And Deacons Too

I Timothy 3: 8-13

Paul has just given an extensive list of qualifications for the elders and overseers of the congregation, now he will discuss the next office, deacons.

We find the first prototype of this in Acts 6: 2, when the apostles appoint men who will tend to the material needs of the church, while the apostles devote their time to the spiritual needs of the people.

(8) Deacons likewise

Deacons are diakonos, "servants," and are likewise to have similar qualifications to the pastors and overseers.

Now we'll see the specific character traits these men must have to serve.

must be men of dignity,

These men also must be "worthy of respect," using the word semnos. No English word exactly conveys the meaning of this Greek word, as it combines the thoughts of both gravity and dignity, both of seriousness of purpose and self-respect in conduct. I see this as the royal attitude of God's children.

not double-tongued,

This is saying one thing to one person, and something else to someone else. Two-faced, insincere. Very detrimental to the life of the church.

or addicted to much wine

The same term used for the elders. Same standard.

or fond of sordid gain,

Not looking for how to make a buck, not focused on monetary remuneration, nor willing to do whatever is necessary to supplement their income. This is greed.

(9) but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

Here is the good conscience again. Without a conscience that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and kept pure over time, it is very difficult to hold to the Truth of what we believe without slipping, the mystery of the faith that God has revealed in the Gospel.

(10) These men must also first be tested;

This Greek verb, dokimazo, has three stages: (1) test, (2) prove by testing, (3) approve as the result of testing. All three are most likely in mind here. Paul says that before men were to be accepted as deacons they had to prove themselves before the community.

then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.

Then they could serve in the position of deacons, if they are found to be irreproachable (anenkletos, "not called to account"). If they passed the test.

(11) Women must likewise

These women could be either the wives of the deacons, or, later, other single women who served as deaconesses. Either way, they also were required to measure up.

be dignified,

Here is the royal child of God attitude and demeanor again.

not malicious gossips,

This is diabolos, "slanderous, accusing falsely," "slanderers." This word with the definite article is translated "the devil" thirty-five times in the New Testament, and is what Judas is called in John 6: 70.

This is a very serious warning that is still needed in the church today. Gossip has continually been a problem even in God's church in every generation. It's so easy to want to pass along a juicy tidbit, when we are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution being discussed. This bad habit can destroy a congregation.

but temperate,

Instead, the women should also have the same temperance as the men, this is not a character quality that has any gender limits.

faithful in all things.

This is a comprehensive requirement. Church workers must not be negligent in any of their duties, whether in their service for the Lord, their work in the church or even in their homes and secular jobs they may hold.

(12) Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.

This is the same standard as the elders and overseers.

(13) For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing

This high standing or rank that these faithful workers are gaining for themselves now would mean great respect in the eyes of the church, and also in God's sight.

and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

This is great assurance in trusting that what they believe is the true faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, and is a precious joyousness and confidence in our Lord. It is a proving that what God has promised, He will deliver and fulfill.

O my Father, those of your children who have been given so much to share, will be accountable for all You have entrusted to them, and they will also receive rewards for all that they have faithfully ministered and administered (Luke 12: 48 and II Chronicles 15:7).

O Father, strengthen all of Your children to do the work of a royal child of the King, to accept the authority given to us and to discharge all of our duties and responsibilities in faithfulness and diligence. Help us all to keep our witness pure and to have the boldness of confidence in the trustworthiness of Your message of love for the whole world.

Father, I really appreciate that You are perfect! You are our Source and our Standard. Everything we need You have already given us, and every judgment we need to make in our daily lives, we have You to measure our decision by. WWJD.

My Father, please send us out as Your messengers, Your missionaries; send all of us out into the world, so that every living person will be able to hear and understand and discern enough of Your Truth to seek You, and to receive the gracious and generous gift of Salvation that You offer to the human race, to be Your children, to be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and be Redeemed into Your Kingdom.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Pastors And Elders

I Timothy 3: 1-7

Paul continues to the qualifications for a pastor or leading official in the local church. (See also Titus 1: 6-9 for a similar list.) 

