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The Introduction to First Timothy — 1 Timothy 1:1-2

Jim Butler · 2026-04-19 · 1 Timothy 1:1–2 · 8,973 words · 54 min

Evening Series - 1 Timothy

Paul's apostolic authority and his commission 'by the commandment of God our Savior' stand at the center of 1 Timothy 1:1–2, establishing both the legitimacy of Paul's office and the delegated authority of Timothy in Ephesus. This introductory sermon traces Paul's missionary journeys, his post-imprisonment ministry, and his relationship with Timothy to locate the Pastoral Epistles within the apostle's life and the history of the early church. The epistle's overarching purpose — directing ministers and churches in conduct, refuting false teaching, and declaring sound doctrine — is shown to be as binding on congregations today as it was on the church at Ephesus. The sermon closes with a call to unbelievers to receive the Christ whom God, the Savior, sent into the world to save sinners.

Well please turn with me in your Bibles to 1st Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy 1, we'll focus primarily on verses 1 and 2 tonight by way of introduction to this epistle of Paul to his ministerial companion Timothy. I'll read the chapter, we'll pray, and then we'll get started. So Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, to Timothy, a true son in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart. from a good conscience and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate. for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has enabled me because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. However, for this reason, I obtained mercy that in me first, Jesus Christ might show all long suffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever, amen.

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some, having rejected, concerning the faith, have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Amen. Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you that it's given by inspiration of God, that it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. We pray for ears to hear and hearts to receive these things. We pray that the Spirit of truth would fill us with this word of truth and that we would live in light. of the truth incarnate, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, forgive us now for all of our sins, guide us by the Holy Spirit, and bring glory to your great name in our lives. And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, the

Introduction

books of 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles, and they bear that title collectively because they are written not specifically to churches, though they are for churches, but they're written to Paul's ministerial companions, Timothy and Titus. They were written by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit around AD 63 to 65. So tonight, by way of introduction to 1st Timothy, I wanna look first at the ministry of Paul, and then secondly, the 1st Epistle to Timothy, specifically in verses 1 and 2. Now in terms of the ministry of the Apostle Paul, we know of his conversion on the road to Damascus.

We know, as he says in this particular section, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." The book of Acts records that for us, and in chapter 9 we see that conversion. So when we focus on the ministry of Paul tonight, it's not primarily on that. It's not primarily on his conversion, but rather post-conversion, the usefulness of the apostle as the apostle to the Gentiles and as a missionary to churches and to people groups all over the Roman Empire. So,

Paul's Missionary Journeys

in terms of the missionary journeys, a lot of this is going to be just calling out texts and dates. Again, introduction has to do with those matters, the date that the epistle was written, the author, the providence, or what was going on at the particular time, the situation that necessitated the letter. So, in terms of the missionary journeys, you can turn to Acts chapter 13, you can see it in the specific texts. The first missionary journey begins in Acts chapter 13 at verse 1 and continues to Acts chapter 14 and verse 28.

This takes place around AD 47. and 48. And it's primarily targeting the churches of southern Galatia. We know the epistle to the Galatians, likely the earliest epistle that we have in the New Testament. It is written on the heels of Paul's trip to those churches in southern Galatia.

The second missionary journey begins in Acts chapter 15 at verse 36 and continues to Acts chapter 18 to verse 22. He goes to several places to be sure, but he settles the longest in the city of Corinth. So, if you remember, southern Galatian churches, first missionary journey, Corinth, again with additional cities and places, second missionary journey, and then the third missionary journey begins in Acts chapter 18 at verse 23 and continues to Acts chapter 21, verse 16. And it's primarily associated with the city of Ephesus.

So the second missionary journey was 49 to 52, and then the third was about 53 to 57. And so that gives you kind of an overarching view of what Paul does after God saves him on that road to Damascus and Christ commissions him that he would go and speak to the Gentiles, to the civil authorities, and then ultimately to the Jews themselves. And that's exactly how the rest of the book of Acts plays out. In fact, if you turn to Acts chapter 1, there's an outlining statement that we can apply to the remainder of the book.

In Acts chapter 1, specifically at verse 8, Jesus commissions the disciples, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. That's exactly how the book plays out. They start off in Jerusalem, movement to Samaria and Judea, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth in the calling of the Apostle Paul as the missionary to the Gentiles. If you turn to Acts chapter 9, after Paul is converted on that road to Damascus, the Lord Jesus commissions him in Acts 9.15.

