a male, and a girl is born a female, and nothing earthly is going to be able to change much more than some surface body chemistry or some changes by surgery. The way the bones are shaped and the way the brain is “wired” cannot be changed; God made mankind “male and female.” Since God made them “male and female” from the beginning, there are also some built-in roles; females are destined to be mothers and homemakers, and males are destined to be fathers and bread-winners. The scripture has much to say about how both husbands and wives are to conduct themselves, but the roles are spelled out. In a society being increasingly driven by a “woke agenda,” fomented by forces that would bring about “a great reset” and “a new world order,” the teaching of the scripture is castigated and ultimately censored. God and His word, however, are unchanging!

• Male leadership in the assembly - “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet,” states the inspired apostle Paul. There is no room for a “Marge in charge” in the assembly of the saints; women voluntarily need to take a step back, and be content with the male leadership guiding, teaching, and preaching. The apostle has a “cultural” argument to bring forth here: “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve” (1 Timothy 2:13). The culture on which Paul bases his statement is the culture that began with Adam and Eve! Another point in his argumentation: “And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14). The conclusion to be drawn here in the argumentation is that women have a little more tendency to be deceived (by their emotions for example) than men, and therefore spiritual leadership rests with the men.


• Primary role of women - When God created the human race as consisting of male and female, He designed the interrelationship to be complementary rather than competitive. Someone has to be the provider for the home, and someone has to be the keeper of the home. Since women are the ones who give birth to children, and children need their mothers early on, it makes sense that they would be the keepers of the home. “But women,” avers Paul, “shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint” (1 Timothy 2:15). This pretty clearly does not mean that a woman must have children or she can’t have eternal salvation; it is a statement on the apostle’s part about women’s carrying out their God-given role of being the keepers of the home.

Christian men are to be godly, lifting up “holy hands,” not engaged in wrath or dissension. Christian women are to exhibit an intelligent (using discretion in dress and conduct) demeanor and lifestyle, giving the appropriate honor to the Christian men with whom they associate. They are to be examples of what a faithful woman should be, serving and honoring God and His word. They are to be depositories of scripturally defined love in the family and in the church of God. These daughters of God are likewise to be holy (in sanctity) in all their behavior. And the word also stresses that they are to be examples of self-restraint, using discretion or good judgment in their disciplined character and lifestyle.

The church has been designed by God. It was designed before the foundation of the world and existed in God’s mind so that its substance could cast the shadow backward in earth’s time to the Old Testament foreshadow. The old covenant tabernacle and its appurtenances were called “the copies of the things in the heavens” (Hebrews 9:23). The substance (“the things in the heavens”) must be in existence in order for a copy to be made. As the tabernacle and the temple of Solomon were clearly designed by God, it is also therefore clear that the church of God was designed by God.

The building of the tabernacle was overseen by Moses. “Moses,” said Hebrews’ author, “was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle” (Hebrews 8:5). This warning came in the words of a strict command, as the writer of Hebrews quotes from the Old Testament narrative: “ ‘See,’ He says, ‘that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.‘ ” The tabernacle was built by Moses; the church is to be built by Christ, as He commented to Peter, “Upon this rock [the bedrock confession that Jesus is the Christ] I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18). As Moses was commanded to build according to the pattern shown him, even more so would Christ build according to the pattern given Him by the Father. “Christ is faithful as a Son over His house, whose house we are” (Hebrews 3:6).

Jesus, following His crucifixion and resurrection, ascended to the power position at the right hand of the Majesty on high. At the same time, He was positioned spiritually as the chief cornerstone in the true temple of God. The church, then, is built “upon the foundation of the apostles and [new covenant] prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). The apostles and prophets built according to “all that Jesus commanded” (Matthew 28:20). The result is a complete set of instructions in the writings of the New Testament for how the church of Jesus Christ is to continue to be built. If Moses was warned with regard to the copy of the church, how much more are moderns warned to build according to the instructions given them in the completed word of God!

The church of the Lord is not a physical building, but it consists of individual spiritual building blocks or stones called Christians. “You also,” was the apostle Peter’s instruction, “as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). These “living stones,” however, are not to float aimlessly about on the surface of planet earth; they are to be organized into congregations that regularly assemble. These local assemblies are to be organized according to the instructions given in the New Testament writings. When Paul wrote to the congregation at Corinth, he reminded them that “as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it” (1 Corinthians 3:10). He further adds, “If any man destroys the temple of God [the local congregation in this context], God will destroy him” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

The apostle Paul did not organize one congregation one way and have a different plan of organization for another local church. He mentioned to the church in Corinth that he was sending Timothy to straighten out a few things that had gone awry. “He will remind you,” Paul assured them, “of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:17). Not only did Paul establish congregations with the same practices and doctrines throughout the first century world, but the other apostles did the same. When the apostle Paul met the apostles Peter and John in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 15, he found that they were laying the same foundations, and they “gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship” (Galatians 2:9).

When Paul therefore gives Timothy instructions on overseers, these are the same instructions given to all the congregations by all the apostles. And they are the same instructions given to evangelists and congregations today!!

When Paul met with the elders of the congregation of Ephesus in Miletus in what is now southwestern Turkey, this was part of the conversation: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock,” he exhorted, “among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). As the apostle Paul introduces the topic of overseers in his first letter to Timothy, it is worth recalling that elder (older man), bishop (overseer), and pastor (shepherd) are different descriptions of the same office in the local congregation. These are the men who, in conjunction with evangelists (preachers), guide the local congregation. Because overseers are appointed by evangelists, the instructions to Timothy are relevant today in the process of selecting elders.

• Desire to do the work - When it comes to guiding the flock of God through the maze of doctrinal issues, keeping them on good feed instead of weak or harmful spiritual nutrition, or protecting them from wolves and other predators, there is much work for the overseers of a congregation. Thus the apostle emphasizes, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do” (1 Timothy 3:1). Clearly, one of the prime qualifiers for the office is that the man must desire the work rather than aspire to the position. This is a major issue, since history shows that the men who were driven by “position ambition” ended up making a distinction between “elder” and “bishop,” and unscripturally elevating the office of “bishop” over the office of “elder” in their already twisted turn away from primitive Christianity. A man who truly desires the work will have demonstrated that by already doing most of the “behind-the-scenes” work that an overseer would do: having Bible studies in homes to educate and strengthen the saints, having a portion of his time devoted to reaching the lost, developing the skills of helping saints and their families through the multitude of issues that challenge the nuclear family, and having acquired the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to share publicly and privately his own knowledge of the scriptures. A man who is primarily interested in doing the “visible” aspects leading up to the position of eldership is a dangerous man; he does not desire the work!


• Aspiring to the office - “Aspiring” has to do with an upward reach, a willingness to put in hard work now in the hope of reward or goal later. A person who wants to be a doctor, for example, must receive the necessary education and training over a period of years before he is ready to begin to realize his aspirations. Question: what is more important, the office or function of a doctor for the physical side of man; or the office or function of an overseer for the spiritual side of saints? The man who aspires to the office of overseer must be willing to go through all the training and education necessary for him to be able to carry out the functions of that office.


• “Overseer” - A person who “oversees” is a person who makes sure everything is functioning as it should; he could also be described as a “manager.” A true bishop does his part to make certain that all the “moving parts” of a congregation work together and accomplish what needs to be done. He is responsible for the overall attitude and atmosphere of a congregation. He is responsible for the training of teachers and development of future leadership. He is responsible for making certain that the local congregation stays true to new covenant doctrine. He is, and very importantly, responsible for the church’s maintaining its commitment and vision to seeking and saving the lost.

The office of overseer is critical in the stability of a congregation over several generations. That office is worthy of a young man’s aspirations, and worthy of his commitment to all the training and skill-development necessary for him to be an effective overseer in the future. And he must also remember that it is commitment to work.

The apostle Paul is taking some time to list some of the qualities that man must possess in order to be appointed an elder (or bishop). The purpose of listing these qualities is to form a set of guidelines to illustrate the character of the man rather than a mere checklist of externals. These are brought forth against the backdrop of a man who aspires to do the work of a bishop; the man must first be interested in serving the Lord, in keeping the mission of the church as seeking and saving the lost, and he must truly love the eternities of the sheep for which he will be their shepherd.

• Above reproach - One of the first qualities on the list in assaying the character of the man who is being considered for the office of overseer is that he “must be above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2). This means that any charges that might be brought against this man by his enemies or detractors would simply fall to the ground because there would be no solid basis for them. This is important because overseers are highly visible leaders in a congregation function in accordance with the directives of scripture. Disgruntled members or members who are going to undergo discipline must not be able to secure a foothold to direct criticism toward the church leadership, which grumblers generally do in order to divert attention away from themselves.


• Temperate - The core thrust of “temperate” is to be free from the influence of alcohol (which is why it is often translated “sober”), but the broader meaning in its application to the office of overseer has to do with being able to think clearly and evaluate issues in their relative order of importance. There has to be a great deal of “mental control” for the elder to function dispassionately in many situations, and to keep the congregation on its God-ordained course.


• Prudent - Prudence and discretion involve using good judgment. People in the congregation are described as “sheep,” and sheep have to be led rather than pushed. Much “good judgment” is necessary when the eldership is dealing with the saints in the congregation, in motivating them, in interacting with them intelligently, in providing an atmosphere of spiritual growth and sustenance, in thinking ahead.
• Respectable - Just as the godly woman is to be discreet in her choice of clothing, and modest in her exhibition of herself in accordance with the time and customs wherein she lives, so the bishop is to be discreet in his interaction with people, and he is to be modest or respectable in his exhibition of character. He is able to engage socially with people in accordance with the manners and customs of the times and the culture in which he negotiates, and his honesty, integrity, and uprightness of character garner for him respect from those around him.
• Hospitable - The root meaning of this term is “love for strangers” from the Greek, and similar for the Latin roots of “hospitable” (enjoying the company of guests or strangers). The home of the bishop or pastor is a welcoming one, which draws people into discussions about Christ and their own spiritual growth.