(1) It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.

It can be depended on to say that one who wants to be a pastor is looking for a very important ministry with heavy responsibility.

Therefore, there must be stringent qualifications he must meet.

(2) An overseer, then,

The term overseer refers to the office of a pastor, elder or bishop; one who "oversees" or takes care of the congregation.

must be above reproach,

This is one word in the Greek, the double compound, anepilemptos, literally meaning, "not to be laid hold of." He must be a person against whom it is impossible to bring any charge of wrongdoing that could withstand impartial examination.

Because this quality appears first in the list, it is to be assumed that it applies to the rest of the list, that he would be immune to criticism in failing to live out any one of these qualities.

the husband of one wife,

Back in 1899 J. H. Bernard emphatically wrote of this phrase, "It excludes from ecclesiastical position those who have been married more than once" (The Pastoral Epistles, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 52).

This view has been used to prevent many of God's gifted teachers from seeking a position where they could edify the church with their gifts. This is sad. Because most commentators agree that it refers to monogamy--only one wife at a time. With eyes only for his wife, no roaming eyes. This epistle was to the church in Ephesus, that was in a society that promoted polygamy: many wives, and always looking out for the next one.

The church today has the same problem. My own late husband, in his studies, wrote a scholarly paper on this very concept, and came to this same conclusion. yet was denied a recommendation to the pastorate because he was divorced and married to me before he became a Christian, so he went instead into business.

At his funeral, his favorite professor who became his friend, who holds a Doctorate, stated that he was a theologian, after having corresponded back and forth with him for several years.

So the church at large was deprived of his insights, as he shared with only a few individuals. I wonder how many other men have declined to fight their way into the ministry against this prevailing attitude, and settled for something else instead. This is sad.

temperate,

This word is nephalios, which means, "not mixed with wine," and came to have a broader sense of temperate, or "sober."

prudent,

The word used here is sophronos, which means, "of sound mind," and has been translated as "self-controlled" or "sober-minded."

respectable,

The word Paul uses here is kosmios, the same word he used in 2: 9, which means "with modesty," translated there as "modestly." The basic meaning of the word is "orderly." Greek writers used it in the sense of respectable or "honorable," which fits well here.

hospitable,

This word, philoxenos (found also in Titus 1: 8 and in I Peter 4:9), literally means "loving strangers." Christians traveling in the first century often wished to avoid the public inns with their pagan atmosphere and food that had already been offered to idols (see I Corinthians 8), so they would seek out a Christian home in which to stay for the night. A valuable result of this was that believers from widely scattered areas would get to know each other, thus cementing lines of fellowship. So hospitality was an important Christian virtue in that day.

And it still has its place in our hotel-motel age. A new-in-town believer at my church came to stay in my guest room, and now we are fast friends.

able to teach,

This is not only a readiness to teach, but "the spiritual power to do so as the outcome of prayerful meditation in [musing on] the word of God and the practical application of its truth to oneself" (W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, 4 volumes, Westwood, N. J.: Revell, 1940; page 51).

I daily spend time in thought, musing on the concepts presented in Scripture, connecting the dots, acquiring a bigger picture, seeing all the parts in view in their places in God's great Plan of the Ages. When I can see several of the pieces in close places in the puzzle, it is not hard to fill in some of the empty spots in between, or to marvel at God's mystery not yet revealed!

And He has used His word to change me in several ways at different times in my life journey, changing my attitudes, which changed how I thought about and lived my life.

(3) not addicted to wine

This is paroinos, "beside wine," "lingering with the cup." Aristotle's use of this word suggests that it meant "tipsy" or "rowdy." It is closely associated with the next term.

or pugnacious,

This is two words, me plekten, "not a striker." One given to wine is apt to become involved in drunken brawls. It is sad that Paul needed to put this warning here, both for his immediate readers and also today.

but gentle,

Instead, he needs to be epieikes: gracious, kindly, forbearing, considerate, magnanimous, genial; just generally having a "sweet reasonableness." 

peaceable,

This is amachos, literally, "abstaining from fighting" or "non-combatant." Here it is used in the sense of "not quarrelsome or contentious." Not one to pick a fight or be argumentative.

free from the love of money.