But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. As the apostle to the Gentiles, that is specifically what he does first. And then kings, he stands before the civil magistrate because he's arrested, and then ultimately the Jews. Acts chapter 28 ends with Paul imprisoned in Rome and Jews come to listen to him and talk to him and find out what it is that is going on with him in terms of his ministry.

So, the missionary journey is very crucial, very key, very much helpful to understanding the movement of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts. Now,

Paul's Post-Prison Ministry

secondly, we ought to consider the post-prison ministry. The post-prison ministry, as I mentioned, the book of Acts ends with Paul in a Roman prison. You can turn to Acts chapter 28. Acts chapter 28.

Specifically, at verse 30, then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. This is the years of AD 60 to AD 62. And the book just ends on this particular note, which indicates that most likely Paul was released from this first Roman imprisonment. Either his accusers failed to appear or he was exonerated from any wrongdoing when tried by the civil state.

F.F. Bruce makes the observation, if Paul's two years detention was followed immediately by his conviction and execution, Luke's failure to mention it is very strange. In other words, Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that historian, that physician, writes the book of Acts. The second volume in his two-volume work, Luke and Acts.

Well, if Paul had been sentenced to death, if Paul had been martyred, if Paul had been executed at this time, as Bruce says, Luke's failure to mention it is very strange. So after this incarceration or this imprisonment in AD 60-62, Paul gets out of jail and then he engages in further ministry. We're locating where the pastoral epistles come in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. So if you turn back to 1 Timothy 1, we can start to trace the movement of the Apostle post first imprisonment in Rome.

First of all, the Apostle and Timothy went to Ephesus. According to 1 Timothy 1, verse 3, as I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. So likely Paul and Timothy traveled to Ephesus together, and then Paul stations Timothy in Ephesus to combat and to wage the good warfare against the false teaching that had arised there. As well, the Apostle and Titus went to Crete, if you turn to Titus chapter 1.

Titus chapter 1, specifically at verse 5, for this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you. The apostle then went to Macedonia and from there likely wrote the book of 1 Timothy. And this would have been around AD 63 or 64. The apostle Paul then writes Titus.

So the actual order of the pastoral epistles is 1 Timothy, Titus, and then 2 Timothy as far as dating goes. So the apostle also wrote Titus either from Macedonia or while going from Macedonia to Nicopolis at which time he instructed Titus to meet him there according to Titus chapter 3 at verse 12. So again, post first imprisonment journeys of the apostle in terms of gospel ministry. The apostle visited Troas alone, 2 Timothy 4.13, Corinth with Erastus, 2 Timothy 4.20, and Miletus with Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4.20.

The apostle was then arrested again and spent time in jail in a second Roman imprisonment. In fact, in 2 Timothy he says that Onesiphorus came to find him but could not. And then it was hard for him rather to find Paul, 2 Timothy 1, 16 and 17. And at the end there, only Luke was with him.

He bemoans that, or not bemoans that, but he mentions that as a matter of fact, that everybody had deserted him, Luke was with him, and of course the Lord was with him in the midst of his second incarceration. So he was not in prison when he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, but he was in prison when he wrote 2 Timothy. And likely it's at this time that he writes the book of Hebrews. Now that's a debatable subject, who wrote the book of Hebrews.

Not going to enter into that, but those of us who believe that Paul did write Hebrews, it was most likely around this time frame. So he wrote 2 Timothy and possibly Hebrews during this incarceration. He refers to his imprisonment, that second one, in 2 Timothy chapter 2, and you can turn there. 2 Timothy chapter 2, specifically at verses 8 to 13. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains.

But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. And in this second Roman imprisonment, he has an expectation that he's going to die. In fact, he knows pretty certainly that he is going to die.

In Philippians, which is written several years earlier, he knows the potential is there that he could die, but it doesn't seem a certainty in his mind. But here in 2 Timothy, we have that wonderful statement in 2 Timothy 4. at verse 6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering. And the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved his appearing. And then as history tells us, he was executed, possibly having been implicated following the great fire of Rome in AD 64, but that is not a certainty.

Probably it was an accidental fire. Some say that Nero set it himself. Most likely it was an accidental fire, but Nero did blame the Christians at that time, and that took place in AD 64. And as the historians tell us, Paul was decapitated. which was actually more humane for a Roman citizen than execution.

Rome did not crucify its own citizenry unless it was decreed by a special decree by Caesar, but he was decapitated for the cause of Christ and truth. I've always loved this sort of an extended quote from Robert Raymond, his book, Paul, Missionary Theologian. He says, Paul's martyrdom was accomplished by decapitation. Like his savior, he was executed outside the city walls at Trefontaine near the third milestone on the Ostian Way.