All the above are “people-oriented” terms. They illustrate the persona of one who has good people skills, one who has overall good judgment in his interaction with fellow men and fellow saints, and one whose character cannot be legitimately attacked. He does not have to thrust himself forward as a leader; his leadership qualities shine through and brethren automatically look to him for direction and wisdom. The true elder can engage socially with older saints, he can intersect well with younger brethren and couples, and he can have positive interchanges with children as well. He is drawing people in rather than pushing them away. The same qualities we see exhibited in Christ in the sacred writings!

The office of overseer or bishop requires that the office-holder be a “people person.” Disciplined in thought, speech, and action, this man exhibits leadership in his bearing and his conduct. He uses good judgment in his interaction with the saints, there are no legitimate complaints against him, and his home is a welcoming environment for brethren locally or in transit. But that is not all.

• Not self-willed, etc. - The apostle Paul’s letter to Titus also notes some character qualities that an overseer must possess. “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward,” Paul notes, echoing some of what he had mentioned to Timothy, “not self-willed, not quick-tempered…not pugnacious” (Titus 1:7). A person who would have the appellation “self-willed” would be someone arrogant and hard-headed, someone who would not be willing to sit down for a reasonable discussion; the bishop must be someone with sufficient compassion to give those with whom he works a fair hearing. Nor can he be quick-tempered; a “bad temper” or “quick temper” is actually a defense mechanism an individual has to isolate himself from important personal interactions with others. It is not befitting for the general Christian not to be able to govern this passion, much less someone in a leadership position. “Not pugnacious” shows up in both the lists to Timothy and Titus, along with words like “uncontentious.” Some people like to escalate tensions, so that the opportunity for verbal violence breaks out; such a one is “pugnacious” (the root “pug” is the same as in “pugilisim,” which is boxing or fist-fighting). The true shepherd, following in the footsteps of Jesus, is “gentle,” and in strength of character able to sooth things down, and provide an atmosphere for providing solutions rather than reveling in problems. The letter to Titus includes, parallel to the points in 1 Timothy, that the bishop is described as “loving what is good, sensible, just [fair], devout [holy], self-controlled” (Titus 1:8). This man is clearly in control of himself, so that he can engage in “crowd control” and provide great leadership in any situation.


• Ability to teach - Paul remarks to Timothy that the elder must be “able to teach.” His comments to Titus give more information on what the apostle’s thoughts were on that topic: the bishop must be “holding fast the faithful word in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). Such a man must have had some years of experience in personal studies as well as public expositions, converting the lost and edifying the saved. He must be skilled in the use of the word of truth in order to exhort in sound doctrine; he must be able to think clearly to expose the false propositions of those “who contradict.” He must be able to reason correctly, express his thoughts precisely and concisely, and engage in the disputation which necessarily comes with all important doctrines. This man cannot be appointed to the presbytery [eldership] simply because he is a big financial contributor.


• “Free from the love of money” - The comments in Titus include “not fond of sordid gain,” whereas in Timothy the scripture records “free from the love of money” (Titus 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:3). There can be quite a bit of financial resources flowing through the local congregation as it engages in its various ministries. It is absolutely critical, therefore, that the bishop not be interested in any illicit pecuniary gain. It calls to mind the apostle Paul’s comment of exhortation to the elders of Ephesus, “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes” (Acts 20:33).

The bishop must truly be interested in the work, and therefore interested in the people. He will clearly develop the personal and communication skills necessary for him to provide the proper leadership for the local congregation. He will become skilled in teaching and preaching the word of God, and knowledgeable in exhorting in sound doctrine and refuting falsehoods. And he will be personally disciplined financially, and a contributor rather than a drone.

Overseers, or bishops [always a plurality], intelligently and spiritually guide and govern the local congregation. These are the men who provide, by God’s design, the flywheel of momentum in evangelism and sound doctrine from one generation to the next. “Be on your guard for yourselves and all the flock,” the apostle Paul warned the elders of Ephesus. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert…” (Acts 20:28-31). These men keep the congregation trained in sound doctrine, and they have the solid character base which enables them to speak with doctrinal authority. Hence, they must be good family men, and Paul has some things to say about that.

• Husband of one wife - Both the epistle to Timothy and to Titus contain the expression “the husband of one wife” in reference to bishops (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6). The bishop “must be” married!! The bishop cannot be a polygamist, and he will be free of a lot of unnecessary baggage if he has never been divorced.


• Children - Raising a godly family is clearly part of the training ground for the future shepherd. He must have “children who believe,” is Paul’s comment to Titus, “not accused of dissipation or rebellion” (Titus 1:6). The overseer [manager] must be “one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity” (1 Timothy 3:4). The proper training of children obviously impacts their adult lives, and the future bishop and his wife need to be a tremendous team in nurturing and directing their charges in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Children, particularly as they grow toward adulthood, need to be “managed” rather than micro-managed. The manager needs to recognize abilities and capabilities of each of those whom he oversees, and needs to put them in positions where they can function and grow. The apostle asks a great and important question: “If a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Timothy 3:5). This has to be done “with all dignity”; children are like trees in this sense–they grow up straight through the application of constant pressure rather than an occasional kick. The raising of a Christian family is the training ground for the future bishop.


• Alcohol issues - Both letters contain the phrase “not addicted to wine” (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7). Many new converts coming into the body of Christ are coming in seeking victory over alcohol and drug “addiction” issues. For their benefit, the best policy of any church leader is total abstinence of alcohol, marijuana, or other mind-altering substances.


• Devil issues - There is a general understanding that the devil, before he was cast out of heaven, ended up with an overinflated picture of who he really was. Paul uses this understanding to make a couple of points. He says that the bishop must not be “a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6). Too high a position too soon without the appropriate sacrifice and suffering to get there often results in those people getting all “puffed up.” The devil, everyone needs to remember, eventually got booted from heaven. The apostle adds, “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into the reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:7). While the world’s perspective is not always correct, if a person is known around town as “Freddy the Freeloader” or “a ladies’ man,” he is not a fit candidate for the office of bishop.

All of these qualities listed in 1 Timothy and Titus paint a picture of a man who has done a good job with his family, is known to be of high reputation within and without the church, and can manage people and operations. When the early church moved away from evangelists’ requiring these qualifications for a man’s being a bishop, then the destruction of the primitive church occurred, and the Catholic perversion began developing.

The word deacon means “servant.” It is a diakonos type of servant rather than a doulos type of servant. The first is like one who waits on tables at a restaurant, the second is a slave or a bond-servant, a slave by choice. Diakonos is a broad word, used in all kinds of service-types of contexts in New Testament writings; it primarily describes the relationship of the “server” to the work he is doing as contrasted to doulos, which more generally describes the relationship of the one doing the work to his master. But there is what might be called a “special servant” who works in the congregational setting, which the translators generally render “deacon,” the Anglicization of diakonos. For example, when the apostle Paul greeted the congregation in Philippi, he spoke of “all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including overseers and deacons” (Philippians 1:1). Deacons, along with the elders, are signaled as those holding a special office in the midst of the brethren.

• Some qualities - “Deacons,” enumerates Paul, “must likewise [as in the case of bishops] be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain” (1 Timothy 3:8). “Not double-tongued” stands out as an additional thought. Deacons must not be the kind of men who bend to please the audience, saying one thing to one group of people, and saying the opposite to another.


• Spiritual examples - Paul points out that deacons must be those “holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9). Again, “the mystery of the faith” is an interesting expression. “Mystery” has to do with something that has been hidden in the past but now has been revealed. Mankind has the ability to observe, and to reason about what he observes. But the combination of observing and reasoning will not produce any information about the spiritual realm, the realm of “faith.” “Faith,” in this case, refers to the saints’ believing what the scripture says about the unseen realm. Hence, “the mystery of the faith” refers especially to the revealed new covenant teachings, the apostles’ doctrine. Those who would serve as deacons must be those who stand firm in the faith, and who also maintain clear consciences in the sight of God Almighty.


• Tested - The basic principle running through new covenant teaching on leadership is that a Christian must be doing a lot of the work voluntarily before being formally granted the office. In the case of deacons, “these also must first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, if they are beyond reproach” (1 Timothy 3:10). It’s okay for the prospective deacons to be given training projects and assignments; if they pass, they can be deacons, and if not, they can’t.


• Women - “Women must likewise be dignified,” notes the apostle, “not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things” (1 Timothy 3:11). Whether the apostle is referring to women who serve or deacon’s wives is not entirely clear; whatever the case, they must comport themselves in a professional manner—disciplined and faithful. Deacon’s wives would be privy to a lot of private information, and would have to be the kind of ladies who could keep their mouths shut about stuff that is nobody else’s business.


• Family - Deacons have the same family requirements as elders, except that their children do not have to be old enough to be described as “children who believe.” “Let deacons be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households” (1 Timothy 3:12).

What do deacons do? In a large congregation such as in the cases of many new testament congregations (Jerusalem: 3000 immersed on Pentecost, then 5000 men, then “multitudes”), there would be many major projects the elders and evangelists would not be able to supervise properly. Deacons would be those valuable, trustworthy men who could get any project done or situation handled that the other leadership couldn’t get to. “For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13). These are spiritual rewards in Christ worth a dedicated saint’s time and life!

“Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant,” exposited Hebrews’ writer, “but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house” (Hebrews 3:5,6). This must be an awesome “house,” wherein Moses is merely a servant, but Christ, as the first-born Son, is the Head of this house! The writer of Hebrews adds, “whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” What is termed “the church” is thus this “house.” While the church is often pictured as an “assembly,” or “the temple of God,” or “the kingdom,” one of the most endearing descriptions is that it is God’s house!

• Paul’s instructions to Timothy - Timothy is in Ephesus, and Paul is in prison in Rome. The best the apostle can do is to write to Timothy. “I am writing these things to you,” he therefore says, “hoping to come to you before long…” (1 Timothy 3:14). By the hand of the Almighty, the apostle ended up writing this epistle, and we are much indebted to Him for the information in this short set of directives to Paul’s son in the faith.


