These three divisions
teach us valuable lessons concerning "The Church & Its
Message". There is a great need for all believers to review
what the message of the church should be in light of God’s Word.
One must agree that in this day in which we live the church is being
influenced by the world, more than the world is being influenced by
the church. Let’s examine the instruction Paul gave to young
Timothy, pastor of the church of Ephesus.
Teaching
Sound Doctrine (1:1-11)
vs. 1-2 Paul
begins his epistle in a rather formal manner, but as always, Paul
was not one to waste words. In Acts 20:17-32 Paul had warned the elders
of the church of Ephesus of grievous wolves that would attack the
church. He even suggested that after his departure, some of these
wolves would come from among the church’s elders themselves.
The purpose
of Paul’s formal introduction in this epistle was to remind the
Ephesians that he had been commissioned by God, not man. There is
no higher authority by whom one may be called. So often members of
churches fail to realize that ministers are ordained by God, not by
committees or deacon boards. God calls, commissions, and ordains these
ministers to shepherd the flocks within the local church.
Paul identified
Timothy’s as pastor as being two-fold. The first aspect of his
ministry involved "stopping the false teaching that was taking
place within the church." The second aspect of Timothy’s
ministry involved "correcting their misconceptions of the
law." Both of these problems still exist in the New Testament
church today, and constitute a real need for pastors to take measures
to correct them. Unfortunately, many rely more on traditions than
"Thus saith the Lord…."
vs. 3-6 Paul
begins by giving Timothy instruction concerning how to stop false
teaching within the church of Ephesus. He admonishes him to "challenge
(charge) certain teachers!" It is the responsibility of pastors
to guard and ward off any and all attacks from Satan within the church.
The devil would desire nothing more than to infiltrate the teaching
programs of churches and cause heresy rather than truth to be taught.
Many in teaching positions are not qualified nor gifted to teach the
Word of God, but for various reasons, they have been thrust into the
positions within the local church. It is a tragedy when men, women,
and sometimes even young teenagers are thrust into the position of
"teacher" when there is no evidence that they have been
gifted in the area of teaching. It has become commonplace in many
churches today for these people to "fill" positions simply
because no one else will do the job. God have mercy upon us if we
consider such an awesome responsibility as teaching with such low
regard! The gift of teaching is given by the Holy Spirit of God, and
churches are blessed whose teachers are capable and responsible in
their obligations to teach with reverence to God and compassion for
classes. Teachers should never be chosen on the basis of popularity.
As a matter of fact, we see concrete evidence in this passage that
the pastor of the church has the responsibility guarding against the
such teachers being placed in such positions. Teachers should not
be selected by the congregations, but we learn that it is the pastor
that has the responsibility of choosing teachers.
Paul addressed
this problem to the Hebrews when he said, "For when for the
time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again
which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become
such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that
useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a
babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14.) We see in this passage
that being a child of God is not enough to qualify one to instruct
others in the Word of God. Teachers should be of full age (mature),
not novices in the Word. We must first teach new converts to mature
before sending them into areas of teaching. Who is better qualified
in the church to determine who are qualified to teach doctrine than
the pastor, the man ordained and sent of God to shepherd the sheep
of the church? (Ephesians 4:11-14)
The word "charge"
literally means "to give strict orders from a superior officer."
The pastor is the undershepherd whom God Himself has ordained to care
for the flock of a church. Paul instructs Timothy, as pastor, to challenge
or charge certain teachers within the church who were teaching false
doctrines. Once these teachers are identified, they should never be
allowed to continue to teach doctrines, fables, traditions, or any
other heresies. This is not a pleasant task for any pastor. Many are
negligent in fulfilling this important responsibility. The calling
of a pastor is not an easy vocation, but God does promise He will
give grace. Pray for your pastor that God will give him boldness and
confidence to perform the difficult duties of shepherding the flock
to which the Lord has appointed him. Pray that God will give him wisdom,
understanding, discernment, boldness, and most of all love to serve
the Lord faithfully.
There was
a good reason why Paul instructed Timothy to challenge these false
teachers. There should always be a good reason when we rebuke others
overtaken in a fault (Gal. 6:1). The "aim of the charge"
is revealed in verse 5 - to promote a "pure heart, good conscience,
and faith unfeigned (sincere faith)." The people of Ephesus
needed to be corrected and instructed spiritually. The most difficult
task of any pastor is to "rebuke a member of the congregation."
Paul uses the words "doctrine, teach, teacher, teaches,
and teaching" a total of thirty-two (32) times in
the three Pastoral Epistles.
There is a great
need today among churches for qualified teachers who are willing to
put the time into "studying to show themselves approved unto
God" (2 Tim. 2:15) Many teach traditions, fables, wives’
tales rather than the truth of God’s Word. Paul calls this kind
of teaching, "vain jangling" in verse 6. The teaching
that is done by those that "swerved and turn aside"
from the truth of God’s Word is summarized as "empty;
void; vain"! There seems to be a trend today toward "emotionalism"
rather than the teaching of doctrinal truth. Doctrine restricts how
we live! Emotionalism is preferred because people do not want their
live style restricted. The only way we will grow, however, is by learning
the sincere, unadulterated Word of God (1 Peter 2:2).
