Day 1

Timothy 1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope,2 To Timothy my true son in the faith:Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord

The two letters of Timothy are written by Paul and are meant to help us as church leaders or members to establish a balanced evangelical disciplined church. Of course it is in the same group of letters as those written to Titus and even Philemon. Paul is seeking to ensure that the churches he has already established should be run well.

Staring with Timothy chapter 1, he is telling us or warning us not to deviate from the truth. He wants the pastors in this church to stick with the true gospel.

Then in chapter 2, he wants the church to be a church in prayer and as we pray, women should conduct themselves well.

In chapter 3, he now comes to church leadership, giving the qualifications of church leaders and in chapter 4, the leaders are advised against apostasy. Their responsibilities are listed.

That now allows him to go to chapter 5, where initially he is giving instructions to various groups of disciples, and then from chapter 5 verse 20 right through to chapter 6, he is talking about his teachings generally.

Let’s discus in some details from verse 1. i says,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope.

He wants you to know who it is that is writing this letter to you. He wants you to know this person is not speaking just as a Jew, he is speaking as an apostle of Jesus Christ and he is doing so because God has commanded him to do so. His commands are from God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope.

Thus, he wants you to know whatever it is you are going to read in the Book of Timothy is as commanded by God. Obviously he is saying, ‘”I have been sent to you, I am just an apostle'”. there are many other chapters in his letters where he emphasizes why you can call him an apostle, proving that God had shown himself through him as an apostle. See this in 2 Corinthians 12:12, Acts 14:3, Acts 14:8-15, Acts 13:6-12 or even acts 19:8-20, where he establishes that he is speaking as an apostle. An apostle is God’s appointed planter of churches.

Please remember that even as he speaks, he would like you to know that he is an eye witness of the resurrected Christ, because Christ revealed himself to him. Please remember that God has shown himself to be with him because when he laid his hands on others God would bless them and anoint them to even do the miraculous.

Day 2

1 timothy

3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer

so, what is he saying in his introduction? I am Paul who has actually been appointed by Jesus to become a witness of his resurrection. He keeps repeating this. You can see this also in acts 26:13-19. Ephesus church was part of Paul missionary journey. You can trace from Palestine where Tyre is and Damascus where he got saved after moving from Jerusalem. He goes to Syria, to Tyre, he can move across right up to Asia minor at Adramyttium, and then moves to Malta. Ephesus is in present day Turkey. So most of the churches he established are around Turkey. Crete is even a little lower on the islands. Some of the remains of those cities are still available if you can visit those sites.

So, Paul says I have been commanded, I am not just writing on my own. But , who is he writing to? He is writing to

Timothy my true son in the faith

Clearly this Timothy was a darling of Paul., he trained him, he mentored him, and now he has left him to be in charge of the church in Ephesus. Thus, he is writing to somebody he cares about. What is his prayer for him?

Grace, mercy and peace; from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

His desire for the Ephesian Christians and for Timothy their pastor is :

Number one they would have his grace. This is because without grace there is no hope for Timothy and any one of us. Grace means we are going to heaven because of God’s goodness to us not because of our ability or deserving it. God’s grace is unmerited favor of God where you cannot beat your chest saying ‘”I prayed, or I did this!'” . You realize you do not deserve anything from God other than for God’s favor.

So, he is also wishing us and praying for us to have Gods mercy. Mercy is when you don’t get the punishment that you actually deserve.

Thirdly once you have grace and mercy then in the process, you are going to enjoy peace. You know, right at the beginning he wants timothy to know that he has a challenge! The message he is to teach may be seen as both wrong message and right message! What’s the wrong message? Look at verse 3,

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work, which is by faith.

So, pastor don’t preach stories! You know, creating stories so that you look bright and clever, is here condemned. You must be a prisoner of God’s word as you preach. Don’t have the independence to come up with new things not in the bible whether they are fables or genealogies avoid them. Fables are stories, like you pick a verse and tell a story which cannot be drawn from the scriptures or talking about genealogies to show how connected you are, dropping big names. That is not the gospel!

Day 3

1 Timothy 1

5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

So, what is the gospel? Look at verse 5. What is the goal of his command is love? We have been commanded to do something by Christ. What is the goal of it, love! This comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.