• Timothy’s conduct - Paul continues the thought, “...in case I am delayed.” We moderns know, because we can look back on the history, that he was indeed delayed. The purpose of this letter is thus brought to the fore—the instructions about those who would want to bring the law of Moses back into the church, about men, about women, about bishops, about deacons... “I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15). It is God’s house, and He has standards of conduct which He expects that His children will execute in the house. The message is clear: if you do not want to abide by the standards, then you will be kicked out of the house!


• Support of the truth - “The whole world,” emphasized the apostle John, “lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Since “the evil one,” Satan, is a liar and the father of lies, who will be able to stand up for truth? The answer: “The household of God, the church of the living God,” Paul replies, is “the pillar and support of the truth.” Every person who is not a Christian, as the new covenant writings define “Christian,” is a slave to sin (Romans 6:6) and a captive of the devil (2 Timothy 2:26). Hence, while the non-Christian might be able to stand for truth in some areas, he cannot stand for all the truth. Only the Christian as an individual can be in favor of all truth, and only the church as an institution can be “the pillar and support of the truth.” While the Bible as a whole contains “everything pertaining to life and godliness,” it is only a tool. Just as a tractor has to be taken out of the shed and driven by the farmer into the field for the ground to be tilled, even so it requires the church to pull the Bible off the shelf and take its message to the world in order for “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” to be supported.

A capsulation of George Orwell’s books Animal Farm and 1984 has been well stated: “In time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Modern saints live in that time of “universal deceit” where outrageous lies are being presented as truth by the government, by the educational establishment, and by the media. The only individuals who will be able “to stand in the evil day” for the whole and relevant truth will be those who are strengthened with power through the Spirit in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). The only institution that will stand as “the pillar and support of truth” is the church of the living God. So...church...stand!!

There are a number of “mysteries” in the new covenant writings, one of which is “the mystery,” another name for the indwelling Holy Spirit. Mystery contains the concept of something that was once hidden but now revealed. It was hidden in the Old Testament that the Gentiles would eventually be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but it was couched in language which takes the New Testament revelation to unravel “the mystery.” There is also the “mystery of lawlessness” which was already at work when Paul wrote the second epistle to the Thessalonians, which was the grasp for power wherein one man took the title “Bishop” over the elders. There is also the “mystery” about our receiving our resurrection bodies at Christ’s coming. But here Paul speaks of “the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16).

• Common confession - The saints in New Testament times had one belief system, known as “the faith of Christ,” and so it is to be today. Another name for a belief system is “confession” in the sense that it is a belief system held in common. Thus the writer of the book of Hebrews uses it in this fashion, exhorting, “Therefore , holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1). “And by common confession,” says Paul, “great is the mystery of godliness...” (1 Timothy 3:16). [A down-to-the-roots rendering would be, “we all say the same thing”; hence some versions loosely render this “without controversy great is the mystery of godliness”]. Some versions will also use “profess” and “profession” rather than “confess” and “confession”; this rendering emphasizes that the common faith is to be “spoken forth.” Properly understood in context, they are synonyms.


• Mystery revealed - “Great,” expostulated the apostle, “is the mystery of godliness.” That which produces true godliness (god-like-ness) was hidden in the old covenant times, but now is revealed through the coming of the new covenant of Christ and the teachings of its precepts. Even the best of those in old covenant times were locked in; there was no full forgiveness of sins, no clean consciences, no “new creations.” But for those who can now participate in the gospel of the glory of Christ, that which was hidden has come to the fore, and saints can be “imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1).


• Basis for godliness - “No man has seen God at any time,” explained the apostle John. “The only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:18). The entire progress of Jesus, from His being made flesh through His crucifixion and bodily resurrection, culminating in His ascension to glory, was designed before the foundation of the world to reveal God to the inner man of those who are redeemed (to “explain Him”). In order for anyone to be “godly,” as the scripture defines it under the terms of the new covenant, he has to be able to know God in order to imitate His positive characteristics. No one “knows God” unless he has been properly immersed into Christ; the others He does not know! Godliness (God-like-ness) is going to begin with that revelation of God through Jesus Christ. There is no other way to know God but through what is revealed in that scriptural revelation.

The “mystery of godliness,” then, focuses on Jesus Christ, as it should. When a person “turns to the Lord” in immersion (compare Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19), what the apostle Paul calls “the body of sin” or “the body of flesh” is removed in a spiritual crucifixion or spiritual circumcision (Romans 6:6; Colossians 2:11). This removal of what he also calls “the veil” results in the inner man being able, through the scripture, to behold the glory of God and to be transformed into the image of that same glory by the power of the indwelling Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:14-18). This is the “mystery of godliness.” And what a great mystery!!

“The church,” averred the apostle Paul “is the pillar and support of the truth.” While truth is important in the courtroom and in news reporting, it is especially important in regard to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The human race’s eternities are generally not directly impacted by someone’s lying under oath or by false reporting. But twisting of the gospel of Christ does. Hence, the church is the pillar and support of that truth, expounding it and pointing out the errors of its enemies. The “common confession” of the saints therefore focuses on Jesus Christ, as well as salvation and transformation through Him. The “great mystery of godliness” is fully centered upon the complete revelation of Jesus Christ as recorded in the sacred writings.

• Revealed in the flesh - A core part of that revelation is that Jesus came into the world as a 100% human being. “And the Word became flesh,” asseverated the apostle John, emphasizing that Jesus came in a human body, combatting the antichrists of the late first century, “and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus “emptied Himself” and took “the form of a bond-servant” (Philippians 2:7). He put Himself in the position where He could be tempted and could have yielded to that temptation, and gave Himself no character advantage over the rest of mankind. He showed us how to overcome! As Paul notes, as he begins to bring out the salient points of “the mystery of godliness,” he speaks of Jesus, describing Him as “He who [some versions God] was revealed in the flesh.”


• Vindicated in the Spirit - The second listing of the “mystery of godliness” is describing Jesus as “vindicated in the Spirit” (1 Timothy 3:16). The “vindication” here is that God is proving that He is “right,” and has been “right” from the beginning. How is that tied to “the Spirit”? God’s “Son,” said the apostle Paul, “was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3). But He “was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness” (Romans 1:4). The Holy Spirit is the One who, in this context, raised Jesus from the dead and thus declared Him to be the Son of God. Thus Jesus “was vindicated in the Spirit” by virtue of His resurrection from the dead and exaltation to the throne on high. God is using this resurrection as the basis for all that He does and will do in His eventual total destruction of the domain of darkness, having proved that He was right!


• Beheld by angels - Just as the angels were involved in announcing Jesus’ birth as a descendant of David according to the flesh, they were also involved in announcing Jesus’ birth from the dead as the Son of God according to the Spirit. Mary Magdalene, the first person to see Jesus following His resurrection from the dead, first saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. When she came back to the tomb, and she saw two angels sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying. Matthew recorded that an angel came down and rolled the stone away and sat on it, and was involved in speaking with the women when they arrived. Mark’s record indicated that there was “a young man sitting on the right, wearing a white robe,” pretty clearly an angel. Luke’s account noted that “two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel,” also angels from the description. The point is that Jesus was “beheld by angels” following His resurrection prior to His being seen by any of the human witnesses (1 Timothy 3:16).

The linchpin of God’s revelation is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, appearing with the same body He had in His death on the cross with nail marks on His hands [wrist area] and the spear wound in His side. For that to happen, He had to “be revealed in the flesh.” Then He was raised from the dead in order for God’s eternal plan to move forward, and thus He “was vindicated in the Spirit.” Those first involved in His resurrection were the angels. Thus, as Paul expounds upon this mystery of godliness, his next point is that the resurrected Christ was “beheld by angels.”

Jesus positively exhorted His disciples, in the “Sermon on the Mount,” to “be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:45). It is the picture which consistently runs through the entire set of new covenant writings that God’s children of faith are to imitate their spiritual Dad’s character. For example, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,” is part of this exhortation, as well as “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Matthew 5:44; Galatians 5:22,23). This “godliness” springs from the revelation of God’s character through Jesus Christ, “He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations [Gentiles], believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

• Proclaimed among the nations - The old covenant writings consistently show that God had a plan to get His message to the Gentile peoples of the world. When Peter was doing the first preaching to the Gentiles, to Cornelius and his household, he noted, “Of Him [Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43). Salvation and the indwelling Holy Spirit to the Gentiles was there, but no one recognized it until the Holy Spirit began to make those points clear to the apostles. Jesus Himself went only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). At first, then, the gospel was preached only to the Jews. The Samaritans are brought in next in Acts chapter eight, then the Gentiles were welcomed in Acts chapter ten. From that point on, the gospel spread through the pagan peoples of the Roman Empire and beyond, so that eventually the apostle Paul could say that the gospel “was proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Colossians 1:23). This, of course, was in accordance with Jesus’ command in Mark’s version of the Great Commission: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).


• Believed on in the world - Biblically, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The apostle Paul, for example, whether he was preaching and teaching those of Jewish background or of Gentile, always made reasoned presentations, beginning where he needed to begin depending upon their backgrounds and basic knowledge of God and the scriptures. The exposition of the testimony of the Old and New Testaments is the means by which an honest individual comes to the “faith of Christ,” and makes his decisions from that point on what he is going to do about the information he has received. The natural effect, then, of the gospel being “proclaimed among the nations” was that Jesus was “believed on in the world.”


• Taken up in glory - After Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, He was “taken up in glory” at His ascension ten days prior to Pentecost, AD 30. The “mystery of godliness” would not even come close to being complete without this final phase concerning Jesus the Christ. It was in His ascension that the revelation of who God is was made complete, and without that complete revelation of who God is, godliness is impossible in His children. Hence, while the presentation of Jesus “revealed in the flesh” is accurate, it is complete. Likewise, the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection, His “vindicated in the Spirit,” is accurate and gives more information regarding the character of Christ, it is still incomplete. It is only when He ascends to glory is the revelation both accurate and complete. The writer of Hebrews noted concerning the Christ who was at the right hand of the Majesty on high that “He is the radiance of [the Father’s] glory, and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

Through the “bullet-pointed” summary of the gospel of Christ enumerated by the apostle Paul, the “mystery” of what had been concealed is brought into the open by the revelation given to the apostles and new covenant prophets. This information, when believed and obeyed, will result in the initial transformation of the inner man and the resultant stepwise transformation of the outer man. “Great,” indeed, “is the mystery of godliness”!!

