Books 54 and 55
The Book Of 1st Timothy
Who wrote the book of 1st Timothy: Paul
When was it written: Approximately 64 A.D.
Paul wrote this letter to Timothy while on his third missionary journey. Timothy was ministering to the church in Ephesus at the time and Paul is writing the letter in order to instruct Timothy in matters of church leadership and discipleship.
Paul had spent approximately three years in Ephesus preaching the message of the Gospel, baptizing people into Christ, and teaching the new converts so that they could grow and mature in their relationship with the LORD. Paul had invested a lot in these people and it is evident he cares deeply for them.
As noted in the previous chapter of the book of Ephesus, the city of Ephesus was ridden with sin and evil. It was a mecca for people from all over the known world, which meant there were a variety of religions being practiced.
Some of these false and idolatrous sects of people were trying to infiltrate the church in Ephesus. Naturally, this was of great concern to both Paul and Timothy.
Before we look at what we can learn from the book of Ephesus, I want to take a minute to look at and explain the different religious sects that were trying to impose their beliefs on the Ephesian Christians.
The reason I want to do this is to help you become more aware and conscious of the fact that these things are still happening in the Church today. Possibly in your local church.
No, they probably aren’t the same specific groups the Ephesians encountered, but they are false teachers just the same and something we must be constantly on guard against. Remember…Satan is the master of deception and what better way to deceive someone away from Christ than to pretend to be for him?
The Gnostics
Believe Jesus was nothing more than a good man whose life is worthy to be emulated.
Believe we live more than one mortal life so there is no resurrection of the physical body.
God came from humans and is a glorified human. To say that God has always been is to say he is not real because everything has to have a beginning.
We have the capacity to be equal with God.
The body and all things made of matter are evil, but the spirit is entirely good.
Faith is a choice, but there is no condemnation in walking away from God.
The Judaizers
Believe the prophets of the Old Testament
Follow the Law of Moses
Recognize Jesus as the Messiah
Believe that the ceremonial practices of the Law of Moses still applied to the New Testament Church
Refused to accept that Gentiles could attain salvation through Jesus unless they adhered to the Jewish ceremonies and customs of the Law of Moses
The Ascetics
Lived a simplistic, frugal lifestyle; denying themselves any sort of worldly pleasure or convenience
Fasted to the point of malnutrition and dehydration in the name of spirituality
Treated their bodies harshly
Abstained from all physical pleasures in an attempt to attain holiness
As I said, we probably won’t find people who call themselves Gnostics, Judaizers, or Ascetics in our churches today, as we read through these partial lists of their belief system, we can see similarities between them and some of the religious sects of today. So just like Paul warns Timothy and the Ephesian Christians to be on guard, we should do the same.
What We Learn From The Book Of 1st Timothy
We must not allow people to teach false doctrines in the church. (1:3-4)
We are warned against being murderers, adulterers, perverts, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and liars. (1:9-10)
We should consider it an honor and privilege to be able to minister to others. (1:12-14)
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. (1:15)
All honor, praise, and glory is to go to God. (1:17)
Some people will fall away from the faith and there is nothing we can do about it because faith and obedience have to come from within a person’s heart, soul, and mind. (1:19-20)
We are to pray for others and on behalf of others. (2:1)
God wants all men/women to be saved by coming to the knowledge of the truth of who he is, who Jesus is, and how salvation comes through Jesus. (2:4-6)
Women are to dress modestly, with decency and propriety. (2:9)
A woman’s true beauty is found in her good deeds and worshipful heart. (2:10)
Paul defines the role of women in the church. (2:11-12)
The requirements and qualifications for elders (overseers) and deacons. (3:1-13)
Indicators of false teachers (4:1-7)
Our physical bodies are important and we should treat them with respect and proper care, but godliness is far more important. (4:8)
Age has nothing to do with spiritual maturity or our ability to minister effectively to and for God’s kingdom here on earth. (4:12)
We are to use the abilities and talents God gave us to minister to others and to promote the spreading of the Gospel. (4:14-15)
We are to persevere in living according to the Christian doctrine taught to the disciples by Jesus and shared with everyone. (4:15)
Instructions for how we are to treat and care for the elderly, the orphans in our family and in the church, and other members of our family. (Chapter 5)
Paul gives another warning against false teachers—those who thrive on controversy and quarrels, who spread gossip, are envious, slanderous, and who are often involved in or stir up conflicts between others. (61-5)
We are to be content with what God gives us and rest in the promise that we will always have what we need. (6:6-9)
We are reminded that the love of money is the root of all evil (6:11)
We are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, gentleness, and endurance in the faith. (6:11)
We should not lose sight of the promise of heaven. We should use this promise to keep us grounded in our faith. (6:12-16)
Those who are blessed with monetary wealth are to share it with others, use it for the furtherance of God’s kingdom here on earth, and not try to put their identity in their wealth. (6:17-19)
The Book Of 2nd Timothy
Who wrote the book of 2nd Timothy: Paul When was it written: 66 A.D.