There the executioner's sword ended his long course of sufferings and released his heroic spirit from his tired and feeble body and into the heavenly presence of the savior whom he had served so faithfully and for so long a time. Some friends took his scarred and decapitated corpse and head and buried them. Having traced Paul's life and travels for several chapters now, I hope the reader feels with me that the church lost that day its greatest apostolic advocate for the uniqueness of the Christian faith with its liberating, law-free gospel, and that we lost a genuine personal friend that day on the Ostian Way. I suspect that we feel a real sense of sadness that it had to end this way, but we could have almost predicted Paul's end, given the conditions of the empire and the growing hatred of Christians generally in Rome and of Paul personally.

Nor must we second-guess divine providence, which is always good and wise. Paul, of course, would remind us that that day was his coronation day, for that day he entered into a state which was better by far than this present one. One that was only positive gain, Philippians 1, 21 and 23, where he was made perfect in holiness, Westminster Shorter Catechism 37, and where he responded for the very first time to his Savior's sinless love for him with a sinless love of his own. Before the end of the 2nd century, a monument was erected where he was said to have been buried, about a mile near the city on the same route.

About AD 324, Emperor Constantine built a small basilica there, which was replaced by a larger one near the end of the 4th century. That one burned in 1823, but was rebuilt and consecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1854 as the Basilica of St. Paul Without the Walls. During the excavations necessary for the erection of the present basilica, two slabs were discovered bearing together the inscription to Paul, Apostle and Martyr. and dating to the fourth century AD.

Paul would probably have approved of that simple epitaph if he would have been permitted to add, but to Christ alone be the glory forever and ever, amen. And I think that that is probably, or does resonate with all of our hearts. As we read the New Testament, we grow quite fond of the Apostle Paul, certainly a heroic figure. As we read 1 Samuel chapter 17, everybody loves David.

Everybody loves that. That young man who says, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he would taunt the armies of the living God? Those are the kind of men we want to follow. Those are the kind of men we want to emulate.

If we're women, those are the kind of men we want to marry. And it comes to that when we study the Apostle Paul. He was a great man, made great by God's great grace. Now as far as

Paul's Relationship with Timothy

Paul's relationship with Timothy. He speaks of him as a true son. Well, how does he get to this point? It's not that he's actually generated by the Apostle Paul.

He's not actually his father according to the flesh, but his father according to the Spirit. So Timothy, in terms of his conversion, he had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. We see that in Acts chapter 16. As well, we see it in 2 Timothy 1.

He was taught the Old Testament from his youth, 2 Timothy 1.5, from a faithful grandmother and a faithful mother. And then Paul in 2 Timothy 3 says, you've known the sacred writings from your youth, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. As well, he resided in Lystra and was likely a convert to learn that Jesus Christ was in fact the Messiah promised by God in the Old Testament under the Apostle Paul's preaching. I think we see hints of that in Acts 14, again Acts 16, and then in 1 Corinthians chapter 4.

So Paul speaks very favorably and very highly of young Timothy. As we learn of his character, we know that he was a recipient of sovereign grace. You can turn to 1 Timothy 6.12. 1 Timothy 6, 12, "...fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." He didn't stumble on this, he didn't arrive at this, he didn't through his diligent study come to this, but he was called by the sovereign grace of God, effectually out of darkness into marvelous light, and as a result he was a faithful man And certainly Paul saw that faithfulness. He was highly esteemed by the apostle.

In fact, turn to Acts chapter 16. Acts chapter 16, beginning in verse 1. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.

He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Diconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. He's well spoken of. Paul sees him and spends a bit of time with him and realizes that he's the real deal.

And so Paul wants him to go with him. I've always thought what a privilege for the Apostle Paul to actually want you to accompany him. That would be truly amazing. And it speaks well of young Timothy.

Paul refers to him as a fellow worker in Romans 16, 21. Paul refers to him as a true son in the faith in our epistle in 1 Timothy chapter 1. And then Paul refers to him as one like-minded in Philippians chapter 2 at verses 19 to 24, all of which highlight his legitimacy as Paul's representative in Ephesus. So when we look at the greeting with reference to 1 Timothy chapter 1, specifically at verses 1 and 2, I think as we're familiar with the New Testament epistles, we come to become sort of too familiar with the New Testament epistles.

