- The theme
- Titus and Timothy are Pastoral letters
- These letters expound on church order not church doctrine
- The greeting 1:1-2
- Not personal but rather formal -- emphasizes Paul's authority
- Timothy's Mission 1:3-20
- The task Timothy faced 1:3-11
- Exhortations 1:12-20
- Instructions concerning the life of the local church -- "order" (2:1-4:5)
- The priority of prayer 2:1-7 -- It is good to pray -- we need prayer
- The primary responsibilities (roles) of the men and women in church meetings (2:8-15)
- The men have failed to take a spiritual leadership role
- There is no argument on the capability of women, only where she should teach and lead
- The qualifications for Church leaders -- Elders and Deacons 3:1-13
- The nature of the local Church 3:14-16
- The problem of apostasy in the Church 4:1-5
- Instructions concerning leadership of the local Church 4:6-5:25
- Instructions for groups within the church 6:1-19
- Concluding charge and benediction 6:20-21
- I don't believe the instructions here are only for leadership, but certainly as a minimum need to be followed by the leadership to have good order in the chruch
- In context we have been discussing church order. Specifically:
- Men have failed to lead spiritually in the church and at home
- Men (elders and deacons) and women (deaconesses) who minister must be held to high standards (elders higher than deacons)
- Teachers must follow the word of God above other sources to maintain the purity of the teaching (specifically avoiding asceticism, Judaistic law, and gnostic celibacy (could also be asceticism))
- So the first question is, what does Paul mean by "these things"?
- The location of the verse to 4:1-5 would suggest the latter. Also the reference to the words of faith and good doctrine
- But there is an argument that he is also referring to "church order" since this has been a theme. But church order includes and is heavily impacted by good teaching
- What is Paul saying in the first part of verse 7?
- Not to even address myths in terms of an answer. Myths are stories told without any substantiation. The scripture substantiates. Avoid non-scriptural sources!
- The Grk word for "Irreverent" is bebelos and means profane; of the ground (dirt)
- The Grk word for "silly" here is graodes and means old womanish, old wives
- The teaching, referenced by 7a, does not help you in the least. Replace it with training in godliness
- The word for train is gymnaze and means to exercise or discipline yourself
- What are the disciplines for a Christian? Or what exercises will help you to be godly?
- A daily quiet time (a few verses, a journal, and prayer)
- Nightly bible reading (a few chapters)
- Scripture memory (from the earliest times, God has encouraged his people to memorize his word through many means)
- Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV) —
- 1 John 2:15–16 (ESV) —
- Luke 8:11–15 (ESV) —
- Prayer -- regular and extended
- Fellowship -- sharing spiritual truths with another believer
- Witnessing -- sharing the good news with someone who does not know Christ
- Application -- being a doer of the word with specific and measurable tasks related to the word of God
- James 1:22–25 (ESV) —
- In contrast, Paul does mention one ascetic pursuit -- physical exercise. What does he say?
- Exercise does have value but ONLY for this physical life
- But godliness goes far beyond extending in this life and beyond
- "Physical training is limited to just that—the physical dimensions of life. Godliness, on the other hand, penetrates every aspect of life. Godliness affects everything: our view of self, marriage, parenting, business, civic responsibilities, environmental outlook, relationship with our next-door neighbors. Nothing escapes godliness; it covers everything." Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, p. 206). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
- Even the Greeks, whose young men devoted themselves to physical exercise, agreed that the inner man was of more importance than the outer man
- For the believer, Paul says that to this end we toil and strive. What is he saying?
- Toil, Grk kopiao, means to be weary -- this is hard work
- Strive, Grk oneidizo, means to censure harshly or reproach without reason -- it seems to suggest that the world will laugh at you for your undying commitment
- The world (Devil) laughs at those who read the bible
- The world laughs at those who memorize scripture
- The world laughs at those who share the gospel
- Paul gives the reason for the hard work and the reproach of following the disciplines of the Christian life. What are they?
- Our reason is -- we have a real hope, the living God, and the savior of all the world
- He is the savior of all the world does not mean he will save the whole world but that he is the only savior for the whole world
- Jonah 2:8–9 (ESV) —
- John 14:6 (ESV) — 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- Acts 4:12 (ESV) — 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
- John 17:3 (ESV) — 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
- Revelation 3:7 (ESV) — 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
- Revelation 5:9 (ESV) —
- The reason we discipline ourselves is because we have the only message that can save the world
- APPLICATION: A healthy church has healthy members
- Are you engaged (toiling and striving) in godliness? Are you disciplining yourself? Or do you accept the world's argument -- "that it is not important?"
- Quiet Time
- Reading
- Praying
- Fellowshipping
- Witnessing
- Applying God's word to your life
1 Timothy 4:6–8 (ESV) — 6 If you put these things before the brothers, you
will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the
faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train
yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value,
godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words
that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of
them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you
lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign
on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your
gates.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that
is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride
of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil
comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe
and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they
hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a
while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what
fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way
they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit
does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who,
hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit
with patience.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a
doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was
like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law
of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts,
he will be blessed in his doing.
1 Timothy 4:9–10 (ESV) — 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full
acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have
our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of
those who believe.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed
people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
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