How wonderful it would have been to have been an apostle of Jesus Christ! It would have been awesome to have been a witness to the things Jesus did and said during the years of His earthly sojourn. It would have been so exciting to have the special revelation from the Holy Spirit as He made clear what happened with Jesus in glory, how He was exalted to the Father’s “right hand as a Prince and a Savior” (Acts 5:31). But what also would have been intensely interesting and all-consuming for the apostles would have been for them to see the church of the living God come into existence, and for them to shepherd it through its early years. Many of the early spiritual battles were concerned with the influence of the Judaizers, who attempted to force the new covenant “wine” back into the “wineskin” of the old covenant. Then came the attempts to “turn the grace of God into licentiousness” (Jude 1:4). Working through false teachers, Satan tried to turn the doctrine of the church to “law”; failing that, he tried to turn the church to “lawlessness.” The apostles, particularly the apostle John, lived long enough on earth to see those battles progress. The apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had an idea what the future held, and warned the churches of the first century of what was coming. This included the apostle Paul.

• The Spirit explicitly says - The manner in which the apostle brings this matter to the attention of Timothy is interesting and significant. “But the Spirit explicitly says,” expounds the apostle, “that in later times some will fall away from the faith…” (1 Timothy 4:1). This should cause Timothy (and anyone else who reads this epistle) to sit up and take notice! When it is pointed out that the Holy Spirit explicitly, emphatically says something, no one should miss the point.


• What is going to happen - All Christians—those alive at the time Paul writes this letter, and to all future Christians—are to be aware that major work is being done to destroy the original church and the original gospel. The Holy Spirit states that “in later times some will fall away from the faith.” Another word for this is apostasy, coming from the Greek apo [away] and stasis [static or base point]. This is not going to be an occasional individual departing from commitment to Christ; this is going to be a massive, major scale falling away from the “faith once delivered.” How disheartening, in a way, it would have been for the apostle Paul to write about the future of the movement, to which he so diligently and at such cost gave himself, to have to note that most would depart from the original faith and embrace a twisted form.


• Description of future movement - A couple of salient points of the coming apostasy are expressed in terms of “men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods” (1 Timothy 4:3). Moderns have the advantage of being able to look back at “church” history and see that this is talking about the development of what is called “Catholicism.” It is no secret that the Catholic perversion began forbidding marriage to the “clergy,” and that certain foods were not permitted on certain days.


• Who did it? - History in general is replete with the accounts of men (and sometimes women) of ambition for position, perks, and power. As the early men of ambition began to set up the bishop over the elders, then the structure was such that it was advantageous for such men to engage in a power struggle. Satan and his minions had their opportunity, as these spiritual perverts were “paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”

It is a strong and continual warning for all congregations, that the Deceiver works “by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron” (1 Timothy 4:2). They may look like “holy men” and position themselves in highly visible “spiritual” situations, but underneath the veneer they are ambitious and wicked men! All generations, beware!

There are those who claim that Satan and his demons are not currently at work in the world! Such views are generally based on a constricted look at some things in Revelation chapter twenty, and fly in the face of statements such as Jesus made to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road, saying that He was sending Paul to the Jews but especially to the Gentiles. Saul’s mission would be “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18). Satan hath no more dominion? No, the prince of darkness has continued to operate “with great wrath” throughout the entire church age, holding everyone who commits sin in his grip, and only those who turn to the Lord (mostly Gentiles) are no longer “the nations deceived.” These, of course, were the same forces at work when the apostle Paul described the development of the Apostasy, speaking of those who were “paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:2). What is the origin of Satan and his demons?

• Origin of the devil - All the heavenly host are created beings. In Psalm 148, for example, angels are listed among the first of those who were to praise the Almighty. This listing is followed by these words: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created” (Psalm 148:5). But the angelic beings got to watch the Maker of all things bring into existence the material realm, as described in the book of Job (wherein angelic beings are called “sons of God”). “Where were you,” God asked of Job, “when I laid the foundation of the earth?” Where were you, He continued, “when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4;7). The one who acquired the appellation “the devil” was one of those angelic beings before the physical creation. Examination of Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 indicates that there was someone bigger than simply the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre, respectively, in view. Herein is painted a picture of a shining one (Lucifer, in the KJV), a “covering cherub” thus pictured as near the Throne, who was blameless “until unrighteousness was found” in him. His problem was that he “wanted to be like the Most High” and his “heart was lifted up” because of his beauty. The New Testament writings let us know that this creature who was cast down was the devil—the tempter—who desired to receive the worship reserved only for God (Matthew 4:8-11; Luke 4:5-8). [It is the writer’s opinion, based on Luke and Matthew’s order, that the devil offered the same temptation twice!] Hence he and the angels who followed him in the Rebellion were eventually cast out of heaven in connection with Jesus’ resurrection from the dead: “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into [Tartarus] and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4). From those headquarters, Satanic forces operate in trying to move mankind away from God.


• Angels and spirits - Speaking of what might be called “good angels,” the writer of Hebrews rhetorically queries, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). It follows that “bad angels” are the evil spirits oft mentioned in the new covenant writings. Demons are another name for these evil spirits: The unclean spirit is the demon in the case of the man who was demon possessed (Luke 8:29), and the demons were cast into the hogs, who rushed into the Sea of Galilee.

The advice of Peter still stands. “Be on the alert,” stated the apostle. “Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Those following the first century church did not stay on the alert, the roaring lion got them, and the result was the apostasy!

Only God is the Creator! Satan cannot create anything; what he does is take that which is good and twist it so that it becomes something evil. “By faith,” reiterates Hebrews’ author, about the realm which cannot be seen with the physical eye, “we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Only God can create something out of nothing. Satan twists that which God has created.

• Food for man - When Barnabas and Paul tried to restrain the crowds from offering sacrifice to them (the crowds were thinking that the missionaries were Greek gods), they explained about the true God and Creator: “You should turn,” they said, “to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.” They further explained about this God, “He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:15,17). “Every moving thing,” the Father instructed Noah and his sons, “that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant” (Genesis 9:3).


• Israelite dietary restrictions - If everything is good, why did God impose dietary restrictions on Israel in the giving of the Law of Moses? Some postulated that the Lord did so for health reasons, that the clean animals were healthy and the unclean animals were unhealthy. When their own research showed this not to be universally true, their solution was to become vegetarians! While the scripture does not directly say why God did limit Israel in their food, the overall effect of God’s directives on what was “clean” and what was “unclean” for Israel made a necessary and important separation between Israel and the Gentile world. Only in this way could God’s plan to bring Jesus into the world go forward.


• Under the new covenant - The issue of “clean” and “unclean” arose when Jesus’ disciples did not ritually “wash” their hands before eating their bread in accordance with Jewish custom, and hence in the eyes of Jesus’ detractors the apostles were “unclean.” As the Lord commented on that position, He pointed out that “whatever goes into the man from the outside cannot defile him,” and that “from within, out of the heart of man” is where the evil things come that defile. In the midst of that exchange comes this commentary by the gospel writer Mark and the Holy Spirit: “Thus He declared all foods clean” (Mark 7:18-23). Thus the dietary restrictions imposed on God’s people under the Law have been removed, as Paul commented to Timothy: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 1:4,5).


• Judaizer problems - One of the problems the early church faced was from those of Jewish background trying to impose the Law of Moses, including its dietary regulations, on the Gentile Christians. “It is necessary,” boldly stated some of those who had been Pharisees, regarding the new Gentile converts, “to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses” (Acts 15:5). The only restrictions on the Gentiles came in these words: “they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood” (Acts 15:20). Those still stand!

From the time, then, that the new covenant was instituted, all foods—if sanctified by prayer and received with thanksgiving—are clean. Any doctrine that would say otherwise, whether coming from Catholic dictates, or views of vegetarianism from Hindus, New Agers, or Seventh Day Adventists, is driven by demonic forces. Furthermore, any promoters of such doctrines are hypocritical liars, and their own consciences are seared as with a branding iron (1 Timothy 4:2).

“You foolish ones,” was Jesus’ pointed remark to the Pharisees, “did not He who made the outside [of man] make the inside also?” (Luke 11:40). God created the entire earth as a giant ecosystem designed to support and sustain the outer man. “Everything created by God is good,” the apostle Paul had stated, “and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude” (1 Timothy 4:4). That is a tremendous amount of creative genius and technical capability, just to feed the outer man. So what about the inner man?

• Backdrop - The apostle’s comments to Timothy, as would be expected, build upon another. He had pointed out that he was writing these things to his son in the faith, that Timothy might know how to conduct himself in the church, the “pillar and support of truth.” He reminded the evangelist of the basics of the “confession” concerning Christ, and warned of a coming apostasy. In that context, Paul made his comments about how the forces of confusion would introduce doctrines forbidding marriage and the abstinence from certain foods, and how everything created can be used for food. But the focus is on the inner man. “In pointing out these things [summarized above] to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 4:6).


• Teaching the brethren - The apostle emphasizes “pointing out” these basic doctrines and concepts to the brethren. It is pretty clear that Paul expects that Timothy will engage in teaching and preaching in some depth, and working through issues that some brethren in Ephesus would consider controversial. The apostle led by example, reminding the elders of this same congregation that he “did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable,” and that he “did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:20; 20:27). Timothy was in this way admonished to be “a good servant of Jesus Christ.” The model, then, is depth of teaching on all topics; not “spiritual cotton candy” designed to bring people into a modern entertainment circus!


• Constantly nourished - God designed the need for “daily bread” for the outer man to help His children of faith process the need for “daily spiritual bread” for the inner man. The terminology of the apostle is “nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” Timothy himself was thus to be constantly nourished, and to be in the process of providing that nourishment to the brethren as well.


• Words of “the faith” - “The faith” is an expression of the entire belief system based on what Jesus Christ brought into the world by virtue of that great “mystery of godliness”; everything from His coming in the flesh through to His ascension into glory itself. This new covenant doctrine, in the context of 1 Timothy, is somewhat in juxtaposition to words of “the Law.”