All one word, aphilargyros. This is one of the greatest dangers to every Christian worker. All opportunities in either secular work or in the ministry itself to acquire big money, if taken will, in fact, cause a diversion from effective service to the Lord in the growth of His Kingdom, instead building a personal kingdom in this world.

(4) He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity

(5) (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

This is common sense. If a man cannot discipline his own children in such a manner that they want to obey him and be respectful, then he won't be able to lead the congregation, either.

It is so sad today that many pastors have considered their ministry above their families, and have therefore lost their wives and children. They don't understand that their personal relationship with God does come first, but after that should be their wives and children, then their ministry and work for the Lord.

(6) and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.

The condemnation of the devil is pride. To elevate a new Christian to such authority is to subject him to too much adulation from an appreciative congregation, which would tend to swell his head and puff him up.

(7) And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Paul insists that each pastor must have a good testimony from those outside the church. When a leader in the church has a bad reputation in the community, it often brings irreparable damage to the local congregation and even to the entire cause of Christ in that area.

His good reputation will help to protect him from falling into the snare of the devil, the trap the enemy wants to entangle him in.

Paul's careful concern for the right choice of leaders in the church, and the extensive qualifications listed here, should serve as guidelines for those who are charged with the responsibility of such selection today. Attention at this point could save much grief.

O my Father, please be with your church today with such a close connection that we would choose Your choice for our pastors and other church leaders. Help us to care for Your flock as Your under-shepherds, to feed and nurture them, and not fleece them.

Father, Your church is Your people, Your children. Teach us all to value each one as You do, and to love one another as You have loved us. Help us to help one another to learn more about who You are, and what You have done for us, and what You are going to do for us for our benefit and Your glory.

Send us out, Father, into all the world to grow Your family out of every nation, every tribe, every family, and every language and dialect. Enable us to broadcast Your word to every living person, and give them the understanding to discern as much of Your Truth as they need to make a fully informed decision to seek You and accept Your gracious and generous gift.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, please come quickly, Lord Jesus!

A Woman's Role

I Timothy 2: 9-15

Paul is giving Timothy guidelines for how he is to pastor this congregation in Ephesus, and now he's tackling the thorny subject of women.

(9) Likewise

This refers to the last section on public prayer, that applies equally to both men and women.

I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,

In addition, he is concerned about the way some of the Christian women were displaying their bodies. He tells them to consider what they're wearing, that their clothing would not draw attention to their female attributes, as a street-walker would. The purpose of clothing is to cover, not display (Genesis 3: 7, 21).

(10) but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.

Instead of accentuating their bodies, as women claiming to be Christians, the focus should be on the practical acts that display the spiritual fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23).

(11) A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.

Paul tells the Corinthian church that the women should not interrupt the service, but if they have questions they are to ask their husbands at home, listening to them rather than arguing with them. It looks like he is giving the same advice to Timothy here, "as in all the churches" (I Corinthians 7: 17; 14: 33; 16: 1; II Corinthians 11: 28).

When Paul writes, he is writing for "all the churches" of all time; in other words, the Universal Church. That's why God put these of his letters into Holy Scripture. Not all of his letters have this honor, but these do.

We need to take care that we are not offended by God's order of authority, because our culture grants "more" freedom than Paul seems to be giving here.

(12) But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

Here he is again, "putting down" women. But is he really? Paul's understanding of God's order of authority should be taken seriously by the churches today. He is not saying that a woman is inferior to a man in any way, but she is part of God's creation, and He is a God of order.

Some may accuse me, a woman, of violating this rule with this very blog. My defense is that I have been deprived of my own husband, who I did sit under before he died, and I am merely sharing what God has been teaching me. If there is a man who has put himself as sitting at my feet as his teacher, that is not my intent. I would rather he take what I have written and do his own research, as I claim no authority in myself, only what the Spirit is teaching me.

