Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus

David Platt, Dr. Daniel L. Akin, Tony Merida

• Publisher: Holman Reference
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780805495904
• eBook ISBN: 9781433680021
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ- centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible.

Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition.

Projected contributors to the series include notable authors such as Russell D. Moore, Al Mohler, Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, Mark Dever, and others.

1 Timothy

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Authority and Hope for a Pastor and His Church1
(1 Timothy 1:1-2)

Main Idea: The God-inspired letter of 1 Timothy was written by the apostle Paul to Timothy, and the letter was graciously given for the good of all God’s people.

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1. I. A Brief Introduction
   1. A. Setting the stage for 1 Timothy
      1. 1. The author, the recipient, and the occasion
      2. 2. The time and the place
      3. 3. The many challenges
      4. 4. The urgent message
2. II. A Glorious Greeting (1:1-2)
   1. A. First Timothy is authoritative.
      1. 1. It was written by an apostle.
      2. 2. It was breathed out by God.
   2. B. First Timothy is timely.
      1. 1. It was essential for Timothy.
      2. 2. It is essential for every pastor.
      3. 3. It is essential for every follower of Christ.
   3. C. First Timothy is filled with hope.
      1. 1. God is our Savior.
      2. 2. Christ Jesus is our hope.
      3. 3. Grace, mercy, and peace are gifts.

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In their book Health, Wealth and Happiness, David W. Jones and Russell S. Woodbridge highlight a disturbing trend in the church: “A new gospel is being taught today. This new gospel is perplexing—it omits Jesus and neglects the cross” (Health, Wealth and Happiness, 15).

Jones and Woodbridge report that 46 percent of self-proclaimed Christians in the United States agree with the idea that God will grant material riches to all believers who have enough faith (Health, Wealth and Happiness, 16). This teaching has become known as “the prosperity gospel.” Although it takes many shapes and sizes, the prosperity gospel promises material and physical blessings in this life so that central elements of the gospel, such as the finished work of Christ on the cross and the forgiveness of sins, take a backseat. Sadly, professing Christians seem to be taking the bait, and not just here in America. The prosperity gospel is sweeping across large portions of the world. False teachers are alive and well.

The problem of false teachers and false teaching is by no means a new problem for the church. In fact, these battles are quite old—approximately two thousand years old. When Paul was giving his final instructions to the elders in Ephesus in Acts 20:29-30, he warned them that “savage wolves” would enter the church and wreak havoc, luring away disciples. When we turn to 1 Timothy, we see that Paul’s predictions were not exaggerated, and they wouldn’t require centuries to play out. False teaching was staring the first-century church at Ephesus square in the face.

For a man like Paul, who gave his life to establishing and strengthening churches among the Gentiles, false teaching was more than just an apologetic hurdle. It was a deadly cancer that had to be removed if the church was to remain healthy and continue its mission. As we move through Paul’s first letter to Timothy, we’ll also consider other important issues the apostle addressed. Like any missionary or church planter, Paul cared deeply about the people to whom he ministered, and he knew that what they needed was not human wisdom. They needed to stand on the truth of God’s Word and to fix their hope on the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Brief Introduction

We’ll begin by setting the stage for 1 Timothy, considering both the context and the background of the letter. The letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are often referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. These epistles, or letters, are labeled as “pastoral” because they have so much to say about the responsibilities of pastors in leading and ministering to God’s people. While these letters have a number of similarities, each letter has its own unique aspects. Below we’ll look at some of the specifics related to 1 Timothy under the following headings:

• • The author, the recipient, and the occasion
• • The time and the place
• • The many challenges
• • The urgent message

First, as we think about this powerful letter, we need to consider the author, the recipient, and the occasion. First Timothy was written by the apostle Paul to his “true son in the faith,” a man named Timothy (1:2). Timothy was younger than Paul, possibly in his thirties (Ryken, 1 Timothy, 5), and he had assisted Paul in a number of different ministry contexts (see for example, 1 Thess 3; 1 Cor 4:16-17; 16:10-11; and Phil 2:19-24; Towner, Letters, 52). Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles and author of 13 letters in the New Testament, had stationed Timothy in Ephesus to do the difficult work of combating false teaching (1 Tim 1:3). Timothy was also told to lead the church to be faithful in a number of different areas, including godly living. Leading God’s people is no easy task. However, it is a glorious task worth giving one’s life to, and Paul wanted Timothy to be faithful in his calling as a minister of the gospel.

Other factors we need to consider include the time and place of the letter. Followers of Christ have always had to face a unique set of challenges related to their ministry context. For example, pastors and churches in our own culture continue to face complex questions related to who we are as humans. Could anyone have imagined, even a generation ago, that Christians would have to think through biblical positions on cloning or gender reassignment? Nevertheless, we would be seriously mistaken to think we are the first generation of Christians to face complex issues. The church at Ephesus is a case in point.

