Devotions with Jonathan

1 Timothy: An Overview

At this time I have decided to do a reading, meditation, and study on the First and Second Epistles to Timothy written by Paul. I chose Timothy because of the things that I have heard said about these two books. Paul was writing to Timothy almost as a father to a son, giving the younger Timothy advice as he pastored the church in Ephesus. Now I'm no pastor, but as I begin a new school year and continue in my personal ministry and in taking part of the movement at Campus for Christ, I figure that there will be some very useful things to take from these two epistles. This post begins with a read through of first Timothy along with an overview of what I deduce to be the themes of this book.

Chapter 1 begins with a greeting (as do they all) and jumps right into telling Timothy to rebuke people that are teaching false doctrine (a piece of advice that Paul continually repeats throughout the book). Paul then transitions into this own testimony and exhorts Timothy to hold onto his faith. In Chapters 2-3, Paul instructs Timothy as to certain practices, criterion for leadership, and decent and proprietory conduct for woman, overseers, and deacons in the church. In Chapter 4, Paul again warns Timothy against teachers that will teach false doctrine, and gives him doctrine to teach the Christians in Ephesus that they may not be led astray by false teachings and sayings. He then encourages Timothy to continue on, and to not let his age be the determining factor of the respect that he should command but that the way in which he lives his life be the thing that qualifies him as the leader of the church. Chapter 5 until Chapter 6:2 is more administrative advice (about how to deal with widows, elders, and a few other advices). He transitions from that to warning about the love of money, and then concludes with an exhortation to Timothy to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness." (verse 11) In final conclusion, he gives a few last commands, and again encourages him to stand strong in solid faith.

The one thing that I got from that reading of 1 Timothy is that the most important part about being in a position of leadership in the church is not your age, or your experience, or what you know (for Paul warns against a lot of "so-called" knowledge), but that we "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." (verse 12b... the second half of the verse that all young people love... the half that the young people don't love so much because it acutally commands us to live proper lives.) This particular theme is constantly repeated throughout 1 Timothy... in Chapter 3 where he says overseers and deacons must be above reproach, and where he states in Chapter 6 to "...Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession..."(verse 12). It convicted me because I realized that I'm not actually living my life in a way that I would like to see my brothers and sisters in Christ living... I rebuke myself.

Tomorrow, I will begin with chapter 1:1-11.

posted by Jonathan P @ 9:49 PM