When Paul wrote 1st Timothy and Titus (the book that follows 2nd Timothy), Paul was a free man; traveling throughout Asia Minor spreading the message of salvation to any and all who would listen.
At that time he had only been a free man for approximately two years (having been imprisoned in Rome. But by the time he wrote this letter, Paul had once again been arrested—this time by Nero, Rome’s most notoriously insane (psychotic) emperor.
The first time Paul had been imprisoned in Rome he had been treated humanely. This was largely due to the fact that he was a Roman citizen.
During that time he was allowed visitors, was fed properly, given proper medical attention when he needed it, was allowed to receive gifts from his brothers and sisters in Christ, and was permitted to continue spreading the message of the Gospel through the writing of his letters to several of the churches that were the result of his evangelistic work and the evangelist work of others.
This time, however, because Nero was the kind of man he was, Paul was chained in a cold, dark, dungeon. He was mistreated, malnourished, and sick. In short, he was dying. Paul knew these were his last days and that his work here on earth was coming to an end. He could not, however, be at peace until he had written Timothy one last letter. This second letter to
Timothy Had Two Main Purposes:
Paul was lonely and wanted to see Timothy one last time before he died. Paul’s loneliness stemmed from the fact that the persecution of Christians was so severe under Nero’s reign that many Christians went into hiding.
To have associated themselves with Paul by coming to see him would have resulted in an instantaneous death sentence. It is doubtful that Paul resented the lack of visitors, but his understanding didn’t make him any less lonely.
Paul wanted to give Timothy some final words of encouragement to remain steadfast and not be afraid. The persecution of the Church wasn’t limited just to the city of Rome. It was going on throughout the entire Roman Empire.
This meant that the churches Paul, Timothy, Titus, Barnabas, Peter, Silas, Mark, and all the others had worked so hard to establish throughout the known world were under attack.
Paul knew what it was to suffer for the cause of Christ. He also knew what it was to be abundantly blessed for sharing the truth of the Gospel. But either way, Paul was content in his circumstances and truly glad to do whatever God called him to do.
What about you? Can you say you are content and truly glad in all things knowing God is in control?
What We Learn From The Book Of 2nd Timothy
We need close personal relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. (1:3-4)
God didn’t give us a spirit of timidity. In other words, God expects us to be bold for him. (1:7)
We should never be ashamed or embarrassed to live our faith, share our faith, or even suffer for our faith. (1:6)
The gift of salvation is not because of anything we’ve done, but it is God’s gift to us because of his unconditional love and amazing grace. (1:9)
Upon acceptance of Jesus as Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit to guide us. (1:14)
We have to ‘play by the rules’, i.e., if we want to receive God’s blessings we have to be obedient to him. (2:4-7)
Paul gives us a ” . .trustworthy saying. If we die with him we will also live with him; if we endure we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself (2:11-13)
The LORD knows those who are his. (2:19)
We are to keep ourselves away from all kinds of evil. (2:23-26)
Paul warns against false teachers and those who will try to persuade us to turn away from God. (3:1-9)
We are to always be prepared to defend God’s Word and the reason for our faith. (4:2-5)