THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TIMOTHY
AFTER HIS FIRST IMPRISONMENT, PAUL CAME TO EPHESUS WHERE HE LEFT TIMOTHY (A GREEK-JEW DISCIPLE WHO WAS LIKE A SON TO PAUL) TO ASSURE THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH.THE YOUNG PASTOR TIMOTHY WAS GETTING OVERBURDENED WITH THE CHURCH, AND PAUL WRITES TO BOLSTER HIS MATURITY WITH INSTRUCTION IN LEADERSHIP.
1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1 SYNOPSIS:
PAUL EXHORTS THE SAINTS TO TEACH THE GOSPEL DOCTRINE ONLY.
(COMMENTARY: THERE WERE OBVIOUS PROBLEMS AT EPHESUS WITH THE EMBRACE OF “FABLES” RELATED TO THE LAW.)
PAUL REMINDS THAT THE LAW —
…IS NOT MADE FOR A RIGHTEOUS PERSON, BUT FOR THE LAWLESS AND INSUBORDINATE, FOR THE UNGODLY AND FOR SINNERS, FOR THE UNHOLY AND PROFANE, FOR MURDERERS…MAN-SLAUGHTERERS, FOR FORNICATORS, FOR SODOMITES, FOR KIDNAPPERS, FOR LIARS, FOR PERJURERS…
1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 2 SYNOPSIS:
(COMMENTARY: PAUL REMINDS TIMOTHY AND THE CHURCH TO BE PRAYERFUL AND THANKFUL TOWARD ALL MEN, KINGS, AUTHORITIES SO THAT THE CHURCH CAN LEAD A QUIET AND PEACEFUL LIFE IN REVERENCE.)
PAUL FURTHERS STATES THAT CHRISTIAN WOMEN ARE TO DRESS MODESTLY. THEY ARE NOT TO TEACH THE GOSPEL OR TO HAVE AUTHORITY OVER MEN IN THE CHURCH.
(COMMENTARY: PAUL GOES ON TO SAY THIS IS BECAUSE EVE DECEIVED ADAM.)
WOMEN ARE SAVED IN CHILDBEARING “IF THEY CONTINUE IN FAITH AND CHARITY AND HOLINESS WITH SOBRIETY.”
(COMMENTARY: THIS REFERENCE IS OF COURSE IN ADDITION TO THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF SALVATION FOR MEN AND WOMEN, WHICH IS CONFESSION, FAITH AND OBEDIENCE TO JESUS CHRIST.)
1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3 SYNOPSIS:
QUALIFICATIONS ARE SET FORTH FOR BISHOPS AND DEACONS IN THE CHURCH.
1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 4 SYNOPSIS:
PAUL DESCRIBES THE LATTER DAY APOSTASY OR FALLING AWAY (SPIRITUALLY) OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH —
“NOW THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS EXPRESSLY, THAT IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS, AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; (COMMENTARY: AH! THE PERFECT DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW AGE/METAPHYSICAL MOVEMENT)
…SPEAKING LIES AND HYPOCRISY; HAVING THEIR CONSCIENCE SEARED WITH A HOT IRON; FORBIDDING TO MARRY (COMMENTARY: CATHOLICISM AND HER PRIESTS)
…AND COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS (COMMENTARY: THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS, THE B’HAI’S)
…WHICH GOD CREATED TO BE RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING OF THEM WHICH BELIEVE AND KNOW THE TRUTH. FOR EVERY CREATURE OF GOD IS GOOD, AND NOTHING TO BE REFUSED, IF IT BE RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING.”
“. . . REFUSE PROFANE AND OLD WIVE’S FABLES AND EXERCISE YOURSELF RATHER UNTO GODLINESS.”
1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 5 SYNOPSIS:
SAINTS (MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH) ARE TO CARE FOR THEIR WORTHY POOR.
VARIOUS POLICIES CONCERNING ELDER WIDOWS ARE SET FORTH. (COMMENTARY:PLEASE READ FOR YOURSELF.)
“I WILL THEREFORE THAT THE YOUNG WIDOWED WOMEN RE-MARRY, BEAR CHILDREN, GUIDE THE HOUSE . . .”
“LET THE ELDERS (OLDER PERSONS) THAT RULE WELL BE COUNTED WORTHY OF DOUBLE HONOR, ESPECIALLY THEY WHO LABOR IN THE WORD AND DOCTRINE.”
PAUL SPEAKS OF THE LAYING ON OF HANDS —
“LAY HANDS SUDDENLY ON NO MAN, NEITHER BE PARTAKERS OF OTHER MEN’S SINS: KEEP YOURSELF PURE.”
1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 6 SYNOPSIS:
PAUL TEACHES
“IF ANY MAN TEACH OTHERWISE, AND CONSENT NOT TO WHOLESOME WORDS, EVEN THE WORDS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND TO THE DOCTRINE WHICH IS ACCORDING TO HIS GODLINESS; HE IS PROUD, KNOWING NOTHING, BUT DOTING ABOUT QUESTIONS AND STRIFE OF WORDS, WHEREOF COMES ENVY, STRIFE, RAILINGS, EVIL SURMISINGS, PERVERSE DISPUTATIONS OF MEN OF CORRUPT MINDS, AND DESTITUTE OF THE TRUTH, SUPPOSING THAT GAIN IS GODLINESS: FROM SUCH WITHDRAW YOURSELF.”