Paul emphatically
admonished Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2, "PREACH the Word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and DOCTRINE. Many teachers and preachers have compromised
their convictions. God had committed the truth of the Word to the
Apostle Paul (1 Tim. 1:11), and now Paul is committing the truth of
the Word to Timothy (1 Tim. 6:20). It was his responsibility as a
"good soldier of Jesus Christ" to guard the faith
and to pass it on to other faithful men who would in turn teach others
(2 Tim. 2:2).
vs. 7-11
In the closing verses of this section, Paul describes those that desire
to be teachers of the Law. He says that they do not understand what
they are saying. It has been aptly said, "When there is a
midst in the pulpit, there is a cloud in the congregation!"
Paul further suggests in verse 8 that those who desire to teach the
Law do so with ulterior motives. The Pharisees and religious leaders
of Paul’s day had often subjected the Jews to burdensome laws
that they themselves were not willing to obey. Jesus rebuked these
leaders for such vile treatment of their brethren, and ultimately
He was crucified for so doing. Paul suggested the real reason that
the Law was given to mankind in verses 9-11. The Law was given to
reveal the sinfulness of mankind! It is a measuring device, a schoolmaster
show just how far short of God’s glory man has come (Romans 3:23).
The Law was given so that man might realize his need of a Savior,
and in so realizing, come to Jesus who is the Savior of all men, specially
them that believe (1 Tim. 1:15; 4:10)!
Proclaiming
the Gospel (1:12-17)
vs. 12 - Paul
first thanks Jesus Christ for "enabling" him to preach
the Gospel. It is important to notice it was Paul’s "faithfulness"
that qualified him for the ministry. Any believer who desires to be
used in the service of the Lord should realize that "Moreover
it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1
Cor. 4:2).
This can be
seen clearly in the lives of the twelve disciples that followed Jesus
Christ in His earthly ministry. There were three members of that group
of men who made up the "inner circle" of disciples,
Peter, James, and John. These three men were privileged on several
occasions to experience opportunities of blessings that far exceeded
the others. It was these three men who ascended the mountain and witnessed
the transfiguration of our Lord. It was these three men whom the Lord
took into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, while leaving the others
on the outskirts of the garden. It would seem that these men were
so blessed because of there faithfulness. So it is in the ministry
of our Lord today. If one truly desires to be placed into the service
of God, one must be found faithful. Paul clearly states that the reason
that Jesus Christ chose him for the ministry is because the Lord counted
him "faithful".
vs. 13-14-
In these verses Paul expounds upon the mercy and grace of God who
took sinner Saul and made preacher Paul. Before Paul became a preacher,
he was Saul the sinner who blasphemed and persecuted the Church of
Jesus Christ. How loving and kind is our Lord to look upon such vile
sinners and see the end result of His exceeding abundant grace! Oh,
let us never forget what wretched sinners we were before Jesus reached
down in His tender love and mercy and grace and brought us out of
that horrible pit of iniquity! Praise His Holy Name!
vs. 15 - In
this verse we have one of greatest, most dynamic verses of the entire
Word of God. This verse presents the complete Gospel for the salvation
of lost souls. If the lost could comprehend just a portion of this
wonderful verse of Scripture, there would far less who would go to
hell, and there would no doubt be countless thousands, perhaps millions
of people saved.
Within the
Pastoral Epistles we find "5 Faithful Sayings". This
is the first of those five sayings - "This is a faithful saying,
and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners; of whom I am chief." There are many important
lessons to be learned in this particular verse.
First, we see
a "Word of Description- Jesus came to save SINNERS".
Jesus did not
come into the world to save good, moral people. Jesus did not come
into the world to save those that were wealthy and self-sufficient.
Jesus did not come into the world to save those who thought that they
save themselves. No! No! A thousand times, No! Jesus came into the
world to save SINNERS! My friend, before a person will ever
come to the Lord Jesus Christ, he must first realize he or she is
a sinner in need of salvation. People who are lost today are lost
for one reason - They do not BELIEVE they are lost! If a person truly
believed that they were hell-bound sinners who can not save themselves,
then they no doubt would turn to the only one who could help them
- The Lord Jesus Christ who came to save Sinners!
Secondly, we see
a "Word of Definition - Salvation".
Jesus did not
come to show us "how to save ourselves." Jesus did
not come to "HELP us save ourselves." Jesus did not
come to "get us started on the road to salvation"
and then expect us to finish the job. Jesus came to SAVE sinners!
Whatever we might say about salvation, we must conclude that salvation
is of God, not man. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly states, "For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Romans 3:21-31 gives us everything that we need to know concerning
the salvation of the soul in Christ Jesus. In Romans 3:24-26 we read,
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus; Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare,
I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." It is God who
justifieth, and He only justifies those that exercise faith in the
finished work of Christ. In Romans 3:27-28 Paul concludes his argument
by stating, "Where is the boasting then? It is excluded. By
what law? Of works? Nay; but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude
that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Thirdly, we see
a "Word of Designation - CHRIST JESUS CAME".