• Words of “sound doctrine” - “Doctrine” means “teaching,” in this context a body of teaching comprising the entire new covenant instruction. “Sound doctrine,” an expression commonly used by the apostle in these epistles, means that the system of thought sometimes termed “the faith of Christ” is taught in its entirety and without deviation from its terms and its principles. It is “sound” because it is based on firmly established truth.

Paul commends Timothy, commenting that it is the words of the faith and sound doctrine “which you have been following.” He urges his charge to continue on that path, stating “have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women” (1 Timothy 4:7). There is a tendency on the part of some to get carried away by the “wild and wonderful” fables (flat out “fiction”) that some who are skilled “story-spinners” are able to foist on an undiscerning audience. There are those who are adept at weaving together tales that “warm the heart” and “stir the emotions,” particularly directed at the female audience. The warning is absolutely clear for Timothy and moderns: stick with sound doctrine and the words of the faith!”

“Discipline” is a major key to living victoriously through life’s trials and to entering the gates of glory. “Discipline,” from a scriptural perspective, not only has to do with the mind’s making the body do what it is supposed to do, but it has the broader context of “training,” or “regular and consistent exercise.” It is a matter of clear observation that no one is going to have “instant discipline”; true discipline is the result of constant and consistent effort and bringing about certain desired habits.

• Discipline for godliness - There are many who are disciplined in the arena of athletics, physically disciplined but totally ungodly in morals and character. While those moral laxities are deplorable, physical discipline does provide an avenue by which saints can understand the principles of “discipline for godliness.” Good physical discipline is going to begin with good physical nutrition; a diet that is lacking key minerals and enzymes, or a “junk food” diet, will not enable the athlete to be able to discipline himself to perform at a high level. The apostle Paul tells Timothy that he and his hearers need to be “constantly nourished on the words of faith and sound doctrine” and to avoid the spiritual junk food of “worldly fables.” “Discipline yourself,” exhorts the apostle, “for the purpose of godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7).


• Godliness - “Godliness” is the English contraction of God-like-ness, and thus it means to imitate the character of God in all word, thought, and deed. It is sometimes translated as “piety,” which has to do with dutifully carrying out the actions which please God. There are those who maintain that disciples of Christ are always going to sin as long as they live in a physical body, and therefore actual godliness is impossible. That unbiblical position really makes no sense in face of straight forward exhortations from the apostle Paul such as this one: “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” If godliness is unattainable, why try?


• Physical discipline - “Bodily discipline,” because it takes place in the physical realm, has tangible lessons that can be used to process the principles necessary for spiritual discipline. Workouts at the gym need to be regular, consistent, with goals and progress noted. (Similarly, spiritual habits need to developed by this same system of regularity, consistency, with goals and progress noted.) The Christian needs to engage in physical discipline, as Paul commented in his epistle to the undisciplined brethren in Corinth: “I buffet my body,” explained the apostle, using himself as an example, “and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Disciplining the body is obviously serious business.


• A contrast - But mere physical discipline will not gain anyone access to heaven. In that context, “bodily discipline is only of little profit” (1 Timothy 4:8). By contrast, “godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Discipline of the body, coupled with the important spiritual disciplines, produce the best possible life on earth (meaning that a saint will be able to maintain his spiritual focus and thankful attitude regardless of his external circumstances). But the key point is that godliness is what gives the only promise of life eternal. “Pursue the sanctification,” is the imperative from Hebrews’ author, “without which no one will see the Lord”(Hebrews 12:14). That sanctification is equivalent to the godliness of which Paul wrote, and it is the result of discipline.

“Discipline yourself,” was the emphasis of the apostle. Discipline is going to come from within, and ultimately cannot be delegated to someone else. The habits of regular prayer, Bible reading, developing positive attitudes, maintaining a strong work ethic, making the most of each opportunity to share Bible truths with the lost, consistent attendance in the assembly… these all are attributes of the godliness the Almighty expects of His children. The idea that such discipline is what holds the promise for eternal life is hugely significant and worthy of contemplation and implementation. “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance” (1 Timothy 4:9).

Not many things hold “promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Any individual honestly thinking about where to focus his life and set his priorities would certainly conclude that the one thing which holds those promises would be worth his total commitment and devotion. And what is that one thing? Godliness!! It is worth restating Paul’s point: “Bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Then the apostle adds, “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance” (1 Timothy 4:9). Five times in the letters to Timothy and Titus the apostle Paul uses the phrase “it is a trustworthy statement.” Each of those times the phrase is clearly pointing to something of major significance; in this case the apostle is emphasizing the importance of personal godliness.

• Deserving full acceptance - The push on Paul’s part for personal godliness is underscored by the words “deserving full acceptance.” Many of the saints, in regard to this commitment to godliness, would likely be satisfied by “partial acceptance.” But for the dedicated saint (and each saint needs to be dedicated) Christ is his life, and his all. “For to me, to live is Christ,” Paul had commented, “and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). “I have been crucified with Christ,” the apostle had stated in another place, “and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Total dedication; godliness; deserving full acceptance!


• Labor and strive - Continuing on the theme of “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness,” the apostle further emphasizes, “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God” (1 Timothy 4:10). The words discipline, labor, and strive all carry the picture of consistent, sustained effort. There are many in the denominational world who operate on the false proposition that the only righteousness or godliness a person will ever have is that which God confers without effort on the individual’s part. But this proposition is clearly false, based on the apostle’s inspired words. “Discipline yourself,” he had said. “It is for this we labor and strive,” he emphasized under the banner of the “trustworthy statement.” If the apostles had to labor and strive for godliness, certainly the rest of the brethren must also.


• Motivation - “A worker’s appetite works for him,” noted Solomon the sage, “for his hunger drives him on” (Proverbs 16:26). An empty belly is a major motivation to get off the couch and into the job market. “Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it certainly is the father of motivation!” So what is the motivation for the saint to live a godly life? “For this we labor and strive,” asserted the apostle, “because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” While fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the desire for our proper resurrection from the dead—our hope—is our long-term motivator. Reaching for heaven is a much more powerful and consistent motivator that running from hell.


• How great a salvation - Every person on the planet should take a good look in the word of God for a picture of what gehenna, the hell fire, really will be. Because most live in some sort of delusion about the afterlife, they are not initially motivated to turn to the Lord, and they don’t process how great a salvation has been brought forth for the human race. God is indeed the Savior of all men, and has opened the possibility of repentance for any who will come on His terms. Only those with “an honest and good heart,” however, according to the Savior Himself, will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime offer. Hence He “is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”

These are tremendous truths! Timothy is therefore exhorted, “Prescribe and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:11)

Exemplary character is what puts power behind spoken words. No one particularly listens to what are properly called “light weights” because of their lack of consistency, of talking much but getting nothing done. This is true especially if the speaker is going to be exhorting others in the area of discipline; when people feel a little pressure to do better and be more, their natural tendency is to look for character flaws in the person from whom they feel the pressure. If Timothy, then, is going to be preaching on godliness, following Paul’s instruction of “prescribe and teach these things,” he is going to need to provide leadership himself in these areas in order to secure a hearing and a heeding.

• Youthfulness - As a younger man, Timothy would find it harder to find traction in exhorting older men. But Paul tells Timothy not to let that hold him back, exhorting him with these words: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness” (1 Timothy 4:12). In order to make that operative, the apostle adds, “show yourself [as] an example of those who believe.” Example is hard to argue with!


• Speech - The apostle then specifies to Timothy some of the areas to which Timothy should pay close attention in his personal conduct, and the first one which shows up is speech. What a person says, and how he says it, are critical components in building relationships and spreading the gospel. “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth,” Paul had enjoined upon the Ephesian brethren, “but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).


• Conduct - Another area the apostle puts to the fore is conduct. Conduct can be a little hard to define in words, but a saint who is in the right places at the right times, who knows how to lead when appropriate, to follow to make the teamwork effective, and positively to interact with brethren, would be exhibiting the kind of conduct the apostle calls for from Timothy.


• Love - A major area of Timothy’s positive example would be love. Love of the lost and love of the brethren cannot be overlooked. This, of course, is Biblically defined love, with the honest concern for each person’s eternity at the core.


• Faith - Timothy’s faith would be exhibited in his faithful participation in the assemblies where he taught and preached. But “faith” is bigger than that. It would involve his willingness to take on new challenges, such as coming into Ephesus to work as an evangelist. This faith would require Timothy to “prescribe and preach” necessity of godliness to the brethren, to stand for sound doctrine, to take the gospel to the lost, to go into the synagogues and potentially suffer persecution. The brethren would need to see Timothy as a man of courage and conviction, who continually moved forward in the face of any opposition.


• Purity - The necessity for Timothy to possess purity in thought, in deed, and in motive cannot be overstated. The wisdom, for example, that Timothy would need to exhibit in his conduct would be the heavenly wisdom, which is described by James as first of all “pure” (James 3:17). If Timothy’s mind were to drift off the pure things of God, it would render him ineffective in the spread of the gospel, and possibly cost him his own salvation.

As in all Christian endeavor, but especially in the work of an evangelist, character counts! Because the preaching of the word is so important in the plan of God in saving souls, Satan jumps in and gets his false preachers into the mix. On the surface, they can seem genuine. But if a person were to look intently at the character qualities Paul calls on Timothy to exhibit, the fakes show very quickly that their speech is off the mark, their conduct underneath the surface is sinful, they have no true love for the saints, they don’t have the faith of Christ as their guide, and they definitely do not have pure motives. It is critical, then, for Timothy and for all who would follow in his steps, to “show yourself an example of those who believe.”

Timothy was laboring as an evangelist at the congregation in Ephesus. The formation of this congregation under the efforts of Paul on his third missionary journey is significantly recorded in the book of Acts, and the congregation at Ephesus is one of the seven churches featured in the book of Revelation. Thus Paul (and the Lord) was concerned about Timothy’s work in this congregation, and the apostle has further instruction for his son in the faith, following up on his exhortation that Timothy be “an example of those who believe.”