But if you remember, Timothy has to wage the good warfare against false teachers, against those who desire to be teachers of the law. And so when Paul says in verse 1, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God, He doesn't just desire to be a teacher of the law, he is in this position and role because of the commandment of God. and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then when he says in verse 2, to Timothy, a true son in the faith, it legitimizes Timothy with the authority of the Apostle Paul, so that as Timothy is confronting these false teachers in Ephesus, it's not again somebody who desired to be a teacher of the law and put himself into that position. And then the final observation concerning Timothy, according to Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 23, he spent some time in jail.

He was released. He didn't die. As far as we know, there's nothing biblical or nothing in the Bible, and the historical tradition isn't locked tight with reference to Timothy's demise. But he did spend a little bit of time in jail, which shows that increasing pressure in the Roman Empire with reference. to the people of God.

So that's the ministry of Paul, specifically with reference to the missionary journeys, the post-prison ministry, and the relationship with Timothy. As I said, all three pastoral epistles written between the years A.D. 63 to 65. It goes 1 Timothy, Titus, and then 2 Timothy. So

The Author: Paul's Apostolic Authority

now let's look specifically at the first epistle to Timothy, verses 1 and 2. Note the author, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope. Now, what was necessary or requisite in order for one to be called an apostle? Are there apostles today?

Yes, if you're a Charismatic or Pentecostal. But no, if you're everybody else. The apostles, according to Acts chapter 1, needed to be eyewitnesses of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Does Paul satisfy that particular requirement?

Of course he does. The ascended Christ appears to the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. He was an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ. As well, he was appointed by Christ to the ministry of apostleship.

And he highlights this several times. Here, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope. Turn back to Galatians chapter 1, specifically at verse 1, and there are several other places. But here it's very definitive, and I think what he does here is genius.

Galatians 1.1, Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. Again, he's combating heresy. He's combating the Judaizers. He's combating those who, after he visited the churches of Asia Minor, after they established things, after they get elders in place, these false teachers come in and prey upon the people of God there.

They say it's good to believe on Jesus, but you must also subscribe to the ceremonies of Moses in order to sort of round out your justification. And so Paul highlights the reality in verse 1. As well, he was a foundation stone of the church along with the other apostles. We see that in Ephesians chapter 2.

He doesn't name himself by name, but the apostles were foundational stones with reference to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he was specifically appointed as the apostle to the Gentiles. He indicates that on several occasions. In other words, his task, his primary calling, his emphasis was to put into play Psalm 117, to put into play Isaiah 42 and 49, to put into play the promise made ultimately or primarily or firstly rather to Noah that Japheth would find safe haven in the tents of Shem.

In other words, Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises of God was always intended by God. And Paul is that apostle to the Gentiles. It's Paul that writes of it in detail in Ephesians chapter 2 and 3. He calls it the mystery.

And the mystery there isn't something that was never known. It was known, it was announced, it was prophesied, but not as clearly as it is when the fullness of the time had come and God sent forth his son, born of a woman and born under the law, to redeem those, Jew-Gentile, that were under the law. And so his primary function and his primary emphasis was to go to the Gentiles. In terms of his authority, again he underscores it by saying, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior.

So when he gets down to verse 7 and he starts to speak of these false teachers, he says, desiring to be teachers of the law. Desire alone is not enough. He's going to say that later in 1 Timothy chapter 3. If anyone desires the office of a bishop, it's a good thing that he desires.

But it's not just your desire that gets you into play. I might desire to be a pilot, but that doesn't mean anybody should ever let me in a cockpit and say, go ahead and take off. A desire alone is not the only thing. The desire must be recognized.

The desire must be tested. The desire must be proven. And so for these teachers, these desiring to be teachers of the law men, they understand neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. In contrast to that, the apostle Paul is clothed with the absolute authority of God. an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope.

It's not the will of Paul. It's not the self-ordination of Paul. It's not the internet sort of certificate printed out by Paul that now bids him the apostle to the Gentiles. No, it's the commandment of God.

It's the commandment of our blessed Savior. He is an apostle of, owned by, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. George Knight says, it is with this awareness of authority as Christ Jesus' spokesman that Paul writes. Therefore, he places this designation of himself at the beginning of the letter to express the authority by which he writes.

This isn't just the way that you greeted people in the past. No, it says something that is designed to counteract the influence of false teaching in Ephesus. In other words, you need to listen to the Apostle Paul because he functions as such by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope. Now,

The Recipient: Timothy, a True Son

in terms of the recipients, secondly, we see a specific reference, and then we'll make a general sort of application. But the specific reference is there in verse 2, to Timothy, a true son in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. So again, the recipient, to Timothy, a true son in the faith, it shows Paul's affection for him, shows Paul's love for him. It shows Paul's admiration for him, just as Paul wanted to take him according to Acts 16, just as Paul calls him fellow worker in several places, just as Paul in Philippians 2 says that there's nobody like-minded like Timothy is to the Apostle Paul, so he is here identified as a true son in the faith.

