The Letters to
Timothy and Titus Week #1
By Mark Bair
Background and Setting
Written after Acts 28
Tim and Titus were young leaders, companions of Paul who he instructed to
to raise up new leaders in Ephesus and Crete
The prophecy of Acts 20:29 was coming true in Ephesus, “I know that after
my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock…”
By the writing of 2 Timothy, “all of Asia” (Turkey) deserted Paul (2 Tim
1:15) and Rome was persecuting Christians. Paul’s death was imminent.
We discern in these letters the heart of God and His purpose:
His Heart: “God our Savior” (10 Times)
1 Tim 1:1 2:3-7; 4:10;
Titus 1:3, 4;
2:10; 2:13;* 3:4, 6; 2
Tim 1:10
1 Timothy 2:3-7 On the purpose of the church:
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior, 4 who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.5
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus, 6 who gave
Himself as a ransom for all,
the testimony borne at the proper time.7 And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle as a
teacher…
“Save” implies
a problem—a need for a rescue from danger
“come to the knowledge of the
truth” implies
that we need to know God’s solution, which is contained in the “gospel”
message, which is like MEDICINE for a plague-ravaged town filled with terminally ill people, holds the
power to save, to heal, to restore people to complete
health. –Gary DeLashmutt
>> no wonder Paul calls it "glorious good news";
"precious deposit"!!
Titus 3:3-8 For we also once were
foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and
pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.4
But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind
appeared,5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in
righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through
Jesus Christ our Savior,7 that being justified by His grace we might be
made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is the Precious Deposit and it must be guarded (1
Tim 6:20; 1 Tim 1:13, 14)
Why does it need to be guarded? not from people - they're who need it (This
section borrowed from Gary DeLashmutt)
Because there is an enemy who hates God & hates man; who created the
disease & gave it to man; who comes only to steal & kill & destroy;
who is committed to keeping man sick, exploiting him for his own ends.
Because that enemy knows the effectiveness of this message (he believes
it far more than we do!!) & therefore attacks it consistently &
effectively
- no other book has been
attacked like the Bible (contents denied; transmission questioned; accuracy
disputed, etc.)
>> always has been a war raging around this book!! Some of the
best minds of the human race have dedicated their lives to destroying this
book!! Why not w/ other "scriptures"? How do you explain the fact
that after all that attack, it still stands (better attested than ever, by
the way)? What's your explanation? The Bible's is one that makes sense.
(briefly review above)
The truly amazing thing is that God not only wrote it through humans;
he also entrusted its preservation & dissemination to humans.
God desires to build teams of men and women who can effectively guard the
gospel
These man and women who guard the gospel are otherwise known as leaders—servant
leaders—who like their Savor, lay their lives down so others can find life
While the church is God’s and He insists on leading it (Mt 16:18 “I
will build My Church”), He does so through human leaders.
You always see this in the history of the church and Israel.
There is no such thing as a leaderless church. WE may say that, but it
always defaults to someone or a certain few.
God wants as leaders those who know, love, live, declare and defend the word
of God
The church is rarely better than its leaders, so the most important issue is
a church is its leaders—not it’s external advantages or disadvantages
Spiritual leaders are those who are raised up by God,
who give account to God and who are rewarded eternally by God
1. In a Spirit-led
church, the leaders are recognized as selected by God rather than on the basis
of external qualifications
Spiritual Leaders are raised up by God Paul-appointed, put into service—
READ 1 Tim 1:12
John 15:16; Acts 13:1-3 Acts
20:28 ; Eph. 4:11,12; 1 Cor. 12:18
Acts
13:1-3 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and
teachers… 2 And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to
which I have called them.”3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and
laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Acts
20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He
purchased with His own blood.
Ephesians
4:11-12 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and
some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the work of service…
1
Corinthians 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one
of them, in the body, just as He desired.
Timothy was recognized as such ( Tim 1:18; 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6)
Leadership is not to be a reward or favor humans bestow for being loyal to
the church or seniority, seminary, knowledge
You don’t make a leader by
giving him a following—you realize he has a following AND that he or she
has character (NEXT WEEK)
When we fail to observe this principle, we end up with the TURTLE
ON A FENCEPOST SYNDROME
While leaders are divinely selected, people can and should aspire to
leadership (1 Tim 3:1) Aspiring is often a response to a summons.
1
Timothy 3:10 And let these also first be tested; then let them serve as
deacons if they are beyond reproach.
1
Timothy 5:21, 22 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ
Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias,
doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.
Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share
responsibility for the sins of others…
We have to make sure we don’t circumvent this process
Some leaders turn out to be hirelings and deserters (Demas) Even Paul
couldn’t tell sometimes.
2. Spiritual Leaders answer to God and so seek His approval
“I charge you in the presence of God” (1
Tim. 5:21; 6:13; 2 Tim. 4:1)
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch
over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do
this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
1 Corinthians 4:1-6 Let a man regard us in
this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.2 In
this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.3
But to me it is a very small thing that I should be examined by you, or by any
human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.4 For I am conscious of
nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who
examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment
before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the
things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and
then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
3. Spiritual Leaders are rewarded by God (1
Tim 4:7,8; 1 Peter 5:4; 2 Tim 4:8)
1 Timothy 4:7, 8 Discipline yourself for the
purpose of godliness;8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but
godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present
life and also for the life to come.
1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd
appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
So, three God-centered issues—His selection, His verdict and approval.
When you meet this God, seeking those is the only response that makes sense!
Becoming such a qualified servant of God is extremely difficult, but not
impossible
Application
Have considered whether God has selected you?
Shrinking from the call is just as wrong evil as self-appointment
Some, maybe many shrink from the call; some who led at one time, desert (Demas)
2 Tim 4:9, 10 Make
every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has
deserted me and gone to Thessalonica…
Sometimes our desertion takes the form of outright quitting, other times a
deep self protection while we keep up a respectable exterior
A LEADER IS SOMEONE ON WHOM GOD HAS A CLAIM. A leader give sup their selfish
autonomy—the right o do their own thing in order to do something infinitely
better –God’s thing
Others of us need to accept and believe God has raised us up and take
courage from it
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