(13) For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.

(14) And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression.

Now Paul is looking at the order of creation and the Fall for authority in what he is commanding.

We read that the Lord God created Adam directly from the dust of the Earth and Eve from Adam's rib. And we notice that God gave his command to Adam, who then relayed it, second-hand to Eve.

That made Eve more susceptible to the serpent's guile. She didn't know what a lie was, and when she ate, she thought she was doing a good thing. If she could know for herself, she wouldn't have to "bother" God or anyone else.

We are not told why Adam ate. There is speculation, but there is no doubt he ate in full awareness of disobeying God's direct command.

So, Eve became a sinner, committing a personal sin. Adam's eating changed his DNA, to pass on this damaged gene to all of his progeny, the whole human race. This is what we call "original sin," or "the sinful nature," or "sinful flesh." Sin is "missing the mark" in not being perfect, and this broken DNA causes us all to have a bent toward sin.

That's why God told Eve that "her seed" would bring forth the Savior. We know enough about genetic traits to understand how some genes are passed by the father and other genes are passed by the mother, with the rest of the genes passed on by both. We get that damaged "sin gene" from our fathers. (Mary didn't have to be "sinless" to bear Jesus without sin, His father was God.)

(15) But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

So, Paul's conclusion is that a woman's most noble role is to bear and raise the next generation of children. It has always been the wife and mother who sets the tone of family life in the home, and our children are our most precious resource, who will "carry the torch" after us in their segment of the "relay of life" in this world.

The word preserved is sozo, "saved," and is used throughout the New Testament for both physical and spiritual healing and salvation. Paul is saying here that a woman who is under the authority of her husband as well as, with everyone else, under her pastor, will tend to have good physical and psychological and mental and spiritual health. And we all are to "be subject to one another in the fear of Christ" (Ephesians 5: 21), so he's not "picking on" the feminine gender.

Paul was given authority by God to relay Divine standards to all of God's people who will need that guidance throughout the whole Church Age. We do well to pay attention to these standards, and not chafe against them because our culture does not understand them.

O my Father, please help us to understand Your order in everything You made. Your purposes for all of Your creation will be fulfilled, and You will reward us for promoting Your ways, both in Your church and in this world.

My Father, use us to demonstrate Your great love for all of us in showing how Your order brings peace and sweet fellowship to all of our relationships with one another.

O Father, send us out as Your messengers and missionaries to share Your great love with every living person in the world. Help everyone to have the awareness of You and Your ways to make informed choices when deciding the events of their lives, and to seek You for all the answers. Let them know that You are their Source of everything they need.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!

Importance Of Prayer

I Timothy 2: 1-8

Paul had written this letter to Timothy after he had left him at Ephesus as the pastor of that important church to deal with false teachers who had been teaching heresy.

Now he is continuing to instruct him about his duties as pastor there.

(1) First of all, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made

The most important activity the pastor needs to lead the congregation in is prayer. There are four words used here for different kinds of prayers.

The first is deeseis, expressing the idea of a desire or need. This word is also translated as supplications and requests. We are to recognize and admit our dependence on God to meet our needs.

The next word is proseuche, a general word for prayer to God in worship, both privately and publicly. Here it is most likely oral prayer given openly during the service.

The third word enteuxis is used in the New Testament only in I Timothy here and in 4:5, and carries the idea of a conversation that presents a petition for another, intercession. We are to boldly approach the throne of God anticipating our Father's personal attention to pray for one another. Only one who genuinely communes with God in private conversation can edify others in his public prayers.

The fourth word is eucharistia, from which we get "eucharist," the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion. This ordinance of the church is always to be partaken of in great thanksgiving for all our Lord God has done for us in giving His body and blood for our Salvation and Redemption. All of our communication with God should be in the attitude of appreciating everything He has done for us, and this thanksgiving will strengthen our faith to believe that He will continue to meet all of our needs both now and in the future.

on behalf of all men,

(2) for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Who we are to pray for is for all men, for everybody, every living person both saved and lost; and for kings and all who are in authority, for the leaders in our government, and the movers and shakers who determine how our culture and society will function. The reason is so that we can live our lives freely in a peaceful and quiet way, expressing God's good ways in the dignity of the value and worth God has put on us as His creation.