And if Paul's authority needed to be received by the church in Ephesus, so did Timothy's authority need to be received by the church in Ephesus. Again, Knight says, this letter is also written so that Timothy can have apostolic authorization in the church and instruction for the church over against the false teachers. In effect, the church is written to through Timothy. So Timothy, a true son in the faith, to the apostle, to the Gentiles, who is thus by the commandment of God and our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.

In other words, everything that comes to the church in Ephesus in 1 Timothy chapters one to six, need to be received by that conduit, from the Most High, through the apostle, through his servant, his true son in the faith, Timothy, to this church. And so he's writing to him. Notice,

The Greeting: Grace, Mercy, and Peace

in terms of the blessings that he conveys to Timothy, grace, mercy, and peace. Those are things common in the epistles of Paul in terms of greetings. But again, we can just get so familiar with that, we stop unpacking them and their significance for what Paul is wishing for Timothy or praying for Timothy to aid and assist him in his ministry. He doesn't say, I want you to go to this particular school and learn these rhetorical skills.

I want you to learn how to juggle finances because we've got a problem in Ephesus with the finances. No. Grace, mercy, and peace. That's what's going to sustain Timothy.

That's what's going to strengthen Timothy. That's what's going to enable Timothy to wage the good warfare against these false teachers and set forth the truth of God's holy gospel. So with reference to grace, the saving and sustaining activity of God, Timothy would always need this. We're always dependent upon grace.

If you think that a pastor, a minister, an evangelist, or what Timothy was in Ephesus, can do what he does without the grace of God, we are sorely mistaken. The emphasis on mercy, the compassion and kindness of God toward his servant, Timothy would always need this as well. And then, of course, peace. The peace he had with God and would certainly need with man to ensure his usefulness in the ministry.

That's crucial. You think that Paul is on to something when in Ephesians 4 he says that we're to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? Brethren, if the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the very house of God and the pillar and ground of the truth, it ought to be marked by unity and peace. The people of God within her walls ought to seek reconciliation with one another.

They ought to seek peaceful relations with one another. They ought to deal with their issues according to Matthew's Gospel. If you go to offer up your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother has aught against you, go to him and first be reconciled. Or if your brother sins against you, go to him.

If he hears you, you've won him. Unity and peace are not something we just pray for on Sundays, hopefully having at some point. Bless God for the unity and peace that we have. It is difficult to minister in a context where there is an absence of unity and peace.

If the pastor, the preacher, the minister is only ever about putting out fires amongst the people of God within the context of the local church, we're not achieving the mission. The mission is the glory of God, through the edification of the saints, through the salvation of sinners. And so Paul prays that Timothy would know that peace so that he can engage in the work of the ministry that was given to him. George Knight again says, with these three terms then, Paul greets Timothy and the church, grace, God's ongoing forgiveness and enabling, mercy, God's sympathy and concern, and peace, God's tranquility and stability within and among them as individuals and as a Christian community.

And of course the source, grace, mercy, and peace. from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. So we read these and we take them for granted and we understand them to some degree, but it's good for us to locate them in a particular context and realize that Paul's gonna tell Timothy to do some hard things. Paul's gonna tell Timothy to do some difficult things. How does he hope that Timothy's gonna do that?

Because Timothy is a man of grit and determination. He's the titular figure on a Chuck Swindoll book? No, he's dependent upon God's grace, mercy, and peace. That's crucial for the gospel ministry.

And then in terms of general application, it's to the church in Ephesus and to the churches in all ages along with ministers in all ages. So while Timothy is directly addressed, while Titus is directly addressed, they are nevertheless churchly epistles. They speak to matters concerning the church. They speak to things affecting the church.

They speak to things regulating the church. So they're for the church. They are for ministers as well. Now finally,

The Purpose of First Timothy

in terms of the purpose, the overarching purpose, you can look at 1 Timothy 3, 14 and 15. 1 Timothy 3, 14 and 15. These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." He tells us why he's writing. We don't have to guess at his purpose.

We don't have to scratch our heads and wonder concerning His purpose. He tells us very specifically what His purpose is. So the purpose given by the Apostle is explicitly stated. And it's a purpose that's applied ultimately to all ministers and churches.