• Public reading of scripture - During the time of Jesus’ earthly sojourn, the only scriptures in existence were the scrolls of the Old Testament, to be read in the synagogues. However, by the time Paul wrote this epistle to Timothy around 61-63 AD, letters that became part of our New Testament were already in circulation and read aloud in the congregations. For example, Paul told the congregation in Colossae, “And when this letter [Colossians] is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, read the letter that is coming from Laodicea” (Colossians 4:16). Hence, the apostle’s instructions, “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation and teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). The scriptures they had were to be read to the congregation (no one, for the most part, had a copy of his own), taught about, and preached on!


• Gift of evangelist - Timothy, as discussed earlier, was declared an evangelist through the laying on of hands of the elders (presbytery) of the congregation at Lystra as a result of one of those who had the gift of prophecy in that local church. The apostle exhorts Timothy, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift [of being an evangelist] within you” (1 Timothy 4:14).


• Efforts at improvement - The apostle Paul is encouraging Timothy as a younger preacher to mature spiritually and in wisdom. “Take pains with these things,” he adverts, “be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:15). When the apostle used the expression, take pains with these things, the more literal phrase is “do not neglect these things.” The idea is that much consistent effort on Timothy’s part should be applied to implementing Paul’s advice on Timothy’s character growth, and that his mind should be intensely focused on those issues. If he would take that advice, his personal progress would be obvious, and that would increase his credibility among those with whom and over whom he labored. “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching,” are some supplemental thoughts; “persevere in these things” (1 Timothy 4:16).


• Insuring salvation - The core of Timothy’s improvement and effectiveness in the congregation at Ephesus or any of the churches where Timothy might end up is connected with “the public reading of the scriptures.” The word of God, taught effectively, consistently, without distortion, and in love, is what brings the message of salvation and the indwelling Spirit to the lost and continues to disciple the saved. When that would be coupled with Timothy’s personal example of purity, prowess, and power, then the gospel would root and flower in the hearts of those impacted through the younger evangelist. “As you do this,” Paul projected, based on his own experience and special knowledge as an apostle of Jesus Christ, “you will insure salvation both for yourself and those who hear you.”

Saints are greatly impacted by those who do the public teaching and preaching. It is in that context that James comments, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). When Paul wrote to the congregation in Corinth, he emphasized that he had laid the proper foundation for the church, doctrinally and in character exhibition. He then added, “But let each be careful how he builds upon it” (1 Corinthians 3:10). The apostle was justly strident in telling Timothy, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” Modern teachers and evangelists should heed these exhortations as well!

Working with the lost and working amongst the saved involves working with people. Many of the Bible’s examples, true history, and teachings have to do with making saints more effective in working through these “people issues.” Although the brethren have been called out of this world, they often are in states of growth toward putting on the full character of Christ, and thus all the instruction on how to handle these interpersonal relations has great meaning and importance. Timothy is going to get some of these instructions from the aged Paul, Timothy’s father in the faith.

• Older men - There are “older men” and there are “younger men”; the difference sometimes depends on the age of the individual assessing that difference. In countries where the average age of death is higher, then “older men” is going to be an expression for men of older chronological age than in societies where the average life expectancy is "55", for example. In America, the language even provides the term “middle-aged” to buffer the movement from “younger man” to “older man.” In any case, the apostle instructs Timothy, “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father” (1 Timothy 5:1). One of the themes running strongly through scripture is the idea of honoring older people. “You shall rise up before the grayheaded,” was some of the instruction in Moses’ law, “and honor the aged” (Leviticus 19:32). Without that honor for the older generations, the younger generation has no appreciation for the labors that made their lives possible, and they become a bunch of entitled brats. Hence, as Timothy, even as an evangelist, were to approach an older man to rebuke him, he is told not to rebuke that man sharply but to appeal to him, maintaining the respect that is so important to God.


• Appeal - The operative word in Timothy’s interactions with the brethren is “appeal.” The picture this word generates is one of having someone sit down alongside on a bench for a rational conversation. So when the younger evangelist is instructed in dealing with older men, he is not to sharply rebuke them, but with respect intelligently guide the conversation in the direction it eventually needs to go.


• Younger men - Timothy is exhorted to appeal “to the younger men as brothers.” If Timothy’s goal is to be effective in giving some correction, it is better for him to approach the younger guys from a position of brother-to-brother. Talking from a position of standing on the same ground is much more effective than talking from an elevated platform if the goal is to get someone to what he is supposed to do because he wants to rather than because he has to.


• Older women - Yes, it is true, sometimes older women need a mid-course correction. If that conversation has to take place, Paul’s son in the faith is to appeal to “the older women as mothers” (1 Timothy 5:2). Once again, the elements of respect for older people is to be maintained. If Timothy can get the older lady to a spot where she is feeling respected and he is sort of having a son/mother conversation, then he can bring up the issue that needs to be discussed in a delicate fashion, and make real progress in getting a positive resolution.


• Younger women - If a younger single man is going to have a discussion with a younger woman, many factors could pop up in that interaction. Timothy is exhorted to appeal to those “younger women as sisters, in all purity.” The picture is sitting down over a cup of coffee, and having the conversation—with all the elements of personal concern—eventually directed toward the issue where the rebuke is necessary. “In all purity” emphasizes that the interaction needs to be professional, while at the same time personal and businesslike.

When a rebuke is necessary, it is one of the more difficult situations with which a person in charge has to deal. In his second epistle, Paul told Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). The instructions for dealing with older men, younger men, older women, and younger women would remind Timothy about what would be effective, rather than his just checking a box on the “to do list.”

God has always been concerned about widows and their care. In Moses’ going over the Law for the generation that had come through the wilderness, he emphasized that they were not to “take a widow’s garment in pledge” (Deuteronomy 24:17). Widows are often in difficult straits financially, with the husband gone and with age and increasing infirmity coming upon those poor ladies. Even James commented in new covenant writings that pure and undefiled religion is “to visit orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). One of the first problems the church faced while it was still primarily located in Jerusalem was in caring for the widows. Those Jewish ladies with Greek surnames were being neglected while those with Hebrew last names were receiving assistance. This happened because the synagogues took care of their widows, but when these ladies became “disciples of Christ,” then they were booted from the synagogue and now were dependent upon the church’s care. Thus the subtle prejudice against the widows who were “Hellenistic” had to be handled.

• Instructions - The care of widows was not going to be limited to the church in Jerusalem. As the gospel was distributed and congregations started, then there would be widows in every place and they were going to need extra consideration. Hence the apostle passes these instructions to Timothy: “Honor widows who are widows indeed” (1 Timothy 5:3). “Honor” not only has to do with giving the proper respect, but also the appropriate financial considerations.


• Widows with family members - When Paul uses the expression, “widows indeed,” the context indicates that he is talking about widows in the church with no other source of support. The “widows indeed” would include widows who had family members, but who would not help them because they had become Christians. “But if any widow has children or grandchildren,” the apostle further instructs, “let them first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family, and to make some return to the parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God” (1 Timothy 5:4). It is interesting that God regards financially taking care of family needs as part of “piety,” or regular religious habit! It is also interesting that the apostle uses the expression “learn to practice piety.” The natural tendency of people is to be a little on the greedy side, and to keep what they can and let other family members suffer. When God set up the family, one of the learning tools He put in motion is caring for the older members of the family as they age and are no longer able to be as productive as they once were. One of the lessons is that people are more important than possessions, regardless of age or capacity.


• “Widow indeed” defined - A widow is to be supported by the church if she is a “widow indeed.” “Now she is a widow indeed,” says Paul, “and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God, and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day” (1 Timothy 5:5). A very dedicated saint! “Let a widow be put on the list [for support from the church] only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work” (1 Timothy 5:9,10). Clearly, this type of lady is deserving of help from the church, having made the kingdom of God first place in her life during the years of her marriage.

These instructions for Timothy concerning “widows indeed” are somewhat restrictive, and designedly so. God doesn’t want free-loaders coming in and trying to live off the church. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he had denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). Proper stewardship of finances and family is definitely a spiritual issue!

God said to put a widow on the church support list “only if she is not less than sixty years old.” People and saints then, baring accident or untimely disease, lived about the same length of time as people do now. “As for the days of our life,” wrote Moses, describing the experience of most of the human race, “they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years” (Psalm 90:10). So a widow of sixty would be worthy of support; a younger widow would not be. But this older widow had to be a dedicated and disciplined saint. If she, for example, after the loss of her husband, allowed herself to get disoriented and plunge headlong into the world, she would certainly lose her standing with God and her salvation. “But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure,” explains the apostle, “is dead even while she lives” (1 Timothy 5:6). The loss of companionship and intimacy is real, but the widow cannot allow herself to go down the road of “wanton pleasure.”

• Younger widow challenges - It is a general fact, by God’s design, that younger people’s bodies have a higher level of hormonal activity than older people’s bodies. One of the difficulties in aging is that the hormonal drop-off creates issues that were not there earlier in life. But there is also a decrease in passionate urges that accompany that drop-off; hence younger widows are often driven by desires that an older widow would not face so strongly. Paul’s instructions to Timothy concerning widows also deal with this. “But refuse to put younger widows on the list,” says Paul to Timothy and to the churches, “for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married [implicit in the flow of thought here is that they want to get married to any guy hanging around rather than following scriptural spiritual directives], thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge [cast off their first faith – NKJV]” (1 Timothy 5:11,12). They allow their drive for the companionship and intimacy they tasted before widowhood to overrun their spiritual commitments, and thus they incur the condemnation of those who fall away. Definitely should not be put on the “list”!


• Further issues - These younger widows, following sensual desires and not having the structure that a Christian marriage provides, tend to fall into the destructive lifestyle of their neighboring non- Christian ladies. “And at the same time they also learn to be idle,” is the apostle’s observation, “as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention” (1 Timothy 5:13). Idle hands, as many proverbs point out, are available for the devil’s use. When the young widows are drifting into the world, and possibly into a non-Christian environment because of the guy they latched onto, then their talk sinks to the lowest level. Gossip, and especially malicious gossip, is regarded as evil by the word of God. And the “busybodies” can’t manage their own lives, much less the others that they seem to want to direct.