“FOR WE BROUGHT NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD, AND IT IS CERTAIN WE CAN CARRY NOTHING OUT. AND HAVING FOOD AND RAIMENT (CLOTHES) LET US THEREWITH BE CONTENT.”
“BUT THEY THAT WILL BE RICH FALL INTO TEMPTATION AND A SNARE, AND INTO MANY FOOLISH AND HURTFUL LUSTS, WHICH DROWN MEN IN DESTRUCTION AND PERDITION. FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL: WHICH WHILE SOME COVETED AFTER, THEY HAVE ERRED FROM THE FAITH, AND PIERCED THEMSELVES THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS.”
(COMMENTARY: IT IS THE “LOVE’’ OF MONEY THAT IS EVIL, NOT MONEY ITSELF. MONEY IS JUST A TOOL FOR GETTING JOBS DONE.)
“CHARGE THEM THAT ARE RICH IN THIS WORLD, THAT THEY BE NOT HIGHMINDED, NOR TRUST IN UNCERTAIN RICHES, BUT IN THE LIVING GOD, WHO GIVES US RICHLY ALL THINGS TO ENJOY. THAT THEY DO GOOD, THAT THEY BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS, READY TO DISTRIBUTE, WILLING TO COMMUNICATE.”
“O, TIMOTHY, KEEP THAT WHICH IS COMMITTED TO YOUR TRUST, AVOIDING PROFANE AND VAIN BABBLINGS, AND OPPOSITIONS OF SCIENCE FALSELY SO CALLED. WHICH SOME PROFESSING HAVE ERRED CONCERNING THE FAITH.”
THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TIMOTHY
PAUL WRITES TO TIMOTHY THIS TIME FROM PRISON. PAUL FURTHER ENCOURAGES TIMOTHY IN THE FACE OF BOTH GROWING OPPOSITION AND OPPORTUNITIES.
2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1 SYNOPSIS:
“FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR; BUT OF POWER, AND OF LOVE, AND OF A SOUND MIND.”
2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 2 SYNOPSIS:
“IF WE SUFFER, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM (CHRIST): IF WE DENY HIM, HE ALSO WILL DENY US.”
THE LORD KNOWS WHO ARE HIS.
“BUT SHUN PROFANE AND VAIN BABBLINGS: FOR THEY WILL INCREASE UNTO MORE UNGODLINESS.”
“BUT FOOLISH AND UNLEARNED QUESTIONS AVOID, KNOWING THAT THEY DO GENDER STRIFES. AND THE SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST NOT STRIVE; BUT BE GENTLE UNTO ALL MEN, APT TO TEACH, PATIENT, IN MEEKNESS INSTRUCTING THOSE THAT OPPOSE THEMSELVES.”
(COMMENTARY: SO THAT MEN CAN HAVE THE REPENTANCE OF GOD AND KNOW THE TRUTH)
“AND THAT THEY MAY COME TO THEIR SENSES AND ESCAPE THE SNARE OF THE DEVIL, HAVING BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE BY HIM TO DO HIS WILL.”)
2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3 SYNOPSIS:
PAUL DESCRIBES THE APOSTASY OF THE CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS –
“THIS KNOW ALSO, THAT IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. FOR MEN SHALL BE LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES, COVETOUS, BOASTERS, PROUD, BLASPHEMERS, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, TRUCE BREAKERS, FALSE ACCUSERS, INCONTINENT (LACKING SEXUAL RESTRAINT), FIERCE, DESPISERS OF THOSE THAT ARE GOOD, TRAITORS, HEADY, HIGHMINDED, LOVERS OF PLEASURES MORE THAN LOVERS OF GOD; HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF: FROM SUCH TURN AWAY.”
(COMMENTARY: SOUNDS LIKE ABOUT HALF THE MODERN MASSES, DOESN’T IT?)
“YEA, AND ALL THAT WILL LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION.
(COMMENTARY: CHRISTIANS ARE BEING KILLED ALL OVER THE WORLD NOW, EVEN AMERICA, AS I WRITE.)
BUT EVIL MEN AND SEDUCERS SHALL WAX WORSE AND WORSE, DECEIVING, AND BEING DECEIVED.”(IN THE LAST DAYS, OR OUR TIME!)
PAUL TELLS US THE SOLUTION TO ALL THESE LATTER DAY HORRORS OF BAD BEHAVIOR —
“BUT CONTINUE IN THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE LEARNED AND HAVE BEEN ASSURED OF . . . AND THAT FROM A CHILD YOU HAVE KNOWN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, WHICH ARE ABLE TO MAKE YOU WISE UNTO SALVATION THROUGH FAITH WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS.
ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS: THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE COMPLETE.”
2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 4 SYNOPSIS:
PAUL GIVES THE SAINTS OF THE LAST DAYS A SOLEMN CHARGE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL IN A DAY OF APOSTASY —
“PREACH THE WORD; BE INSTANT IN SEASON, OUT OF SEASON (WHETHER IT BE CONVENIENT OR INCONVENIENT), REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT WITH ALL LONG-SUFFERING DOCTRINE.
“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.”
(COMMENTARY: YES, THIS DESCRIBES THE NEW AGE/METAPHYSICAL MOVEMENT AND MANY OTHER FORMS OF CURRENT POPULAR SPIRITUALITY SO-CALLED!)
AT LAST PAUL SAYS —
“I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH.”
(COMMENTARY: YES HE DID!)
NEXT . . . THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TITUS, PHILEMON AND HEBREWS