I can do no better than to cite Matthew Poole in terms of the purpose of this epistle. He says, he, Paul, writes this epistle to him to encourage him against all dangers and to direct him in the management of his office. The scope of the epistle is to direct Timothy in the first place, and then all ministers of the gospel, how to behave themselves in the ministerial work as to preaching, praying, government, opposing gainsayers, et cetera. So as it is the most perfect direction we have in all scripture for the discharge of the ministerial office.

Amen! Matthew Poole, you've got 1 Timothy down. It's a beautiful expression of the purpose stated by Paul in 1 Timothy 3, 14 and 15, and then by looking at the specific contents in the epistle. And just quickly,

Refutation of False Teaching

the first we ought to observe is the refutation of false teaching. the refutation of false teaching. I've indicated that on several occasions. Look at 1 Timothy 1 verse 18. You see, when he says, I want grace, mercy, and peace to abound upon you, because I've got some tough things I've got to pass on to you.

There's some wonky things happening in Ephesus. I got wind of it. I'm sure you've got wind of it. And we need to deal with this.

Because if these wonky things don't get dealt with, the people of God are going to be affected. The people of God are going to be plagued. The people of God are going to be jeopardized. The people of God are going to be hindered.

So wage the good warfare. Now in terms of the issues, and with reference to doctrinal departures, there's an interest in myths. and interest in genealogies. And when I say interest, it couldn't just be, hey, I watched a five-minute YouTube video on the moon landing. That's probably not what it was.

It was probably a little bit more than, you know, a five-minute video on a particular doctrine. and interest in genealogies, an unlawful approach to the law which indicates Jewish elements of the heresy. So those desiring to be teachers of the law, most likely Jewish in nature, most likely some Torah so much, Torah at least saying believing Jews that wanted to come in and and show their skills. A harsh asceticism in 1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 to 5. Those who prohibited or denied or forbid the eating of meats and marriage.

As well a denial of the future resurrection. We see that in the next two verses. Having faith and a good conscience which some having rejected concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I deliver to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. If you turn over to 2 Timothy 2, you see something of them again, at least Hymenaeus, this time with Philetus.

Verse 17, and their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection has already passed, and they overthrow the faith of some. So see, for Paul, he doesn't want the faith of some to be overthrown. And so the nature of the doctrinal departures are pretty obvious on the surface of the text.

But as well, the practical expressions, the false teachers were deceptive. The false teachers were deceptive. They were liars. They didn't traffic in the truth.

Doctrinally, practically, it was obvious. They were immoral, just godless, unrighteous men, and they were greedy. You see that in 1 Timothy chapter 6. Mount says there is a sense of urgency, especially in 1 Timothy, because the opponents had achieved a level of success.

The mere presence of Timothy in Ephesus shows Paul's concern for the situation. And in terms of the refutation of false teaching, and then

Declaration of Sound Doctrine

secondly, the declaration of the truth. He speaks concerning the lawful use of the law. In our reading we saw that, 1 Timothy chapter 1, specifically at verses 8 to 10. He speaks concerning the truth of the gospel.

Those two categories, those two hermeneutical guides with reference to the entirety of the Bible. You mess up law and gospel, you're going to be a messed up theologian. And Timothy had to deal with people in Ephesus that messed up law and gospel. As well, the biblical requirements for church leadership in 1 Timothy 3, verses 1-13.

It's clear. It's specified. It's specific. It's directed.

It's not just a popularity contest. It's not the guy that's a great plumber. Oh, therefore, he can serve well in this capacity. No, there's specific qualifications given by Paul to the church to try and keep out the false teachers that desired to be teachers of the law and put themselves into that position versus the church identifying qualified men and placing them in that position.

As well, the proper conduct in the church of God. We saw that in 1 Timothy 3, 14 and 15. That deals with personal ethics, one-to-one relationships, 1 Timothy 5. And as well, the house of God, our corporate conduct.

How do we worship? How do we sing? How do we pray? Who prays?

Who sings? Who teaches? All those things are specified for us by the apostle in 1 Timothy 1. And then there is this constant refrain in the pastoral epistles on sound doctrine.

Sound doctrine over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. If you remember way back when, when I sketched the post first imprisonment ministry of the Apostle Paul, about the years 63 to 65. So probably what was happening in the churches at that time, you had a decline of tongue speaking. You had a decline of prophesying.

Why? Because those were temporary revelatory gifts before the church had the New Testament scriptures such that God could speak through tongue speakers or prophesiers, prophets, to the church, revelation from God. Tongue speaking and prophesying in the first century church was not the babble, the I bought a Honda, shoulda bought a Yamaha babble that you find in Pentecostalism. It was revelatory by God to communicate the truth for a specific time and season with an end date prescribed.