If there had been
any other way to secure mankind’s salvation, no doubt God would
have chosen it rather than send His only begotten Son to die on a
cruel cross. However, as we read the writer of Hebrews we find that
there was no other way. "…looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). John 14:6 clearly
teaches, "Jesus Christ is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life,
and no man can come unto the Father but by HIM."
If you know a
person who is lost, it is imperative that you help them to realize
that they are a sinner. Jesus can not save those that do not see their
need of Him. He will not force Himself upon them. However, we do have
God’s promise that "as many as received Him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name:" (John 1:12).
vs. 16-17-
Paul speaks of the Sovereignty of God, and he clearly believed that
God saved him to be an example of God’s amazing grace. If God
could save such a man as he, Paul reasoned that God can save any man.
If God’s grace was sufficient to transform the heart of a persecutor
into the heart of a loving, compassionate preacher, then God can transform
all hearts. If God could melt the coldness of a murderer and mold
him into a missionary, then God has the power to transform your life
and mine. Paul became an example to all sinners that the grace of
God does transform lives no matter how vile and wretched!
Paul is also
a great example to the present nation of Israel. Paul had been born
a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul was a religious rabbi who had
been instructed by the greatest minds in Judaism during his day, yet
he was lost. In his spiritual blindness, Paul thought that he did
a great service by persecuting the Church of Jesus Christ. But God,
who is rich in mercy and grace, reached down from Heaven that day
on the road to Damascus and broke the heart of Saul. God transformed
him into the greatest preacher, besides Jesus, that the world has
ever known! In Romans 10, we learn that Israel today has a "zeal
of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of
God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God"
(Romans 10:2-3). Sadly, many people fall into this same category
of not understanding God’s righteousness. God’s righteousness
can never be satisfied by our good works or zealous actions. God’s
righteousness can only be satisfied by the Lord Jesus Christ. We must
receive Christ by faith and faith alone in order that we may be justified
in God’s sight (Romans 5:1) "For Christ is the end of
the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Romans
10:4).
Defend the
Faith (1:18-20)
vs. 18 - Paul
has thus stated that two of the ministries of the church is to "Teach
Sound Doctrine" (1:1-11) and to "Proclaim the Gospel"
(1:12-17). Now Paul teaches a third ministry of the church - "Defending
the Faith" (1:18-20). Here Paul uses military terminology
to emphasize that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare with the forces
and powers of hell. The word "charge" means "to
command like an officer to a subordinate". Paul issues a
charge to Timothy to "war a good warfare." In 2 Timothy
2:3 Paul instructs Timothy that he should be a "good soldier
of Jesus Christ". Too many believers today view the walk
of faith as if it were a playground rather than a battleground. As
members of a local church we are to be equipped to ward off the attacks
of Satan. Ephesians 6:10-18 explains the "armor of God"
all Christians wear in order to protect us against Satan’s attempts
to cause us to stumble.
vs. 19 -
Paul says, "Holding faith, and a good conscience;"
This is one the keys to success in the believers daily walk. Colossians
2:6-7 states, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished
in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
The only way to receive Christ Jesus the Lord "BY FAITH."
One man said
of his pastor, "He is such a good preacher, he should never get
out of the pulpit. But he is such a poor Christian, he should never
get in it!" It was Paul’s intent to remind Timothy that
he had an obligation to remain faithful to the Lord throughout his
ministry. Sometimes we get comfortable and complacent with our walk,
and we seem to think that we have earned the right to "reward
ourselves" for our faithfulness by resting. Paul told both the
Galatians (Gal. 6:9) and the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 3:13), "…be
not weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint
not." It is said that the conscious is that "inner voice
which warns us that someone is watching." We should remember
that God sees everything that we do, whether or not anyone else does.
vs. 20 -
Paul provides two men who were not faithful for examples. These two
men were obviously guilty of blasphemy. In 2 Timothy 2:16-18 we have
some insight as to what Hymenaeus did. He evidently taught heresy
(false teaching) concerning the resurrection of the saints. In 2 Timothy
4:14 we have a possible reference to Alexander, although it was such
a common name during that period of time that it is impossible to
know whether this is in reference to the same Alexander mentioned
by Paul or not. If it is the same man, then he too was guilty of teaching
false doctrine.
It is interesting
to notice that Paul called such false teaching "blasphemy".
Today there is a great epidemic of blasphemy infiltrating the New
Testament church! Many are teaching doctrines that are contrary to
the Word of God. Why are so many false doctrines being taught in the
local church today? In 2 Timothy 3 Paul describes the last days. In
these last days there will be those "having a form of godliness,
but denying the power thereof:" (2 Timothy 3:5) There will
be those who are "Ever learning, and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7). And Paul also
says of the last days, "For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap
to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away
their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables"
(2 Timothy 4:3-4).
May God help teachers
and preachers and all believers to understand the importance of rightly
dividing the Word of God; to pray and hold faith and a good conscience;
to walk in faith as we have received the Lord Jesus Christ; and to
grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord.
1Timothy
Chapter2