(3) This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

These kinds of communication with God are good, "beautiful, excellent;" and acceptable, pleasing to the Lord God who is our Savior.

(4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

We are to pray for people to be saved; all people, including those in authority over us who affect how we live our daily lives.

God the Father sent God the Son to be our Savior, and His sacrifice had the worth to pay off all the debt owed to the Father by sin, all sin. Everyone can be saved, but not everyone will be saved. God wants us all, but He will not interfere with our choices. He wants us to want Him, but He won't force us. He doesn't want puppets, He wants sons and daughters. (See also John 3:16; II Corinthians 5: 14-15; and II Peter 3: 9.)

(5) For there is one God, and one Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

One God only is the basic premise of both Judaism and Christianity. Then Christianity goes on to declare that there is one only Mediator between God and men, because the Son became the man Christ Jesus, the Anointed One.

The basic meaning for the Greek word mesites is "One who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or to form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant."

This Greek word is found only once in the LXX (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). When Job was frustrated that God was not a man with whom he could converse, he concluded that, "There is no umpire between us, who may lay his hand upon us both" (Job 9: 33). Christ is the answer to this ancient cry for help.

A bridge over a chasm or a river must be anchored on both sides. Christ has bridged the chasm between Heaven and Earth that separated man from God. As the Son of God, He is anchored in Heaven; and as the Son of Man He is now also anchored on Earth. By His death as the sacrificial Lamb of God He has restored the harmony between God and man which human sin had broken. Only He could "lay His hand upon us both"!

His body of flesh is the veil that was torn from between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 10: 20), permitting for us an unfettered way to directly approach The Throne of Grace. He is our only Mediator who accomplished this.

(6) who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

This is how He accomplished it. This Greek word for ransom is antilytron, which occurs only here in the New Testament. It means, "What is given in exchange for another as the price of his redemption," the ransom price paid to free a slave. Christ paid the ransom to free us from the slavery of sin. Now we are His possession, He owns us. Which makes Him our Judge. It also makes Him our Savior of those who accept His sacrifice on their behalf personally.

This message of the redemptive death of Christ was the distinctive apostolic witness, given at the proper time, "in its own appointed times." Christ's sacrifice for sin took place at God's appointed hour. The Twentieth Century New Testament translates the whole clause: "This is the fact to which we are to bear our testimony, as opportunities present themselves."

(7) For this 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.

Paul says that this is why God chose him, to give this witness with authority. He apparently gives this parenthetical disclaimer to answer those in Ephesus who were challenging his authority as an apostle.

To teach the true faith to the Gentiles was his special assignment from the Lord (Acts 9: 15), and the leaders of the church in Jerusalem agreed to that (Galatians 2: 9).

(8) Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. 

Getting back to the matter of public worship, he wants all of the congregants, the people and the leaders, in every church location, to pray with holy hands, which refers to clean lives, committed to our Lord; leaving all anger and disputing and all of our differences behind us, when we pray together.

O my Father, please help us to look past whatever differences would mar our sweet communion together with You! All that really matters is that You have sent Your Son to be our Savior, and He has cleansed us and placed us into Your family. As royal children of the King, any differences we may have will mean nothing when we are Redeemed into our spirit bodies that will envelop our flesh (I Corinthians 15: 53-54).

My Father, help us to remember this, and to accept one another as brothers and sisters, letting the differences merely color our relationships, enjoying the variegated hues.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Good Conscience Or Shipwreck!

I Timothy 1: 18-20

Paul has written to Timothy to encourage him in confronting false teachers who have been disrupting the church in Ephesus.