That end date was the closed canon of Holy Scripture. So when you search 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy, guess what you never find? Timothy, go out and be a good tongue speaker. Timothy, go out and heal the masses.

Titus, they're on Crete. I want you to hold tent services and watch there. Have them all watch you. Just prophesy, you know, sort of random things.

No, no, no, no, no, no. The closed canon means the emphasis is upon the written word of the living and true God, that inspired, infallible, and inerrant word. And so therefore, the emphasis in the pastoral epistles, again, isn't the prophetic gifts. It isn't the revelatory gifts.

It isn't Corinth. written about 10 years prior, of course, because there was tongue speaking and there were prophesying because they didn't have the New Testament documents in hand. But as the canon is getting closer to closure at Paul's or from Paul's vantage point in this mid-60 period, The emphasis is obvious, sound doctrine, sound doctrine, sound doctrine. What does the church need? They need sound doctrine.

What does the church have? Well, sound doctrine, because identifiably she is the pillar and ground of the truth. You do not find emphases in the pastoral epistles on those revelatory gifts. You find Timothy studying to show himself approved, one who handles accurately the word of truth.

You have Timothy who's known the sacred scriptures. You have Timothy in that final charge in 2 Timothy chapter four by Paul, preach the word. Not prophesy, not speak in tongues, but preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season.

Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. Sound doctrine is absolutely crucial for the life, the health, the wealth, not wealth, the well-being, rather, of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without sound doctrine, we're just not a church. We're a social club.

We're nice people that dress up on Sunday. We comb our hair, we brush our teeth, and we have pleasant talks. But without being the pillar and ground of the truth, we're not the church. Sound doctrine is where the emphasis lies for the apostle as he's getting ready to meet his maker.

Now,

Application: Ministers, Churches, and Sinners

in conclusion, I would suggest the importance of this epistle for the minister. I'm just going to run through these. The minister is to be nourished by the truth himself. 1 Timothy 4, 6 and 1 Timothy 4, 13-16. Take heed to yourself and to your doctrine.

That is crucial. Ezra set his heart to study the law, to do it, and then to teach those precepts in Israel. That is the emphasis. Paul does not want Timothy to simply be a preaching machine.

Paul wants Timothy to be a godly man, nourished on the truth of God's word, and as the reflex of that, he speaks that truth to the people of God. Timothy is to guard the truth. In other words, if the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth, what ought we to do when somebody threatens that pillar? We guard it.

We protect it. We denounce those who would seek to destroy it. The minister is to follow the truth with reference to his own life and in terms of the ministry of the church. The minister is to be diligent to study the truth and handle it accurately and the minister is to continue in it.

If persons say, you know, fly like a bird away to the mountain. No. Got a task to do. Got a privilege to undertake, I'm going to do it to the very end.

Paul sets forth that pattern, I think, extremely well in his swan song. For I'm already being poured out as a drink offering. The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. That ought to be sort of programmatic for any man that undertakes gospel ministry.

The Church's Duty Toward Gospel Ministers

I would suggest, secondly, the importance of this epistle for the church. There's an instance in Matthew's gospel, in Matthew chapter 9, Jesus looks at the multitudes and he has compassion for them. Why? Because they were like sheep having no shepherd.

So what does Jesus say? He says, pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers for his harvest. And then he appoints the 12 apostles. In other words, this was very important for our Lord Jesus in his earthly ministry.

He tells the brothers to pray. He appoints the brothers to go preach and teach and exercise. I don't mean with plates. I mean exorcise spirits.

But for the Lord Jesus Christ, prayer for ministers to be raised up is a priority. I would suggest as well the necessity for the church to examine such men. If the problem in Ephesus was those desiring to be teachers of the law, it's certainly not accidental that 1 Timothy 3 comes along and Paul says, if a man desires the office of a bishop, that's good. But let him look like this.

Let him demonstrate this. Let him be this. And once that's determined, then you put him into gospel ministry. The church has a requirement to pray for men to be raised up, to examine those men who have been raised up, and to determine collectively as to whether or not they ought to serve as elders or deacons in the life of the church.

It's not a popularity contest. It's not just a random pick a name contest. It's not just a, well, he's good in this particular aspect of life, so therefore he must be good in this aspect of life. Not necessarily.