Consider the context for Timothy and the church at Ephesus in the mid 60s of the first century AD (see Carson and Moo, Introduction, 571–72). At this time the city of Ephesus was large, diverse, religiously complex, and flourishing commercially (Towner, Letters, 38), not unlike a major metropolitan area of the United States today. Since the temple of Artemis was located in Ephesus, the cult of Artemis was especially influential in this Imperial capital. This cult affected commercial activity, and it seems to have engulfed a number of other cult practices such as “the practice of magic, sorcery, and soothsaying” (Towner, Letters, 38). Needless to say, Timothy was not ministering in a culture founded on Judeo-Christian values. Ephesus had its own particular brand of sin and rebellion, but this doesn’t mean Paul’s instructions have no relevance for us today.

The many challenges facing Timothy and the church at Ephesus went beyond their immediate cultural context, as difficult as that context must have been. Consider some of the issues Paul addressed within the church: men and women needed to be instructed about their God-given roles and conduct in the church’s gathering, faithful elders and deacons needed to be identified and appointed, widows needed to be cared for properly, and the pursuit of wealth seemed to be a real temptation for some in the congregation. Does any of that sound familiar? Paul’s concerns could easily be copied and pasted into a list of issues the church continues to face in the twenty-first century.

As we mentioned earlier, the church at Ephesus was also dealing with the deadly serious problem of false teaching. Paul mentioned Hymenaeus and Alexander as two individuals who had to be excommunicated, or removed, from the church for rejecting “faith and a good conscience” (1:19; see also 2 Tim 2:17). It’s not a good sign when two of your elders have to be taught not to blaspheme! We can’t be too precise with regard to the content of the false teaching, but Paul did give us some clues throughout the letter. Here is some of what we can piece together about the false teachers:

• • They were straying in their doctrine (1:3).
• • They were preoccupied with myths, genealogies, and speculation (1:4).
• • They misused the law (1:7).
• • They were apparently immoral (1:19-20).
• • Their consciences were seared (4:2).
• • They were forbidding marriage and certain foods (4:3).
• • They craved controversy and quarrels (6:4).
• • They were using godliness for material gain (6:5).

The false teachers in the Ephesian church may have been influenced by early seeds of a heresy that later became known as Gnosticism. This heresy came onto the scene in the second century AD after the writing of the New Testament.2 What seems more certain is that the false teaching in Ephesus had some strong Jewish elements. For example, the apostle mentioned that these teachers wanted to teach the law (1:7) and that they had an unhealthy interest in genealogies (1:4; Fee, Timothy, Titus, 41). Many commentators have seen similarities between the false teaching in 1 Timothy and what we see in a book like Colossians. Whatever the precise nature of the false teaching, we know it was dangerous because it diverted people from the truth of God’s Word. Paul even referred to such false teaching as demonic (4:1)! The church was not merely dealing with preferences for the style of music—the gospel itself was at stake.

Unfortunately, some Christians have gotten the wrong idea that a book like 1 Timothy is only relevant for the church staff. The urgent message it contains is sometimes passed over because the book is referred to as a “leader’s manual” for pastors. Now this is definitely a book pastors need to be intimately familiar with, so if you’re a pastor, 1 Timothy is certainly in the “must know” column. But that doesn’t mean you can ignore this book if you’re not in a position of church leadership.

Most people won’t say it aloud, but they may be thinking, “I know this book is important, but I’m not a pastor, so I should read something that applies to me.” Is that you? If so, let me urge you to rethink your perspective on 1 Timothy. Whether you minister by taking meals to homebound members or by seeking to evangelize unreached people groups, don’t ignore this important book. You might be missing more than you think. Consider just a few important questions addressed by Paul:

• • How do Old Testament laws apply to Christians today? (chap. 1)
• • Can women teach in the church? (chap. 2)
• • Who is qualified to be an elder or a deacon? (chap. 3)
• • How do I spot false teachers? (chap. 4)
• • Which widows should the church support? (chap. 5)
• • What should wealthy Christians do with their money? (chap. 6)

Anyone who professes to be a follower of Christ and who is a member of a local church—those two should always go together—needs to know what God has said about how the church is to function. Consider what Paul said in 1 Timothy 3:15, a verse that is integral to the message of the entire book: “But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to act in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”

Did you catch that? This letter is all about how God’s people conduct themselves in God’s household, and Paul was not talking about our personal etiquette in the sanctuary. “God’s household” is the church, the gathered people of God. This letter was written so that we would know how to conduct ourselves when we come together as followers of Christ for worship and then when we spread out to serve the Lord throughout the week. This book clearly has relevance beyond church leaders. Its message is for every person and for every context.

As the “pillar and foundation of the truth,” the church of Jesus Christ has a weighty calling. But this is an infinitely glorious calling, and God’s grace and power are more than sufficient for the task.

A Glor...

Table of contents

• 1 Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• Titus