(18) This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son,

He instructed him (the word is parangelia, "instruction, charge, command") as a beloved son in the Lord.

in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you,

There evidently were some predictions that were uttered over Timothy at either his ordination or his induction into missionary work.

that by them you fight the good fight,

These sayings were to encourage him to guide him to "war the good warfare" of good against evil in the spiritual realm.

(19) keeping faith and a good conscience,

Timothy will need to be sure to keep his faith genuine and to guard his conscience to not be bent or diluted.

which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

Paul was very concerned that he and his colleagues maintain a good conscience always, because of the serious consequences that would result from permitting any allowances or excuses.

He is pointing out some who have rejected this strict standard, and the result is comparable to a shipwreck regarding the corruption of their faith.

(20) Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander,

He even names two of these by name, so there would be no confusion as to who he is referring to.

whom I have handed over to Satan,

His handing these ringleaders over to Satan could refer to throwing them out of the church, as in I Corinthians 5: 1-5, where he tells those church leaders to remove the immoral man from their congregation.

so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

The purpose of this excommunication is not merely to punish, but was intended to be a disciplinary or remedial measure in both instances.

The man in the Corinthian church was having an affair with his father's wife, and these teachers are teaching deceptive lies to damage the faith of the Ephesian church members. Both are very serious charges, that require stringent measures to remedy.

The Corinthian situation succeeded, as we see in II Corinthians 2: 5-11 that they were to recognize the man's repentance and comfort and forgive him, and welcome him back into the congregation.

Of these two, Hymenaeus is mentioned again in II Timothy 2: 16-18 as still having gone astray from the truth. There are two Alexanders in Scripture; one was a Jew (Acts 19: 34), the other is Alexander the metalworker, who Paul says did a great deal of harm in opposing their teaching (II Timothy 4: 14-15). This was probably the second Alexander, who still hadn't repented.

Paul emphasizes that maintaining a "good conscience" is essential in assuring that our faith remains pure and genuine. This is key. We cannot let any kind of wrong slide by, we are to be very careful about what we think about and approve of.

We certainly don't want our faith to be shipwrecked!

We need to make as sure as we can that our sense of what is right and what is wrong aligns with what God says is right and wrong. Our own feelings are not reliable, and most of us need to re-evaluate our values, because we tend to believe what we're taught as kids, which may not be according to God's truth.

I know I need to saturate my brain with God's word every day, in order to try to have my thinking straight. I know I'll not be perfect in this life, but I do want my conscience to be sound and clear.

O my Father, please teach us Your values, Your thoughts and Your attitudes concerning everything and everyone we encounter in our living every day. Help us to take especial care of what we say, as our words come of what our hearts are overflowing. Remind us to think before we open our mouth and dump out whatever may come, to put Your arm around our shoulder and Your hand over our mouth!

Father, teach us how to love one another as You have loved us! This is not natural to us, Father, we need Your Spirit to lead us. We are desperate to work Your ways into our thinking processes, and receive Your healing of our hearts and minds from all the error and biases and prejudices that have been lurking there.

Show us our hearts, my Father, to root out whatever is still there that conflicts with Your truth; that we might confess it and forsake it, turning to Your pure and righteous ways.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!

Anyone Can Be Saved!

I Timothy 1: 12-17

Paul's amazement that God would choose him, as we left off yesterday's study, has brought on this thanksgiving.

(12) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord,

The word order of "Christ Jesus" is giving the Lord the title of "The Anointed One." The Son of God was anointed by the Father to be Lord over all creation.

The Lordship of Jesus finds increasing emphasis in Paul's later epistles. As he walks with God through the years, studying His word and serving Him, he is coming to a more full understanding that Jesus is our Lord, the Lord God of the Old Testament.

who has strengthened me,

The word used here is endynamosanti, and can be translated as, "who has empowered me." The Lord God has given Paul the power to serve Him.

because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,

Paul concludes that the Lord counted him to be faithful to his beliefs, and put him into His service, strengthening him to not being as susceptible to going astray from His Truth.

(13) even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.

He admits that he used to be a terrorist against the church of Christ, violently attacking believers. He was to the extreme in passionately fighting against the God he thought he was serving.

Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

Because he was not aware of what he was doing, God had mercy on him, and supernaturally turned him around instead of punishing him for what he had done.

(14) and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

It was more than mercy that Paul received from God. He declares, "The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." This is another of the apostle's great trilogies. "Grace" provided his salvation, "faith" appropriated it, and "love" applied it.

This phrase, "was poured out on me abundantly" translates one word in the Greek, hyperepleonase, "exceedingly abounded." Paul is fond of compounds with hyper, "above." This one is found only here in the New Testament.

(15) It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance,

This is literally, "faithful the word" (pistos ho logos), "faithful word." This formula is used only in the pastoral epistles. Here and in 4: 9 we find the added words, "deserving full acceptance." This doubled statement emphasizes that the maxim relating to doctrine or practice demands heavy reliance on its truth.

that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,

This truth is the Good News, the heart of the gospel, that the Son of God came into this world to do the work that will save sinners. This is the "joy set before Him" that strengthened Him to "endure the cross" (Hebrews 12: 2), that we would be made fit to live with Him as He lived with us.

among whom I am foremost of all.

And Paul considered himself the worst sinner of all!

(16) Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

He's saying that if God could save Paul, the worst of all, how much more can anyone else be saved, who isn't even as bad as Paul was!

God created the human race to be His children. Not just His servants, but His personal, intimate family members. This is the highest honor that can possibly be bestowed upon a created being. That's why He is "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance," admitting that they deserve crucifixion, letting Jesus take their place on the cross (II Peter 3: 9).

(17) Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

And Paul breaks out in spontaneous praise again, thinking and writing about God's wonder and grace and mercy. How He is the Great King, who will reign forever, never again subject to death, in Spirit in the spiritual realm, the only God that is God; that all honor and all glory and all credit will go to Him forevermore!

O my Father, You only are God over all. Everything and everyone else is Your creation, Your imagination. If You were not thinking of us, we would cease to exist! So You are always looking upon all You have made, loving it all, and working Your plan that You plotted out before You began to make it.

And all Your will will be worked out, using all the choices and decisions and actions of Your created ones who have the freedom of choice. Whether we choose the right or the wrong, You will use it to further Your story You wrote for us.

And You told us that story, Father! The Bible You gave us tells us the whole story of Mankind, from before its beginning to past the end of the whole human era. And even laid out the progress of the nations before they even came about (in Daniel). And how all of our choices bring consequences in our own lives and posterity, for good or bad.

O Father, teach us Your ways, so that our decisions will align with Your good intentions for us. Protect us from making choices that will detract from the bounty You placed here for us, and the relationships with one another that honor You.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!

Paul To Timothy

I Timothy 1: 1-11

Paul met Timothy at Lystra on his second missionary journey. He was the son of a Jewish Christian mother and grandmother and a Greek father (Acts 16: 1-3).

Paul wrote this first letter to Timothy to encourage him in dealing with certain false teachers who had planted themselves in the church at Ephesus.

(1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,

Paul always began his letters with his name, in keeping with the custom of that day. Born a Roman citizen (Acts 22: 27-28), he had been given the Latin name "Paulus" in addition to his Jewish name Saul. I read somewhere that the name "Saul" means "Great One," and the name "Paul" means "Small One." At any rate, Saul of Tarsis began to use his Roman name Paul when he began to reach out to Gentiles, as we find in all of his letters.

He calls himself an apostle of Christ Jesus, a title first given to the original 12 chosen students of the Lord. The word in the Greek, apostolos, literally means "one sent on a mission." Christ had commissioned and sent him as a missionary, not by his own choice, but "by the command of God and of Christ Jesus."

Paul had evidently expected to be a Jewish rabbi, but God had other plans for his life, and this firm assurance no doubt carried him through all of his hardships.

(2) To Timothy, my true child in the faith:

This could have a double meaning: that he was a true believer and he was a genuine convert under Paul's ministry. Apparently Timothy could have become a Christian under Paul's preaching at Lystra during his first missionary journey (about 47 A.D.), and had grown so much in the Lord that two years later (49 A.D.) he was ready to become his apprentice.