I would suggest as well the necessity to listen to such men. If the ascended Christ, who's led captivity captive and given gifts to men, vis-a-vis pastors, it behooves all of us to listen to them. And I'm not saying you hear always me or can't. The general principle is there's God sent men who are functioning by the commandment of God our Savior and Jesus Christ our hope, we should listen to them.

We should learn from them. We shouldn't think that, you know, we're beyond all that. It's just me and my Bible. The worst heretics in the world have been me and my Bible kind of guys.

And the necessity to pray for the preservation of such men. The preservation of such men. I don't think it's escaped your observation that there's a high attrition rate in pastoral ministry. There's a very high attrition rate in pastoral ministry.

I've heard the suicide rate is highest for dentists. I don't know if that's true. I guess inflicting all that misery and pain might eventually, you know, hurt you at some level or point. But whatever the highest attrition rate, the pastoral ministry certainly has one of them.

Guys don't make it. What are we to do as the people of God? We ought to listen to Paul when he says to the Thessalonians, Brethren, pray for us. That's helpful.

What do I pray for you? That God gives grace? That He gives mercy? That He gives peace?

That He helps by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit? That He grants wisdom? that he grants tenacity and perseverance and endurance and all the things that are requisite in a man of God. And

A Call to Unbelievers

I would say finally the importance of this epistle for sinners or unbelievers. We're all sinners. Some are redeemed but not all. As we see specifically an epistle like this, we see the premium God places on, do I need to repeat it seven times?

Sound doctrine, sound doctrine, sound doctrine, sound doctrine. The premium God places on the truth of the gospel, the truth of the gospel, the truth of the gospel. The premium God places on not men desiring to be teachers of the law, but men who desire to function as bishops in the church or overseers or elders in the church that are recognized by the church as being qualified according to what is written in 1 Timothy chapter 3, and then functioning in that capacity to refute false teachers and to feed the sheep of God. That's a pretty grand purpose.

Yes, for the glory of God. Yes, for the good of the church. And yes, for the good of sinners that find themselves in a gospel church so that God can pick them off and save them, affectionately call them. The purpose of God, I think, is well expressed in 1 Corinthians 1.21.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through what? Through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. You can read your Bible and get saved on Mount Sham. That's a beautiful thing.

If you got saved up on Mount Sham reading your Bible, praise God. The normative way that God has ordained for the calling of sinners effectually by the spirit to his son is to the foolishness of the message preached. Again, as I mentioned this morning, heaven didn't open up at the incarnation, guns blazing, battalions of troops to set the world in order. There was a both a normal and abnormal birth in a stable. of a normal and yet extraordinary man.

God's ways are not our ways. He doesn't set everything straight the way that we think he should. And he's chosen earthen pots, earthenware vessels, cracked pots to be the vehicle of gospel treasure so that when sinners are saved, it's not the cracked pot that gets the glory. It's the God of heaven and earth.

That's the purpose. The provision of God is seen in gospel ministry. Romans 10, 14, and 15. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? It's a provision of God.

There's prophecy connected to New Covenant prophecy in the Old Covenant about shepherds that God would provide to feed His people. Obviously, the chief shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, but then under shepherds. And then the power of God is seen in Romans 10, 17. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

So if you're not a believer here tonight, you need to think this way. You mean there's a whole book, three books in the New Testament, that are all about God saving sinners? Even to the extent of raising up men, setting them apart, having them recognized by the church, being installed or ordained in a gospel ministry so that they can preach that everlasting gospel to miserable wretches like me so that I can be saved? Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Everything in the Bible argues for God as Savior. In fact, from God, or the apostle says in 1st Timothy 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior, usually Jesus is ascribed Savior. Not that there's a difference in terms of the essential unity of the divine nature. But in terms of appropriation, and this is not the only place, but God our Savior, the Savior has purposed to save.

The idea that the Savior really doesn't want to save, the idea that the Savior is only going to save a little few, that's not biblical, brethren. In fact, Paul says that, and we'll end here, if you're not a believer, listen to this. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. If the mission of the Son was designed for the salvation of sinners and the mission of the church is designed for the salvation of sinners, sinners, what are you waiting for?

Come to the Savior and be saved. Let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Our Father, we thank you for this letter of Paul to Timothy. We thank you for your blessing in providing the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments to us. We pray that you would encourage us and build us up in our most holy faith and cause us as a church to be faithful with this deposit of truth that we have. And may we guard it, may we be nourished by it, and may we be faithful in following those things you stipulate by your spirit and for your glory.

We ask that you would go with us into this week, protect us and watch over us and cause us to know the joy of our Lord as our strength. And we ask in Jesus' name, amen.

Scripture References