• Solution - The solution is for the young widow to get the structure necessary for her life to be a glory and blessing to Christ. “Therefore,” Paul logically concludes, “I want younger widows to get married [flow of logic indicates marriage to a good Christian man], bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; for some have already turned aside to follow Satan” (1 Timothy 5:14,15). This is clearly serious advice for a serious issue: get married, have kids, keep house, and mind your own business!

Both older and younger widows face challenges peculiar to widowhood. That period following the death of a spouse can be very disorienting, with relational and financial challenges. The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul has given advice for such widows, and has made sure that it has been recorded for all generations to follow.

It is not random that mankind puts more value on gold than on silver. It is not accidental that national economies develop and there are prices on goods and services. It is what God put into the programming of man, and it is one of the means by which He teaches the value of one day’s labor. Hence it is that the Almighty, through the scriptures, puts a significant emphasis on the stewardship of financial resources because it is of major spiritual importance. Jesus Himself said, “If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?” (Luke 16:11). In the teaching regarding the care of widows and “widows indeed,” the instruction of necessity turns to financial matters.

• Dependent widows - Sometimes widows would live together, probably for mutual protection and for company. It would make sense that a wealthier widow might help provide for her sisters in Christ who were less financially blessed. A good scriptural example is Dorcas of Joppa, who “was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did” (Acts 9:36). When she passed away, brethren sent for Peter to see if he could restore her to earthly life, and he was willing to come to her home. “All the widows stood beside him weeping,” is the description of the upper room where the body lay, and to which they escorted Peter, “showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them” (Acts 9:39). The indication is that these widows were staying in her home. About such, the apostle Paul writes, “If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, let her assist them, and let not the church be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed” (1 Timothy 5:16). It makes sense that widows have no other means of support be assisted by the church, but not the others, so that maximum resources could be directed to evangelism or other needs.


• Worse than unbelievers - If Christian family members have a widow for a mother or grandmother, Paul had stated that they were to take care of her, using the terminology “let them first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family” (1 Timothy 5:4). Implicit in the idea of “learning” is that the family must be taught. The word of God, therefore, is in the process of teaching the brethren the importance of handling financial priorities properly; in this case, the widow’s needs come ahead of the desire for a family vacation if there is a need to prioritize. In this regard, the apostle has a powerful statement for family finances: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). Any head of a household needs to process the potency of these words. Anyone who does not prioritize family needs and has some other agenda in place has denied the faith! Worse than an unbeliever!!

Money is a place where the physical realm and the spiritual realm come into contact in a very clear way. Money is measurable, and in some sense tangible, so there is no way to obscure the accountability of this spiritual entity. How financial resources are handled is one clear indicator of the true spirituality of one making a claim to godliness. Because “unrighteous mammon” is such a clear indicator, saints who are defensive about their finances often show anger or resentment to someone who is pointing out their need for improvement, possibly verbally attacking the one who is trying to help them in this major spiritual issue. In all the arenas in which Paul has been instructing Timothy, but especially in regard to widow care and family finances, he has this exhortation, “Prescribe and teach these things as well, so that they may be above reproach” (1 Timothy 5:7). The message to Timothy is straightforward: preach and teach these things, regardless of whether any of the saints like it or not!

The local church needs instruction. The apostle has been giving Timothy some directives in areas where the congregation at Ephesus and others need that instruction. Furthermore, Lord made sure those were recorded in the eternal record, that all saints may look at that instruction and desire to implement the principles in their own lives. Near the core of those inculcations are the interrelationship between elders, evangelists, and the congregation. For a congregation to function as the Lord intended, those relationships need to be in the process of being put in order in accordance with Paul’s divinely inspired directives.

• Paying elders - The work of a true elder is really a full-time position. It is one thing for an overseer to stand off at a distance and superintend at a surface level; it is another thing for said bishop to be busy calling on the sheep, getting down in the trenches and being involved in their personal lives. When shepherds are truly doing their shepherding, that is full-time work and they should be paid. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,” explains the apostle Paul, “especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17). The word “honor” needs to be re-emphasized: it not only has to do with respect, but also with financial considerations. “Honor your father and your mother” means to provide for them financially when they are no longer able to do so themselves, in addition to giving them the Biblical respect to be accorded to them as parents. “Honoring” hard working elders means paying them. These elders who “rule well,” intelligently guiding the congregation through all the doctrinal and interpersonal challenges connected with the functioning of the local church, are worthy workmen, joyfully plugging away day by day helping the saints maintain the road to heaven. “For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’ ” (1 Timothy 5:18).


• Possible problems - Not only did God place elders/pastors in His organizational pattern for the church, He also placed evangelists. Evangelists may be located in one congregation as was Timothy in Ephesus, or they may work in an area, as Titus was working with the congregations on the island of Crete. Since elders are appointed by evangelists, problem elders are also dealt with by evangelists. “Do not receive an accusation against an elder,” Paul informs the evangelist Timothy, “except of the basis of two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19). The principle all through the word of God is that accusations have to be made by more than one witness; one “witness” may have a personal “axe to grind” which renders the accusations null and void. The witnesses, of course, need to reliable people, unlike the “worthless men” who testified against Naboth when evil Queen Jezebel was maneuvering to get Naboth’s vineyard for the king. If the witness accounts line up, and the accusation is serious enough, then the evangelist needs to take action.

Timothy is getting this instruction from Paul, and so is the congregation. This is necessary because if Timothy needs to take action against an elder, the congregation is going to have to back that action. “Those [elders] who continue to sin,” the apostle charges the evangelist, “rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest may be fearful of sinning” (1 Timothy 5:20). If the local church is working against the evangelist in this case, the rebuking action is not going to be effective. But Timothy has to be objective. “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in the spirit of partiality” (1 Timothy 5:21). The spiritual warfare is so intense, and the challenge before the church is so large, that there is no room for petty games. Furthermore, this is all carried out in the clear sight of the Father, the Son, and the good angels! All of those should guarantee that everything done in regard to a sinning elder is done in the right spirit and for the future of each saint in God’s kingdom.

Internal workings of the congregation are, for good reason, a major focus of the new covenant writings. The local church is the key to the forward movement of the gospel, and the gospel distribution is therefore tied to the proper functioning of each congregation. Hence the instructions. Widows indeed are to be cared for. Elders who are working hard at preaching and teaching are to be respected and paid. An elder whose sin is serious enough that it requires public rebuking is to be straightened out “in the presence of all” by an evangelist. Evangelists or preachers must be unbiased in their functioning, without partiality. What next, Paul?

• Laying-on-of-hands - Elders (bishops/pastors) are appointed by evangelists, as Paul instructs Titus. “For this reason I left you in Crete,” the apostle gives his reminder, “that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). When Paul and Barnabas, serving as evangelists from the perspective of the congregations which they were establishing, “appointed elders in every church,” that appointment was carried out “by the stretching forth of their hands” (Acts 14:23). Thus when Paul, in the context of paying elders and rebuking those who have gone off course, talks about the laying-on-of-hands, he is speaking about the appointment of elders. “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin” (1 Timothy 5:22). It makes good sense that care and some caution is to be taken in appointing elders and thus setting in motion much of the future of that congregation.


• Stomach ailments - Having to deal with godliness issues, widow problems, and elder shenanigans might be enough to give someone a bit of an upset stomach. “No longer drink water exclusively,” indicates the apostle, “but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (1 Timothy 5:23). The Greek word translated “wine” [oinos] generally refers to fermented grape juice, but it can also be used to describe the unfermented product of the grape as well. Research, even from wine producing companies, shows that while wine is helpful to the stomach, grape juice is a bit better. Even in those far off days, people like Timothy were fighting health issues while trying to accomplish the Lord’s work.


• Obvious and not-so-obvious sins - Paul has been talking to Timothy about the necessity of rebuking sinning elders, but only on the basis of the testimony of two or three witnesses. Such sins, in order to be testified about, would have to be fairly obvious. This seems to trigger a thought from the apostle, based on his experience in the churches. “The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after (1 Timothy 5:24). Falling-down drunkenness or being caught in adultery are “quite evident”; other sins, such as sowing the seeds of division, are not. One of the great lines from the Old Testament comes in the statement of Moses to the tribes who had already settled east of the Jordan before the west side was conquered under the leadership of Joshua: “Be sure [of this],” was the thought-provoking lead in, “your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). No one, even elders/bishops, get past the revealing and consequences of sin.

But most of the shepherds working for the Lord will be engaging in solid work for his glory; to fit the picture that Paul and Peter painted of good shepherds, their character would be such that they would be upright, loving the sheep entrusted to their care, and wanting to please Christ openly and privately. “Likewise also,” says Paul, playing off the statement that the sins of some men are out in the open, “deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed” (1 Timothy 5:25). The exordium to all elders, indeed to all saints, stands: “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

In New Testament times, slavery was quite common. Writings of Roman historians indicate that perhaps as much as one-third of the population were slaves, and that the church had a higher percentage of slaves than that. God’s instructions for slaves and masters thus shows up in the sacred writings, as well as direct references to slaves themselves. Philemon, for example, was a Christian slaveholder, and Onesimus was his runaway slave. Tertius (which means “Number 3”) was an educated slave referenced in the scriptures, who wrote down the book of Romans at Paul’s dictation (Romans 16:22). Spiritually, slaves and masters had equal standing before the Lord, while in the flesh they had separate roles to carry out. In Christ, there is neither slave nor free (Galatians 3:28).

• Giving honor - God deserves honor as both the Creator and the Savior, and parents have honor due them. An individual who refuses to honor his parents will subvert the process of honoring God. Hence slaves have some instructions in regard to the conduct toward their masters. “Let all who are under the yoke as slaves,” says the inspired Paul, “regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine may not be spoken against” (1 Timothy 6:1). Better for a Christian slave to voluntarily honor, respect, and obey his master with a great attitude than to be whipped into submission and serve with smoldering resentment.