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

Here is the greeting. Grace is "gracefulness" and "graciousness," the divine favor that God bestows freely on all who will believe. Mercy is added to Paul's usual greeting, possibly because of the difficulties Timothy was facing there, and also in reference to Timothy's frail health (see 5: 23). Peace has always been the typical greeting of the East and Middle-East.

(3) As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus

When Paul went to Macedonia from Ephesus must have been after he had been released from his two-year imprisonment as recorded at the conclusion of Acts, and made another trip, including Ephesus and Macedonia. Having discovered some conditions that needed extended attention, he left Timothy there at Ephesus to pastor this important church.

so that you may instruct certain men

The church has always had false teachers who try to pervert the pure teachings of Scripture for their own purposes. Paul trusts Timothy to confront the impostors who have lodged themselves there.

not to teach strange doctrines,

(4) nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies,

These strange doctrines and myths and endless genealogies could refer to a Gnosticism that was being spread in that day, and/or Jewish teachers who were caught up in a mythological treatment of Old Testament genealogies.

which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

Paul says that these cerebral teachings only promote controversies rather than God's work, which is by faith. We stand by believing what Scripture says, not by weaving webs of whimsical fantasies.

(5) But the goal of our instruction is love

God is Love, and we are to love Him back and love one another, which is the foundation and basis of all the Law (Matthew 22: 37-40) and our relationships. This love is agape the love with which God loves us. It is our unselfish love of full loyalty to God and boundless goodwill to our fellowmen.

from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

This can only come from a heart that is cleansed from selfcenteredness, then we must maintain a good conscience for love to function properly, all based on faith that is unhypocritical.

(6) For some men, straying from these things,

These have missed the mark, astochesantes (astocheo, "miss the mark, deviate from the truth, err, swerve").

have turned aside to fruitless discussion,

They have gone backward and their words are "vain jangling," not knowing what they are talking about; they are what Philo called, "syllable-squabblers."

(7) wanting 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.

They want to have authority as teachers, but they don't even know what they're talking about, or asserting with apparent confidence.

(8) But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,

The Law is the Mosaic Law, and it must be applied lawfully.

(9) realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious,

Laws are not needed for law abiding people, but are only needed to curb those who are lawless and rebellious to limit the damage they do to society.

Then he names some of these kinds of people. Lawless are those who ignore the law. Rebels are insubordinate, not subject to rule.

for the ungodly and sinners,

The ungodly and sinners are deliberately guilty of irreverence.

for the unholy and profane,

Unholy and profane are irreligious, having no sense of the sacred.

for those who kill their fathers or mothers,

The words here mean to "smite" fathers or mothers, the central meaning here is dishonoring parents, an extreme and outrageous violation of the fifth commandment, that was punishable by death.

for murderers

And murderers are mentioned next.

(10) and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers,

Immoral men are adulterers, and arsenokoitais are "male homosexuals," which has been categorically condemned in both the Old and New Testaments, and is the peculiar sin for which God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It is widely recognized as one of the causes of the downfall of the Roman Empire.

Kidnappers are slave-traders who steal the people they enslave.

Liars and perjurers deal in deception, against the truth.

and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,

Paul doesn't want to miss any important item, so he throws this in to cover anything else that might apply.

"Sound doctrine" is both healthful and wholesome, as E. F. Scott writes:

"The gospel is healthy. . . . Law is a sort of medicine, only to be applied where the moral nature is diseased; Christian teaching is a healthy food for healthy people, a means of joy, freedom, larger activity" (Scott, E.F. The Pastoral Epistles. New York: Harper and Brothers, n.d. (1936) p. 10)

(11) according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

The "gospel of the glory of the blessed God" shows the moral character and perfections of God in the person and work of Christ.

Paul is still amazed that this "has been entrusted to me!" That God would place such trust in him, after having opposed the gospel and persecuted the church.

This introduces the next section.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!