So, if really you have the gospel, the correct gospel, then people should sense your love from a pure heart. They will also sense good conscience, they would sense your sincere faith. That is what the gospel does, and that’s what the correct gospel is.

But, look at verse 6,

some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

So how can you describe such people? Lawless, insubordinates, and even we can describe them as sinners or profane or ungodly or unholy people. Of course, some of them are murderers and slayers, some are fornicators, some are adulterers, sodomites or homosexuals, some are kidnappers. But many are liars and perjurers. All that even if they claim to be preachers, is contrary to the sound doctrine. These are people who have departed from truth, and have turned to meaningless talk.

Here Paul is talking about grace, but he still says it is possible for people who have started with proper teaching, who were under his tutorage, to actually depart form the truth.

Can you see why it wrong to tell people once saved always saved, that because it is God who has ordained you, predestined you, that is not possible to backslide. That there is irresistible grace , thus you can’t help but to be a Christian. But Paul is saying there are people who actually have been able to resist the true gospel and they have moved to away from the faith.

I think the message of verse 6, is they have departed from this truth of verse 5. They are giving religious talk, things that cannot be drawn from the scriptures. They are trying to be teachers but they do not even know what they are talking about. That can be quite a problem!

Now look at verse 8,

8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers

In other words, when you don’t teach grace and you teach law, you are not teaching the true gospel. If your product is not Christian, then they are under the law. If they are a Christian, the spirit enables THEM to be subject to God’s ways and follow them. If they are not Christian THEY WILL BE DOING THE THINGS LISTED IN VS 9 for that is the kind of life they live. They are Law breakers and rebels.

look at verse 10,

, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practising homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers ‘€” and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.

For the sexual immoral, those need a law! For those practicing homosexuality, mmh! They need the law. How will anybody in today’s life is saying it is quite normal to be a homosexual and the word of God is saying those who do that have departed from the true gospel?

But you see, the list includes even those involved in slave trade. Maybe those selling their daughters via dowry must be part of that list. When you start putting a value on a human being, you are a slave trader! You are a human trafficker! Human beings are not to be valued, for they are invaluable. That means their price is so high you can’t put a price on it. So, according to Paul people who are involved in slave trade have departed from the truth!

Day 4

1 Timothy 1

11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me

So is anybody who cannot keep their word. They say one thing one time then another later. Some of them even sign a document and still break it! That is a sign that they are not with the truth. They are liars and perjurers. Perjurers are people who even swear an oath yet telling a lie. There are many other things that shows you departing from the faith contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

That’s what you need to do, conform to the gospel. How will that happen? You need to know the gospel, and then live by it.

Now look at verse 12,

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

So, what is the bible saying? You have so far learnt that there is a wrong gospel and a right gospel. You have also learnt that there are people who start with the right gospel and then they backslide out of it or move out of it.

Paul now wants to give himself as example of somebody who has been helped by the gospel.so he says’… I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, why? He has given me strength, he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

In other words to minister the gospel is a real privilege, especially when the one doing it is a former chief of sinners! He was a blasphemer, he was a persecutor. He admits all that.

Look at verse 13,

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy.

Do you look at your past and see things you have done that make you not deserving of anything from God? That way you understand that whatever you have is by his mercy. It is by his grace. You see, what Paul is saying, even the ignorant has to admit when they are confronting the gospel, they have to admit that what they did was wrong although they were did it without knowing. Once they now know, they need to repent.

Then verse 14 is saying,

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

In other words, the only way I could come to God was through grace. We are saved by grace through faith and love, it is what he is saying to us. You know obedience is required not faith only, you can’t claim to be a Christian because ‘”I trust in Jesus! I confess him as my lord and Saviour'” without obedience. I like the song writer who wrote, trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. It just means you have to learn, if you truly have committed yourself to God, it will be seen in your behaviours! By how you are committed to his word? obedience is required. Obviously even water baptism is required.

Day 5

1 Timothy 1

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ‘€” of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst, or the chief. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life

So, Christ expects you in obedience to be baptized. He also expects you to be zealous not just passive in your commitment to the Lord. He also expects you to be sincere, not hypocrite, and to act in good conscience.