• Name of God and our doctrine - One of the things very important to God is that His name be upheld by those who claim to be His representatives on earth. In Satan’s long war with the Almighty, he counsels rebellion against God’s name and His authority. Thus one of God’s purposes is to vindicate the holiness of His great name (Ezekiel 36:23). It is not because of the saints’ righteousness apart from God or their personal goodness that He has acted. “I am writing to you, little children,” stated the aged John, “because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1 John 2:12). Paul also noted that one of his purposes was “to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake” (Romans 1:7). The great God, then, because He has acted for His name’s sake, wants slaves to be outstanding slaves so that His name will not be spoken against! Likewise, the doctrine of Christ needs to be exalted. The gospel of Christ is a challenge to the syncretism of the world; the doctrine says there is only one way to God and that is belief in and obedience to the gospel, whereas the world says that there are many paths and everyone chooses the one which he wants. Hence there is hostility toward the message of Christ. God, therefore, not wishing for any to perish, wants slaves to exhibit the positive fruit of the gospel in their lives so that there is no possibility of there being any legitimate criticism of the gospel.

It follows that the slave would, for the sake of God’s holy and righteous name, conduct himself in exemplary fashion toward his earthly master. “And let those [slaves] who have believers as masters,” encourages the apostle Paul, “not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but let them serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved” (1 Timothy 6:2). Because the slave is a saint and the master is a saint, the slave might have a tendency to pull the “brothers in Christ” card and not conduct himself in a respectful fashion. The Holy Spirit says to reverse that flow, and serve with all due respect! In the long-term, everyone benefits, and the name of God is further glorified. Clearly, there is no room for selfishness here, or for having feelings of resentment because of the slave condition. The masters are “beloved.”

And to Timothy, in this slave/master culture: “Teach and preach these principles.”

There are “sound” words, and there are “shaky” words. “Sound” words and “sound” promises can be counted upon; “shaky” words and “shaky” promises are worthless and the purveyor of such is not to be trusted. Hence it is that the scripture brings forth “sound” doctrine and warns strongly and repeatedly against false doctrine.

Sound doctrine has a foundation that is solid and stands all the challenges that can be thrown at it. Hence Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, and Calvinism (and any other false religion) can all be shown to be manufactured, fabrics of someone’s imagination. Sound doctrine has its basis in the established truthfulness of the Bible, and can be shown to be true objectively. It is worth reiterating: “But know this first of all,” stated the apostle Peter, “that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20,21).

• Sound words - In the list of instructions to Timothy concerning various aspects of life in the church of God, Paul exhorted, “Teach and preach these principles.” These principles had come from the Holy Spirit to the apostles, and are part of the objective doctrine of Jesus Christ. “If anyone advocates a different doctrine,” superadds the apostle, “and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing” (1 Timothy 6:3,4). That is a powerful statement, and its conclusion might be somewhat unsuspected. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did indeed lay the foundation for the goal of the new covenant: “Therefore,” He said, “you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The doctrine conforming to godliness is that the sons of the Father in heaven might be imitators of God, walking in the footsteps of Christ, laying aside the old man and putting on the new self which has been created in the image of Christ. It is a tall order, but it is an order! Any person making a claim to godliness but who denies this “is conceited, and understands nothing.” The subtle desire to fulfill the lusts of the flesh but still stand justified in the sight of God is a major source of false doctrine. Many are those who claim to preach the word of God but who in fact are scratchers of itching ears.


• Spiritual death wish - Paul gives the inspired look at those who advocate “a different doctrine.” “He has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words” (1 Timothy 6:4). This brings to mind the proverb: “He who loves transgression loves strife” (Proverbs 17:19). The technique of the transgressor’s creating a commotion in order to direct attention away from himself is very common, and those who desire to run Satan’s program instead of God’s use it often. The apostle says that such a person “has a morbid interest in controversial questions.” That person is exhibiting a spiritual death wish, and intends that others fall under that same influence. The ten-dency to focus on unclear, unrevealed, or irrelevant issues rather than on focusing on the important and clear teachings of the new covenant is a characteristic of someone who really wants to duck the arrows of scripture which are aimed directly at his heart. The desire to argue speciously about the meaning of the Greek word eis, translated “for” as in immersion for the forgiveness of sins, is a great example of those who use “disputes about words” to create chaos and confusion.

Words, by God’s design of language, have meaning. Ultimately, God’s goal has been to educate spiritual men to the point where He can use words “taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:13). One of the devil’s goals, working through complicit human beings, is to confuse the language, to move people away from “sound words,” and shade, spin, and twist the meanings so that endless controversy can occur. And in the midst of that controversy, those with “morbid” interests will continue unabated and unchallenged in their sins.

The human race always has been a selfish, violent, bloody race. The exhibition of the man of flesh was on full display when Cain refused to master the sin crouching at his door, and spilled Abel’s blood upon the ground. Whether it is through physical or verbal abuse, the rebellious man or woman is characteristic of the world gone astray. The problem is that when this rebellious “mere man” becomes a Christian, sometimes those destructive elements in his character do not go away soon, or possibly not at all if there is no continuing repentance. Their throat is still “an open grave,” their tongues keep deceiving, the poison of asps is still under their lips, destruction and misery are still their paths (Romans 3:13-16). This rebelliousness will cause a person to advocate false doctrine because the doctrine of Christ brings the individual to conform to godliness. Such a conceited, non-understanding person is always interested in veering off the course of important teachings from the word of God, and “has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words.”

• Morbid interest at work - The rebel, when something positive is going on, throws a grenade into the conversation. “Out of which,” avers the apostle, “arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction” (1 Timothy 6:4,5). By creating a ruckus, this morally depraved individual (who might be a “member in good standing” in the local congregation) directs attention away from himself and his need to “repent and get right with God.” The list of those things which arise from the actions and words of this individual is an impressively bad one. By his fomenting envy, good cooperation and teamwork is destroyed. By his generation of strife, much effort is expended in patching up broken relationships instead of being focused on evangelism and the edification of the church. By his introduction of abusive language and character assassination into the conversations, a general bad attitude sinks over the congregation, and all the positive attributes of Christianity end up in the trash can. By his subtle injection of evil suspicions here and there, trust between brothers is destroyed. One such individual can cause tremendous destruction to the name of Jesus Christ and the furtherance of His cause.


• Result of morbid interest - All this, in the words of the apostle Paul, might be summarized as “constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth” (1 Timothy 6:5). These people (could be men, and could equally be women), while in the guise of being Christians, are actually on Satan’s side, being of a depraved mind. This is not surprising, since Satan’s goal is to disrupt. The devil has no positive plan; all he and his minions can do is to attempt to throw as many difficulties in the way of those who are doing God’s will. So those who engage in “constant friction” are really hindering the work of God, and the saint needs to recognize one of those when he sees one.


• “Godliness for gain” - People have a lot of different motives, some open and some hidden, some good and some devious and destructive. The ones about whom Paul is commenting are those with hidden and evil motives, who parade through the congregations cloaked with the appearance of righteousness. These supposed saints, are “deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” (NKJV and the Byzantine stream add: “From such withdraw yourself.”) (1 Timothy 6:5). They use their appearance to further their personal, petty, or financial goals!

True godliness, however, is a blessing for the godly, and enables the godly to be a blessing to others. “But godliness actually is a means of great gain,” affirms the apostle, “especially when accompanied by contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6). Those who are engaged in constant friction are never happy, and often are trying to hurt someone else as an outgrowth of their own frustrations. But those who live godly lives, as defined by the scriptures, really do experience great gain and satisfaction in knowing that their labors contribute are laying up treasure for themselves in heaven, and that God is glorified. When all this is “accompanied by contentment” in the life of one who is living by precious faith, that individual is blessed and happy!

“The devil,” pointed out the apostle Peter, “prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This is a sober warning, and there are others similar to it throughout the new covenant writings. These should bring the saint to an awareness of the importance of each decision and each action he is taking and cause him to consider his personal motive in such decisions and actions. Is envy a driving force? How about evil suspicions? What about the possibility that someone supposes “that godliness is a means of gain”? There are those who put on a veneer of godliness and use that to lure unsuspecting victims into their lairs of deceit and fraud.

• Great gain - Earlier in the epistle, the apostle had pointed out that the purpose of preaching and teaching is to help saints to be godly and to live godly lives. “It is for this we labor and strive,” the apostle had reminded Timothy (1 Timothy 4:10). The continuation of the thought in the sixth chapter is that true godliness, as contrasted to the deceptive veneer, “is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6). The great gain is in matters of spiritual importance as contrasted to mere material desire or comfort. What price could be paid for a clear conscience? What value could be placed on the security of knowing from scripture that the saint is pleasing to the heavenly Father, and that God is continually watching over him? As the child of God in Christ processes these things and learns more and more, the result is a contentment. “I have learned,” said Paul to the Philippian brethren while imprisoned in Rome, “to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11). Godliness indeed is a means of great gain, especially when accompanied by learned contentment.


• Back to a foundational point - The saint needs to be reminded regularly that earthly life is short; it is very temporary. As James put it, life is a “vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Setting the priorities necessary for living a godly life requires the perspective that earthly life is short, and eternity is long. It also requires that material things have their proper place of being used but not elevated to where there is a driving desire for their acquisition. “For we have brought nothing into the world,” is apostle Paul’s observation on this point, “so we cannot take anything out of it either” (1 Timothy 6:7). While the Egyptian Pharaohs may have thought they could take their possessions into the afterlife, the actuality is that the treasures placed in the pyramid tombs were left for the grave robbers and the archeologists!


• Contentment - Godliness, Paul has stressed, is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. Since there is no particular benefit in laying up treasures on earth, “if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:8). The person who has a hole in his psyche that is calling out, “More, more!” is never going to be content. John D. Rockefeller, it is said, commented that the thing that would make him happy was just one more dollar. Rich, empty, malcontented, and headed for hell—that’s what his striving after more got him. The saint, having food and shelter and living a godly life, being productive in the kingdom of God, and knowing that what he is doing counts for all eternity, lives a godly and contented life. No amount of money can buy that, and no amount of force can acquire it. What a precious gift from God!!

The saint would do well periodically to contemplate the blessing of the discipline which produces godliness. Bringing the mind around so that it puts the same value on things as God does, as revealed in the scripture, has tremendous benefits. The apostle Paul in the jail cell could be godly and content; the nearby Emperor was ungodly, corrupt, and committed suicide.