But all these are not enough because you never can meet the expected standard. Only Jesus can save any penitent believer, so that now as a believer God can give you the strength to fulfill the requirements. Let me just repeat verse 17, Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. So, who do we worship? First, he is Christ the King. You know about kings? If Christ is king, it means he is not elected in his position, you cannot throw him out. If he is king, he is not elected, it is not subject to popular vote. Number two, if he is king, it means he has an army, he has power to enforce his word, and if he is king, he deserves respect.

Day 6

1 Timothy 1

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Another thing we learn about this Christ we worship is that he is eternal. That means when he was born on earth is not when he began, and when he died is not when he ended. He is from eternity to eternity, that is what it means to be eternal. Don’t talk like he is somebody who is going out of the picture any time soon. That’s related to the fact that he is immortal.

Unlike God human beings are mortal, they will die but, not our Lord! The other thing about our Lord is that he is invisible, that means you can’t see him, yet you know very well that that’s what will be required to reach heaven. Christ is, invisible and cannot be seen after he left earth.

Finally, verse 17 is also saying,

He is the only God. In other words, there is no competition between him and another. If you hear anybody worshipping other than Christ, that’s not God! that’s what Paul wants you to know, that the one I am preaching is a king! He is eternal, he is immortal and he is invisible. You don’t see him with your naked eyes. Finally, he is the only God. I think that will be important to understand, that all these other claims by various religions, according to Paul, is a waste of time. Christ is the only God. and he is deserving of our honor and glory forever and ever.

Day 7

1Timothy

19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 2

Maybe one has to think in terms of what are the temptations to have somebody or something as your God? And you know we normally say the thing you fear most is actually your god. Verse 18 says,

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight.

Memory is something very fickle! This pastor Tim is being reminded he is ordained for the task. You see, Timothy at the beginning of verse 3 has been given a charge, to teach the word. In verse 18, there is yet another charge. Timothy, my son, I give you this command, this charge.

In verse 3 and 4 his charge is to oppose error. In verse 18, he is told to wage good warfare in keeping with the prophesies. Giving him the commands helps him to recall when he needs encouragement. That way he will fight the battle well. In verse 5, he is given another charge about love from pure heart, good conscience and faith.

In other words, whatever this charge is, he must do it in love, pure heart and good conscience.

Then in verse 19, he is being charged , that, he must hold on to faith and a good conscience which is a repeat. Just look at verse 19,

, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.

You can’t work without faith and good conscience. When you allow things that compromise you, it will interfere with your ministry! In verse 6 we saw earlier that there are people who have backslidden, moved away from the truth, they have strayed, turned aside to their own destruction. Verse 19, they are again reminded the same things; some have suffered shipwreck in regards to faith, because they have rejected holding on to faith and a good conscience. Of course, the chapter gives us examples and instances.

What I hear the whole chapter 1 saying is that pastor should teach the need for love. Teach the need of a pure heart, teach the importance of good conscience, and teach about the important of sincerity of faith.

Then we are learning it will be important to oppose any wrong doctrine. Don’t just say ‘”you know I am not sure they are right'”. Be clear about what is wrong with the other doctrine, be clear why you cannot base your gospel on fables, be clear about all that opposes the gospel. That is the message of verse 3-11.

Then as the chapter ends, I hear necessity for disciplining of those who reject faith! Don’t just allow them to continue as they are spoiling others. No! Discipline them if they are rejecting faith and a good conscience, and making shipwreck of their faith and that of others. I think that will be something important to ask yourself as a pastor or discipliner. May the Lord help us to understand that.

20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Whoa! that’s quite a bad curse to put on you. It is my prayer that that’s not what you do. You must pray for all men and in all authority. We must pray for them to be saved, to come to the knowledge of truth which will be important. May the Lord help us to know this truth is needed by all.

Let me just repeat verse 5,

The goal of this command is love which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

That should be every minister’s goal, to get people to live with a clear conscience, to live with a pure heart, because they have repented of the past and they have allowed the spirit of God to control them in all ways. May the Lord truly help us to understand that. Pray for all men, salvation and knowledge of the truth, to remember one God and one mediator and to realize he is going to help us all without exception.

So, do you have a charge like this charge Timothy was given about serving the Lord? Do you have clarity of your calling as discipler? A charge, is a command, it is not a request. It is an expectation. The mentor is telling the mentee of what he expects of him in his ministry at the church in Ephesus. What about you as a pastor? What about you as a Christian who is representing Christ in your place of work? Are you keeping to the charge? May the Lord help us to represent him well.